WaKeeney, Kansas
WaKeeney is a city of 1,852 people in Trego County, Kansas, founded in 1879.
Why visit WaKeeney
Townapedia lists 2 museums and landmarks, 2 parks and trails, 4 places to eat and 4 places to stay in and around town.
Highlights include Stradal House.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 93°F; January lows average 17°F, and about 20 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in WaKeeney
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About WaKeeney
WaKeeney is a city in and the county seat of Trego County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 1,799. The city was established in 1879 and named as a portmanteau of the surnames of its founders, Albert Warren and James Keeney.
From the Wikipedia article WaKeeney, Kansas (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks2
Stradal House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Historic house in Kansas
Trego County Historical Society Museum
Museum · 0.6 mi
128 North 13th Street, Wakeeney
Parks, trails and playgrounds2
Restaurants and cafes4
The Brazen Bull
Restaurant · American, Burger, Steak House · 0.8 mi
Tu 11:00-21:00; Th-Sa 11:00-14:00,17:00-21:00
Where to stay4
History
James Keeney, a land speculator in Chicago, purchased land at the site of modern-day WaKeeney from the Kansas Pacific Railway in 1877. He and business partner Albert Warren formed Warren, Keeney, & Co., surveyed and plotted the site in 1878, and established a colony there in 1879. They named the colony WaKeeney, a portmanteau of their surnames, and billed it as "The Queen City of the High Plains", advertising and holding celebrations to attract settlers. The colony grew rapidly, but crop failures drove settlers to leave in 1880 as quickly as they had come. By 1882, all that was left were "five poorly patronized retail stores". Years later, Volga Germans began settling the area.
WaKeeney became the county seat in June 1879 and was incorporated as a city in 1880.
From the History section of WaKeeney, Kansas on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Gas and EV charging3
Schools, colleges and libraries4
Healthcare1
Map of WaKeeney
20 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42°F | 17°F | 0.6 in | 4.3 in |
| Feb | 46°F | 20°F | 0.8 in | 4.3 in |
| Mar | 57°F | 29°F | 1.3 in | 3.2 in |
| Apr | 66°F | 38°F | 2.0 in | 1.3 in |
| May | 76°F | 49°F | 4.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 88°F | 60°F | 3.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 93°F | 66°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 90°F | 63°F | 3.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 82°F | 54°F | 1.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 69°F | 40°F | 1.6 in | 1.1 in |
| Nov | 55°F | 28°F | 0.9 in | 1.8 in |
| Dec | 44°F | 20°F | 0.9 in | 4.3 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Wakeeney Hcn (1 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
Trego County has had 12 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2024-04-28: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2022-05-25: Severe Winter Storms And Straight-Line Winds (Snowstorm)
- 2022-02-17: Severe Storms And Straight Line Winds (Severe Storm)
- 2020-03-29: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2017-02-24: Severe Winter Storm (Severe Ice Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Hill City Municipal Airport (HLC) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 25 miles away.
- Ellis 18 mi east, about 30 min by car
- Quinter 19 mi west, about 31 min by car
- Hill City 24 mi north, about 39 min by car
- Hays 32 mi east, about 51 min by car
- Plainville 34 mi northeast, about 55 min by car
- Hoxie 38 mi northwest, about 1 h by car
- Ness City 39 mi south, about 1 h by car
- Victoria 41 mi east, about 1 h by car
- La Crosse 46 mi southeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Oakley 52 mi west, 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
- Trego County fairgrounds exhibit bldg through gates1, Ammodramus, CC0
- WaKeeney, Kansas 409 N 13 from SE 1, Ammodramus, CC0
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