Hutchinson is the largest city and

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

Reno County Reno County (standard abbreviation: RN) is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 61,898. The largest city and county seat is Hutchinson. History Early history For many millennia, the Great ...

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to th ...

, United States, and located on the

Arkansas River The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. It generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's source basin lies in the western United Stat ...

. It has been home to

salt Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quant ...

mines since 1887, thus its nickname of "Salt City", but locals call it "Hutch". As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 40,006. Each year, Hutchinson hosts the

Kansas State Fair Kansas State Fair is a state fair held annually in Hutchinson, Kansas, United States. It starts the Friday following Labor Day in September, and lasts for 10 days. This fair is the largest single event in the state and attracts approximately 350 ...

, and

National Junior College Athletic Association The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), founded in 1938, is the governing association of community college, state college and junior college athletics throughout the United States. Currently the NJCAA holds 24 separate regions ...

(NJCAA) Basketball Tournament. It is the home of the

Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center Cosmosphere is a space museum and STEM education center in Hutchinson, Kansas, United States. It was previously known as the Kansas Cosmosphere. The museum houses over 13,000 spaceflight artifacts—the largest combined collection of US and R ...

aerospace museum and Strataca (formerly known as Kansas Underground Salt Museum).

History

Stouffer's Railroad Map of Kansas 1915-1918 Reno County

The city of Hutchinson was founded in 1871, when frontiersman Clinton "C.C." Hutchinson contracted with the

Santa Fe Railway The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often referred to as the Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The railroad was chartered in February 1859 to serve the cities of Atchison and Topeka, Kansas, and ...

to make a town at the railroad's crossing over the

. The town actually sprang up about one-half mile north, on the banks of Cow Creek, where a few houses already existed. C.C. Hutchinson later founded the Reno County Bank in 1873, and by 1878 had erected the state's first water-mill at Hutchinson. The community earned the nickname "Temperance City" due to the prohibition of alcohol set by its founder. Hutchinson was incorporated as a third class city in August 1872. In 1887, the Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway built a main line from Herington through Hutchinson to

Pratt Pratt is an English surname. Notable people with the surname include: A–F * Abner Pratt (1801–1863), American diplomat, jurist, politician, lawyer * Al Pratt (baseball) (1847–1937), American baseball player * Andy Pratt (baseball) (bor ...

. In 1888, this line was extended to

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

. Later, it was extended to

Tucumcari, New Mexico Tucumcari (; ) is a city in and the county seat of Quay County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 5,278 at the 2020 census. Tucumcari was founded in 1901, two years before Quay County was established. History In 1901, the Chicago, ...

and

El Paso, Texas El Paso (; "the pass") is a city in and the county seat, seat of El Paso County, Texas, El Paso County in the western corner of the U.S. state of Texas. The 2020 population of the city from the United States Census Bureau, U.S. Census Bureau w ...

. It foreclosed in 1891 and was taken over by Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway, which shut down in 1980 and reorganized as

Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas Railroad The Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas Railroad (OKT) was a railroad operating in its namesake states in the 1980s. OKT I The Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas Railroad was originally created on May 29, 1980, after the demise of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pa ...

, merged in 1988 with

Missouri Pacific Railroad The Missouri Pacific Railroad , commonly abbreviated as MoPac, was one of the first railroads in the United States west of the Mississippi River. MoPac was a Class I railroad growing from dozens of predecessors and mergers. In 1967, the railroad ...

, merged in 1997 with

Union Pacific Railroad The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...

