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Valley Center, Kansas facts for kids

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Valley Center, Kansas
Location within Sedgwick County and Kansas
Location within Sedgwick County and Kansas
KDOT map of Sedgwick County (legend)
Country United States
State Kansas
County Sedgwick
Founded 1870s
Incorporated 1885
Named for Little Arkansas River valley
Area
 • Total 7.11 sq mi (18.41 km2)
 • Land 7.11 sq mi (18.40 km2)
 • Water 0.00 sq mi (0.01 km2)
Elevation
1,345 ft (410 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 7,340
 • Density 1,032.3/sq mi (398.7/km2)
Time zone UTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
67147
Area code 316
FIPS code 20-73250
GNIS ID 473852

Valley Center is a city in Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States, and a suburb of Wichita. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 7,340.

History

Valley Center was incorporated on September 29, 1885, and was named for its location in the valley of the Arkansas River.

On the morning of July 17, 2007, a large explosion occurred at the Barton Solvents chemical plant in Valley Center, destroying the plant and forcing the temporary evacuation of the city. Cleanup began several weeks later, and the investigation was completed by mid-August.

Official flag

The official flag was adopted by the city on January 5th, 2021. The design was developed by a Valley Center High School student and revised through public input and city council discussions.

The overall flag design has the base color of purple, which represents the heritage and history of Valley Center. The streaks are representative of the hopes and dreams for the future of our community. The color white in the middle symbolizes peace and yellow as the color of friendship. In a white circle, “Discover VC” is accompanied by a rendition of a Ferris wheel and the city’s birth date of 1885.

Geography

Valley Center is located at 37°49′47″N 97°22′10″W / 37.82972°N 97.36944°W / 37.82972; -97.36944 (37.829719, -97.369341). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.95 square miles (18.00 km2), all of it land.

Valley Center is located two miles west of combined Interstate 135, U.S. Route 81, and K-15.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1880 71
1890 167 135.2%
1900 312 86.8%
1910 381 22.1%
1920 486 27.6%
1930 896 84.4%
1940 700 −21.9%
1950 854 22.0%
1960 2,570 200.9%
1970 2,551 −0.7%
1980 3,300 29.4%
1990 3,624 9.8%
2000 4,883 34.7%
2010 6,822 39.7%
2020 7,340 7.6%
U.S. Decennial Census
2010-2020

Valley Center is part of the Wichita, KS Metropolitan Statistical Area.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 6,822 people, 2,484 households, and 1,862 families living in the city. The population density was 981.6 inhabitants per square mile (379.0/km2). There were 2,601 housing units at an average density of 374.2 per square mile (144.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 94.2% White, 0.8% African American, 0.8% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 1.3% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.6% of the population.

There were 2,484 households, of which 42.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.5% were married couples living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 25.0% were non-families. 22.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.22.

The median age in the city was 34.3 years. 31.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.3% were from 25 to 44; 23.8% were from 45 to 64; and 11.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.5% male and 50.5% female.

Education

Valley Center USD 262 employs approximately 370 people and serves more than 2,760 children from the communities of Valley Center, Park City, Kechi, and Wichita. The schools include one Pre-K - 3 building, two K-3 schools, an intermediate school that houses the fourth and fifth grades, a sixth, seventh and eighth grade middle school, and a high school. There is also an alternative school, The Learning Center, which assists students of all ages earning their high school diploma. The Valley Center school district mascot is the Hornets.

Events

  • Fall Festival - Annual event in September.

Notable people

Notable individuals who were born in and/or have lived in Valley Center include:

  • Cady Groves (1989-2020), pop-country singer
  • Patrick Miller (1980-), U.S. Army Staff Sergeant, prisoner of war

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Valley Center (Kansas) para niños

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