Salina was founded in 1858 along the banks of the Smoky Hill River by a group of men sent west by famed newspaper editor Horace Greeley, who urged a nation to settle the West when he said – “Go West Young Man.” Salina has grown to about 50,000, making it the seventh largest city in Kansas.

However, because Salina serves as a regional hub for much of a 13-county area of north-central Kansas, it actually serves a population of about 160,000. This not only makes Salina a regional center for state-of-the-art medical services, but also for retail trade and entertainment.

A diverse economy and strong work ethic allow Salina to continually rank among Kansas’ best in such areas as cost of living, regional trade pull, unemployment and personal income.