Topeka

Understand

Topeka, located in Shawnee County, serves as the capital of Kansas. It lies on rich sandy loam river bottomland where Native Americans lived for many years using the excellent fords on the Kansas (Kaw) River. Among the first permanent settlers were three French-Canadian (Pappan) brothers. They married three Kanza (Kansas) Native American sisters and established a ferry over the river in 1842. A grandson from one of the marriages was Charles Curtis, the only Vice-President of the United States to be of Native American descent. (Charles Curtis served with President Herbert C. Hoover from 1929 to 1933.) In the 1800s, Topeka served as a gateway west for pioneers traveling on the Oregon Trail or by railroad.

Topeka is home to the highly acclaimed Kansas Museum of History where you'll step back in time and learn all about the land that is Kansas. Relive the history of Kansas through exhibits, videos, and programs.

Old Prairie Town at Ward-Meade Historic Site overlooks the Oregon Trail's ferry site across the Kansas River and includes the original Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad depot from Pauline as well as a turn of the century town, botanical gardens, and dinners served by hosts in period dress.

Topeka was an active participant in the Civil Rights Movement, particularly with the fight for the desegregation of schools. The Monroe School is the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic site where visitors gain an understanding and appreciation for the role of this decision in the Civil Rights Movement.

Gage Park houses the Topeka Zoo, Renisch Rose Gardens with over 6,500 plants, offering 400 varieties, and a 1908 Carousel that houses a 1909 Wurlitzer organ. Tour the Combat Air Museum, the Capitol Building, and the Governor's home, Cedar Crest. First Presbyterian Church, built over 112 years ago, is the site of a unique presentation of Tiffany windows. Louis C. Tiffany came to Topeka in 1911 and produced these windows. First Presbyterian Church is the only church west of the Mississippi River to have all Tiffany windows. Visit Heartland Park, a state-of-the-art motor sports complex. The Topeka area has an abundance of campgrounds and lakes, as well as hiking and biking trails.

Local information

• Topeka City Council website

Get in

By plane

There is no commercial airline service to Topeka as of March 2026.

• [https://flykc.com/ Kansas City International] (MCI) is the closest fully functional commercial airport. A shuttle service can take you to Topeka from Kansas City.

By train

Amtrak has a stop in Topeka which is served by the daily Chicago-Los Angeles Southwest Chief line. Be aware that trains from Chicago and Kansas City, MO arrive at around 12:30AM and trains from Los Angeles arrive at around 5:20AM.

By taxi

By car

Travelling by car is the easiest way to enter, exit and move around in Topeka.

Highways include:

• Highway 24 gives four lane access from the east and two lane entry from the west.
• I-70 gives controlled access from the west.
• Highway 75 gives two-lane access from the south and controlled four lane access from the north.
• I-335 (Toll) gives controlled access from the southwest.
• I-70 (Toll) gives controlled access from the east.

By bus

• Greyhound Bus Lines stops at 600 Southeast Quincey Street next to Southeast 6th Avenue in downtown.
• jeffersonlines, runs to Kansas City, +1-800-451-5333. The same line is serviced by Greyhound.

Get around

By car

Most of the streets in Topeka are laid out in a grid pattern. North/south streets are named and most east/west streets are numbered. South of the river the street numbers increase as you travel southwardly, and the opposite on the north side of the river. Popular streets running through the city are Wanamaker Rd., Topeka Blvd., Gage Blvd., 6th St., 21st St., and 29th St. Be aware that the grid pattern slants around downtown due to the layout of the original city being different than the rest of the suburbs.

Topeka has a controlled access bypass, I-470, travelling through the southwest side of town. This makes for easy access to shopping centers and connects the major highways going into and out of Topeka.

By bus

Topeka Metro is the public bus system that runs through most of the main streets. +1 785 783-7000. The bus fare costs $2 per trip. A card that is good for 10 rides costs $18. A pass that is good for 31 days costs $50. Buy cards and passes at the Quincy Street Station at 820 SE Quincy Street or at any Dillons store. You can catch or transfer to most buses at this station too.

Stay safe

As far as crime goes, Topeka is generally a safe city, but some areas around downtown (not including the downtown core) and on the eastern side of the city are best avoided at night. As long as you follow common sense, you will be safe in Topeka. Despite its bad reputation in Kansas, most of the crime in Topeka is gang-related, so a traveler is highly unlikely to come across any sort of serious danger.

Being in Kansas, it is important to be well aware of the weather in Topeka. During the spring and summer months, tornadoes and severe thunderstorms in general are possible, while the winter can bring blizzard conditions. All weather warnings will be broadcast by local radio stations, and most people will get an emergency alert on their smartphone. Furthermore, during a tornado warning, tornado sirens will be sounded throughout the city, which are easy to hear from basically anywhere. When in doubt, ask the locals, but a good rule of thumb during tornadoes is to get on the lowest floor of the building and as far away from windows as you can.

Go next

• Lawrence is 30 minutes east of Topeka along I-70 (Toll). A scenic (and cheaper) route to Lawrence from Topeka is along US Highway 40. The Amtrak train system connects Topeka to Lawrence. Lawrence is home to University of Kansas. Lawrence is a small college town with a vibrant social scene located around Massachusetts Street. Massachusetts Street is also the site where John Brown fought during the Bleeding Kansas battles.
• Perry Lake is 30 minutes north east of Topeka along US Highway 24. It is the third largest lake in Kansas. Perry Lake features watersports, hiking and camping opportunities.
• Manhattan is an hour and a half west of Topeka. Take I-70 West to KS-177 North. Manhattan is home to Kansas State University. Near Manhattan is Tuttle Creek Reservoir.