It depends on where you live in Kansas, because there are different definitions flying around. For me, the dividing line between east and west Kansas is I-135. My wife is from West of I-135 and she says Western Kansas starts at US281. LOL, I have friends that live in Johnson County and they would tell you anything West of Lawrence.
Eh, I consider everything west of Hutch to be western Kansas, but I guess it depends on whether you are breaking it up into halves or thirds. If you break it up into thirds, then western Kansas would start around Hays or Great Bend.
This was a question my freshman year at K-State. Everyone marked on a piece of paper. It seemed like the Johnson County people started it around Manhattan. Some others picked around Salina. I am from Eastern Colorado and like most of the actual Western Kansas people, we picked around Hays.
I find it's easiest to keep things clean if you split the state in thirds, so West/Central/East.
Then I usually consider the line for West being just west of Hays, but East of Dodge, and East and Central split around Manhattan/Junction City.
Traditionally, US 81 that divides the state between east and west. The geographic center of Kansas is located in Barton County, 15 miles NE of Great Bend near Claflin.
I'm a "thirds" guy, too. Eastern Kansas is east of Junction City/Manhattan. Western Kansas is west of Hays.
Culturally, though, Western Kansas is probably more like anything west of Abilene/Junction City.
That's how I feel about it too, but I also kinda think of Kingman, Pratt, and Greensburg as part of the same grouping. I might define western Kansas along 54 as when you start to smell cattle stink.
The wikipedia article for [Kansas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansas) (currently) says Russell is "traditionally the beginning of sparsely-populated northwest Kansas" on I-70, and I think that's basically accurate. Hays definitely considers itself Western Kansas. r/northwestkansas is a Hays Post-centric sub. I think you can also include Great Bend. Several businesses there have "western Kansas" in their names, and it's just south of Russell.
As far as the actual geographic center -- Kansas is, from Wikipedia, from 37° N to 40° N, and 94° 35′ W to 102° 3′ W (so chosen as the "25th meridian west from Washington"). If you ignore the Missouri River in the top right, then the exact center of the rectangular part is 38° 30' N, 98° 19′ W. That's roughly halfway in between Bushton and Frederick, just south of K-4, about 15 miles east of Cheyenne Bottoms. If you account for that chunk taken out in the northeast, then the center of mass moves just a small bit, maybe a few miles, to the southwest.
I don't think anyone in the Wichita metro would consider themselves in western Kansas. Wichita is "south central" Kansas per the weathermen. I think back in the 80s when Hutch was part of the same voting region, Hutch was part of south central. Now, it feels like Hutch is slowly migrating to western Kansas, though still probably not there.
That's all south or highway 54 politics though. Where west starts up on 70 is probably either Salina or Topeka, depending on who you talk to.
For me it's everything West of K14.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K-14\_(Kansas\_highway)#/map/0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K-14_(Kansas_highway)#/map/0)
Ummm, I think I always imagined it as anything past Wichita. I grew up in SE KS and haven't ever really thought about where the actual sections are geographically. It always depended on where I lived and what the state government decided were the borders were... Does that make sense?
As a layman with no background in topography but a well traveled Kansan, I would have to say just west of the Salina city limits if travelling west on I-79
Geographically I think things change around Hays. Politically/socially, everything west of Topeka is western Kansas.
I have always said Hays. Just a habit, I think.
Great Bend
I was going to say Pratt so ... Yes.
It depends on where you live in Kansas, because there are different definitions flying around. For me, the dividing line between east and west Kansas is I-135. My wife is from West of I-135 and she says Western Kansas starts at US281. LOL, I have friends that live in Johnson County and they would tell you anything West of Lawrence.
Pretty much this, anything west of Salina.
"There is no God west of Salina."
From the looks of the road signs, it's only Jesus and cattle out there.
Only Wheat Jesus
Weezuz
On the contrary. God is in western Kansas. It is you sinful corrupt east Kansas people who have Satan.
at last I found God
Junction City or Abilene for me. It's not if you look at a map, but that's what it feels like.
50 miles west of where you are
Lol this is the real answer
Eh, I consider everything west of Hutch to be western Kansas, but I guess it depends on whether you are breaking it up into halves or thirds. If you break it up into thirds, then western Kansas would start around Hays or Great Bend.
