Florence, Kansas
Florence is a small city in Marion County, Kansas. In 2020, about 394 people lived there. The city covers about 0.77 square miles, all land, and sits where U.S. Routes 50 and 77 meet.
Florence was named for Florence Crawford, the daughter of Kansas governor Samuel J. Crawford. The town was planned in 1870 and the post office moved there in 1871. The railroad helped Florence grow, and the old Santa Fe depot still exists. Fred Harvey opened the Harvey House restaurant in Florence, which also offered sleeping rooms.
The town has faced floods, including a big one in 1951. After floods, dams and levees were built nearby, and the Marion Reservoir was completed in the 1960s to help manage water and flood risks.
Today Florence has five buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The local government is a mayor and four council members. The Florence Public Library is at 324 North Main Street.
Education in Florence is part of Marion–Florence USD 408. Florence schools were closed, and students now attend schools in Marion. The high school participates in a shared video teaching network called TEEN with four other area high schools.
Two main highways cross Florence: U.S. Routes 50 and 77. The BNSF Railway runs near Florence, close to the U.S. 50 corridor. The intersection of 50 and 77 was redesigned several times for safety, and a roundabout was completed in 2006 to reduce accidents.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 14:12 (CET).