Galatia is a city in Barton County,

Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...

, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 45.

History

Settler David C. Barrows founded the community and laid out the town site in 1885. Originally named Four Corners, settler Henry G. Weber renamed it Galatia after his hometown of

Galatia, Illinois Galatia is a village in Saline County, Illinois, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the village population was 933. History Galatia is named for Albert Gallatin. The village was established as a tobacco farming hub in the mid-1800s. ...

. The first building constructed was a United Brethren church. A post office was established at Galatia in 1889. The

Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often referred to as the Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the largest Class 1 railroads in the United States between 1859 and 1996. The Santa Fe was a pioneer in intermodal freight transport; at vario ...

extended a rail line to Galatia (from Holyrood 31.20 miles away) on July 1, 1919, and the town grew to include three grain elevators, a bank, a lumberyard, and three general stores. By 1921, the population had grown to 202. After that, however, the population began to decline. The post office closed in 1966.

Geography

Galatia is located in northwestern Barton County in central Kansas and is north-northwest of

Great Bend Great Bend is a city in and the county seat of Barton County, Kansas, United States. It is named for its location at the point where the course of the Arkansas River bends east then southeast. As of the 2020 census, the population of the ci ...

, the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

, northwest of Wichita, and west of

Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more t ...

. It is west of

U.S. Route 281 U.S. Route 281 (US 281) is a north–south United States Numbered Highway. At it is the longest continuous three-digit U.S. Route. The highway's northern terminus is at the International Peace Garden, north of Dunseith, North Dakota, a ...

and north of Kansas Highway 4. Galatia lies roughly west of Landon Creek, a tributary of the

Smoky Hill River The Smoky Hill River is a river in the central Great Plains of North America, running through Colorado and Kansas. Names The Smoky Hill is named from the Smoky Hills region of north-central Kansas through which it flows. American Indians li ...

, in the

Smoky Hills The Smoky Hills are an upland region of hills in the central Great Plains of North America. They are located in the Midwestern United States, encompassing north-central Kansas and a small portion of south-central Nebraska. The hills are a diss ...

region of the

Great Plains The Great Plains is a broad expanse of plain, flatland in North America. The region stretches east of the Rocky Mountains, much of it covered in prairie, steppe, and grassland. They are the western part of the Interior Plains, which include th ...

. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

2020 census

The 2020 United States census counted 45 people, 21 households, and 11 families in Galatia. The population density was 126.8 per square mile (48.9/km). There were 28 housing units at an average density of 78.9 per square mile (30.5/km). The racial makeup was 91.11% (41)

white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

European American European Americans are Americans of European ancestry. This term includes both people who descend from the first European settlers in the area of the present-day United States and people who descend from more recent European arrivals. Since th ...

(86.67%

non-Hispanic white Non-Hispanic Whites, also referred to as White Anglo Americans or Non-Latino Whites, are White Americans who are classified by the United States census as "White" and not of Hispanic or Latino origin. According to annual estimates from the Unit ...

), 0.0% (0)

black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...

, 0.0% (0) Native American or

Alaska Native Alaska Natives (also known as Native Alaskans, Alaskan Indians, or Indigenous Alaskans) are the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous peoples of Alaska that encompass a diverse arena of cultural and linguistic groups, including the I ...

, 0.0% (0) Asian, 0.0% (0)

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

Native Hawaiian Native Hawaiians (also known as Indigenous Hawaiians, Kānaka Maoli, Aboriginal Hawaiians, or simply Hawaiians; , , , and ) are the Indigenous peoples of Oceania, Indigenous Polynesians, Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands. Hawaiʻi was set ...

, 2.22% (1) from other races, and 6.67% (3) from

two or more races Multiracial Americans, also known as mixed-race Americans, are Americans who have mixed ancestry of two or more races. The term may also include Americans of mixed-race ancestry who self-identify with just one group culturally and socially (cf. t ...

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race was 6.67% (3) of the population. Of the 21 households, 9.5% had children under the age of 18; 47.6% were married couples living together; 19.0% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. 42.9% of households consisted of individuals and 4.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.0 and the average family size was 2.2. 13.3% of the population was under the age of 18, 4.4% from 18 to 24, 15.6% from 25 to 44, 31.1% from 45 to 64, and 35.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 55.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.5 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 116.7 males. The 2016-2020 5-year

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...

estimates show that the median family income was $80,000 (+/- $62,556).

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 39 people, 20 households, and 12 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...

was . There were 29 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 100.0%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

or Latino of any race were 7.7% of the population. There were 20 households, of which 10.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.0% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 5.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.0% were non-families. 40.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.95 and the average family size was 2.58. The median age in the city was 56.3 years. 12.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 7.8% were from 25 to 44; 43.6% were from 45 to 64; and 28.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 64.1% male and 35.9% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 61 people, 27 households, and 18 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 32 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 83.61%

and 16.39% Native American. There were 27 households, out of which 18.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.6% were

living together, 3.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.3% were non-families. 29.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.83. In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.0% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 18.0% from 45 to 64, and 26.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 125.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.3 males. The median income for a household in the city was $28,750, and the median income for a family was $38,750. Males had a median income of $22,188 versus $31,250 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $16,282. There were no families and 6.0% of the population living 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 ...

, including no under eighteens and none of those over 64.

Government

Galatia is a city of the third class with a mayor-council 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, borough counc ...

consists of five members, and it meets on the first Tuesday of each month. Galatia 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 sen ...

, the city is located in the 33rd 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 about 73,000 inhabitants. Members o ...

and the 109th district 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 craftin ...

Education

The community is served by Hoisington USD 431 public school district, based in nearby Hoisington. Galatia High School was closed through school unification. The Galatia High School mascot was Bluejays.

Media

Galatia is in the Wichita-Hutchinson, Kansas television market.

Infrastructure

Transportation

NW 190 Road, a paved county road, runs east–west through Galatia. Another paved county road, NW 100 Avenue, runs north–south through the community. The

formerly operated a freight rail line that ran east–west through Galatia, but the line has since been discontinued. This line also provided passenger service via

mixed train A mixed train or mixed consist is a train that contains both passenger and freight cars or wagons. In some countries, the term refers to a freight train carrying various different types of freight rather a single commodity. Although common in the ...

s which ran to Little River until at least 1961. As of 2025, the nearest passenger rail station is located in Hutchinson, where

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...

Southwest Chief The ''Southwest Chief'' (formerly the ''Southwest Limited'' and ''Super Chief'') is a Amtrak Long Distance, long-distance passenger train operated by Amtrak on a route between Chicago and Los Angeles through the Midwest and American Southwest ...

stops once daily on a route from Chicago to Los Angeles.

References

External links

Galatia - Directory of Public Officials

Galatia city map
KDOT {{Authority control Cities in Kansas Cities in Barton County, Kansas