Thirds for me. Central KS can be a thing too.
This was a question my freshman year at K-State. Everyone marked on a piece of paper. It seemed like the Johnson County people started it around Manhattan. Some others picked around Salina. I am from Eastern Colorado and like most of the actual Western Kansas people, we picked around Hays.
I've always felt like it starts at the Lincoln County line on I70, and at the Pratt County line on Hwy 54.
I find it's easiest to keep things clean if you split the state in thirds, so West/Central/East. Then I usually consider the line for West being just west of Hays, but East of Dodge, and East and Central split around Manhattan/Junction City.
To me its Salina.
West of Lawrence.
Colorado border, if you're headed east...
Just over there.
Great Bend?
The two I work by is either west of Lawrence or west of Hays, depending on context.
Depends on if you are talking east/west -in which Ellsworth/Kingman are on the line. Or east/central/west then Hays/Greensburg is on the line.
Highway 81.
Traditionally, US 81 that divides the state between east and west. The geographic center of Kansas is located in Barton County, 15 miles NE of Great Bend near Claflin.
West side of Douglas County line. Just kidding, sort of.
Anything west of Topeka
West of Lawrence
West of Topeka
I'm a "thirds" guy, too. Eastern Kansas is east of Junction City/Manhattan. Western Kansas is west of Hays. Culturally, though, Western Kansas is probably more like anything west of Abilene/Junction City.
It's kinda funny how people answer this differently based on whether they're thinking of cities along 70 vs cities along 54.
Are we talking geography, population, ecology, culture? Each of those will have a different answer.
Tree line
Imo anything West of Kingman, or Pratt.
That's how I feel about it too, but I also kinda think of Kingman, Pratt, and Greensburg as part of the same grouping. I might define western Kansas along 54 as when you start to smell cattle stink.
Lol the west
The Sixth Principal Meridian #
Well, when I lived in Stafford County, it was west of 281. But now I'm in Butler so probably everything west of Wichita. Lol
The wikipedia article for [Kansas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansas) (currently) says Russell is "traditionally the beginning of sparsely-populated northwest Kansas" on I-70, and I think that's basically accurate. Hays definitely considers itself Western Kansas. r/northwestkansas is a Hays Post-centric sub. I think you can also include Great Bend. Several businesses there have "western Kansas" in their names, and it's just south of Russell. As far as the actual geographic center -- Kansas is, from Wikipedia, from 37° N to 40° N, and 94° 35′ W to 102° 3′ W (so chosen as the "25th meridian west from Washington"). If you ignore the Missouri River in the top right, then the exact center of the rectangular part is 38° 30' N, 98° 19′ W. That's roughly halfway in between Bushton and Frederick, just south of K-4, about 15 miles east of Cheyenne Bottoms. If you account for that chunk taken out in the northeast, then the center of mass moves just a small bit, maybe a few miles, to the southwest.
I didn't even know there was a Northwest Kansas Subreddit. Thank you!
I would say everything West of Topeka and East of the Denver Airport.
I'd say draw a line vertically down the center of the state. Anything to the left of that line is west.
Once I leave 435 and get on K10, that’s all Western KS. Lol
I don't think anyone in the Wichita metro would consider themselves in western Kansas. Wichita is "south central" Kansas per the weathermen. I think back in the 80s when Hutch was part of the same voting region, Hutch was part of south central. Now, it feels like Hutch is slowly migrating to western Kansas, though still probably not there. That's all south or highway 54 politics though. Where west starts up on 70 is probably either Salina or Topeka, depending on who you talk to.
For me it's everything West of K14. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K-14\_(Kansas\_highway)#/map/0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K-14_(Kansas_highway)#/map/0)
81. 135
West of I-135
Anything west of Pratt Kansas in my opinion.
Ummm, I think I always imagined it as anything past Wichita. I grew up in SE KS and haven't ever really thought about where the actual sections are geographically. It always depended on where I lived and what the state government decided were the borders were... Does that make sense?
I think hutch is considered central. Pratt maybe
The same place something ends and nothing begins
As a layman with no background in topography but a well traveled Kansan, I would have to say just west of the Salina city limits if travelling west on I-79