Emporia, Kansas
18 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1888 and the latest in 1985. It stands in Emporia City. It lies in ZIP code area 66801. The Survey maps it on the Emporia quadrangle. 24,139 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 1,148 feet above sea level.
Research this city
On record in Emporia
Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.
On the National Register 12 of 18 shown
William Allen White HouseNational Historic Landmark · listed 1971
Anderson Carnegie Memorial Librarylisted 1987
Col. H.C. and Susan Cross Houselisted 2011
Warren Wesley Finney Houselisted 1992
Granada Theaterlisted 1985
Harris-Borman Houselisted 1992
Richard Howe Houselisted 1986
Keebler-Stone Houselisted 1992
Kress Buildinglisted 1983
Walt Mason Houselisted 1992
Snowden S. Mouse Service Station and Tourist Homelisted 2018
Old Emporia Public Librarylisted 1981
Population over time
2 figuresEmporia fell from 24,916 to 24,139 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 24,916 | |
| 2020 | 24,139 | -777 (-3%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
6 surveys from 18 printed sheetsMatched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.
- 1888 USGS Emporia quadrangle1:125000
- 1894 USGS Emporia quadrangle1:125000, 7 printings
- 1955 USGS Hutchinson quadrangle1:250000, 3 printings
- 1957 USGS Emporia quadrangle1:24000, 3 printings
- 1959 USGS Hutchinson quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1985 USGS Emporia quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
Fires near this place
94 since 2015Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 94 fires within 5 miles of Emporia between 2015 and 2020, burning about 1,239 acres in total. 2 started naturally. 6 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 39 |
| Debris and open burning | 25 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 7 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 6 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 5 |
| Smoking | 5 |
| Fireworks | 3 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 2 |
| Natural | 2 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 September 2015 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Kansas Forest Service | 2634 |
| 21 September 2015 | Equipment and vehicle use | under an acre | Kansas Forest Service | 2584 |
| 13 September 2017 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Lyon County | 2562 |
| 5 August 2018 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Kansas Forest Service | 2312 |
| 5 August 2015 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Kansas Forest Service | 2161 |
| 4 August 2018 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Kansas Forest Service | 2300 |
| 23 August 2015 | Natural | under an acre | Kansas Forest Service | 2304 |
| 9 July 2017 | Arson/incendiarism | under an acre | Lyon County | 1890 |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Storms near this place
60 of 215 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Emporia in 215 storm reports between 1993 and 2026: 90 thunderstorm wind, 83 hail, 23 flash flood, 5 tornado. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 1998 | Flash Flood | Emporia | $2,500,000 | no account filed |
| May 2007 | Flash Flood | Emporia | $200,000 | Report of water flowing over K-99 north of town. This portion of the road has been barricaded by law enforcement. Unofficial reports of 5 to 6 inches of rain received. The police department reported water damage and several evacuations took place. |
| May 2007 | Flood | Emporia | $100,000 | Moderate or greater flooding...including flooding of rural roads...in the immediate reach of the gages on the Cottonwood near Emporia, the Neosho river near Emporia, the Neosho River near Neosho Rapids and near Reading on the Marais Des Cygnes. |
| May 2006 | Flash Flood | Emporia | $100,000 | Thunderstorms dumped heavy rainfall on the city of Emporia, causing widespread street flooding. 2 to 3 inches of rain were estimated to have fallen in the mid to late afternoon hours. Many roads were closed due to the rapidly rising water, and underpasses were filled with water as well. Water levels rose past the bumpers of many cars, and several water rescues had to be performed from people stranded on the roofs of their cars. Homes and businesses were also flooded as a result of the heavy rains. The heaviest street flooding and some water rescues were reported at the State Street underpass, the intersections of 6th and Congress, and the intersections of 12th and Burlingame Rd. There were no deaths or injuries reported. |
| June 1995 | Tornado (F1) | Emporia | $100,000 | A small tornado hit in the 3100 block of Road N, damaging trees, power poles, fencing, farm buildings, and hog sheds. |
| June 1996 | Flash Flood | Emporia | $100,000 | no account filed |
| June 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Emporia | $50,000 | Gusty winds damaged a barn and knocked shingles off roofs of other buildings. Lightning also caused many power outages. |
| July 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Emporia | $50,000 | Winds clocked to 73 mph at the Emporia Airport caused widespread and severe damage to trees, power lines and some buildings around much of the county. |
| October 1998 | Flash Flood | Emporia | $35,000 | no account filed |
| June 2025 | Flash Flood | Emporia | $20,000 | Numerous roads closed across the Lyon County, including roads that rarely flood. |
| July 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Emporia | $10,000 | Tree limbs were down, blocking roadways in Emporia. Also a grain bin was destroyed and blown over 3 miles northeast of Emporia. |
| July 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Emporia | $10,000 | no account filed |
