Topeka, Kansas
Topeka is a city of 125,786 people in Shawnee County, Kansas, founded in 1854.
Why visit Topeka
Townapedia lists 63 museums and landmarks, 100 parks and trails, 135 places to eat, 13 places to stay and 14 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Topeka Zoo, The Jayhawk State Theatre of Kansas, Constitution Hall and Great Overland Station.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 88°F; January lows average 19°F.
Weather in Topeka
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Topeka
Topeka (, tə-PEE-kə) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Shawnee County. It is along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, within northeastern Kansas and the Central United States. The population of the city was 126,587 as of the 2020 census. The five-county Topeka metropolitan area has approximately 233,000 residents.
From the Wikipedia article Topeka, Kansas (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do14
North Kansas Avenue Bridge
Bridge · 2.4 mi
Bridge in United States of America
Oakland Expressway Bridge
Bridge · 5.5 mi
Bridge in United States of America
Sardou Bridge
Bridge · 3.3 mi
Bridge in Topeka, Kansas, United States
Topeka Boulevard Bridge
Bridge · 2.4 mi
Bridge in United States of America
Murphy Tractor & Equipment
Farm and orchard · 3.5 mi
1621 Northwest Gage Boulevard, Topeka
2 more on the map.
Museums and landmarks63
Constitution Hall
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.8 mi
Significant building in the history of Kansas Territory and the state of Kansas
429 South Kansas Avenue, Topeka
Great Overland Station
Museum · National Register of Historic Places · 2.6 mi
Railway station in Topeka, the United States of America
200 Northwest Railroad Street, Topeka
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Kansas State Capitol
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.3 mi
State capitol building of the U.S. state of Kansas
300 Southwest 10th Avenue, Topeka
Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.1 mi
National Historic Site of the United States in Topeka, Kansas
Cedar Crest
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.5 mi
Official residence of the governor, in Topeka, Kansas, United States
Cedar Crest Mansion
Museum · 3.5 mi
1 Southwest Cedar Crest Road, Topeka
Mo 13:00-15:30
Chester B. Woodward House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Historic house in Kansas, United States
Fire Station No. 2
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.5 mi
Fire station in Topeka, Kansas, United States
Hopkins House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 7.6 mi
House in Shawnee County, Kansas
Horace G. Lyons House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 8.1 mi
Historic house in Kansas, United States
Hughes Conoco Service Station
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.7 mi
Service station in Topeka, Kansas, United States
John Sargent House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.9 mi
House in Topeka, Kansas
51 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds100
Gage Park
Park · 2.4 mi
Park in Shawnee County, Kansas, United States of America
Landon Arena
Sports field and stadium · 0.6 mi
1710 Southwest Western Avenue, Topeka
Ward-Meade Park and Botanical Gardens
Park · 2.1 mi
124 Northwest Fillmore Street, Topeka
88 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes135
Dialogue Coffee House
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 2.2 mi
4009 Southwest 29th Street, Topeka
Mo-Fr 07:00-15:00; Sa 07:00-11:30
HuHot
Restaurant · Mongolian Grill · 3.5 mi
5900 Southwest Huntoon Street, Topeka
Su-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:00
IHOP
Restaurant · Breakfast, Pancake · 1.5 mi
3001 Southwest Topeka Boulevard, Topeka
Mo 00:00-22:00; Tu 06:00-22:00; We 06:00-24:00; Th-Su 00:00-24:00
Jorge’s Cantina
Restaurant · Mexican · 2.9 mi
837 Southwest Fairlawn Road
Tu-Th 11:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:30; Su 11:00-21:00
La Rocca's
Restaurant · Italian · 2.3 mi
3100 Southwest Gage Boulevard, Topeka
Tu-Sa 11:00-21:00; Su 12:00-18:00
Ling's Bistro
Restaurant · Asian, Cantonese, Chinese, Sushi, Japanese · 3.5 mi
1550 Southwest Wanamaker Road, Topeka
Mo-Th 11:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:30; Su 11:30-21:30
123 more on the map.
