Oberlin, Kansas

Oberlin was platted as a town in 1878.^[6] It was named after Oberlin, Ohio.^[7]

The first post office in Oberlin was created in April 1878.^[8]

On September 30, 1878, Northern Cheyenne were running from the Indian Territory to their homes in the north. The Northern Cheyenne Exodus, attacked people near Oberlin.^[9][10]

Oberlin was incorporated as a city in 1885.^[11]

Oberlin is at 39°49′23″N 100°31′51″W / 39.82306°N 100.53083°W / 39.82306; -100.53083 (39.82304, -100.530737).^[3] It has an elevation of 2,569 feet (783 m).^[1] It is on the northwest side of Sappa Creek, a tributary of the Republican River, in the High Plains region of the Great Plains.^[12] It is at the intersection of U.S. Route 36 and U.S. Route 83 in northwest Kansas. Oberlin is 228 miles (367 km) northwest of Wichita, 238 miles (383 km) east of Denver, and 320 miles (510 km) west-northwest of Kansas City.^[12][13]

The United States Census Bureau says that the city has a total area of 1.91 square miles (4.95 km²). All of it is land.^[3]

Oberlin has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa). It has hot, dry summers and cold, dry winters. The average temperature in Oberlin is 52 °F (11 °C). Temperatures hotter than 90 °F (32 °C) happen on average 62 days per year and dropping below 32 °F (0 °C) an average of 158 days a year. Oberlin gets precipitation 66 days a year and snowfall happens 11 days a year. Precipitation averages 23 inches (574 mm) per year, and snowfall averages 32 inches (80 cm) per year.^[14] On average, January is the coldest month, and July is both the hottest month and the wettest month. The hottest temperature ever in Oberlin was 111 °F (44 °C) in 1954; the coldest temperature ever was -31 °F (-35 °C) in 1989.^[15]

The 2020 census says that there were 1,644 people, 771 households, and 428 families living in Oberlin. Of the households, 72.6% owned their home and 27.4% rented their home.

The median age was 49.1 years. Of the people, 93.3% were White, 0.4% were Black, 0.4% were Asian, 0.2% were Native American, 0.4% were from some other race, and 5.3% were two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.2% of the people.^[4][16]

The 2010 census says that there were 1,788 people, 824 households, and 477 families living in Oberlin.^[17]

Oberlin USD 294 has two public schools in the city: Oberlin Elementary School (Grades Pre-K-6) and Decatur Community Junior/Senior High School (7-12).^[18][19]

The Oberlin Herald is Oberlin's only newspaper. It is published once per week.^[20]

Oberlin is in the Wichita-Hutchinson, Kansas television market.^[21] NBC affiliate KSNK is licensed to McCook, Nebraska. It broadcasts on channel 8 from studios west of Oberlin.^[22] KSNK is a satellite station of KSNW in Wichita.^[23]

• Brun Campbell – ragtime composer, pianist^[24]
• Sam Francis – Overall #1 pick in 1937 NFL Draft, football coach at Kansas State University
• Elmer Hackney – NFL running back^[25]
• Richard Rogers – U.S. federal judge^[26]
• Cora Simpson – nurse and nurse educator, founder of nursing school in Fuzhou, China

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Oberlin, Kansas.

City

• City of Oberlin, and Decatur County website
• Oberlin - Directory of Public Officials

Schools

• USD 294, local school district

Maps

• Oberlin City Map, KDOT

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