Welcome to the City of Chetopa, Kansas Community Portal
Founded on April 18, 1857, Chetopa was originally an Osage Nation village named after Chief Chetopah, and later the site of the "Golden Spike" of the South, where the MK&T ("Katy") railroad won the exclusive right to cross the Indian Territories (later, Oklahoma).
Our city is now home to a close-knit community sharing true Midwestern values. Welcome to Chetopa!
Chetopa Community Calendar
Notice from City Council
Upcoming Events
News
In case of a storm you will seek shelter at:
Community Storm Shelter
529 Locust St
Chetopa KS 67336
Newly-added to the Transparency Portal:
Got Pictures?
We would love to include your pictures on the Chetopa website. We need pictures for the scrolling banner, contextual pictures for the column headings (like on this page) and pictures for the city photo gallery. Pictures must be taken in a public place so that releases are not required.
Prefer e-mail?
You can now reach many city employees through their "chetopa.org" e-mail addresses. Be sure to check the Your Government page for more information.
Input Welcome!
This website is for you, so if it can be more useful we want to know. Please contact us if you have suggestions for content or improvement.
Community Points of Interest
The City of Chetopa was awarded a KDHE Waste Tire Grant in 2024 to install rubber cushioning materials and rubber timbers under the swings at our Elmore and Veterans Parks. This was a recommendation from an EMC Insurance inspection done in 2021, that this type of material be installed to prevent serious injuries from falls. The cost of the cushioning materials has prevented the city in the past from implementing this recommendation but by receiving this waste tire grant the improvements can now be made. Previous grant awards from KDHE have allowed us to be able to replace warped old wooden tables in our Elmore and Veterans Parks that had to be repaired and painted each year. Grants such as the KDHE Waste Tire have made purchasing the cushioning materials, benches and picnic tables possible and in closing out the grant, we would like to make everyone aware of the issues that everyone is faced with discarded tires and the potential health and environmental problems that waste tires can cause and the benefits that result in the recycling of tires.
While some people find innovative decorative ideas for repurposing old tires, such as planters and gardening applications, tire swings, side tables, etc., many are dumped along the side of roads. Not only are they unsightly, but they also pose an environmental hazard as they do not break down easily and tires from years ago could very well still be intact, taking up space in people’s yards or landfills, creating a home for rodents, mosquitoes and other pests that carry diseases, as well as leaching toxins into the environment impacting both air and ground pollution. Our local auto repair shop pays a fee for each tire that is replaced and then these tires are transported to a recycling center to be broken down to be reused as fuel, flooring and as is in our case, being made into cushioning materials, picnic tables and benches for our parks. As you can see, recycling tires is extremely important.
Please keep these issues in mind the next time that you must replace old tires and look at ways that waste tires can be utilized in your community. Without grants such as the KDHE Waste Tire, our city could not afford to make improvements to our park systems and to do our part in helping the environment. Thank you KDHE for this funding opportunity, we appreciate it very much.
Effective immediately, when a payment is made using a credit or debit card, there will be a 3% fee added to the payment amount.
NOTICE
An ordinance amending the code of the City of Chetopa, Kansas Adding 15-523 Establishing a roll off policy and regulations relating to the use of the roll-off was adopted by the Chetopa City Council on August 16, 2022. See the full text of the ordinance on the Transparency Portal.
About Chetopa, the "Catfish & Pecan Capital"
The City of Chetopa has a population of approximately 1,200 people. Chetopa is technically a “city” but to the people that live here it is considered a community. The people living outside the city limits contribute just as much to the community as the people living within the city. The outlying area thrives with farming activity, whether it is from agriculture, pecan harvesting, or livestock farming which includes cattle, sheep, hog, and turkey farms. Due to the large number of pecan trees being harvested in this area the State of Kansas designated Chetopa as the “Pecan Capital.”
The community may be small but it has the ability to support eight churches of various denominations.
The school system provides education to children from preschool age all the way thru high school. The teachers do an outstanding job of inspiring their students to exceed the standard. The teachers
are willing to spend a lot of their extra time (and often their own money) to see that those students that go the extra mile are given the recognition and rewards they deserve. The school has been
fortunate enough to have several students selected to participate in some very exciting adventures because of their talents. During the summer of 2001 two young ladies had the opportunity to go to
Hawaii play softball in the King Kamehameha Softball Classic. Another young man & woman performed throughout Europe during the summer because of their exceptional band/musical abilities. Not to
be left out of the fun the high school science teacher and several students went to Costa Rica that summer to tag turtles. During the summer of 2002 another young man and woman from the community
again got to participate in the King Kamehameha Softball Classic.
In June of 2005 four of the students in the gifted program qualified for National competition with their history projects and traveled to Washington, D. C. to compete. In June of 2006 three of those
same students once again went to Washington, D. C. to the National History Day competition.
The school offers a wide range of extra curricular activities such as: FFA, FCLA, Debate, Scholar Bowl, Band, Music, Baseball, Softball, Volleyball, Basketball, Football, and Track.
The community also sponsors numerous activities for the young and old alike, such as: 4-H; Brownies; Girl Scouts; Twirling; Community Choir; Masonic Lodge; VFW; Women’s VFW Auxiliary; Chamber of
Commerce; Community Task Force; PTO; Youth Friends; Senior Citizens Center; Volunteer Fire Department; Volunteer 1st Responder Unit; Little League Basketball, Baseball/Softball & Football.
The community unites 2 times a year to celebrate 4th of July, and in the fall, the Pecan Festival. Everyone from the surrounding areas join in the fun.
Chetopa is centrally located between several larger cities within a 3 state area. Within 45 minutes, or less, you can be in Joplin, MO; Vinita, OK; Miami, OK; Parsons, KS; or Coffeyville, KS. Within
an hour and half you can be in even larger cities such as Tulsa, OK or Springfield, MO. If you are looking for entertainment, this region offers numerous Indian as well as commercial gambling
casinos. Just south of Miami is Grand Lake, which is great for boating, fishing, and jet skiing. In less than 3 hours you can be in Branson, MO, where there is a wide variety of entertainment for
people of all ages.
The Neosho River flowing along the east border of the city limits offers something no other Kansas town can. During the annual paddlefish (locally known as “spoonbill”) season this unusual fish swims
upstream from Oklahoma to spawn. They give the most daring angler the opportunity to try to snag one of these large fish that weigh anywhere from 20 lbs. to the record weight of 87 ¾ lbs. The season
for this fish is a short one that is regulated by the Kansas Fish and Game. It usually starts in Mid-March, when the game warden posts that the season is open, lasting until Mid-May or until the game
warden officially closes the season. The river’s water level has a big impact on the paddlefish’s spawning pattern, therefore the season varies to some degree. Once the paddlefish season is over the
regular fishing season resumes, where the challenge is to see if a record channel catfish can be caught. The large number of catfish which are taken from the Neosho River contributes to Chetopa being
named “The Catfish Capital.”
If hunting is more your bag, then Southeast Kansas offers up the white tail deer, wild turkey, quail, and dove. Of course all must only be hunted within the state-designated seasons and with the
proper permits and licenses.
In a small community your neighbors are your friends and family, they are there when you need them. Chetopa is a small community with a lot to offer. We hope you will consider becoming part of our
community.
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