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Wichita - city in Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States

Wichita is the largest city in Kansas - since Kansas City is divided between the states of Kansas and Missouri. It is not the biggest or flashiest city in the US, but it remains a medium-sized city with a small-town feel. It offers much to tourists from both near and far with its variety of attractions.

Understand

Wichita is a city in the heart of the great plains in Central Kansas. The city is home to large aircraft manufacturers which make up a large portion of the local economy. In 2021, it had almost 400,000 residents.

Get in

By car

Wichita is at the junction of Interstates 135 and 35 (Kansas Turnpike) and approximately 3 hours' drive from Kansas City or Oklahoma City. It's 1½ hours from I-70.

By plane

By bus

By train

While Amtrak doesn't serve the city directly with any passenger trains, there is a shuttle service to the Wichita Transit Center at 214 S Topeka St from Newton for the Southwest Chief and also from Oklahoma City for the Heartland Flyer.

Get around

  • City Bus. As the only form of public transit serving the city, bus service may cover the areas near some sights you'd want to see, but not nearly all. Routes are long and the wait for the next bus can stretch to an hour. In general, this is not a good way to get around.
  • Taxi Hailable only at the airport, they don't even queue at downtown hotels. Points of interest are far enough apart that a rental car quickly becomes cost-effective. Unlike other cities of its size, you can't even find any at the bus station.
  • Rental car If you didn't drive to Wichita, you'll likely want to rent a car when you arrive.
  • Navigating Wichita Wichita is almost exclusively a driving town. Even so, traffic is generally lighter than most larger cities, and parking is almost always free and plentiful, even downtown. Wichita's streets are laid out in a fairly easy-to-navigate grid system.
  • Ridesharing Uber and Lyft both operate ridesharing services in the city.
  • No trip to Wichita is complete without an excursion through the nearby Flint Hills, and that's only possible in a car (preferably a convertible).

See

Do

  • All Star Adventures, 37.6996°, -97.2256°. An amusement park. 2020-02-26
  • Riverfest, 444 E William St, 37.68519°, -97.33312°. Held in late May or early June, Riverfest is Wichita's largest festival, with live music, food vendors and activities for all ages. 2017-09-14
  • Sedgwick County Zoo, 5555 Zoo Blvd, 37.7158°, -97.4104°, +1 316 660-WILD, ask@scz.org. Mar 1 - Oct 31: 8:30AM-5PM; Nov 1 - Feb 28: 10AM-5PM. Opened in 1971, home to more than 3,000 individual animals of nearly 400 different species. Child (3-11) $8.95, adult (12-61) $13.95, senior (62+) $11.95
  • Starlite Drive-In, 3900 S Hydraulic Ave, 37.62386°, -97.31375°, +1 316 524-2424. The only drive-in theater in the Wichita area. The new digital projection is crystal clear, and audio is provided through your car's FM radio.
    This is one of the best deals around, most of the time the price is $12 per car regardless of however many people are in the car. There are two large screens and each plays 3 current box-office movies back-to-back. Even when the price is higher than $12 per car (varies depending on season) it is much more economical than a traditional theater, especially considering that outside food and drinks are permitted. (though there is a snack bar selling popcorn, drinks, funnel cakes and more.)
    There is an intermission between each movie that allows time for you to visit the snack bar and restroom, though be warned that the snack bar will close sometime after the third and final movie starts. (Restrooms will remain open)
    The Starlight Drive-In is generally closed in the winter, and opens again when weather permits. Call in advance for pricing, showtimes, and to verify that it is operating that night. 2020-02-26
  • Warren Theatres, +1 316 691-9700. Movie theatre chain with 5 Wichita locations, including the Palace and the Movie Machine. The 21st Street Warren also houses the largest digital IMAX in the world. $7-16
  • Woofstock, 6501 W 21st Street North (Inside Sedgwick County Park), 37.71003°, -97.41863°. 9:30AM-3PM. Held in early October by the Kansas Humane Society as their largest fundraiser of the year. $10-25, under 12 free 2017-09-14
  • Century II Performing Arts and Convention Center, 225 W. Douglas Ave, 37.684876°, -97.340283°, +1 316 264-9121. Century II is a full service performing arts and convention center, providing citizens and visitors with a diverse selection of entertainment and meeting opportunities. The facility is owned and managed by the City of Wichita and is unique among other municipal facilities. The complex features three sections. The main section is unique in its design as it is circular. The two secondary sections are the Bob Brown Expo Hall and the Hyatt Regency Wichita convention rooms.
  • INTRUST Bank Arena, 500 E. Waterman St., 37.683056°, -97.331389°, +1 316 440-9000. INTRUST Bank Arena is a state-of-the-art arena in the heart of downtown Wichita. Opened in 2010, the arena holds 15,100 people comfortably, including more than 20 suites and 40 loge boxes. It features a 50' LED display in the lobby, as well as wraparound LED screens and a central scoreboard inside the arena. It is home to the Wichita Thunder, a minor league hockey team. It also holds several basketball games a year, and serves as the secondary "Home" for Wichita State University Shockers basketball.
  • Wichita State Shockers, Charles Koch Arena, 37.7218°, -97.29739°, +1 316 978-FANS. The sports teams of Wichita State University, fielding NCAA Division I teams in seven men's sports and eight women's sports as the newest member of the American Athletic Conference. With no football program (WSU dropped the sport in 1986), the hot-button sport on campus is men's basketball, which became a national powerhouse, with a Final Four berth in 2013 and an unbeaten 2013–14 regular season. Men's basketball games routinely sell out at the team's main home of Charles Koch Arena on campus and the Intrust Bank Arena. Most other facilities are on campus, with the most notable being Eck Stadium (baseball) and the former football home of Cessna Stadium, now home to WSU track and field and also hosting many local and state high school football games.
  • Wichita Wind Surge, 300 S Sycamore St, +1 316 390-7719. The local Minor League Baseball team plays at Riverfront Stadium 📍 as the Double-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins.

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Old Town

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Wichita

wichita.gov
Postal code:672026720367204672056720667207672086720967210672116721267213672146721567216672176721867219672206722367226672276722867230672326723567260Date Time:Please wait...Timezone:America/ChicagoPopulation:397,532Coordinates:37.69, -97.34

Sedgwick County

2nd-order administrative division

Kansas

Primary administrative division

United States

usa.gov
Population:327.2 MDial code:+1Currency:Dollar (USD)Voltage:120 V, 240 V, 60 Hz
NEMA 14-30NEMA 14-50