Smith Center, Kansas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Smith Center, Kansas
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City and County seat
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(2021)
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Location within Smith County and Kansas
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| Country | United States |
| State | Kansas |
| County | Smith |
| Founded | 1871 |
| Incorporated | 1886 |
| Named for | Maj. J. Nelson Smith |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.28 sq mi (3.33 km2) |
| • Land | 1.28 sq mi (3.33 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,788 ft (545 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 1,571 |
| • Density | 1,227/sq mi (471.8/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
66967
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| Area code | 785 |
| FIPS code | 20-65925 |
| GNIS ID | 471958 |
Smith Center is a city in and the county seat of Smith County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 1,571.
Contents
History
Smith Center was founded in 1871. The first post office in Smith Center was established in January 1873. Like Smith County, Smith Center was named for Maj. J. Nelson Smith, a casualty of the Civil War.
Geography
Smith Center is located at 39°46′43″N 98°47′7″W / 39.77861°N 98.78528°W (39.778550, -98.785141). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.24 square miles (3.21 km2), all land.
Smith Center is located at the junction of U.S. Routes 281 and 36, approximately 100 miles south of Grand Island, Nebraska and 77 miles north of Russell and Interstate 70.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 254 | — | |
| 1890 | 767 | 202.0% | |
| 1900 | 1,142 | 48.9% | |
| 1910 | 1,292 | 13.1% | |
| 1920 | 1,567 | 21.3% | |
| 1930 | 1,736 | 10.8% | |
| 1940 | 1,686 | −2.9% | |
| 1950 | 2,026 | 20.2% | |
| 1960 | 2,379 | 17.4% | |
| 1970 | 2,389 | 0.4% | |
| 1980 | 2,240 | −6.2% | |
| 1990 | 2,016 | −10.0% | |
| 2000 | 1,931 | −4.2% | |
| 2010 | 1,665 | −13.8% | |
| 2020 | 1,571 | −5.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
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2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 1,665 people, 779 households, and 470 families living in the city. The population density was 1,342.7 inhabitants per square mile (518.4/km2). There were 928 housing units at an average density of 748.4 per square mile (289.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 97.7% White, 0.1% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.1% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 0.4% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.0% of the population.
There were 779 households, of which 23.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.8% were married couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.7% were non-families. 36.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.10 and the average family size was 2.71.
The median age in the city was 48.7 years. 20.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 18% were from 25 to 44; 26.8% were from 45 to 64; and 28.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.2% male and 52.8% female.
In popular culture
In the movie The Soldier, a renegade group of KGB agents has placed a nuclear weapon in Saudi Arabia which will contaminate 1/2 of the world's oil supply, unless Israel removes its settlements from the West Bank. A rogue U.S. agent has a team take over a military base located in Smith Center, and obtains independent launch capability of a nuclear weapon located on the base to force the KGB agents to back down, or he will use it to retaliate against Moscow.
Education
Primary and secondary education
Smith Center is part of Unified School District 237. The district has two schools in Smith Center:
- Smith Center Junior/Senior High School, 300 Roger Barta Way, Grades 7 to 12.
- Smith Center Elementary School, 216 South Jefferson Street, Grades K to 6.
Notable people
- Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, silent film star
- Nolan Cromwell, NFL defensive back for the Los Angeles Rams
- Mitch Holthus, radio announcer for the Kansas City Chiefs
- Mark Simoneau, College Football Hall of Fame linebacker for Kansas State University; played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Atlanta Falcons, Philadelphia Eagles, New Orleans Saints and Kansas City Chiefs
- Steve Tasker, NFL wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills
- Albert F. "Jud" Wagner, Kansas' last confirmed World War I veteran
- Evelyn Wilson, Justice of the Kansas Supreme Court
See also
In Spanish: Smith Center (Kansas) para niños
