Leavenworth, Kansas

Leavenworth is the largest city and county seat of Leavenworth County, in the U.S. state of Kansas and within the Kansas City, Missouri Metropolitan Area. Located in the northeast portion of the state, it is on the west bank of the Missouri River. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 35,251.

History
Leavenworth, founded in 1854, was the first incorporated city in Kansas. The city is located south of Fort Leavenworth, the oldest active Army post west of the Mississippi, which was established in 1827 by Colonel Henry Leavenworth. Leavenworth is the home of many detention centers and prisons, including the Leavenworth federal prison for which the city is most famous, and several smaller jails and prisons, including the city and county jails, a Federal Detention Center, and the military's maximum security prison, the United States Disciplinary Barracks. The very large Kansas State Penitentary and a state medium security prison are also located nearby.

Beneath the city appears to be another one entirely: a recently publicized underground series of "vaults" is thought to have been used for commerce, fugitives, or slaves.

Leavenworth is also home to University of Saint Mary (Kansas), operated by the Sisters of Charity.

Leavenworth is sister city to the city of Wagga Wagga, New South Wales in Australia as well as the city of Ōmihachiman, Japan.

Geography
Leavenworth is located at °N, °W (39.308248, -94.922740). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 23.5 mi² (60.9 km²), of which 23.5 mi² (60.9 km²) is land and 0.04 mi² (0.1 km²), or 0.09%, is water.

Climate
Over the course of a year, temperatures range from an average low of about 20 °F in January to an average high of nearly 90 °F in July. The maximum temperature reaches 90 °F an average of 44 days per year and reaches 100 °F an average of 4 days per year. The minimum temperature falls below the freezing point (32°F) an average of 114 days per year. Typically, the first fall freeze occurs between the last week of September and the first day of November, and the last spring freeze occurs between the last day of March and the final week of April.

The area receives nearly 41 in (1041 mm) of precipitation during an average year with the largest share being received in May and June—the April–June period averages 31 days of measurable precipitation. During a typical year, the total amount of precipitation may be 29 in-51 in (737 mm-1295 mm). There are, on average, 93 days of measurable precipitation per year. Winter snowfall averages about 10 inches, but the median is less than 3 in. Measurable snowfall occurs an average of 4 days per year with at least 1 in of snow being received on three of those days.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 35,420 people, 12,035 households, and 8,219 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,506.8 people per square mile (581.7/km²). There were 12,936 housing units at an average density of 550.3 per square mile (212.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 76.77% White, 16.32% African American, 0.76% Native American, 1.48% Asian, 0.17% Pacific Islander, 1.72% from other races, and 2.78% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.08% of the population.

There were 12,035 households out of which 39.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.0% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.7% were non-families. 27.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.19.

In the city the population was spread out with 27.7% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 34.8% from 25 to 44, 19.0% from 45 to 64, and 9.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 112.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 116.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $40,681, and the median income for a family was $48,836. Males had a median income of $36,953 versus $24,235 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,785. About 6.8% of families and 9.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.1% of those under age 18 and 10.3% of those age 65 or over.

Leavenworth is the home of a Consolidated Mail Outpatient Pharmacy (CMOP). It is part of an initiative by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs to provide mail order prescriptions to veterans using computerization at strategic locations throughout the United States.

Primary and secondary education
Leavenworth Public Schools USD 453

Parochial and private schools

 * Xavier Elementary School
 * Immaculata High School

Notable people

 * Hilda Clark, American actress and model
 * Buffalo Bill Cody, soldier, buffalo hunter and wild west showman
 * Harold Coyle, author
 * Robert E. Davis, Kansas Supreme Court Justice
 * Neil Dougherty, basketball coach
 * Melissa Etheridge, musician
 * Fred Harvey, prolific restaurateur
 * Wild Bill Hickok, soldier, lawman, gunfighter
 * Ron Logan, former Executive Vice President of Walt Disney Entertainment
 * Sean Malto, Pro Skateboarder
 * Wayne Simien, basketball player
 * Randy Sparks, Musician, Entertainer (New Christy Minstrels)
 * William J. Wollman, stockbroker who operated W.J. Wollman & Company in New York during the first half of the twentieth century. After his death in 1937 Kate Wollman while administering his estate donated the money for Wollman Rink in New York.  The rink is dedicated to the entire Leavenworth Wollman family.  Kate also paid for the schooling of Henry Wollman Bloch, founder of H&R Block.