Why visit Yates Center
Townapedia lists 4 museums and landmarks, 1 park or trail and 1 place to eat in and around town.
Highlights include Stockbrands and Kemmerer Department Store and Woodson County Courthouse.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 89°F; January lows average 21°F.
Weather in Yates Center
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Yates Center
Yates Center is a city in and the county seat of Woodson County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 1,352.
From the Wikipedia article Yates Center, Kansas (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks4
Stockbrands and Kemmerer Department Store
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.6 mi
Department store in Yates Center, Kansas, United States
Woodson County Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.6 mi
Courthouse in Yates Center, Kansas, United States
Yates Center Carnegie Library
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.6 mi
Carnegie library in Yates Center, Kansas, United States
Yates Center Courthouse Square Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.8 mi
Historic district in Yates Center, Kansas
Parks, trails and playgrounds1
Restaurants and cafes1
Churches and places of worship1
Calvary Episcopal Church
Church · Episcopal · 1.6 mi
110 South Grove Street, Yates Center
History
Yates Center was founded in August 1875. It was named for Abner Yates, the original owner of the town site, who donated an entire block around the courthouse, land for the churches, a city park, and a lot each for the first two children born in the town. Yates Center is the only town in Kansas to be selected as a county seat before there was a house or inhabitant within its boundaries.
Over thirty buildings in downtown Yates Center, centering on Courthouse Square, are included in the Yates Center Courthouse Square Historic District.
From the History section of Yates Center, Kansas on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries2
Map of Yates Center
11 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42°F | 21°F | 1.1 in | 3.1 in |
| Feb | 47°F | 24°F | 1.6 in | 1.8 in |
| Mar | 57°F | 33°F | 2.7 in | 1.0 in |
| Apr | 67°F | 43°F | 4.1 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 75°F | 54°F | 5.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 85°F | 64°F | 5.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 89°F | 68°F | 5.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 89°F | 66°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 81°F | 58°F | 4.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 70°F | 46°F | 3.7 in | 0.2 in |
| Nov | 57°F | 34°F | 2.3 in | 0.6 in |
| Dec | 45°F | 25°F | 1.8 in | 2.3 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Yates Ctr (2 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
Woodson County has had 21 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2025-05-21: Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, And Wildfires (Severe Storm)
- 2025-03-14: Yates Center Fire (Fire)
- 2024-07-15: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2023-10-26: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2020-03-29: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Chanute Martin Johnson Airport (CNU) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 20 miles away.
- Iola 20 mi east, about 32 min by car
- Chanute 21 mi southeast, about 34 min by car
- Burlington 23 mi north, about 36 min by car
- Fredonia 23 mi south, about 38 min by car
- Eureka 29 mi west, about 47 min by car
- Neodesha 31 mi south, about 50 min by car
- Garnett 40 mi northeast, about 1 h by car
- Emporia 44 mi northwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Independence 44 mi south, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Parsons 46 mi southeast, about 1 h 15 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
- Woodson County Courthouse, Yates Center, KS, 25or6to4, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bandstand, Yates Center, KS, 25or6to4, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Stockbrands and Kemmerer Department Store, Yates Center, KS, 25or6to4, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Carnegie Library, Yates Center, KS, 25or6to4, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Woodson County Courthouse south facade, Art davis, CC BY-SA 4.0
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.