. Most locals still refer to this railroad as the "Rock Island". Also in 1887, local salt deposits were discovered for the first time, when Ben Blanchard, a land speculator who founded South Hutchinson, drilled for oil in the area. Salt mining would become a major industry in Hutchinson, with the city eventually earning the nickname "Salt City". Hutchinson had been holding county fairs since 1873. By 1900 many referred to the Hutchinson fair as the Kansas State Fair, even though there was no state supported Kansas State Fair yet. In 1913, after lobbying in the Kansas Legislature, Hutchinson gifted the State of Kansas the land that became the Kansas State Fairgrounds. The official Kansas State Fair has been held in Hutchinson ever since. In 1943, German and Italian prisoners of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

were used in Kansas and other Midwest states as a means of solving the

labor shortage In economics, a shortage or excess demand is a situation in which the demand for a product or service exceeds its supply in a market. It is the opposite of an excess supply ( surplus). Definitions In a perfect market (one that matches a si ...

caused by American men serving in the war effort. Large

prisoner-of-war camp A prisoner-of-war camp (often abbreviated as POW camp) is a site for the containment of enemy fighters captured by a belligerent power in time of war. There are significant differences among POW camps, internment camps, and military prisons. ...

s were established in Kansas: Camp Concordia, Camp Funston (at

Fort Riley Fort Riley is a United States Army installation located in North Central Kansas, on the Kansas River, also known as the Kaw, between Junction City and Manhattan. The Fort Riley Military Reservation covers 101,733 acres (41,170 ha) in Ge ...

), Camp Phillips (at Salina under

established 12 smaller branch camps, including Hutchinson. On January 17, 2001, of

compressed natural gas Compressed natural gas (CNG) is a fuel gas mainly composed of methane (CH4), compressed to less than 1% of the volume it occupies at standard atmospheric pressure. It is stored and distributed in hard containers at a pressure of , usually in cy ...

leaked from the nearby Yaggy storage field. It sank underground, then rose to the surface through old brine or salt wells, making around 15 gas blowholes. An explosion in the downtown area at 10:45 am destroyed two businesses and damaged 26 others. An explosion the next day in a mobile-home park killed two people. The Kansas National Guard was called in to help evacuate parts of the city because of the gas leaks, and a team of specialists looked over all the city for leaks after the event. These events were broadcast on nationally televised news stations across the country. On June 21, 2013, following a grassroots campaign in an effort to promote Smallville Con, a comic-book convention hosted at the Kansas State Fair, the mayor of Hutchinson decreed the city's name would be changed to " Smallville" for one day in honor of Superman's fictional Kansas hometown of the same name. The tradition has continued every year coinciding with the convention for two days every June.

Geography

Hutchinson is located at (38.0608445, -97.9297743) at an elevation of 1,535 feet (468 m). Located in south-central Kansas at the intersection of U.S. Route 50 and Kansas Highway 96 (K-96), Hutchinson is northwest of Wichita, west-southwest of Kansas City, and east-southeast of

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

. The city lies on the northeast bank of the

in the Great Bend Sand Prairie region of the Great Plains. Cow Creek, a tributary of the Arkansas, runs southeast through the city. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...

, the city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water.

Climate

Hutchinson has a humid continental climate (Köppen ''Dfa'') bordering on a humid subtropical climate (Köppen ''Cfa''), with hot, humid summers and cold, dry winters. The average temperature for the year is 56 °F (13 °C), and the average

relative humidity Humidity is the concentration of water vapor present in the air. Water vapor, the gaseous state of water, is generally invisible to the human eye. Humidity indicates the likelihood for precipitation, dew, or fog to be present. Humidity dep ...

is 65%. Temperatures exceed 90 °F (32 °C) an average of 65 days a year and drop below 32 °F (0 °C) an average of 121 days a year. On average, Hutchinson experiences 46 rainy days a year. Snowfall averages 14.1 inches (35 cm) per year. Total precipitation averages 30.3 inches (770 mm) per year. On average, January is the coolest month, July is the warmest month, and May is the wettest month. The hottest temperature recorded in Hutchinson was 111 °F (44 °C) in 1964; the coldest temperature recorded was -19 °F (-28 °C) in 1982.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servi ...

