Lawrence, Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas | |
|---|---|
City and county seat | |
Aerial view of downtown Lawrence (2025) | |
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Seal Logo | |
| Nicknames: LFK, Larryville | |
| Motto: From Ashes to Immortality | |
Interactive map of Lawrence, Kansas | |
Lawrence Lawrence | |
| Coordinates: 38°57′35″N 95°15′51″W / 38.95972°N 95.26417°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Kansas |
| County | Douglas |
| Founded | 1854 |
| Incorporated | February 20, 1858 |
| Named after | Amos A. Lawrence |
| Government | |
| • Type | City commission |
| • Mayor | Brad Finkeldei |
| • City manager | Craig Owens |
| Area | |
• Total | 34.97 sq mi (90.57 km2) |
| • Land | 34.14 sq mi (88.42 km2) |
| • Water | 0.83 sq mi (2.14 km2) |
| Elevation | 991 ft (302 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 94,934 |
• Estimate (2024) | 97,271 |
| • Density | 2,781/sq mi (1,074/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| ZIP Codes | 66044–66047, 66049 |
| Area code | 785 |
| FIPS code | 20-38900 |
| GNIS ID | 485609 |
| Interstate highway | I-70 |
| Public transportation | Lawrence Transit |
| Website | lawrenceks.gov |
Lawrence is a city in and the county seat of Douglas County, Kansas, United States, and the sixth-largest city in the state. It is in the northeastern sector of the state, astride Interstate 70, between the Kansas and Wakarusa rivers. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 94,934. The city is a college town with a significant student population, because it is home to both the University of Kansas (KU) and Haskell Indian Nations University (HINU).
Lawrence was founded by the New England Emigrant Aid Company (NEEAC) and was named for Amos A. Lawrence, an abolitionist from Massachusetts, who offered financial aid and support for the settlement. Lawrence was central to the Bleeding Kansas period (1854–1861), and the site of the Wakarusa War (1855) and the Sacking of Lawrence (1856). During the American Civil War it was also the site of the Lawrence massacre (1863).
Lawrence began as a center of free-state politics. Its economy diversified into many industries, including agriculture, manufacturing, and education, beginning with the founding of the University of Kansas in 1865 and Haskell Indian Nations University in 1884.