El Dorado ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Butler County, Kansas, United States. It is situated along the Walnut River in the central part of Butler County and located in south-central Kansas. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 12,870. It is home to Butler Community College.
History
El Dorado was laid out and platted in 1868. The name is of Spanish origin meaning "golden land". El Dorado was incorporated in 1870.
In 1877, the Florence, El Dorado, and Walnut Valley Railroad Company built a branch line from Florence to El Dorado; in 1881 it was extended to Douglass, and later to Arkansas City.Marion County Kansas : Past and Present; Sondra Van Meter; MB Publishing House; LCCN 72-92041; 344 pages; 1972. The line was leased and operated by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. The line from Florence to El Dorado was abandoned in 1942.Railway Abandonment 1942. Abandonedrails.com. Retrieved on January 12, 2017. The original branch line connected Florence, Burns, De Graff, El Dorado, Augusta, Douglass, Rock, Akron, Winfield and Arkansas City.
In 1915, the El Dorado Oil Field was the first oil field that was found using science/geologic mapping, and part of the Mid-Continent oil province. By 1918, the El Dorado Oil Field was the largest single field producer in the United States, and was responsible for 12.8% of national oil production and 9% of the world production. It was deemed by some as "the oil field that won World War I".Stapleton Oil Well Number 1; Kansas Travel. Kansastravel.org (October 6, 1915). Retrieved on 2017-01-12.El Dorado Oil Field; Kansas Oil Museum . Kansassampler.org (October 6, 1915). Retrieved on 2017-01-12.The discovery and development of the El Dorado oil field; USGS; 1997. Pubs.er.usgs.gov. Retrieved on January 12, 2017.
In 1916, there was an anti-black race riot in El Dorado after an incident between a black shoe shiner and a white oil worker. Large numbers of black families removed their household goods and moved out of El Dorado.
In 1943, German and Italian prisoners of World War II were brought to Kansas and other Midwest states as a means of solving the labor shortage caused by American men serving in the war effort. Large internment camps were established in Kansas: Camp Concordia, Camp Funston (at Fort Riley), Camp Phillips (at Salina under Fort Riley). Fort Riley established 12 smaller branch camps, including El Dorado.List of Prisoner Of War (POW) Camps in Kansas. Gentracer.org. Retrieved on January 12, 2017. Prisoners commonly volunteered to help work on local farms; this enabled them to spend time outside the camp, socialize and eat better food than that provided by prison guards. In some cases, smaller structures constructed by the work details still stand.
On June 10, 1958, an F4 tornado hit El Dorado, killing 13 people and injuring at least 80. In 2008, the city built a memorial at Graham Park in remembrance of the dead.
Geography El Dorado is situated along the western bank of the Walnut River, southwest of El Dorado Lake. It is located east-northeast of Wichita at the junction of U.S. Routes 54 and 77 and K-254. The Kansas Turnpike, designated as Interstate 35, bypasses the city to the northwest.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.
Climate The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, El Dorado has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.Climate Summary for El Dorado, Kansas. Weatherbase.com. Retrieved on January 12, 2017.
Demographics
El Dorado is part of the Wichita Metropolitan Statistical Area.
2020 census As of the 2020 census, El Dorado had a population of 12,870, with 5,136 households and 3,096 families. The population density was 1,405.0 per square mile (542.5/km), and there were 5,838 housing units at an average density of 637.3 per square mile (246.1/km).
98.7% of residents lived in urban areas, while 1.3% lived in rural areas.
There were 5,136 households, of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 40.0% were married-couple households, 20.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 31.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 33.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.1 and the average family size was 2.8.
The median age was 36.2 years. 23.0% of residents were under the age of 18, 12.7% were from 18 to 24, 24.2% were from 25 to 44, 22.2% were from 45 to 64, and 17.9% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 97.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 96.4 males age 18 and over.
There were 5,838 housing units, of which 12.0% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 14.7%.
+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percent White 11,040 85.8% Two or more races 1,022 7.9% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 694 5.4% Black or African American 377 2.9% Some other race 222 1.7% American Indian and Alaska Native 123 1.0% Asian 75 0.6% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 11 0.1%
2016–2020 American Community Survey The 2016–2020 5-year American Community Survey estimates show that the median household income was $41,467 (with a margin of error of +/- $5,317) and the median family income was $70,552 (+/- $5,024). Males had a median income of $36,223 (+/- $4,176) versus $26,357 (+/- $2,963) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $31,747 (+/- $1,963). Approximately, 9.8% of families and 17.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.6% of those under the age of 18 and 21.1% of those ages 65 or over.
Ancestry in El Dorado is 20.3% German, 11.6% Irish, 10.9% English, 2.5% French, 2.4% Scottish, 2.0% Italian, 0.4% Norwegian, 0.2% Polish, and 0.2% Sub Saharan African.
