Dodge City, Kansas

{{See also|History of Kansas}}

The first European immigrant settlement in the area that became Dodge City was Fort Mann, built by civilians in 1847. The fort was built to provide protection for travelers on the Santa Fe Trail. Fort Mann collapsed in 1848 after an attack by Natives. In 1850, the U.S. Army arrived to provide protection in the region and constructed Fort Atkinson on the old Fort Mann site. The army abandoned Fort Atkinson in 1853. Military forces on the Santa Fe Trail were re-established farther north and east at Fort Larned in 1859, but the area remained vacant around what would become Dodge City until the end of the Civil War. In April 1865, the American Frontier Wars in the West began heating up, and the army constructed Fort Dodge to assist Fort Larned in providing protection on the Santa Fe Trail. Fort Dodge remained in operation until 1882.{{Cite web |title=Fort Dodge Provides Reason for Dodge City's Founding |url=https://fordcountyhistory.org/ford-county/communities/fort-dodge-2/fort-dodge-provides-reason-for-dodge-citys-founding/ |url-status=live |access-date=2025-03-09 |website=Ford County Historical Society |language=en-US}}

The town of Dodge City can trace its origins to 1871, when rancher Henry L. Sitler built a sod house west of Fort Dodge to oversee his cattle operations in the region, conveniently located near the Santa Fe Trail and Arkansas River, and Sitler's house quickly became a stopping point for travelers. Others saw the commercial potential of the region with the Santa Fe Railroad rapidly approaching from the east. In 1872, Dodge City was staked out on the 100th meridian and the legal western boundary of the Fort Dodge reservation. The town site was platted and George M. Hoover established the first bar in a tent to serve thirsty soldiers from Fort Dodge. The railroad arrived in September to find a town ready and waiting for business. The early settlers in Dodge City traded in buffalo bones and hides and provided a civilian community for Fort Dodge. With the arrival of the railroad, Dodge City soon became involved in the cattle trade.

File:Long Branch Saloon interior.jpg in Dodge City, Kansas, photographed between 1870 and 1885]]

Image:DodgeCityPeaceCommission.jpg, Bat Masterson, William F. Petillon; seated: Charlie Bassett, Wyatt Earp, Michael Francis "Frank" McLean, Cornelius "Neil" Brown.]]

File:Dodge_City,_Kansas_1875.jpg Restaurant at the corner of First Avenue and Front Street]]

The idea of driving Texas Longhorn cattle from Texas to railheads in Kansas originated in the late 1850s,{{Cite web|url=http://texasalmanac.com/topics/agriculture/cattle-drives-started-earnest-after-civil-war|title=Cattle Drives Started in Earnest After the Civil War|last=Ramos|first=Mary|date=1990|website=Texas Historical Association|access-date=November 16, 2017}} but was cut short by the Civil War. In 1866, the first Texas cattle started arriving in Baxter Springs in southeastern Kansas by way of the Shawnee Trail. Texas Longhorn cattle carried a tick that spread Texas cattle fever, among other breeds of cattle. Alarmed Kansas farmers persuaded the Kansas State Legislature to establish a quarantine line in central Kansas. The quarantine prohibited Texas Longhorns from the heavily settled, eastern portion of the state.{{cite journal |last1=Leonard |first1=Carol |last2=Wallimann |first2=Isidor |title=Prostitution and Changing Morality in the Frontier Cattle Towns of Kansas |journal=Kansas History |date=Spring 1979 |volume=2 |issue=1 |page=34 |url=https://www.kshs.org/publicat/history/1979spring_leonard.pdf |access-date=27 July 2023}}

Like many Kansas cattle towns, Dodge City enforced segregation of business and residential districts, along race lines as well as morality (containing "vice industries") and economic status.{{cite web | last=Wolters | first=Rachel M | title=Vice and Race: Segregation in Kansas Cattle Towns | website=OpenSIUC | date=2 April 2014 | url=https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/gs_rp/331/?utm_source=opensiuc.lib.siu.edu%2Fgs_rp%2F331&utm_medium=PDF&utm_campaign=PDFCoverPages | access-date=18 February 2025}}{{cite journal | last=Haywood | first=C. Robert | title= "No Less A Man": Blacks in Cow Town Dodge City, 1876-1886| journal=The Western Historical Quarterly | publisher=Western Historical Quarterly, Utah State University | volume=19 | issue=2 | year=1988 | issn=0043-3810 | jstor=968393 | pages=161–182 | url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/968393 | access-date=18 February 2025}} There was a number of black cowboys who commanded some respect, but attitudes towards people of color varied and were ambivalent.

