This article is about the city of Shawnee, Kansas. For the county with the same name, see Shawnee County, Kansas.
Shawnee, Kansas
City
Coordinates39°00′57″N 94°48′27″W
CountryUnited States
StateKansas
CountyJohnson
MayorMickey Sandifer [1]
Area total42.86 sq mi
Area land41.98 sq mi
Area water0.89 sq mi
Area total111.01 km²
Area land108.72 km²
Area water2.30 km²
Unit prefImperial
Elevation820 ft
Population as of2020
Population total67311
Pop est as of2022
Population est69198
Time zoneCST (UTC-6)
Time zone (DST)CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP Codes66203, 66214, 66216-20, 66226-27, 66299
Area code913
FIPS code20-64500
GNIS ID485652[2]
Websitecityofshawnee.org

Shawnee /ʃɑːˈniː/ shaw-NEE is a city in Johnson County, Kansas, United States.[2] It is the seventh-most populous municipality in the Kansas City metropolitan area.[3] As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 67,311.[4][5]

History

See also: History of Kansas

Territory of Kansas

Before and after the Civil War, Shawnee served as a government road that connected Fort Leavenworth to Fort Riley. During the mid 19th century, branches of the Oregon Trail and nearby Santa Fe Trail that passed through Olathe, Overland Park and Kansas City, Missouri saw settlers travel through the area.[6] A Shawnee Indian mission had been established at the present site of Shawnee in 1831. Shawnee was laid out as a town in 1857.[7] Kansas entered the union as a free state on January 29, 1861, to become the 34th state.[8] The declaration of a free state added to the tension between the anti-slave abolitionists and pro-slave Confederate guerrillas.

American Civil War

In October 1862, Willam Quantrill ordered an attack on Shawnee, which saw the town pillaged and burned to the ground.[9] Quantrill and his army of bushwhackers return in the summer of 1863, to raid and look for an escape route from Lawrence, which he was intending to sack. The raids on Shawnee served as a training exercise before attempting the full scale siege on Lawrence.[10]

Shawnee was selected by Quantrill for its proximity to Lawrence, being 35 miles away (56 km). Lawrence was established for the political reason of being an anti-slave town and had many clashes with the confederate army started before the American Civil War. The first documented event of Bleeding Kansas was the Wakarusa War that saw both sides clash and come to a temporary truce. This allowed Lawrence to add to its defenses before the Sacking of Lawrence. In August 1863, the Lawrence Massacre took place at the hands of William Quantrill. This resulted in 250 men corralled and murdered and $2.2 million in damages.[10]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 42.86 square miles (111.01 km2), of which 41.85 square miles (108.39 km2) is land and 1.01 square miles (2.62 km2) is water.[11]

Shawnee Mission Park is a 1,600-acre (6.5-square kilometre) park that includes a 120-acre (0.49-square kilometre) lake.[12]

Demographics

Shawnee is the seventh largest city in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area.[13]

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Shawnee had a population of 67,311, with 25,631 households and 18,131 families. The population density was 1,603.6 per square mile (619.1/km2).[14][15][16]

There were 26,465 housing units at an average density of 630.5 per square mile (243.4/km2), of which 3.2% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.0%.[14][16]

24.9% of residents were under the age of 18, 7.8% were from 18 to 24, 26.5% were from 25 to 44, 26.1% were from 45 to 64, and 14.7% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.4 years. For every 100 females there were 95.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 94.0 males age 18 and over.[14]

97.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 3.0% lived in rural areas.[17]

Of the 25,631 households, 35.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 56.2% were married-couple households, 15.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 23.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 23.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.7 and the average family size was 3.2.[14]

Racial composition as of the 2020 census[18]
RaceNumberPercent
White52,62278.2%
Black or African American3,8425.7%
American Indian and Alaska Native3380.5%
Asian2,1363.2%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander320.0%
Some other race2,0653.1%
Two or more races6,2769.3%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)6,2019.2%

2016–2020 ACS estimates

The percent of those with a bachelor's degree or higher was estimated to be 33.9% of the population.[19]

The 2016-2020 5-year American Community Survey estimates show that the median household income was $88,941 (with a margin of error of +/- $3,643) and the median family income was $106,647 (+/- $4,136).[20] Males had a median income of $52,478 (+/- $2,711) versus $36,976 (+/- $2,729) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $42,959 (+/- $2,376).[21]

Approximately, 4.0% of families and 5.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.8% of those under the age of 18 and 4.6% of those ages 65 or over.[22][23]

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 62,209 people, 23,651 households, and 16,876 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,463.7 inhabitants per square mile (565.1 /km2). There were 24,954 housing units at an average density of 587.1 inhabitants per square mile (226.7 /km2). The racial makeup of the city was 86.3% White, 5.3% African American, 0.4% Native American, 3.0% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 2.3% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.5% of the population.

There were 23,651 households, of which 36.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.7% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.6% were non-families. 23.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.11 persons.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.7% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 26.6% from 45 to 64, and 10.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.8 males.