, there were 42,080 people, 16,981 households, and 10,352 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was . There were 18,580 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 87.9%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 4.3%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.7% American Indian, 0.6%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 3.4% from other races, and 3.2% from two or more races. Hispanics and Latinos of any race were 10.6% of the population. There were 16,981 households, of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.1% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.0% were non-families. 33.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.93. The median age in the city was 37.8 years. 23.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.4% were from 25 to 44; 25.4% were from 45 to 64; and 16.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.3% male and 49.7% female. The median income for a household was $38,880, and the median income for a family was $47,336. Males had a median income of $39,442 versus $26,600 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $21,050. About 12.9% of families and 15.7% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 26.0% of those under age 18 and 6.9% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2000, there were 40,787 people, 16,335 households, and 10,340 families residing in the city. The

was . There were 17,693 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 88.57%

, 4.28%

, 0.65% Native American, 0.59%

, 0.04%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 3.65% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 2.21% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

people of any race were 7.67% of the population. There were 16,335 households, out of which 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.3% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.7% were non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.91. In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.2% under the age of 18, 11.0% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.5 males. As of 2000 the median income for a household in the city was $32,645, and the median income for a family was $40,094. Males had a median income of $30,994 versus $21,190 for females. The

for the city was $17,964. About 9.8% of families and 12.7% of the population were below the

, including 16.5% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Salt was discovered in Reno County by Benjamin Blanchard on September 26, 1887. This gave rise to the first salt-processing plants west of the Mississippi River. Salt was originally extracted using the evaporation method by pumping water into brine wells. In 1923, the Carey Salt Company opened the only

salt mine Salt mining extracts natural salt deposits from underground. The mined salt is usually in the form of halite (commonly known as rock salt), and extracted from evaporite formations. History Before the advent of the modern internal combustio ...

in Hutchinson, which then produced

rock salt Halite (), commonly known as rock salt, is a type of salt, the mineral (natural) form of sodium chloride ( Na Cl). Halite forms isometric crystals. The mineral is typically colorless or white, but may also be light blue, dark blue, purple, pi ...

. That mine is still in use today and is now operated by Hutchinson Salt Company. Cargill and

Morton Salt Morton Salt is an American food company producing salt for food, water conditioning, industrial, agricultural, and road/highway use. Based in Chicago, the business is North America's leading producer and marketer of salt. It is a subsidiary of h ...

also have evaporative salt plants in Hutchinson. Excavated portions of the mine are used for archival storage of movie and television masters, data tapes, and permanent business records. Underground Vaults & Storage currently houses the masters for '' The Wizard of Oz'' (1939), ''

Gone with the Wind Gone with the Wind most often refers to: * ''Gone with the Wind'' (novel), a 1936 novel by Margaret Mitchell * ''Gone with the Wind'' (film), the 1939 adaptation of the novel Gone with the Wind may also refer to: Music * ''Gone with the Wind'' ...

'' (1939), and '' Star Wars'' (1977), among many others. The world's longest grain elevator was built in Hutchinson in 1961. Dillon's grocery stores was established in Hutchinson by J.S. Dillon in the 1920s (originated in Sterling, Kansas). Dillon's was bought out by The Kroger Co. in 1983. The company still operates a distribution center and headquarters for Dillons and

Kwik Shop Kwik Shop is a chain of convenience stores and gas stations located throughout Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa. They offer cold beverages, coffee, snack items, general foods, lottery tickets, and gasoline. It is owned by EG Group#EG America, EG Americ ...

in town. The Eaton Corporation operates a hydraulics plant in Hutchinson. On August 22, 2006, Eaton announced it would keep the Hutchinson plant open because of a $1 million economic incentive from the City of Hutchinson and a $2 million incentive from the State of Kansas. 155 assembly jobs were moved to the Reynosa, Mexico plant in June 2007. On September 2, 2008, the Hutchinson Hospital changed its name to Promise Regional Medical Center. In 2012, it changed its name again to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center. Lowen Corporation, founded in 1950 in a converted garage behind C.W. "Mike" Lowen's house, is a provider of graphic solutions. Lowen Sign Company, Lowen Color Graphics, and Lowen Certified are located in Hutchinson.

Collins Bus Collins Industries is an American bus manufacturer headquartered in Hutchinson, Kansas. Best known for production of yellow school buses, the company produces buses for multiple applications; all bodies designed by the company have been produced ...

