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Lawrence, Kansas

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About Lawrence

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Life in Lawrence is pleasant and inviting. The city has a charming downtown shopping area with tree-lined streets and an outdoor sculpture exhibit. You will find many interesting shops, art galleries, restaurants, theaters and coffee shops. Lawrence is also home to Haskell Indian Nations University, a university for Native American students.

For more information about Lawrence, see the "facts" and visit the links below.

Facts: Douglas County population: 92,000 • Lawrence population: 80,000 • Located in northeast Kansas, just 45 minutes west of Kansas City, and 30 minutes east of Topeka, the state capital. • Time zone: Central • Area code: 785 •Sister cities: Hiratsuka, JAPAN; Eutin, GERMANY • Annual average snowfall: 21"• Annual average precipitation: 37"

 downtown sidewalk scene
Lawrence Historical Facts: • Founded in 1854 by the New England Emigrant Aid Society in an effort to keep the territory free from slavery. It is said that Lawrence is one of the few cities in the U.S. founded strictly for political reasons. • Both the Oregon and Santa Fe trails run through parts of Lawrence and Douglas County, KS.

Educational Facts: • Home to two universities: the University of Kansas (KU) and Haskell Indian Nations University. • Approximately 25,000 undergraduates attend KU, which is one of the nation's most beautiful campuses. • Haskell Indian Nations University is the nation's only inter-tribal university for Native Americans. Haskell's students represent more than 150 tribes from all across the country. • Dr. James Naismith, inventor of basketball, and KU's only basketball coach with a losing record, is buried in Lawrence where he lived and coached most of his adult life. The KU Jayhawk basketball team is consistently ranked among the best in the country and were NCAA National Champions in 2008.

Rankings •Sixth in the nation, of all cities in America, for percentage of the population with at least a bachelor's degree • Listed among The 100 Best Small Arts Towns in America by author John Villani. • One of the least segregated communities in the country according to USA Today. • Lawrence boasts one of the most vibrant downtown shopping, dining and entertainment districts in the Midwest. Many have called Massachusetts ("Mass") Street one of the most beautiful main streets in America. • The Lied Center of Kansas, the University of Kansas' multi-million dollar performing arts center, was ranked by International Arts Manager magazine as one of the "Top 10 U.S. University Presenters." • Ranked 12th by the National Endowment for the Arts among cities in the U.S. with the largest percentage of professional artists in the work force. • Golf Digest consistently lists Lawrence's Alvamar golf course among the 100 best public golf courses in the nation.

Links for Lawrence and the surrounding area:
Lawrence Art Center | Lawrence Community Theatre | Lawrence bus system | Visit Lawrence.com
Lawrence Chamber of Commerce | Kansas City Zoo | Konza Prairie
Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art -- (Kansas City, Missouri) | Science City Museum at Union Station -- (Kansas City, MO)

Copyright © 2008 The University of Kansas, Applied English Center. All rights reserved. Permission to copy and use information contained in this page is hereby granted provided that this notice and appropriate attribution (if applicable) are placed on all copies, and information is used for non-profit purposes only. You can reach us by telephone at 1.785.864.4606 or by email at aec@ku.edu

Photographs within this site © The University of Kansas Office of University Relations.