Alma

History

For millennia, the land now known as Kansas was inhabited by Native Americans. In 1803, most of modern Kansas was secured by the United States as part of the Louisiana Purchase. In 1854, the Kansas Territory was organized, then in 1861 Kansas became the 34th U.S. state. In 1859, Wabaunsee County was founded. The first house was built at Alma in 1867. In 1887, the Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway built a main line from Topeka through Alma to Herington. The Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway was foreclosed in 1891 and taken over by Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway, which shut down in 1980. This line of the former Rock Island Railroad was sold to the Southern Pacific Railroad and later merged into the Union Pacific that operates and owns the line today. Most locals still refer to this railroad as the "Rock Island". The city was named after either the city of Alma, Germany, or for a stream in Ukraine.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  490
• Eastern Meadowlark

  Sturnella magna (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  479
• Turkey Vulture

  Cathartes aura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  444
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  423
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  399
• Red-tailed Hawk

  Buteo jamaicensis (Gmelin, 1788) · Aves
  363
• Brown-headed Cowbird

  Molothrus ater (Boddaert, 1783) · Aves
  322
• Dickcissel

  Spiza americana (J.F.Gmelin, 1789) · Aves
  316

Most recent

• M 2.5 — 2026-07-31
  5 km SW of Hope, Kansas
• M 2.6 — 2025-12-13
  6 km NW of Ramona, Kansas
• M 2.7 — 2025-10-27
  7 km SE of Enterprise, Kansas
• M 3.5 — 2025-05-15
  5 km NNW of Herington, Kansas
• M 2.6 — 2025-04-21
  7 km ESE of Marion, Kansas
• M 3.5 — 2024-10-10
  6 km WSW of Woodbine, Kansas