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Junction City, Kansas

25 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1886 and the latest in 1990. It stands in Junction City City. It lies in ZIP code area 66441. It lies near Price Ravine. The Survey maps it on the Junction City quadrangle. 22,053 people lived here at the 2024 count. It stands 1,102 feet above sea level.

Research this city

Junction City within Geary County

On record in Junction City

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 records

Population over time

2 figures

Junction City fell from 23,353 to 22,053 between 2010 and 2024. 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.

YearPeople Change
201023,353
202422,053-1,300 (-6%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

12 surveys from 25 printed sheets

Matched 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.

Fires near this place

103 since 2015

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 103 fires within 5 miles of Junction City between 2015 and 2020, burning about 367 acres in total. None started naturally. 9 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/undetermined32
Debris and open burning31
Equipment and vehicle use13
Arson/incendiarism9
Smoking8
Other causes4
Misuse of fire by a minor3
Fireworks3

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
8 September 2017Debris and open burningunder an acreGeary County1344
3 September 2015Smoking1.0 acresKansas Forest Service95
19 September 2017Debris and open burning1.0 acresGeary County108
1 September 2018Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreKansas Forest Service1163
1 August 2015Equipment and vehicle useunder an acreKansas Forest Service978
5 July 2018Fireworks1.0 acresKansas Forest Service114
5 July 2018Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreKansas Forest Service892
5 July 2017Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreGeary County1005

