Downs, Kansas

**Downs** is a city in Osborne County, Kansas, United States. In 2020, 800 people lived there.

## History

Downs started in the year 1879 when the Central Branch Railroad was extended to that point. It was named after William F. Downs, a railroad employee from Atchison, Kansas. Downs became an incorporated town in December of 1879. In 1910, 1,427 people lived there. There were two newspapers, a public library, flour mills, grain elevators, and an opera house.

## Geography

Downs is at  (39.503305, -98.543500). The United States Census Bureau says that the city has a total area of . All of it is land.

### 2020 census

In 2020, there were 800 people, 384 households, and 202 families living in Downs. The population density was . 92.8% of the people were White, 1.1% were Native American, 0.4% were Asian, 1.4% were from other races, and 4.4% were from two or more races. 2.4% of the people were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

### 2010 census

In 2010, there were 900 people, 424 households, and 239 families living in Downs. The population density was . 97.6% of the people were White, 0.1% were African American, 1.1% were Native American, 0.6% were Asian, and 0.7% were from two or more races. 0.9% of the people were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

### 2000 census

In 2000, there were 1,038 people, 474 households, and 273 families living in Downs. The population density was 941.4 people per square mile (364.3/km²). 98.75% of the people were White, 0.67% were Native American, 0.29% were Asian, 0.10% were from other races, and 0.19% were from two or more races. 0.48% of the people were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

## Education

Downs is a part of USD 272 Waconda. The district elementary school is Lakeside Elementary School in Cawker City. The district high school is Lakeside High School in Downs; the mascot is Knights.

School unification combined Downs and Waconda East schools into USD 272 in 2003. The combined high school became Lakeside Jr./Sr. High School in Downs.

Downs High School was closed because of school unification. The Downs High School mascot was Dragons. The Downs Dragons won the following Kansas State High School championships:
- 1938 Boys Basketball - Class B
- 1950 Boys Basketball - Class B
- 1988 Boys Cross Country - Class 2-1A

Downs Elementary School and Downs Junior High School was in Downs.

## Famous people

- Francis Schmidt, football and basketball coach

## Related pages

- Meades Ranch Triangulation Station, the geodetic base point for the North American Datum of 1927 (NAD 27), which was used as a reference point until 1983.
- Waconda Lake and Glen Elder State Park.

## Other websites

- City
- City of Downs
- Downs - Directory of Public Officials
- Schools
- USD 272, local school district
- Pictures
- Historic Images of Downs, Wichita State University Library
- Maps
- Downs City Map , KDOT

## Infobox (settlement)

- **name**: Downs, Kansas
- **settlement type**: City
- **image skyline**: Downs, Kansas Carnegie library from E 1.JPG
- **image caption**: Downs Carnegie Library (2014)
- **image map**: Osborne_County_Kansas_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Downs_Highlighted.svg
- **map caption**: Location within Osborne County, Kansas, Osborne County and Kansas
- **image map1**: Map of Osborne Co, Ks, USA.png
- **map caption1**: Kansas Department of Transportation, KDOT map of Osborne County, Kansas, Osborne 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**: Osborne County, Kansas, Osborne
- **subdivision type3**: List of townships in Kansas, Township
- **established title**: Founded
- **established date**: 1879
- **established title1**: Platted
- **established title2**: Municipal corporation, Incorporated
- **established date2**: 1879
- **named for**: William Downs
- **leader title**: Mayor
- **area total sq mi**: 1.12
- **area land sq mi**: 1.12
- **area water sq mi**: 0.00
- **area total km2**: 2.90
- **area land km2**: 2.90
- **area water km2**: 0.00
- **unit pref**: Imperial
- **elevation ft**: 1483
- **population as of**: 2020 United States census, 2020
- **population total**: 800
- **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**: 67437
- **area code type**: North American Numbering Plan, Area code
- **area code**: Area code 785, 785
- **blank name**: Federal Information Processing Standard, FIPS code
- **blank info**: 20-18500
- **blank1 name**: Geographic Names Information System, GNIS ID
- **blank1 info**: 2394559