A town of 12,678, settled in 1865. Public schools that outperform most of Kansas.
The 3 things Ottawa does most differently from other towns.
1865–1900 · Ottawa, Kansas (circa 1865-1900)6 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives, and 10 places on the National Register.
Be the first to start the conversation.
Nothing on the calendar.
Ordered by what stands out in Ottawa. Another town gets a different order.
The public schools Ottawa’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 54% of Kansas’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garfield Elem | PK–5 | 368 | B |
| Sunflower Elementary School | PK–5 | 333 | B+ |
| Lincoln Elem | PK–5 | 298 | B |
| Sacred Heart Catholic School Private | PK–5 | 63 | |
| Ottawa Middle School | 6–8 | 456 | C |
| Ottawa Sr High | 6–12 | 681 | D |
The median sale price was $220,000 in May 2026.
About one in 3 of Ottawa’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Olathe (6%), Overland Park (6%) and Lawrence (6%). Half commute less than 25 miles.
5.6 miles of trails across 8 parks and preserves.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Orlis Cox Sports Complex | 0.4 mi | 54 |
| 2. Heritage Park | 0.3 mi | 6 |
| 3. Forest Park | — | 56 |
Ottawa beats the Kansas average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1.
| What stands out | Ottawa | KS |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 14.8% | 11.3% |
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 74% of U.S. communities.
Ottawa has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 9 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
Ottawa reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 57% report less.
10 places in Ottawa on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in Franklin County, Kansas
Ottawa (pronounced ) is a city in and the county seat of Franklin County, Kansas, United States. It is located on both banks of the Marais des Cygnes River near the center of Franklin County. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 12,625. It is the home of Ottawa University.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Ottawa.