2010 census As of the census of 2010, there were 13,021 people, 5,227 households, and 3,277 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 5,797 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 91.8% White, 2.3% African American, 1.1% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.5% from other races, and 2.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.7% of the population.
There were 5,227 households, of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.8% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.3% were non-families. 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.98.
The median age in the city was 34 years. 24.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 14.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.1% were from 25 to 44; 23.1% were from 45 to 64; and 14.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.2% male and 51.8% female.
Economy
The El Dorado Refinery is currently owned and operated by HollyFrontier, is situated on the southwest edge of El Dorado. It was constructed and originally owned by what would later become Skelly Oil. Later, the refinery changed hands and was rebranded after Skelly was purchased by Getty Oil, and then rebranded again after Texaco attempted to purchase Getty. In 2011 it was rebranded again when Frontier Oil and Holly Corporation merged. El Dorado Refinery is the largest in Kansas. Capacity is , with production split up into gasoline (55% of production); diesel and jet fuel (34% of production); and asphalt, chemicals and other refined petroleum products (11% percent of production).El Dorado Kansas – Frontier Refining, Inc. – Frontier Oil Corporation, Staff, Offices
Education
El Dorado is home to Butler Community College.
Most of the community is served by El Dorado USD 490 public school district, which has one high school, one middle school, and three grade schools.
The west side of El Dorado is served by Circle USD 375 public school district, located in the city of Towanda (west of El Dorado).
Sports Butler Community College fields teams in both men's (mascot: Grizzlies) and women's (mascot: Lady Grizzlies) sports. Butler competes in the NJCAA's Jayhawk Conference, and its teams have won numerous league and national accolades. Butler's football team has won five NJCAA national championships (1981, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2007, and 2008), and also played in the NJCAA championship game in 2004 and 2010. The 1985 squad also finished the season ranked #1 nationally. The program has produced numerous NFL players, most notably Rudi Johnson. Butler's men's basketball program also has a rich tradition, including a national championship in 1953, NJCAA national tournament runners-up in 1992 and 1993, a national tournament third-place finish in 1996, seven Jayhawk Conference championships since 1990, four NJCAA players of the year, ten NJCAA All-Americans, and three NBA draft picks. Notable former Grizzlies with NBA experience include Stephen Jackson, Tony Allen, and Kasib Powell. Butler's men's and women's track and cross-country teams also have won numerous conference, regional, and national accolades.
The El Dorado Broncos were a summer amateur baseball team composed primarily of college players. The team competed within the Jayhawk League as part of the National Baseball Congress, or NBC. The Broncos have won three NBC World Series in 1996, 1998 and 2009. Several former Broncos players currently play in Major League Baseball, including Nate Robertson and Heath Bell .
Culture In April 2010, the Hot Rod Cafe (formerly the El Dorado theater on Main Street)206 S. Main St., El Dorado, KS, 67042 – Theatre/Performing Arts Property For Sale on. Loopnet.com (July 30, 2010). Retrieved on 2017-01-12. was filmed for the documentary reality television series American Pickers episode "Easy Riders", which aired July 26, 2010.Hot Rod Cafe to be on American Pickers Monday evening , Julie Clements, El Dorado Times, July 23, 2010 (retrieved September 21, 2010)
The 1969 film The Gypsy Moths was filmed in part in El Dorado. It featured Burt Lancaster, Deborah Kerr, Gene Hackman, William Windom and Bonnie Bedelia.
Country music artist Zach Bryan references the town on the song "El Dorado" from his self-titled 2023 album.
Parks and recreation The City of El Dorado maintains an extensive parks and recreation system, including: 12 neighborhood parks, 12 playgrounds, five soccer fields, four baseball fields, four softball fields, two spray parks, two pools, two tennis courts, two outdoor basketball courts, a baseball stadium, an 18-hole disc golf course, and a 6.3 mile bike path.
In addition, the community boasts a new athletic complex. The venue was completed in 2012 by the Educational Facilities Authority of Butler County, which consists of representatives from the City of El Dorado, Butler Community College, and El Dorado USD 490 public school district. The complex provides a venue for football, soccer, track and other community events.
El Dorado State Park is also located just beyond the city limits and provides many recreational activities, such as boating, fishing, hiking, swimming, horse trails and archery.
Media
Print Butler County Times-Gazette,Local & World News, Sports & Entertainment in El Dorado, KS. Butler County Times Gazette. Retrieved on January 12, 2017. local newspaper in El Dorado. The Wichita Eagle,Breaking News, Sports, Weather & More Kansas.com & The Wichita Eagle. Kansas.com. Retrieved on January 12, 2017. major regional newspaper in Wichita.
Radio