With the cattle trade forced west, Texas Longhorns began moving north along the Chisholm Trail. In 1867, the main cowtown was Abilene, Kansas. Profits were high, and other towns quickly joined in the cattle boom: Newton in 1871, Ellsworth in 1872, and Wichita in 1872. In 1876, however, the Kansas State Legislature responded to pressure from farmers settling in central Kansas and once again shifted the quarantine line westward, which essentially eliminated Abilene and the other cowtowns from the cattle trade. With no place else to go, Dodge City suddenly became the "queen of the cow towns."Leonard & Wallimann 1979, p. 35-37.

A new route known as the Great Western Cattle Trail or Western Trail branched off from the Chisholm Trail to lead cattle into Dodge City. Dodge City became a boomtown, with thousands of cattle passing annually through its stockyards. The peak years of the cattle trade in Dodge City were from 1883 to 1884, and during that time the town grew tremendously. In 1880, Dodge City got a new competitor for the cattle trade from the border town of Caldwell. For a few years, the competition between the towns was fierce, but enough cattle were available for both towns to prosper.{{citation needed|date=April 2023}}

Dodge City became known as a true frontier settlement of the Old West. Dodge City had more gunfighters working at one time or another than any other town in the West, many of whom participated in the Dodge City War of 1883. It had saloons, gambling halls, and brothels, including the Long Branch Saloon and China Doll brothel.{{cite web|url=http://krex.k-state.edu/dspace/bitstream/handle/2097/15686/JessicaSmith2013.pdf|first=Jessica|last=Smith|publisher=Kansas State University|title=Morality and Money: A Look at how the Respectable Community Battled the Sporting Community over Prostitution in Kansas Cowtowns, 1867–1885|year=2013}} For a time in 1884, Dodge City had a bullfighting ring where Mexican bullfighters would put on a show with specially chosen Longhorn bulls. As more agricultural settlers moved into western Kansas, pressure increased on the Kansas State Legislature to do something about splenic fever, known today as anthrax. Consequently, in 1885, the quarantine line was extended across the state and the Western Trail was all but shut down.

By the mid-1880s, Dodge City began working to change its image away from that of a violent western town and towards that of a more peaceful and civilized location. In 1878, for example, the bodies in the notorious "Boot Hill" cemetery were moved to the newly established Prairie Grove Cemetery, and a new schoolhouse was built on Boot Hill.{{cite web |last1=Marshall |first1=Vince |title=Legend that is Boot Hill Museum |url=https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/state/2019/06/06/kansas-to-z-h-is-for-boot-hill-museum/4973535007/ |publisher=Dodge City Daily Globe |access-date=7 September 2023}} In 1907 Andrew Carnegie donated money for the construction of a new public library in Dodge City.

Dodge City was also a significant hub for racing for many years, and it held the first World Championship 300 Mile Motorcycle Race on July 4, 1914.{{cite news |title=Glen Boyd of Denver Won 300 Mile Race in Record-Breaking Time |url=https://dodgecitypl.advantage-preservation.com/viewer/?i=f&by=1914&bdd=1910&bm=7&bd=6&d=07061914-07061914&fn=the_dodge_city_daily_globe_usa_kansas_dodge_city_19140706_english_1&df=1&dt=4&cid=3063 |access-date=7 September 2023 |publisher=Dodge City Daily Globe |date=July 6, 1914}} Notable attendees included William Harley and Walter Davidson, who adopted the "hog" as a mascot after one of their riders, Ray Weishaar, brought a piglet from his farm with him to the race. Motorcycle races continued in Dodge City into the 1950s, and attracted significant talent throughout this time, though Dodge's prominence as a hub for motorcycle racing would gradually fade over time.{{cite web |title=Dodge City 300 |url=https://www.visitdodgecity.org/402/Dodge-City-300#:~:text=The%20original%20series%20of%20sanctioned,no%20less%20exciting%20for%20motorcyclists. |website=Visit Dodge City |access-date=7 September 2023}} Dodge City was also a site for automobile races, with racers such as Carroll Shelby taking part in the events.{{cite news |last1=Montgomery |first1=Everett |title=9,000 See Races; Top Two Titles to Texan |publisher=Dodge City Daily Globe |date=April 30, 1956}}

Dodge City lies on the Arkansas River in the High Plains region of the Great Plains.{{cite web | title = 2003–2004 Official Transportation Map | publisher = Kansas Department of Transportation | year = 2003 | url = http://www.ksdot.org/burtransplan/maps/HistoricStateMaps/2003-04Mapside.pdf | access-date = October 16, 2011}} The city sits above one of the world's largest underground water systems, the Ogallala Aquifer,{{cite web | title = High Plains / Ogallala Aquifer Information | publisher = University of Kansas – Kansas Geological Survey | url = http://www.kgs.ku.edu/HighPlains/index.shtml | access-date = October 16, 2011}} and is {{convert|25|mi|km}} from the eastern edge of the Hugoton Natural Gas Area.{{Citation needed|date = October 2011}} Located at the intersection of U. S. Routes 50, 56 and 283 in southwestern Kansas, Dodge City is {{convert|151|mi|abbr=on}} west of Wichita, {{convert|199|mi|abbr=on}} northeast of Amarillo, and {{convert|301|mi|abbr=on}} southeast of Denver.{{cite web | title = City Distance Tool | publisher = Geobytes | url = http://www.geobytes.com/citydistancetool.htm | access-date = May 8, 2010 | archive-date = April 12, 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100412193759/http://www.geobytes.com/citydistancetool.htm | url-status = dead }}