Corporation resides just outside Hutchinson, and is the leading small school bus manufacturer in North America.

StraightLine HDD StraightLine HDD, formerly StraightLine Manufacturing, Inc., is an American corporation which designs and builds tooling and equipment for the Directional boring, Directional drilling industry. The company's products include directional drills, mu ...

, a leading directional drill tooling manufacturer, has a . manufacturing plant in Hutchinson. In May 2009, Siemens announced it would open its American

wind turbine A wind turbine is a device that converts the kinetic energy of wind into electrical energy. Hundreds of thousands of large turbines, in installations known as wind farms, now generate over 650 gigawatts of power, with 60 GW added each yea ...

nacelle assembly facility in Hutchinson. The facility was expected to begin producing in 2010 and to create 400 jobs in Hutchinson. Kuhn-Krause operates a huge manufacturing plant in Hutchinson, manufacturing agricultural equipment and housing one of two Kuhn factories in North America.

Government

Hutchinson is a city of the first class with a council-manager form of government. The

city council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...

consists of five members. For purposes of representation in the council, the city is divided into four districts with one council member elected to a four-year term from each district. The fifth council member is elected at-large to a two-year term. Every year, the council selects one member to serve as

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

and another as vice-mayor. Council members are

term limit A term limit is a legal restriction that limits the number of terms an officeholder may serve in a particular elected office. When term limits are found in presidential and semi-presidential systems they act as a method of curbing the potenti ...

ed and may not serve for more than one partial term plus two consecutive four-year terms. The council sets policy for the city and oversees the city manager who executes those policies. Hired by the council, the city manager serves as the city's chief administrative officer, administers the city budget, and conducts daily city business. Council meetings occur on the first and third Tuesday of each month, broadcast live on local

cable Cable may refer to: Mechanical * Nautical cable, an assembly of three or more ropes woven against the weave of the ropes, rendering it virtually waterproof * Wire rope, a type of rope that consists of several strands of metal wire laid into a hel ...

channel 7. As the

, Hutchinson is the administrative center of Reno County. The

county courthouse A courthouse or court house is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities. The term is common in North America. In most other English-spe ...

is located downtown, and all departments of the county government base their operations in the city. Hutchinson lies within Kansas's 1st U.S. Congressional District. For the purposes of representation in the

Kansas Legislature The Kansas Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Kansas. It is a bicameral assembly, composed of the lower Kansas House of Representatives, with 125 state representatives, and the upper Kansas Senate, with 40 state senators. ...

, the city is located in the 34th district of the

Kansas Senate The Kansas Senate is the upper house of the Kansas Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. State of Kansas. It is composed of 40 senators elected from single-member districts, each with a population of at least 60,000 inhabitants. Members ...

and the 102nd, 104th, and 114th districts of the

Kansas House of Representatives The Kansas House of Representatives is the lower house of the legislature of the U.S. state of Kansas. Composed of 125 state representatives from districts with roughly equal populations of at least 19,000, its members are responsible for crafti ...

Education

Colleges

The main campus of

Hutchinson Community College Hutchinson Community College (HutchCC or HCC) is a public community college in Hutchinson, Kansas, United States. It serves nearly 5,000 credit students every semester. History The college was established in the spring of 1928 as Hutchinson Ju ...

, a two-year public college, is located in the city.

Primary and secondary

Three public school districts provide education for students in and around Hutchinson.

USD 308

Hutchinson USD 308 school district operates twelve schools in the city: *Avenue A Elementary School ( grades Pre-K-6) *Faris Elementary School (K-6) *Graber Elementary School (K-6) *Lincoln Elementary School (K-6) *

Magnet School In the U.S. education system, magnet schools are public schools with specialized courses or curricula. "Magnet" refers to how the schools draw students from across the normal boundaries defined by authorities (usually school boards) as school ...

at Allen (K-6) *McCandless Elementary School (K-6) *Morgan Elementary School (K-6) *Wiley Elementary School (K-6) *Hutchinson Middle School 7 (7) *Hutchinson Middle School 8 (8) * Hutchinson High School (9-12) *Hutchinson Career & Technical Educational Academy The Hutchinson High School football team (the Salthawks) has had seven straight appearances, including six straight wins, in the 6A & 5A State Championship Game.

