Alton

History

Alton was founded in 1870 as Bull City and was named in honor of Hiram C. Bull. It was renamed Alton in 1885, after the city of Alton, Illinois because female residents didn't like the former name.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land. Alton has a humid continental (Dfa/Dwa) climate typical for the central Great Plains. Its climate can also be considered humid subtropical (Cfa/Cwa) using the isotherm. Summers are hot and often very humid, with heavy rain from thunderstorms not uncommon, whilst tornadoes are a frequent hazard and are often followed by heavy rainfall. Winter weather varies greatly from warm or even hot weather due to chinook winds to extreme cold when a North American High with very cold air moves southwards from Canada. The coldest temperature recorded in Alton was on December 23, 1989. One of the highest recorded temperatures in American history (and the highest in Kansas' recorded history) was recorded near Alton on July 24, 1936. On that day, the temperature maxed out at . Only four states — California, Arizona, New Mexico and Nevada — have seen higher record temperatures. Alton's record April temperature of on April 23, 1989, has been exceeded only by California, Arizona and Texas and tied by Nevada, Nebraska and Oklahoma. Nearby Hays holds the state record when it reached 107 °F (41.7 °C) the same day. Temperatures over are expected on 15.9 each year and on an average of 64.5 days per year. The lowest temperature ever recorded in Kansas was measured in Lebanon, which sits in the adjacent Smith County, only about 35 miles away.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  69
• Red-winged Blackbird

  Agelaius phoeniceus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  40
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  37
• Turkey Vulture

  Cathartes aura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  35
• Red-headed Woodpecker

  Melanerpes erythrocephalus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  34
• House Wren

  Troglodytes aedon Vieillot, 1809 · Aves
  33
• Eastern Kingbird

  Tyrannus tyrannus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  32
• European Starling

  Sturnus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  32

Most recent

• M 2.5 — 2026-06-16
  9 km SW of Natoma, Kansas
• M 2.9 — 2026-05-11
  7 km E of Cowles, Nebraska
• M 2.8 — 2026-05-09
  4 km ESE of Cowles, Nebraska
• M 2.5 — 2026-03-12
  6 km ESE of Cowles, Nebraska
• M 2.6 — 2026-03-02
  8 km N of Guide Rock, Nebraska
• M 2.6 — 2026-03-01
  9 km E of Cowles, Nebraska