Wichita, Kansas is situated along the beautiful Arkansas River in Sedgwick County. Wichita is the largest city in Kansas and contributes nearly one-fifth of the state's population. As of the Census 2000, Wichita reported a population of 344,284 residents.

This dynamic community is home to nearly forty galleries and museums, fourteen musical organizations, ten performing arts theaters and two professional dance companies. Visitors also enjoy Oldtown Wichita, one of the city's shopping, entertainment and dining hot spots found in the now-transformed red brick warehouse district. One of the remodeled warehouses in Oldtown is the Museum of World Treasures. This fascinating museum features Egyptian mummies, Greek and Roman treasures, a world-renowned American President's collection, as well as dinosaur fossils and the only Royal Crown Jewels in America. Another Wichita attraction, the Old Cowtown Museum, is an open-air museum that outlines life in Wichita and Sedgwick County during the mid to late 1800's. The heritage of local Native American's has been preserved in The Mid-America All Indian Center Museum through its Indian pow-wows, exhibits of artifacts and artwork. Other sites of interest include Exploration Place, Botanica - The Wichita Gardens and Sedgwick County Zoo, which is the state's most popular tourist attraction.

Nearly eighty parks spread throughout the city offer public facilities for soccer, tennis, golf, softball, croquet, picnics, fishing, water skiing, boating and biking. Sports enthusiasts enjoy a wide variety of professional and amateur sports such as the Wichita Thunder hockey team, the Wichita Rangers baseball team and the various athletic teams from Wichita State University.

Kansas has been ranked as one of the top ten states for outstanding education, and in the top five for quality higher education. Wichita contributes to such high praise with its own progressive educational opportunities. This includes an urban public school district with students that steadily improve their academic achievement and a wide variety of private and parochial schools. Higher learning institutes include The University of Kansas School of Medicine - Wichita, Friends University, Newman University, Wichita Area Technical College and Wichita State University. Wichita State University is an important resource to the local business community by providing programs that support business and industry.

As the seat of Sedgwick County, Wichita serves as the center of economics to the south-central Kansas and northern Oklahoma regions. Wichita provides business, financial and premium medical services to half a million people in the Wichita Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) alone. The Wichita MSA is comprised of Sedgwick, Harvey, Sumner and Butler counties. Wichita ranked number one in manufacturing among metropolitan areas with populations under a million, and thirteenth overall among the top manufacturing cities in America. Sedgwick County contributes over forty percent of the manufacturing earnings in the state. Known as the "Air Capital of the World", Wichita is steeped in aerospace history. Aviation manufacturers currently thriving in the Wichita area include Cessna, Boeing, Raytheon and Bombardier.

This beautiful area offers residents an excellent quality of life. Real estate is at a premium with homes in established neighborhoods, golf course communities, lakefront communities and a wide variety of town homes and condominiums from which to choose. With nationally recognized police and community initiatives in place to ensure a safe home and business environment, the crime rate is less than half the average of other U.S. cities with populations under half a million. Recently, the state of Kansas earned the rank of the "eighth healthiest state in the nation", with Wichita serving as the regional hub for such quality healthcare. In addition, Wichita boasts a myriad of career opportunities, competitive salaries, and a below-average cost of living. Wichita has had the honor of being named the All America City three different times.

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