USD 313

Buhler USD 313 school district operates three schools in and around Hutchinson: * Union Valley Elementary School (K-5) * Plum Creek Elementary (K-5) * Prairie Hills Middle School (6-8)

USD 309

Nickerson–South Hutchinson USD 309 school district operates one school near Hutchinson: * Reno Valley Middle School (7-8).

Private

There are also three

private schools An independent school is independent in its finances and governance. Also known as private schools, non-governmental, privately funded, or non-state schools, they are not administered by local, state or national governments. In British Eng ...

in Hutchinson: * Central Christian School (K-12) *Holy Cross Catholic School (Pre-K-6) * Trinity Catholic High School (7-12)

Infrastructure

Transportation

Hutchinson Municipal Airport Hutchinson Kansas 9-14-2014

U.S. Route 50 runs east–west south of the city.

K-96 K96 or K-96 may refer to: *K-96 (Kansas highway) K-96 is a state highway in central and southern Kansas. Its western terminus is at the Colorado state line east of Towner, Colorado, where it continues as Colorado State Highway 96; its east ...

approaches Hutchinson from the south, bypasses it to the west, and then turns northwest. Coming from the west, K-61 runs concurrently with U.S. 50, turns north and runs through the eastern part of the city, and then exits to the northeast. Reno County Area Transit (RCAT) provides local

public transport bus service Public transport bus services are generally based on regular operation of transit buses along a route calling at agreed bus stops according to a published public transport timetable. History of buses Origins While there are indications ...

. The agency operates three bus routes colored Red, Blue, and Yellow. Greyhound Lines offers long-distance bus service on its route through Hutchinson from Wichita to

Pueblo In the Southwestern United States, Pueblo (capitalized) refers to the Native tribes of Puebloans having fixed-location communities with permanent buildings which also are called pueblos (lowercased). The Spanish explorers of northern New Spain ...

. Bus service is provided daily towards Wichita and Salina by BeeLine Express (subcontractor of Greyhound Lines). Hutchinson Municipal Airport is located on the eastern side of the city. The airport is primarily utilized for

general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations with the exception of commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services ...

. Therefore, residents typically use

Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport is a commercial airport west of downtown Wichita, Kansas, United States. It is the largest and busiest airport in the state of Kansas. Located south of US-54 in southwest Wichita, it covers 3,24 ...

in Wichita for commercial travel. Three railroads serve Hutchinson. One is the La Junta Subdivision of the BNSF Railway which runs east–west through the city.

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States and nine cities in Canada ...

uses the La Junta Subdivision to provide passenger rail service. Hutchinson is a stop on the ''

Southwest Chief The ''Southwest Chief'' (formerly the ''Southwest Limited'' and ''Super Chief'') is a passenger train operated by Amtrak on a route between Chicago and Los Angeles through the Midwest and Southwest via Kansas City, Albuquerque, and Flagsta ...

, ''which provides daily train service between Chicago and Los Angeles''.'' Another railroad serving Hutchinson is the Tucumcari Line of the

, which runs northeast–southwest through the city. Lastly, Hutchinson is the terminus of two lines of the

Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad The Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad is a shortline railroad operating in the Midwestern United States. It is primarily located in Kansas and extends into Colorado, but despite its name, not into Oklahoma. Overview The KO is a subsidiary of Watco, ...

: the Hutchinson Subdivision, which enters the city from the south, and the Great Bend Subdivision, which enters the city from the northwest.

Health care

There are two hospitals in Hutchinson. The larger of the two, Hutchinson Regional Medical Center, is a not-for-profit general medical and surgical facility that offers a range of services including emergency care. The other hospital is Summit Surgical, a specialized corporate surgical facility.

