Wellington, Kansas

Wellington is a city in and the county seat of Sumner County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 7,715. History 19th century Wellington was platted in 1871 and named for the Duke of Wellington. It was designated as the Sumner County seat in 1872, winning out over Sumner City according to the Wellington library. Cattle herders coming up the Chisholm Trail helped to build the early town's economy. The first post office in Wellington was established in July 1871. In 1887, the Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway built a north–south branch line from Herington through Wellington to Caldwell. Creditors foreclosed on it 1891 and the railroad was taken over by Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, which shut down in 1980 and reorganized as Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas Railroad, merged in 1988 with Missouri Pacific Railroad, merged in 1997 with Union Pacific Railroad. Most locals still refer to this railroad as the "Rock Island". On May 27, 1892, an estimated F4 tornado struck Wellington, destroying 100 homes and 30 businesses, and killing 12 people in town. 21st century In 2020, Wellington opened a flag design contest. After several rounds of committee and public input, Shayna Templeton's design with wheat stalks on a red, silver, and white flag was selected and revealed in 2021. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.19 square miles (21.21 km2), of which 7.61 square miles (19.71 km2) is land and 0.58 square miles (1.50 km2) is water. Climate The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Wellington has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. Demographics 2020 census As of the 2020 census, Wellington had a population of 7,715. The median age was 38.8 years. 25.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 97.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 95.0 males age 18 and over. 95.8% of residents lived in urban areas, while 4.2% lived in rural areas. There were 3,170 households in Wellington, of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 40.9% were married-couple households, 22.1% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 29.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 34.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. There were 1,906 families, and the average household size was 2.4 while the average family size was 3.0. There were 3,690 housing units, of which 14.1% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 12.6%. Income and poverty The 2016–2020 5-year American Community Survey estimates show that the median household income was $48,279 (with a margin of error of +/- $6,293) and the median family income $62,714 (+/- $5,998). Males had a median income of $36,052 (+/- $5,505) versus $25,179 (+/- $2,487) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $28,048 (+/- $3,535). Approximately, 12.0% of families and 14.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.6% of those under the age of 18 and 15.5% of those ages 65 or over. 2010 census As of the 2010 United States census, there were 8,172 people, 3,246 households, and 2,105 families living in the city. The population density was 1,073.9 inhabitants per square mile (414.6/km2). There were 3,736 housing units at an average density of 490.9 per square mile (189.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 91.0% White, 1.7% African American, 1.5% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 2.0% from other races, and 3.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.3% of the population. There were 3,246 households, of which 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.0% were married couples living together, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 35.2% were non-families. 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.03. The median age in the city was 37.7 years. 27.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.2% were from 25 to 44; 26.1% were from 45 to 64; and 16.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.7% male and 51.3% female. Economy The surrounding region produced large amounts of winter wheat which was the mainstay of the local economy as of 1997. Railroads, petroleum, and aircraft parts manufacturing are other important businesses. Notable places Downtown Wellington Historic District Wellington Carnegie Library H.F. Smith House Education The community is served by Wellington USD 353 public school district. Media Wellington is also home to the Wellington Daily News. Transportation The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad formerly provided passenger rail service to Wellington on their mainline from Minneapolis to Houston until at least 1961. As of 2025, the nearest passenger rail station is located in Newton, where Amtrak's Southwest Chief stops once daily on a route from Chicago to Los Angeles. As for rail freight, the BNSF Railway, Union Pacific Railway, and the Land Rush Rail Corporation (previously the Blackwell Northern Gateway Railroad), all have rail connections at or around Wellington. Wellington is served by U.S. Route 81 and U.S. Route 160, and is just west of Interstate 35. Wellington Municipal Airport is just north of town. Notable people References Further reading External links City of Wellington Wellington - Directory of Public Officials