Valley Center, Kansas
19 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1889 and the latest in 1990. It stands in Valley Center Township. It lies in ZIP code area 67147. It stands on Trails View Slough. The Survey maps it on the Valley Center quadrangle. 7,340 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 1,345 feet above sea level.
On record in Valley Center
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 1 record
- Dawson Farmsteadlisted 2024
Population over time
2 figuresValley Center grew from 6,822 to 7,340 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 | 6,822 | |
| 2020 | 7,340 | +518 (+8%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
10 surveys from 19 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.
- 1889 USGS Wichita quadrangle1:125000
- 1894 USGS Wichita quadrangle1:125000, 5 printings
- 1941 USGS Valley Center quadrangle1:31680
- 1942 USGS Valley Center quadrangle1:31680
- 1955 USGS Wichita quadrangle1:250000, 3 printings
- 1956 USGS Valley Center quadrangle1:24000
- 1958 USGS Wichita quadrangle1:250000
- 1960 USGS Valley Center quadrangle1:24000, 4 printings
- 1985 USGS Wichita quadrangle1:100000
- 1990 USGS Wichita quadrangle1:100000
Fires near this place
91 since 2015Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 91 fires within 5 miles of Valley Center between 2015 and 2020, burning about 214 acres in total. 1 started naturally. 1 was 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 | 46 |
| Debris and open burning | 30 |
| Smoking | 3 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 2 |
| Other causes | 2 |
| Fireworks | 2 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 2 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 2 |
| Natural | 1 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 1 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 September 2017 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Sedgwick County | 6771 |
| 9 July 2015 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Kansas Forest Service | 5223 |
| 3 July 2017 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Sedgwick County | 4634 |
| 26 July 2017 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Sedgwick County | 5290 |
| 22 July 2017 | Debris and open burning | 5.0 acres | Sedgwick County | 5183 |
| 1 July 2015 | Fireworks | under an acre | Kansas Forest Service | 419 |
| 5 June 2017 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Sedgwick County | 31588 |
| 30 June 2020 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Kansas Forest Service | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
1 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 1 working within 5 miles of Valley Center: 1 past producer. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miles Sand Inc. Pit & Plant | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer |
Storms near this place
60 of 79 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Valley Center in 79 storm reports between 1994 and 2026: 32 thunderstorm wind, 32 hail, 5 flash flood, 5 heavy rain. The reports record 1 death and 3 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.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2008 | Flash Flood | Valley Center | 1 killed, 1 hurt, $7,000 | Widespread heavy rains of 8 to 10 inches caused flooding of numerous county roads across Northern Sedgwick County. One fatality occurred to the south of the town of Sedgwick, near the 11200 block of North West, when a stalled motorist apparently attempted to flee his vehicle and was swept into the ditch by the fast moving water and drowned. |
| July 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valley Center | 2 hurt, $250,000 | An isolated thunderstorm produced severe downburst winds along with hail up to quarter size along and near Interstate 135 roughly between 109th Street and 101st Street. Four semis traveling on the interstate were blown over, blocking traffic for several hours. Various power lines and trees were downed. Additionally, copious amounts of pea to quarter size hail pummeled the same location for several minutes, producing hail drifts up to 6 inches deep. The hail in tandem with the wind shattered dozens of vehicle windows, producing two minor injuries due to flying glass. Additionally, at a nearby residence, a garage roof was peeled off, and a camper suffered major damage from the wind and hail. |
| July 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valley Center | $50,000,000 | Hurricane-force winds blew across the county as thunderstorms rumbled through. Eighty-two mph winds were recorded in Valley Center where a metal shed was blown over and fences were damaged. The winds were not as strong when they went across Wichita and were about 65 mph. Damage in Wichita was mainly broken tree limbs and downed fences. Winds were clocked at 101 mph in Goddard where three trailers blew over and 70 feet of sheet metal was peeled off the side of the Rubbermaid plant. Clearwater was the hardest hit where the fire department lost its roof and ceiling and half of the lumber company building was blown away. Damage just to power lines and poles was $10 million. One hundred fifty thousand Kansas Gas and Electric customers were without power--some for four days. One Andale farmer lost ten percent of his corn crop, otherwise there was no major crop loss. |
| June 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valley Center | $400,000 | Long track microburst moved northeast into the southern sections of Valley Center causing extensive damage. |
| September 2008 | Flash Flood | Valley Center | $135,000 | Rainfall amounts of 10.80 inches caused widespread flooding across Valley Center. Hit the hardest was the Praire Lakes subdivision, where the large amount of rain caused the retention pond around the subdivision to rise rapidly and flood basements and stall cars. The Valley Center school district dismissed students early due to the high water and blocked access in and out of Valley Center. |
| July 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valley Center | $10,000 | Downed trees and power lines. |
| June 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valley Center | $10,000 | Travel trailer blown over and power lines downed. |
| June 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valley Center | $5,000 | Fences blown down with debris blown across four-lane road. |
