Lyons, Kansas

**Lyons** is a city in Rice County, Kansas, United States. It is also the county seat of Rice County. In 2020, 3,611 people lived there.

## History

Lyons was originally called **Atlanta**, and it was created in 1870. Its name changed to Lyons in 1876, in honor of Freeman J. Lyons.

In 1878, Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway and people from Marion County and McPherson County started the Marion and McPherson Railway Company. In 1879, a railroad was built from Florence to McPherson. In 1880, it was extended to Lyons. In 1881, it was extended to Ellinwood. The line was controlled by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. The line from Florence to Marion, was left in 1968. In 1992, the line from Marion to McPherson was sold to Central Kansas Railway. In 1993, because of heavy flood damage, the line from Marion to McPherson was left. The original branch line connected Florence, Marion, Canada, Hillsboro, Lehigh, Canton, Galva, McPherson, Conway, Windom, Little River, Mitchell, Lyons, Chase, and Ellinwood.

Lyons was incorporated as a city in 1880, the same year the railroad was built through it.

In 1890, the Western Salt Company built its first shaft to mine salt in Lyons.

In the 1970s, the federal government was interested in using a local area to bury high-level nuclear waste.

## Geography

Lyons is at  (38.344962, -98.202493). The United States Census Bureau says that the city has a total area of . All of it is land.

### Weather

The Köppen climate classification says that Lyons has a humid continental climate, _Dfa_ on climate maps.

### 2020 census

The 2020 census says that there were 3,611 people, 1,462 households, and 946 families living in Lyons. Of the households, 67.5% owned their home and 32.5% rented their home.

The median age was 38.1 years. Of the people, 74.5% were White, 1.1% were Black, 0.8% were Native American, 0.2% were Asian, 8.1% were from some other race, and 15.4% were two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 25.6% of the people.

### 2010 census

The 2010 census says that there were 3,739 people, 1,503 households, and 952 families living in Lyons.

## Famous people

- William Borah (1865-1940), U.S. Senator from Idaho
- Marshall Christmann (1976- ), Kansas state legislator
- James Fankhauser (1939- ), conductor, singer
- Orville Harrold (1878-1933), actor, opera singer
- James Pulliam (1925-2005), architect
- Marcia Rodd (1940- ), actress
- Jerry Cox Vasconcells (1892-1950), U.S. Army captain, World War I flying ace
- Milton R. Wolf (1971- ), radiologist, Kansas politician

## Other websites

- City
- City of Lyons
- Lyons - Directory of Public Officials
- Schools
- USD 405, local school district
- Historical
- Santa Fe Trail Research
- , from _Hatteberg's People_ on KAKE TV news
- Maps
- Lyons City Map , KDOT

## Infobox (settlement)

- **name**: Lyons, Kansas
- **settlement type**: City and County seat
- **image map**: Rice_County_Kansas_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Lyons_Highlighted.svg
- **map caption**: Location within Rice County, Kansas, Rice County and Kansas
- **image map1**: Map of Rice Co, Ks, USA.png
- **map caption1**: Kansas Department of Transportation, KDOT map of Rice County, Kansas, Rice County (:File:Kansas official transportation map legend.png, legend)
- **subdivision type**: List of sovereign states, Country
- **subdivision name**: United States
- **subdivision type1**: U.S. state, State
- **subdivision name1**: Kansas
- **subdivision type2**: List of counties in Kansas, County
- **subdivision name2**: Rice County, Kansas, Rice
- **subdivision type3**: List of townships in Kansas, Township
- **subdivision name3**: Atlanta Township, Rice County, Kansas, Atlanta & Harrison Township, Rice County, Kansas, Harrison
- **established title**: Founded
- **established date**: 1870
- **established title1**: Platted
- **established title2**: Municipal corporation, Incorporated
- **established date2**: 1880
- **named for**: Freeman Lyons
- **leader title**: Mayor
- **area total sq mi**: 2.59
- **area land sq mi**: 2.59
- **area water sq mi**: 0.00
- **area total km2**: 6.70
- **area land km2**: 6.70
- **area water km2**: 0.00
- **unit pref**: Imperial
- **elevation ft**: 1693
- **population as of**: 2020 United States census, 2020
- **population total**: 3611
- **population density sq mi**: auto
- **population density km2**: auto
- **timezone**: Central Time Zone, CST
- **utc offset**: -6
- **timezone dst**: CDT
- **utc offset dst**: -5
- **postal code type**: ZIP code
- **postal code**: 67554
- **area code type**: North American Numbering Plan, Area code
- **area code**: Area code 620, 620
- **blank name**: Federal Information Processing Standard, FIPS code
- **blank info**: 20-43525
- **blank1 name**: Geographic Names Information System, GNIS ID
- **blank1 info**: 485616