Economy

Top employers

According to the town's 2020 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[24] the top employers in the city are:

Employer
  1. of Employees
1FedEx Ground Package System, Inc.575
2Bayer HealthCare, LLC-Animal Div550
3First Student400
4Shawnee, City of330
4Wal-Mart Super Center300
5Nazdar Industries280
7Hy-Vee Food Stores250
8KU MedWest225
9Target Super Store190
10Kraft Tool Company180

Government

Shawnee has a council–manager government. Mayor and councilmembers are elected to four year terms. Each ward has two representatives whose terms are staggered by two years. However, the elections of April 2010 and 2012 will serve for three years.[25] The day-to-day operations are managed by the city manager.

Libraries and museums

Two branches of the Johnson County Library serves the Shawnee Mission area. The Library includes 13 locations throughout Johnson County, including the Monticello and Shawnee Libraries.[26] Shawnee Town 1929 Museum and Wonderscope Children's Museum are also located within the city.[27][28][29]

Media

See also: Media in Kansas City, Missouri

Shawnee is in the Kansas City metropolitan area's television and radio markets. The Shawnee Dispatch was a weekly newspaper published by the Lawrence Journal-World and The World Company[30] which ceased operation in November 2018.[31] The Shawnee Mission Post provides local media coverage for city, along with other cities within the Shawnee Mission area.[32]

Schools

Transportation

Johnson County Transit provides local bus service to the city. The nearest intercity transit is located in Kansas City at the Kansas City Union Station and Kansas City Bus Station.

Notable people

Main article: List of people from Shawnee, Kansas

Notable individuals who were born in and/or have lived in Shawnee include energy executive Linda Cook,[33] former Attorney General of Kansas Phill Kline,[34] and comedian Chris Porter.[35]

Sister cities

References

  1. ^ "City of Shawnee - Members"
  2. ^
  3. ^ "Statistical Areas - Metro Dataline". Archived from the original on September 16, 2014. Retrieved October 14, 2019.
  4. ^ "Profile of Shawnee, Kansas in 2020". United States Census Bureau. Archived November 23, 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  5. ^ "QuickFacts; Shawnee, Kansas; Population, Census, 2020 & 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived August 24, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
  6. ^ "Shawnee History". www.shawneetown.org. Retrieved 2022-05-29.
  7. ^ Blackmar, Frank Wilson (1912). Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, Volume 2. Standard Publishing Company. pp. 682
  8. ^ "Kansas enters the Union". HISTORY. Retrieved 2022-05-29.
  9. ^ "Quantrill's Raid on Shawnee". Clio. Retrieved 2022-05-29.
  10. ^ "Quantrill's Shawnee raids were 'practice for the big one'". Shawnee Dispatch. 2013-08-12. Archived from the original on June 29, 2022. Retrieved 2022-05-29.
  11. ^ "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2012-01-25. Retrieved 2012-07-06.
  12. ^ "Shawnee Mission Park". jcprd.com. Archived from the original on May 15, 2015. Retrieved 10 December 2010.
  13. ^ "The Demographic Statistical Atlas of the United States - Statistical Atlas". statisticalatlas.com. Retrieved 2020-09-07.
  14. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved April 9, 2026.
  15. ^ "US Census Bureau, Table P16: HOUSEHOLD TYPE". data.census.gov. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  16. ^ "Gazetteer Files". Census.gov. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
  17. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved April 9, 2026.
  18. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved April 9, 2026.
  19. ^ "US Census Bureau, Table S1501: EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT". data.census.gov. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  20. ^ "US Census Bureau, Table S1903: MEDIAN INCOME IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS (IN 2020 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS)". data.census.gov. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  21. ^ "US Census Bureau, Table S2001: EARNINGS IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS (IN 2020 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS)". data.census.gov. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  22. ^ "US Census Bureau, Table S1701: POVERTY STATUS IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS". data.census.gov. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  23. ^ "US Census Bureau, Table S1702: POVERTY STATUS IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS OF FAMILIES". data.census.gov. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  24. ^ "COMPREHENSIVE ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT CITY OF SHAWNEE, KANSAS Year Ended December 31, 2020". Retrieved October 19, 2021.
  25. ^ "City Government homepage". Archived from the original on October 4, 2011. Retrieved 10 December 2010.
  26. ^ "Locations". Johnson County Library. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  27. ^ "Old Shawnee Town Museum homepage"
  28. ^ "Wonderscope homepage"
  29. ^ "Johnson County Museums - About the Museums". 2009-03-21. Archived 2009-03-21 at the Wayback Machine.
  30. ^ "the Shanwee Dispatch homepage". Archived from the original on October 23, 2021. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  31. ^ Staff Report (2018-11-28). "Shawnee Dispatch ceases publication". Shawnee Dispatch. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved March 5, 2019.
  32. ^ Senter, Jay (2022-05-10). "About the Shawnee Mission Post". Shawnee Mission Post. Retrieved 2023-12-04.
  33. ^ Chazan, Guy (2008-11-20). "Linda Cook - Executive Director, Gas & Power, ROYAL DUTCH SHELL". The 50 Women to Watch 2008. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2016-01-21.
  34. ^ Mann, Fred (October 8, 2006). "Family, past shape Kline's efforts as attorney general," Wichita Eagle.
  35. ^ "Chris Porter Bio". MTV.com. Archived from the original on February 14, 2016. Retrieved 2016-01-21.
  36. ^ "Sister Cities". cityofshawnee.org

Further reading

See also: List of books about Johnson County, Kansas