| June 2006 | Lightning | Emporia | $7,000 | Lightning struck and severely damaged the cross atop St. Andrew's Episcopal Church as well as caused damage to the stained glass window and narthex. |
| June 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Emporia | $4,000 | Strong winds blew the roof off a house. |
| June 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Emporia | $3,000 | Strong winds blew the roof off a trailer home. |
| May 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Emporia | $3,000 | no account filed |
| July 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Emporia | $3,000 | no account filed |
| July 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Emporia | $2,000 | Strong winds downed power poles south of Emporia. |
| June 2002 | Lightning | Emporia | $2,000 | Lightning struck a power line knocking out power for a time. |
| August 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Emporia | $2,000 | Strong winds knocked down power poles in Emporia. |
| June 1998 | Lightning | Emporia | $2,000 | no account filed |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Emporia | $2,000 | no account filed |
| July 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Emporia | $2,000 | no account filed |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Emporia | $1,000 | no account filed |
| July 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Emporia | $1,000 | no account filed |
| September 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Emporia | $500 | An 8 inch tree limb broke near 12th Street and Chestnut in Emporia, Kansas. |
| July 1996 | Lightning | Emporia | $500 | no account filed |
| July 1996 | Lightning | Emporia | $100 | no account filed |
| April 2026 | Hail | Emporia | - | Emporia city manager reported quarter to half dollar size hail. |
| August 2024 | Flash Flood | Emporia | - | Emergency services were called to six locations in Emporia to help motorists who had driven into flood waters and become stranded. |
| August 2024 | Flash Flood | Emporia | - | Commercial street flooded near and south of 8th avenue. Water that is several inches deep were affecting businesses. |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Emporia | - | Reports of tree damage and power lines down in the city of Emporia. |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Emporia | - | Measured by personal weather station. |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Emporia | - | Trained spotter estimated 60 mph winds on northeast side of Emporia. |
| June 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Emporia | - | Large limb of tree (around 12 inches in diameter) snapped near base. |
| June 2024 | Flash Flood | Emporia | - | Broadcast media is reporting multiple road closures in and around Emporia due to heavy rainfall. |
| April 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Emporia | - | Report from mping of small tree limbs broken or shingles blown off. |
| May 2023 | Hail | Emporia | - | Quarter sized hail reported. |
| June 2023 | Hail | Emporia | - | Ping pong ball sized hail reported. |
| July 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Emporia | - | Measured on a personal weather station. |
| May 2022 | Hail | Emporia | - | Report from mping. |
| September 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Emporia | - | Numerous tree limbs and power lines down. One house had a tree fall onto the roof. |
| May 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Emporia | - | Shed blown down. |
| August 2021 | Hail | Emporia | - | Nickel size hail reported. Report relayed from KVOE radio. |
| August 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Emporia | - | Report of a 10 inch diameter tree blown down onto a vehicle. |
| August 2021 | Flash Flood | Emporia | - | Report from mping of homes and buildings flooded. |
| December 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Emporia | - | Tree limbs 1 inch in diameter broken, shingles blown off roof. |
| December 2021 | Hail | Emporia | - | Quarter sized hail reported. |
| December 2021 | Hail | Emporia | - | Tennis ball sized hail reported at I-35 and R1 east of Emporia. |
| December 2021 | Hail | Emporia | - | Quarter sized hail. |
| December 2021 | Hail | Emporia | - | Golf ball sized hail reported at Fanestil original plant on K-99. |
| December 2021 | Hail | Emporia | - | Apricot sized hail reported. |
| December 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Emporia | - | Tree limbs 3 inches in diameter broken, power poles broken. |
| May 2020 | Hail | Emporia | - | Nickel size hail reported at KVOE studios. |
| May 2020 | Hail | Emporia | - | Quarter size hail reported via broadcast media at KVOE. |
| May 2020 | Hail | Emporia | - | Quarter size hail reported via broadcast media at KVOE. |
| May 2020 | Hail | Emporia | - | Reported on social media. |
| July 2020 | Flash Flood | Emporia | - | Report of flood waters flowing over Road 150 in the 900 to 1000 block area. |
| July 2020 | Flash Flood | Emporia | - | Roadway covered with water at the 2000 block of Highway 99 just north of Emporia. |
| April 2019 | Flash Flood | Emporia | - | Several roads and streets were closed in and around Emporia. |
Nearest settlements
The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.
| Map | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emporia Junction | 1.1 miles | 18 | |
| Berkeley Hills | 1.1 miles | 18 | |
| Merrick | 3.3 miles | 18 | |
| Lang | 6.5 miles | 17 | |
| Plymouth | 8.0 miles | 18 | |
| Americus | 8.3 miles | 15 | |
| Olpe | 9.8 miles | 16 | |
| Neosho Rapids | 10.3 miles | 16 |
Elsewhere
Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.
| Wikipedia article on Emporia | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q1583523 | The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0). |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 477524. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.





