Within Kansas State, Wichita is the biggest city. The population was 382,368 during the U.S. Census of 2010. Wichita is situated in the south central portion of Kansas. It is situated on the Arkansas River. Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County. In addition, it is the principal city comprising the Wichita metropolitan area, that had a population of 630,721 during the year 2011.
Throughout the Civil War, the area was originally inhabited by Wichita Indians. The region eventually attracted white inhabitants who lived near the river junction and formed several trading posts. The area rapidly became a top stopping spot along the Chisholm Trail which was a well-known cattle-drive route. During the year 1872, the arrival of railroads brought more success and Wichita became a central place revolving around agriculture and cattle. During the year 1915, oil was discovered nearby, and during the 1920s, major aircraft manufacturing plants were established. These economic development spurts were synonymous with an explosion in the population of the region.
The city of Wichita is the cultural hub of the central plains region. Wichita has numerous art museums and galleries, in addition to a symphony orchestra. There are history, transportation and aviation museums to enjoy as well. Situated 22 miles north of Wichita, the Kauffman Museum displays the local culture and the history of the area. It showcases the immigration of the Mennonites during the 1870s to Kansas State.
There is a fun living re-enactment of the Old West put on by the Old Cowtown Museum. Another popular event each April is the 2 day Wichita Jazz Festival put on at several venues all over Wichita. This particular festival honors the site of well-known jazz musician Charlie Parker's first recording that happened in 1940. Each and every springtime there is a 9 day event known as the annual River Festival that is known for a remarkable selection of food, music and fireworks.
Within the neighboring Hutchinson, there is the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center which is an affiliate of the Smithsonian. They have and IMAX theatre in addition to unique space artifacts from the US and Soviet space programs. It is an exciting day trip to check out when visiting the region.
Manufacturing, especially manufacturing aircrafts, is the main economic sector within the city. Lots of big companies such as Boeing, Cessna, Airbus, Raytheon and Bombardier call the city home and headquarters. Electronics, high-technology industries and consumer goods are some of the other significant economic segments contributing to the economy of the city.
The manufacturing sector in Wichita produces things like airplanes, industrial-commercial machinery, controls and instrumentation, fabricated metal products and outdoor recreational equipment and supplies. Chemicals, photographic equipment, household appliances, meat products, amusement rides and composite products are other manufacturing sectors which provide work.
When it comes to concentration of manufactured jobs and skilled labor, the county is one of the top within the USA. The region is home to many businesses utilizing high technology design. The second major economic factor is healthcare and this provides a major employment sector for Wichita. Several of the top companies calling Wichita home consist of Koch Industries, Cargill Meat Solution, Coleman Company and Chance Rides.
Healthcare is the 2nd largest industry in Wichita City, with nearly 28,000 people working in this sector of Wichita. This particular area was not predicted to change during the early 2000s, due to the fact that health-care must remain quite consistent regardless of the economy and hence this sector was not subject to the same pressures that affected other businesses at that time.
Kansas City opened a critical care tower at Wesley Medical Centre in addition to the Kansas Spine Hospital during 2004. The biggest provider of health care services in Kansas is Via Christi Health and in July 2010, they were ready to open up a hospital which will have the necessities to serve the northwest region of Wichita. Located on St. Teresa, Via Christi Hospital would be the system's 5th hospital serving the community of the city.