Cherokee County, Kansas

Many factors make Cherokee County, Kansas a great destination for business, including a workforce of 496,000 within a ninety-minute radius. With fast and easy rail service and interstate access to Kansas City, Tulsa, St. Louis, and beyond, you'll be able to move products to most of the nation's consumer markets in just a day and a half. We're also a tourist destination, with storied Route 66 attractions, outdoor recreation opportunities, and modern gaming.

Add in an abundance of affordable utilities, including access to unlimited dark fiber bandwidth, and you’ll see what makes us an ideal choice for companies in agriculture, food, manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, and other industries that need high-quality employees to thrive.

Our workforce is strengthened by educational investments in quality K-12 schools, universities and community colleges. With programs in plastics, manufacturing technology, management, alternative energy, industrial engineering, health science, and more, local residents and employers benefit from access to Pittsburg State University, Neosho County Community College, Labette Community College, and Crowder College. As an ACT-Certified Work Ready Community, you can be confident that our residents have the skills your company needs to succeed.

And our natural and man-made wonders draw thousands of visitors every year. Hunters and fishermen flock to Cherokee County because our area abounds with trophies waiting to be taken. The Mined Wildlife Areas are popular with outdoor enthusiasts around the nation. We're also a popular destination for tourists who appreciate history and love the excitement of modern gaming and Vegas-style entertainment.

City of Baxter Springs

BAXTER SPRINGS

Baxter Springs is a historical city of 4,238 located in extreme southeast Kansas. It's minutes away from Joplin, Missouri, the business center of the Four-State region of Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Arkansas. Being centrally located, Baxter Springs is between ninety minutes and two and a half hours away from major cities like Tulsa, Kansas City, Wichita, and Branson.

Our business district is located on Route 66, which acts as the town's main street. Come experience the Mother Road, walk where Civil War battles were fought, visit a National Cemetery that was designated by President Abraham Lincoln, and experience our rich mining and cow town heritage.

Baxter Springs is home to companies such as KMT Waterjet, YRC Freight, and ATEC Steel.

Baxter Springs Chamber of Commerce

City of Baxter Springs

GALENA

Incorporated in 1877, Galena is the oldest mining town in Kansas with Route 66 at its heart. At the turn of the 20th century, it boasted a burgeoning population of 30,000 people and was one of the most important towns west of New York City. Today, Galena's population is 3,805. Walking the streets of this once-booming mining town offers a glimpse into a grand past as East Galena's historic business district was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.

Galena is home to the Evonik Jayhawk chemical plant and Celltron, an internationally known contract manufacturer of electrical cable assemblies, wire harnesses, and electro-mechanical box build and sub-assemblies for aerospace, defense, commercial, and semiconductor industries.

City of Galena

Galena Chamber of Commerce

COLUMBUS

Columbus is the second largest city and county seat of Cherokee County with a population of 3,312. It is located just 15 miles south-southwest of Pittsburg, Kansas.

In 2004, Columbus became one of the first cities to have 100% fiber to home networks. Columbus is home to Butterball, Tamko Building Products, Calibrated Forms, Inc., Advantage Metals Recycling, and the headquarters of Crossland Construction Company, one of the largest construction companies in the Midwest.

City of Columbus

Columbus Chamber of Commerce

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RIVERTON

Riverton is an unincorporated community in Cherokee County. It is located at the junction of K-66 (former U.S. Route 66) and U.S. Route Alternate and U.S. Route 400, near Spring River. It is one of only three towns in Kansas along former Route 66. Continuing west through Riverton will take you to the Marsh Arch Bridge that lies between Riverton and Baxter Springs, known as the "Rainbow Bridge." The CDP population is 929.

City of Riverton

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