Where to stay13
Churches and places of worship122
North Topeka Baptist Church
Church · Baptist · National Register of Historic Places · 2.8 mi
123 Northwest Gordon Street, Topeka
Church of the Assumption and Rectory
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 1.5 mi
St. John African Methodist Episcopal Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 1.5 mi
St. Joseph's Catholic Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 1.9 mi
Westminster Presbyterian Church of Topeka
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Beautiful Saviour Evangelical Lutheran Church
Church · Lutheran · 3.5 mi
5905 Southwest 10th Avenue, Topeka
Shopping48
Gas and EV charging31
Schools, colleges and libraries92
Topeka High School
School · National Register of Historic Places · 1.2 mi
800 Southwest 10th Avenue, Topeka
Brown v Board of Education National Historic Site
School · 1.1 mi
1515 Southeast Monroe Street, Topeka
Sumner Elementary School
School · 1.8 mi
330 Southwest Western Avenue, Topeka
Healthcare17
Cotton O'Neil Diabetes and Endocrinology Center
Clinic and pharmacy · 2.1 mi
3520 Southwest 6th Avenue, Topeka
GraceMed Capitol Family Clinic
Clinic and pharmacy · 0.7 mi
1400 Southwest Huntoon Street, Topeka
Map of Topeka
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40°F | 19°F | 0.9 in |
| Feb | 45°F | 23°F | 1.3 in |
| Mar | 56°F | 33°F | 2.2 in |
| Apr | 66°F | 43°F | 3.9 in |
| May | 76°F | 55°F | 5.3 in |
| Jun | 85°F | 64°F | 5.0 in |
| Jul | 88°F | 68°F | 4.2 in |
| Aug | 87°F | 66°F | 4.4 in |
| Sep | 80°F | 57°F | 3.5 in |
| Oct | 69°F | 44°F | 2.9 in |
| Nov | 55°F | 32°F | 2.0 in |
| Dec | 43°F | 23°F | 1.5 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Topeka - Nws (4 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Shawnee County has had 12 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2024-04-28: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2020-03-29: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2010-03-09: Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorm (Severe Storm)
- 2008-02-01: Severe Winter Storms (Severe Storm)
- 2007-12-12: Severe Winter Storms (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Philip Billard Municipal Airport (TOP) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 5 miles away.
- Tecumseh 6 mi east, about 10 min by car
- Silver Lake 10 mi northwest, about 16 min by car
- Auburn 11 mi southwest, about 17 min by car
- Meriden 13 mi northeast, about 20 min by car
- Carbondale 15 mi south, about 24 min by car
- Hoyt 15 mi north, about 24 min by car
- Rossville 15 mi northwest, about 25 min by car
- Olathe 48 mi east, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Kansas City 52 mi east, about 1 h 30 min by car
- Overland Park 55 mi east, about 1 h 30 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Topeka, Kansas, Dylan Edwards Kswx29, CC BY 3.0
- Crawford House, Topeka, KS, 25or6to4, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Stormont Vail Events Center, south side, Topeka, KS 2026-03-27, Xnatedawgx, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Alt House, Topeka, KS, 25or6to4, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Shoemaker House, Topeka, KS, 25or6to4, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Stormont Vail Events Center, SE corner, Topeka, KS 2026-03-27, Xnatedawgx, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Hotel Topeka at City Center, SE corner, Topeka, KS 2026-03-27, Xnatedawgx, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Agriculture Hall, Stormont Vail Events Center, Topeka Boulevard, Topeka, KS, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Old Topeka Fire Department Station 5, Topeka Boulevard, Topeka, KS, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Gate, Stormont Vail Events Center, Topeka Boulevard, Topeka, KS, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Gate, Stormont Vail Events Center, Topeka Boulevard, Topeka, KS - 54461218874, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Old Railroad Engine, Stormont Vail Events Center, Topeka Boulevard, Topeka, KS, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Agriculture Hall, Stormont Vail Events Center, Topeka Boulevard, Topeka, KS - 54461387785, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Woodward House, Topeka, KS, 25or6to4, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Shawnee County Maintenance Garage Building, 21st Street and Topeka Boulevard, Topeka, KS - 54460188622, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Washburn, Topeka, Kansas, 1948, Marion Doss from Scranton, Kansas, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Kansas State Capitol, Aviper2k7, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Topeka High School (EJS), Ethan James Scherrer, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Topeka, KS Overland Station (511631948), Ron Reiring, CC BY 2.0
- Constitution Hall-Topeka, 429 S. Kansas Avenue, Topeka, KS, Cyday, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Topeka pictures 484, Timhalula, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Washburn University Carnegie Library, 25or6to4, CC BY-SA 4.0
- WashburnIchabod2, Polylerus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- WashburnIchabod, Polylerus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 1500 block of SW College Ave. looking North, NightKnapper, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Jasen Rauch 2016 (cropped), Ringerfan23, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Motionless in White 2016, Ringerfan23, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Breaking Benjamin feat Chris Motionless, Ringerfan23, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Jasen Rauch 2016, Ringerfan23, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Charles and Dorothy Kouns House Shawnee Co KS front, SharonPapierdreams, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Charles and Dorothy Kouns House Shawnee Co KS front entrance, SharonPapierdreams, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Charles and Dorothy Kouns House Shawnee Co KS south elevation, SharonPapierdreams, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Charles and Dorothy Kouns House Shawnee Co KS garage, SharonPapierdreams, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Charles and Dorothy Kouns House Shawnee Co KS east elevation, SharonPapierdreams, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Charles and Dorothy Kouns House Shawnee Co KS northeast elevation, SharonPapierdreams, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Charles and Dorothy Kouns House Shawnee Co KS north elevation and garage, SharonPapierdreams, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Westminster Presbyterian Church 2012-09-23 14-35-36, TheQuank, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Park Plaza Apartments Shawnee Co KS carport, SharonPapierdreams, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Park Plaza Apartments Shawnee Co KS southwest elevation, SharonPapierdreams, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Park Plaza Apartments Shawnee Co KS detail, SharonPapierdreams, CC BY-SA 4.0
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