| July 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valley Center | $5,000 | High winds from thunderstorms blew across Sedgwick County with the northern portion receiving the brunt of the winds. Fifty-two knots was reported in Valley Center, 58 was measured in northeast Wichita, while 52 knot winds were in southwest Wichita. |
| May 2020 | Hail | Valley Center | $1,000 | At least one window was broken by hail. Reported was relayed via Kake-TV. |
| October 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valley Center | $500 | A tree fell on a 300 gallon propane tank, knocking the valve off. |
| July 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valley Center | $250 | A four inch diameter tree limb was blown down. |
| September 2018 | Flood | Valley Center | $100 | Highway 81 was closed due to high water in several sections from 101st Street north to 125th Street north. |
| October 2018 | Flood | Valley Center | $100 | Numerous flooded roads were reported across Valley Center and Park City. |
| April 2026 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valley Center | - | A trained spotter estimated up to 60 mph wind gusts. |
| June 2025 | Flood | Valley Center | - | Flooding reported at the intersection of Colby and Main Street. |
| June 2025 | Flash Flood | Valley Center | - | Vehicles stuck in high water near the intersection of Main and Emporia. Broadway was closed from 69th to 125th Street North. A small sedan was washed off of the roadway and in the ditch. |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valley Center | - | A roof was blown off of a metal outbuilding. |
| April 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valley Center | - | Power poles were down at 125th and Meridian. |
| June 2024 | Heavy Rain | Valley Center | - | Twenty-four hour rainfall of 1.89 inches. |
| June 2024 | Flood | Valley Center | - | Flooding reported along North Meridian Street. |
| August 2023 | Heavy Rain | Valley Center | - | Rainfall in the past 24hours of 2.97 inches. |
| July 2023 | Heavy Rain | Valley Center | - | A Cocorahs station reported 3.68 inches of rainfall. |
| November 2022 | Heavy Rain | Valley Center | - | A Cocorahs observer reported 2.82 inches of rainfall. |
| July 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valley Center | - | An estimated 65 to 70 mph downburst was reported. |
| June 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valley Center | - | Local media relayed the report of a window being blown out of a home. |
| June 2018 | Hail | Valley Center | - | Though not reported, it's likely the tennis ball-sized hail caused damage. |
| June 2016 | Hail | Valley Center | - | Report via Twitter. |
| June 2016 | Hail | Valley Center | - | Report was courtesy KWCH Channel 12. |
| June 2016 | Hail | Valley Center | - | Report sent via Twitter. |
| June 2016 | Hail | Valley Center | - | Report was sent in via Twitter. |
| June 2016 | Hail | Valley Center | - | Report was sent in via Twitter. |
| July 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valley Center | - | Relayed via social media. |
| July 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valley Center | - | The wind speed was estimated by a trained spotter. |
| October 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valley Center | - | A trained spotter reported the gust. |
| May 2015 | Flood | Valley Center | - | In Valley Center, law enforcement reported Meridian Avenue was closed. |
| August 2015 | Hail | Valley Center | - | The quarter-sized hail was reported, via face book, on the west of side of Valley Center. The time of occurrence is estimated from radar. |
| March 2012 | Hail | Valley Center | - | Relayed through spotternetwork.org. |
| March 2012 | Hail | Valley Center | - | Relayed through spotternetwork.org. |
| March 2012 | Hail | Valley Center | - | Relayed through spotternetwork.org. |
| May 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valley Center | - | No damage reported. |
| June 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valley Center | - | A metal shed was blown over at Hoover and 53rd. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valley Center | - | A trained spotter reported the gust along with pea sized hail. |
| April 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valley Center | - | Winds were estimated at 60 to 70 mph. |
| September 2009 | Heavy Rain | Valley Center | - | Valley Center West Elementary reported 3.20 inches of rainfall. Report courtesy of KSN TV weatherlab. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valley Center | - | Pea size hail occurred with the wind. |
| July 2008 | Hail | Valley Center | - | Winds of 60 to 70 mph occurred with the hail, producing extensive damage. Refer to the Thunderstorm Wind entry for the same date, time and location for more details. |
| August 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valley Center | - | Several tree limbs were blown out of trees. Report via KSNW Channel 3. |
| June 2000 | Flash Flood | Valley Center | - | A road was flooded with a car completely submerged. |
| July 1999 | Flash Flood | Valley Center | - | Street flooding. |
| April 2026 | Hail | Valley Center | - | no account filed |
| April 2026 | Thunderstorm Wind | Valley Center | - | no account filed |
| September 2025 | Hail | Valley Center | - | no account filed |
| May 2021 | Hail | Valley Center | - | no account filed |
| May 2020 | Hail | Valley Center | - | no account filed |
| May 2020 | Hail | Valley Center | - | no account filed |
| May 2020 | Hail | Valley Center | - | no account filed |
| May 2016 | Hail | Valley Center | - | no account filed |
| May 2016 | Hail | Valley Center | - | no account filed |
| May 2012 | Hail | Valley Center | - | no account filed |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trails View | 2.0 miles | 19 | |
| Park City | 3.8 miles | 19 | |
| Wichita Heights | 4.2 miles | 19 | |
| Riverview | 4.2 miles | 19 | |
| Sunnydale | 4.6 miles | 19 | |
| Childs Acres | 5.0 miles | 20 | |
| Coleman | 5.2 miles | 20 | |
| Kechi | 5.7 miles | 19 |
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 Valley Center | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q2355683 | 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 473852. 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.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
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.









