About Hays

Thanks for visiting our website. We are happy to provide you with a visual journey of our city and we hope you will find what you are looking for. If not, contact us and we'll be glad to be your source of information about Hays, Kansas.

Come and Visit

We invite you to visit and experience the many opportunities that our charming community has to offer. You'll enjoy our small town friendliness whether you come to Hays for a family vacation, business trip, sporting event, shopping or just passing through. Hays has many interesting retail stores, shopping centers, specialty shops, and restaurants.

Proud Community

We are proud of our colorful history as a wild frontier town and we encourage you to explore our city so you can find out for yourself "Where history walked the streets". Many of the interesting and historic places to visit are free or charge only a small admission fee.

Be sure to visit our unique museums and tourist attractions to learn about our military past and Volga German heritage. Discover the scenic beauty and natural history of western Kansas with an outing to Frontier Park, the Hays F.E.E.T trails and the Sternberg Museum of Natural History.

Demographics

  • Founded in 1867
  • Population – 20,368
  • Climate – Four distinct seasons with mild and sunny days spring through fall
  • Average annual temperature – 53.8
  • Average annual precipitation – 21.85"
  • Average annual snowfall - 19.71"
  • Altitude – 2004.6 feet above sea level
  • GPS coordinates: Latitude 38'- 52 minutes 34 seconds
  • Longitude 99' – 19 minutes 41 seconds

County Seat

Hays is the county seat of Ellis County and is a prosperous and growing community. We are proud of our outstanding educational system, which includes:
  • Fort Hays State University
  • North Central Kansas Technical College
  • KSU Ag Research Center
  • Hays Academy of Hair Design
  • TMP/Marian - a private high school
  • Hays High School
  • Public Elementary and Junior High Schools

Resources and Facilities

We have one of the finest medical facilities in western and central Kansas and many dedicated medical professionals that provide state of the art rural health care. Much of the economy of Ellis is based on agriculture related jobs. 

We are fortunate to be surrounded by productive agricultural land and large underground oil reserves. The industrial, commercial and retail growth in recent years has established Hays as the retail and trade center for Northwest Kansas.