| Sedgwick
County, Kansas
 Sedgwick
County, Kansas
is nestled in the south central section of the
state, in the Arkansas
River Valley. The county, named in honor of Major
General John Sedgwick, is spread out over
more than one thousand square miles. There are
twenty-one cities in Sedgwick County, with Wichita
serving as the county seat. Wichita is the
largest city in the county as well as in all of
Kansas, and it contributes nearly one-fifth of
the state's population. As of the Census 2000,
Sedgwick County's population was 452,869
with 344,284
of that total residing in Wichita.
Sedgwick
County's scenic area offers Kansas residents an
excellent quality of life. Wichita,
the region's center of commerce, has had the
honor of being named the All
America City in three different years.
Sedgwick's vibrant community has an abundance of
career opportunities that offer competitive
salaries, and the cost of living is five percent
below the national average. Housing in a wide
variety of settings is available, with prices to
fit every budget. In addition, there are a
number of police and community programs in place
to ensure that the neighborhoods continue to
provide safety for homes and businesses. As a
result, the area's crime rate is less than half
the national average.
 Kansas is among
the top ten states noted for excellence in
education, and is in the top five for quality
higher education. Ten school districts within
Sedgwick County offer outstanding educational
opportunities. In addition, there are nearly
forty private
and parochial schools. Wichita has the
county's greatest concentration of higher
learning institutes, including Friends
University, Wichita
Area Technical College, The
University of Kansas School of Medicine -
Wichita, Newman
University and Wichita
State University (the birthplace of Pizza
Hut). Other higher education facilities
within driving distance include Southwestern
College in Winfield,
Tabor
College in Hillsboro,
Bethel
College in North
Newton and Baker
University in Baldwin
City. All of the colleges and universities
serve as an important resource to the local
business community by providing educational
support for business and industry.
Sedgwick
County, Kansas is home to a variety of
successful industries, the most significant of
which are related to aviation.
These industries have contributed to Wichita's
title of "Air Capital of the World".
Sedgwick County has historically been the
birthplace of nationally and internationally
renowned companies such as Cessna,
Koch
Industries, Beechcraft,
the Coleman
Company and Bombardier
Learjet. The county contributes over forty
percent of the state's manufacturing income.
Major employers currently thriving in Wichita
include Wesley
Medical Center, York
International and Dillon
Food Stores. Bank
of America is another large employer with
several locations throughout the county.
 Sedgwick County
provides residents with an abundance of
activities and recreational events. The Kansas
Coliseum hosts a wide variety of events
during the year and is the home of Wichita
Stealth Indoor Arena Football and Wichita
Thunder Hockey. Sports enthusiasts also
enjoy the Wichita
Rangers baseball team and the various "Shocker"
athletic teams from Wichita State
University. Visitors can experience the great
outdoors at the Old
Cowtown open-air museum and at a number of
local parks. Lake
Afton Park, in Goddard, offers camping along
the shores of a 258-acre lake. The park is
located on land once occupied by the Southern
Cheyenne Indian, Wichita,
Comanche,
Osage
and Kiowa
tribes. Sedgwick
County Park, in Wichita, offers activities
that include trout fishing, scenic trails for
biking and hills for sledding. The most famous
tourist attraction in Kansas, the Sedgwick
County Zoo, is also in Wichita.
The zoo displays over two thousand animals that
originated from over four hundred thirty
different species. Another site of interest, the
Wichita-Sedgwick
County Historical Museum is located in
Wichita's City Hall and is known as the
"Palace of the Plains". This museum
has preserved the heritage of the area and now
serves to educate the community and its
visitors.
Sedgwick
County's unique combination of friendly people,
old west charm and contemporary sophistication
makes the area an ideal place to call home.
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