Wichita Real Estate Information

The county seat of Sedgwick County, Wichita, Kansas, is situated in the south-central part of the state, on the Arkansas River. In 2006, the city was estimated to be home to a population of 361,420, making it the most populous city in the state and the 51st largest in the U.S. Wichita was originally established as a post on the Chisholm Trail, a place where cattle drives passed through on their route north to the railroads. It was officially incorporated in 1870 and in the early part of the 20th century, leading air companies began to set up shop here, with industry innovators like Clyde Cessna and Walter Beech. This period led to the city's establishment as the "Air Capital of the World."

Wichita takes up an area of nearly 140 square miles. It still maintains a large air industry presence today, with Cessna and Hawker Beechcraft still based here, in addition to Learjet and Spirit AeroSystems. The two leading airline producers, Airbus and Boeing, also maintain a presence in the city. In other industries, the city has a large health care and education workforce, and it is home to the headquarters for Koch Industries, the second largest privately held company in the America. 

There are two large shopping malls in the city, Towne East Square and Towne West Square, as well as two large outdoor malls, Bradley Fair and New Market Square. Currently under construction is Intrust Bank Arena, a 15,000-seat arena scheduled to be completed in January 2010. Cultural attractions include the Music Theatre of Wichita and the Wichita Symphony Orchestra, both of which perform at Century II Convention Hall, The Sedgwick County Zoo, The Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum, the Great Plains Transportation Museum and the Museum of World Treasures. The Wichita Art Museum is the largest art museum in the state. Two major festivals held here each year are the Tallgrass Film Festival and the Wichita River Festival, held in May.

Public education here is run by the Wichita Public Schools system, and most children in the area attend these schools. However, there are several large private schools as well, including Bishop Carroll Catholic High School, The Independent School, Kapaun Mt. Carmel High School, Trinity Academy and Wichita Collegiate School. The city's largest post-secondary institution is Wichita State University, which has 15,000 students. Other colleges and universities include Baker University, Cowley County Community College, Friends University, Newman University, Tabor College, the University of Kansas's School of Medicine, Webster University and a few other small schools.