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Geary County

Storms near this place

60 of 176 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Junction City in 176 storm reports between 1993 and 2026: 92 hail, 53 thunderstorm wind, 18 flash flood, 7 lightning. The reports record 4 injuries. 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.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
July 1997Tornado (F1)Junction City3 hurt, $200,000no account filed
May 1995HailJunction City1 hurtA man riding a bike was caught in a hail storm west of Junction City. He was knocked from the bike and took refuge in a ditch, but was pelted by the wind driven large hail. He was treated and then released from the local community hospital.
June 2004Flash FloodJunction City$500,000Heavy rain caused flash flooding with water covering roadways. Considerable damage occurred to farmland due to errosion. Many roads and bridges were also heavily damaged.
June 2005Flash FloodJunction City$400,000Up to six inches of rain brought widespread flooding around the city. Some cars were swept away with numerous roads closed and cars stalled. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.
June 2004HailJunction City$130,000Large hail did considerable damage to a number of houses and vehicles in Junction City.
June 2005Flash FloodJunction City$100,000K-57 highway had at least 6 inches of fast flowing water across road.
June 2005Flash FloodJunction City$100,0008 to 10 inches of fast flowing water across highway 57.
November 2005Tornado (F1)Junction City$100,000This tornado touched down on Fort Riley Army Base approximately 3 miles northeast of Junction City and moved north for one mile before crossing into Riley county approximately 4 miles northeast of Junction City. It produced F1 damage to trees and headstones in the Fort Riley cemetery area. The Fort was without power for several hours. The parent thunderstorm was a mini-supercell.
August 2005Flash FloodJunction City$80,000Clarks creek flooding roads south of Interstate 70.
August 2005Flash FloodJunction City$70,000Fast flowing water deep enough to close rural roads.
May 2007Flash FloodJunction City$50,000Water reported flowing over the road on old Milford highway off of US 77. Reported to be several inches deep.
July 1994Thunderstorm WindJunction City$50,000High winds estimated well over 65 mph caused widespread damage to Junction City and most of the county. Numerous downed trees, tree limbs and power lines occurred. At one time, an estimated 15,000 people were without power in Geary and Riley Counties. Significant damage was also reported at Ft. Riley Military base and Milford Lake where four injuries occurred.
November 2005Tornado (F0)Junction City$40,000Tornado touched down at 3:21 PM 4 miles ESE of Junction City and moved north for about 2 miles before dissipating. The tornado moved across Interstate 70 near exit 307 and produced F0 damage to a hay barn, and also destroyed an indoor horse riding barn. Pieces of the barn landed a half mile away. Sufficient warning was given to allow authorities to close Interstate 70 for a short time until the tornado passed. The parent thunderstorm was a mini-supercell.
August 2001LightningJunction City$35,000Lightning struck a church and ignited a fire that destroyed the sanctuary.
May 1996Flash FloodJunction City$25,000no account filed
May 1996LightningJunction City$25,000no account filed
April 1997LightningJunction City$18,000Lightning struck an antenna on the roof of a house. The house suffered damage from the resulting fire.
June 2004LightningJunction City$15,000Lightning struck a building and started a fire that did considerable damage to the upper part of the building.
June 2004Flash FloodJunction City$15,000Heavy rains produced flash flooding. A county road was washed out.
July 2002Thunderstorm WindJunction City$8,000Strong winds destroyed a camper trailer.
May 1995HailJunction City$8,000Large hail caused damage to buildings and vehicles near the Grandview Plaza.
May 1995Thunderstorm WindJunction City$6,000High winds and hail to one inch caused property and power line damage.
February 2004Thunderstorm WindJunction City$5,000Strong winds destroyed 2 outbuildings.
May 1995HailJunction City$5,000Damage by both wind and hail to crops is estimated.
June 2000Thunderstorm WindJunction City$4,000Strong winds blew down tree limbs and power lines which resulted in some power outages. Two mobile homes were severely damaged.
August 2002LightningJunction City$1,200Lightning struck a boat and ignited a fire doing some damage to the boat as well as a nearby boat.
May 2003Thunderstorm WindJunction City$1,000Strong winds damaged a traffic light in Junction City.
June 2001LightningJunction City$1,000Lightning struck a house and ignited a fire in the attic which did minor damage.
July 1996Thunderstorm WindJunction City$1,000no account filed
August 1998LightningJunction City$500Lightning struck a tree blowing off bark which struck a nearby car and dented the side.
July 1996Thunderstorm WindJunction City$500no account filed
May 2025HailJunction City-Quarter size hail southwest side of Junction City.
August 2025Thunderstorm WindJunction City-Large tree limbs down across Junction City.
March 2024HailJunction City-One inch hail reported in Junction City.
March 2024HailJunction City-Ping pong ball size hail reported at Highway 77 exit of I-70 in Junction City.
March 2024HailJunction City-Report from mping.
March 2024HailJunction City-On northwest side of Junction City.
March 2024HailJunction City-Two inch hail at the Grandview Plaza exit on I-70.
May 2024HailJunction City-Nickel size hail reported in Junction City.
May 2024Thunderstorm WindJunction City-From video on social media. Also small hail.
June 2024Thunderstorm WindJunction City-Delayed social media report that shows a small shed turned on its side. Time estimated from radar.
June 2024Thunderstorm WindJunction City-From Cleary Drive and 9th street. At two different residences, one-foot diameter tree limbs snapped and fell onto house, causing part of the roof to cave in. Time estimated from radar.
June 2024Thunderstorm WindJunction City-Photos from Monroe and 12th street. One to two feet diameter tree uprooted, another 1-2 feet diameter tree with trunk snapped and fell down on house. Time estimated radar.
June 2024Thunderstorm WindJunction City-EM sent photos of tree damage on Grant Ave. One-foot diameter trees uprooted with limbs snapped. Roof blown off structure. Time estimated from radar.
June 2024Flash FloodJunction City-Numerous streets flooded across Junction City. EM reported at least one water rescue.
June 2024Flash FloodJunction City-Flash flooding ongoing in Junction City with over a foot of water reported on roadways and in parking lots.
April 2023HailJunction City-Quarter sized hail reported.
April 2023Thunderstorm WindJunction City-Report from social media.
May 2023Thunderstorm WindJunction City-Large tree trunk about 18 to 24 inches in diameter snapped off.
July 2023HailJunction City-Quarter sized hail report from mping.
July 2023Thunderstorm WindJunction City-Mping report of small tree limbs down.
July 2023Thunderstorm WindJunction City-Measured on a personal weather station.
May 2022Thunderstorm WindJunction City-The emergency manager reported thee damage spanning four blocks with one home damaged from falling tree limbs.
May 2022Funnel CloudJunction City-Report from emergency manager on K-18, 5 miles west of Junction City looking north.
May 2022HailJunction City-Half dollar sized hail reported.
June 2022Thunderstorm WindJunction City-Two healthy trees that were 2 to 3 feet in diameter blown down, winds estimated between 70 and 80 mph.
May 2021Thunderstorm WindJunction City-EM reports 70 mph wind gust.
August 2021Thunderstorm WindJunction City-Healthy tree 2 feet in diameter blown down.
December 2021Thunderstorm WindJunction City-Report from public of metal signs bent, siding blown off buildings, and damage to hangers at the Junction City Airport.
May 2020HailJunction City-Quarter size hail reported by public.

Every storm recorded in Geary County

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 PlaceDistance Sheets
Grandview Plaza2.2 miles25
Wreford4.7 miles15
Kansas Falls5.4 miles16
Alida7.4 miles25
Milford10.6 miles25

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 Junction CityAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q1781699The 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 476555. 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.