Media

The Hutchinson News ''The Hutchinson News'' is a daily newspaper serving the city of Hutchinson, Kansas, United States. The publication was awarded the 1965 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service "for its courageous and constructive campaign, culminating in 1964, to bri ...

'' is the city's primary newspaper, published daily. Hutchinson Community College publishes a weekly student newspaper, the ''Collegian''. Hutchinson is a center of broadcast media for south-central Kansas. One AM and 12 FM radio stations are

licensed A license (or licence) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit). A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another party (licensee) as an element of an agreeme ...

to and/or broadcast from the city. Hutchinson is also the second principal city of the Wichita-Hutchinson, Kansas television market. The market's primary

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

Dabl Dabl () is an American lifestyle-oriented digital multicast television network owned by the CBS Media Ventures subsidiary of Paramount Global. The company's formerly-owned other subchannel network, Decades, through CBS News and Stations was l ...

, and

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

affiliates are licensed to the city, but all three stations broadcast from Wichita.

Parks and recreation

Hutchinson is home to the

Prairie Dunes Country Club Prairie Dunes Country Club is a golf course located just outside Hutchinson, Kansas. Frequently ranked among the best golf courses in the United States, it has hosted several United States Golf Association national championship tournaments. The ...

, a golf course frequently ranked among the best golf courses in the U.S., and has hosted several United States Golf Association national championship tournaments. The club was founded by Emerson Carey and his four sons in the mid-1930s. The course was designed by

Perry Maxwell Perry Duke Maxwell (June 13, 1879 – November 15, 1952) was an American golf course architect. He was a founding member of the American Society of Golf Course Architects and was an inductee into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame in 2012. He was kn ...

and the first nine holes opened on September 13, 1937. Twenty years later in 1957 a second 9 holes were opened, designed by J. Press Maxwell (Perry's son). Prairie Dunes was host of the 2002

U.S. Women's Open The U.S. Women's Open, one of 15 national golf championships conducted by the United States Golf Association (USGA), is the oldest of the LPGA Tour's five major championships, which includes the Chevron Championship, Women's PGA Championship, W ...

and 2006

U.S. Senior Open The U.S. Senior Open is one of the five major championships in senior golf, introduced in 1980. It is administered by the United States Golf Association (USGA) and is recognized as a major championship by both the PGA Tour Champions and the Eu ...

golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping ...

championships. Located on the north eastern edge of Hutchinson is the

Sand Hills State Park Sand Hills State Park is located north of the city of Hutchinson in Reno County, Kansas, United States. History In 1974, the Kansas Park and Resources Authority acquired from the Kansas State Industrial Reformatory. This section of land be ...

Culture

Points of interest

* Strataca, formerly known as Kansas Underground Salt Museum *

* Carey Park, home of the Hutchinson Zoo, Carey Park Golf Course, and Salt City Splash outdoor aquatic center

In popular culture and the arts

Film

* '' Wait till the Sun Shines, Nellie'' (1952), directed by Henry King, is set in Hutchinson. * '' Picnic'' (1955), directed by Joshua Logan and winner of two Academy Awards, was partially shot in Hutchinson (grain elevator scene). * ''

Mysterious Skin ''Mysterious Skin'' is a 2004 coming-of-age film written and directed by Gregg Araki, adapted from Scott Heim's 1995 novel of the same name. The film tells the story of two pre-adolescent boys who both experienced sexual abuse as children, and h ...

'' (2004), directed by

Gregg Araki Gregg Araki (born December 17, 1959) is an American filmmaker. He is noted for his heavy involvement with the New Queer Cinema movement. His film '' Kaboom'' (2010) was the first winner of the Cannes Film Festival Queer Palm. Early life and e ...

and based on a 1996

Scott Heim Scott Heim (born 1966) is an American novelist from Hutchinson, Kansas, currently living in Massachusetts. Heim's first novel, ''Mysterious Skin'', was published in 1995. Biography Scott Heim was born in Hutchinson, Kansas, in 1966. He attende ...

book of the same name, is set in Hutchinson. * ''Salvation U.S.A.'' (2013), directed by Brett Donowho and Bernie Van De Yacht, was shot in Hutchinson.

