History

The area was first settled in 1877 by Hiram Keas. Plainville, previously known as Paradise Flats, was established in 1888, in Rooks County, Kansas. With the advent of the railway in the 1880's, Plainville became a bustling community on the prairie.  Agriculture and oil production is the heart of the economy. Plainville supports a hospital, high school, grade school, parochial school, three banks, seven churches, grocery store, and many small businesses.

Geography

Plainville is located at (39. 232102, -99. 303166) at an elevation of 2,146 feet (654 m). The city lies in the Smoky Hills region of the Great Plains on the north side of Paradise Creek, a tributary of the Saline River. Southwest of the city, the creek has been dammed to form a small reservoir, Plainville Township Lake. Plainville is approximately 9 miles (14 km) north of the Saline River and 13 miles (20 km) south of the South Fork Solomon River.

Plainville is located in north-central Kansas at the intersection of U. S. Route 183 and K-18. The city is approximately 150 miles (242 km) northwest of Wichita and 253 miles (407 km) west of Kansas City. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1. 2 square miles (3. 1 km²), all of it land.

Climate

Plainville has a humid continental climate (Köppen ''Dfa'') with hot, humid summers and cold, dry winters. The average yearly temperature in Plainville is 51. 9 °F (11 °C), and, on average, the city receives 23. 2 inches (589 mm) of precipitation a year. Snowfall averages 23. 3 inches (592 mm) per year. On average, January is the coolest month, July is the warmest month, and May is the wettest month. The hottest temperature recorded in Plainville was 114 °F (46 °C) in 1940; the coldest temperature recorded was -29 °F (-34 °C) in 1989.

Demographics

As of the census of 2012, there were 1915 people, 865 households, and 565 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,683. 4 people per square mile (647. 4/km²). There were 948 housing units at an average density of 786. 5/sq mi (302. 5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98. 42% White, 0. 39% African American, 0. 39% Native American, 0. 20% Asian, and 0. 59% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0. 30% of the population.

There were 865 households out of which 28. 0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52. 9% were married couples living together, 8. 6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34. 6% were non-families. 31. 3% of all households were made up of individuals and 18. 3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2. 30 and the average family size was 2. 89.

In the city the population was spread out with 24. 6% under the age of 18, 8. 0% from 18 to 24, 23. 7% from 25 to 44, 20. 2% from 45 to 64, and 23. 5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 89. 4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84. 8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $29,402, and the median income for a family was $35,673. Males had a median income of $29,408 versus $17,245 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,134. About 7. 7% of families and 8. 6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9. 8% of those under age 18 and 3. 4% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The Plainville High School is home to the 1980 and 1985 Kansas Football State Championship teams, as well as the 1988 and 1992 3-2-1A State Wrestling Championship teams.

Media

Plainville has one weekly newspaper, The Plainville Times.

Radio station KFIX is licensed to Plainville, but broadcasts from Hays, Kansas playing a Classic rock format.

Notable natives and residents

• Brent Collins, actor
• Jerry Moran, United States Senator