1803Culture
Claimed first by France as part of Louisiana and later acquired by the United States with the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, it lay within the area organized by the U.S.
1854History
as Kansas Territory in 1854.
1861History
Kansas became a state in 1861.
1866Military
In late 1866, anticipating the construction of the Kansas Pacific Railway as far west as Fort Hays, a party from St.
1867History
The state government delineated the surrounding area as Ellis County in 1867.
1869History
Several notable figures of the Old West lived in the Hays City of this era, including George Armstrong Custer, his wife Elizabeth Bacon Custer, Calamity Jane, Buffalo Bill Cody,...
1870History
Hays City became the county seat of Ellis County in 1870, and the town became more civilized.
1876Culture
Volga Germans started settling in Ellis County in 1876, finding its land suitable for their lifestyle and the types of crops they had grown in Russia.
1879Architecture
Included in the museum complex are the Volga German Haus, a reproduction of an early Volga German settler home, and a stone chapel constructed in 1879.
1885History
A cemetery north of town became known as “Boot Hill”; by 1885, it held the bodies of some 79 outlaws.
1886History
Bukovina Germans began settling in the area in 1886.
1889Military
Fort Hays closed in 1889.
1895Disaster
In 1895, fire destroyed 60 buildings downtown.
1900History
In 1900, the Kansas delegation to the U.S.
1901Government
Hays was home to the now closed Bissing's Conservatory of Music established by Petrowitsch Bissing in 1901.
1907Disaster
Severe floods occurred in 1907 and 1951.
1911Economy
Hays began to modernize in the early 1900s with a power plant, waterworks, telephone exchange, and sewer system complete by 1911.
1914Government
The Hays Symphony, established in 1914, is an ensemble of university, regional, and community musicians that performs in FHSU's Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center.
1918History
Records show that it was still in operation as of 1918.
1919Economy
In 1919, three Standard Oil gasoline tanks exploded, killing eight and injuring approximately 150 people.
1929Military
Fort Hays opened as a historical park in 1929 and was later acquired by the Kansas Historical Society.
1934History
The hottest temperature recorded in Hays was 117 °F (47.2 °C) on July 13, 1934, while the coldest temperature recorded was −26 °F (−32.2 °C) on January 14, 1905, and February 13...
1935Disaster
In 1935, the city experienced violent dust storms as part of the Dust Bowl.
1936Economy
Development of oil fields in the surrounding area began in 1936 with Hays serving as a trading center and shipping point.
1939History
Other notable individuals who were born in and/or have lived in Hays include business magnate Philip Anschutz (born 1939), U.S.
1952Culture
Hays was the subject of an April 1952 cultural article in National Geographic magazine.
1953History
Divided into eastern, western, and northern sections, it includes an 18-hole disc golf course and pens that are home to a herd of American bison kept at the park since 1953.
1954History
Senator Jerry Moran (born 1954), physician Sadie Bay Adair (1868–1944), and feminist legal pioneer Frances Tilton Weaver (1904–2003).
1961Architecture
Hays Regional Airport opened in 1961.
1962Architecture
Smoky Hill Country Club is a private, 18-hole course that opened in the western part of the city in 1962.
1966History
Interstate 70 reached Hays in 1966.
1967Military
In 1967, it became the Fort Hays State Historic Site.
1973Culture
Paper Moon (1973) is partially set in Great Depression–era Hays, and a portion of the film was shot in the city.
1991Government
A private, non-profit hospital established in 1991, it is a 165-bed general medical and surgical facility that serves as a regional referral center for northwestern Kansas.
2004History
That facility, in turn, has since been renovated and expanded further, re-opening in 2004.
2010History
=== 2010 census ===
As of the 2010 United States census, there were 20,510 people, 8,698 households, and 4,639 families residing in the city.
2012History
As of 2012, 76.8% of the population over the age of 16 was in the labor force.
2016History
The 2016-2020 5-year American Community Survey estimates show that the median household income was $52,135 (with a margin of error of +/- $5,558) and the median family income wa...
2020History
== Demographics ==
=== 2020 census ===
The 2020 United States census counted 21,116 people, 8,610 households, and 4,576 families in Hays.
2025History
As of 2025, the nearest passenger rail station is located in Dodge City, where Amtrak's Southwest Chief stops once daily on a route from Chicago to Los Angeles.