Television

* ''

Dirty Jobs ''Dirty Jobs'' is an American television series that originally aired on the Discovery Channel in which host Mike Rowe is shown performing difficult, strange, disgusting, or messy occupational duties alongside the job's current employees. The sh ...

'' Season 2 Episode 42 was set in Hutchinson and focused on mining salt. * ''

Modern Marvels ''Modern Marvels'' is an American worldwide television series that formerly aired on the History Channel and is currently shown on Story Television. The program focuses on how technologies affect and are used in modern society. It is History's ...

'', Season 17 Episode 7 (time code: 29:40 - 34:26, first aired October 12, 2010), contained a segment on the Hutchinson Salt Mine. * On '' Rocket Power'', Samuel "Squid" Dullard is said to have moved from Hutchinson to Ocean Shores, California. * In ''So Weird''s Season 2, an episode takes place in Hutchinson where Molly is performing for a charity benefit. * ''

How Stuff Works HowStuffWorks is an American commercial infotainment website founded by professor and author Marshall Brain, to provide its target audience an insight into the way many things work. The site uses various media to explain complex concepts, termin ...

'' "Salt Episode", mining salt. * ''

History Channel History (formerly The History Channel from January 1, 1995 to February 15, 2008, stylized as HISTORY) is an American pay television network and flagship channel owned by A&E Networks, a joint venture between Hearst Communications and the Disney ...

'' "Gas Explosion", 17 min segment on the Hutchinson Gas Explosion of 2001. * "Situation Critical: Apollo 13" - this episode of the ''Situation Critical'' series was filmed at the Kansas Cosmosphere.

Literature

* '' Sprout'', a 2009 novel by

Dale Peck Dale Peck (born 1967) is an American novelist, literary critic, and columnist. His 2009 novel, '' Sprout'', won the Lambda Literary Award for LGBT Children's/Young Adult literature, and was a finalist for the Stonewall Book Award in the Children's ...

, is set in Hutchinson and surrounding areas. * ''

'', a 1996 novel by

(adapted into a film in 2004 starring

Joseph Gordon-Levitt Joseph Leonard Gordon-Levitt (; born February 17, 1981) is an American actor. He has received various accolades, including nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his leading performances ...

), is set in Hutchinson and nearby towns.

Sports

* Roller Derby - the Central Kansas Roller Girls - All Female Flat Track Roller Derby League formed in 2012. In 2016 it became a coed team and was renamed Central Kansas Roller Derby. In 2017 they added a junior team which has not yet been named.

Notable people

* Robert L. Burns (1876–1955), attorney; business manager of ''

''; Hutchinson school board, city council and school board for

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

* David Dillon (1951-), former CEO of

Kroger The Kroger Company, or simply Kroger, is an American retail company that operates (either directly or through its subsidiaries) supermarkets and multi-department stores throughout the United States. Founded by Bernard Kroger in 1883 in Cinci ...

, great-grandson of J.S. Dillon who founded

Dillons Dillons is a grocery supermarket chain based in Hutchinson, Kansas, and is a division of Kroger. Other banners under Dillon Stores Division include Gerbes in Missouri and Baker's in Omaha, Nebraska. Dillons operates grocery stores throughout K ...

References

External links

*
Hutchinson - Directory of Public Officials
* , from ''Hatteberg's People'' on

KAKE KAKE (channel 10) is a television station in Wichita, Kansas, United States, affiliated with ABC and owned by Lockwood Broadcast Group. The station's studios are located on West Street in northwestern Wichita, and its transmitter is located in ...

TV news
Hutchinson city map
KDOT {{Authority control Cities in Kansas County seats in Kansas Cities in Reno County, Kansas Populated places established in 1872 Micropolitan areas of Kansas Kansas populated places on the Arkansas River 1872 establishments in Kansas