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of {{convert|14.55|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|14.44|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|0.11|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is water.{{cite web|title=US Gazetteer files 2010 |url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=July 6, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120702145235/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |archive-date=July 2, 2012 }}

File:Wea01356 - Flickr - NOAA Photo Library.jpg

Dodge City lies at the intersection of North America's semi-arid (Köppen BSk) and humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) zones,Peel, M. C., Finlayson, B. L., and McMahon, T. A.: Updated world map of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 11, 1633–1644, doi:10.5194/hess-11-1633-2007, 2007. with hot summers, highly variable winters, both warm and very cold periods, and low to moderate humidity and precipitation throughout the year; it is part of USDA Hardiness zone 6b.{{cite web|title=USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map|website=planthardiness.ars.usda.gov|url=http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/|publisher=United States Department of Agriculture|access-date=June 1, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140227032333/http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/|archive-date=February 27, 2014|url-status=dead}} Areas to the west are drier and more strongly semi-arid. Severe weather, including tornadoes, is common in the area, especially in the spring months. Dodge City is often cited as the windiest city in the United States with an average speed of {{convert|13.9|mi/h|abbr=on}}, which results in occasional blizzards in the winter, even when snowfall does not accumulate much.{{cite web | title = Wind – Average Wind Speed (MPH) | publisher = National Climatic Data Center | url = http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/online/ccd/avgwind.html | access-date = May 9, 2010 }}; http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/news/sty/2006/windy_Kansas013006.htm {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314051703/http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/news/sty/2006/windy_Kansas013006.htm |date=March 14, 2012 }}, accessed May 19, 2011 On average, January is the coldest month, July is the hottest month, and June is the wettest month.{{cite web | url = http://www.weather.com/outlook/health/fitness/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USKS0152 | title=Average weather for Dodge City, KS | access-date= November 1, 2011 | publisher=The Weather Channel}}

The high temperature reaches or exceeds {{convert|90|F|C|1}} an average of 71 days a year and reaches or exceeds {{convert|100|F|C|1}} an average of 14 days a year; the last year that failed to reach {{convert|100|F|C|1}} was 1958. The minimum temperature falls to or below {{convert|0|°F|0}} an average of 2.1 days a year. The highest officially recorded temperature was {{convert|111|°F|0}} on June 27, 2012, while the lowest temperature officially recorded was {{convert|−26|°F|0}} on February 12, 1899. The record cold daily maximum is {{convert|−13|°F|0}} on January 13, 1875, and conversely, the record warm daily minimum is {{convert|83|°F|0}} last set June 13, 2022.

{{Weather box

|location = Dodge City Regional Airport, Kansas (1991–2020 normals,{{efn|Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the expected highest and lowest temperature readings at any point during the year or given month) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.}} extremes 1874–present){{efn|Official temperature records for Dodge City kept downtown from September 15, 1874, to June 1942 and at Dodge City Regional Airport since July 1942. Precipitation, snowfall, and snow depth records date from October 1, 1874, January 1, 1893, and January 1, 1948, respectively.}}

|single line = Yes

|Jan record high F = 80

|Feb record high F = 88

|Mar record high F = 98

|Apr record high F = 100

|May record high F = 106

|Jun record high F = 111

|Jul record high F = 109

|Aug record high F = 109

|Sep record high F = 107

|Oct record high F = 101

|Nov record high F = 91

|Dec record high F = 86

|Jan avg record high F = 68.1

|Feb avg record high F = 74.8

|Mar avg record high F = 82.7

|Apr avg record high F = 89.6

|May avg record high F = 95.0

|Jun avg record high F = 100.4

|Jul avg record high F = 104.1

|Aug avg record high F = 102.0

|Sep avg record high F = 98.3

|Oct avg record high F = 91.2

|Nov avg record high F = 77.5

|Dec avg record high F = 67.3

|year avg record high F = 105.1

|Jan high F = 45.6

|Feb high F = 49.4

|Mar high F = 59.6

|Apr high F = 68.5

|May high F = 78.3

|Jun high F = 88.6

|Jul high F = 93.7

|Aug high F = 91.7

|Sep high F = 83.8

|Oct high F = 70.8

|Nov high F = 57.1

|Dec high F = 45.9

|year high F =

|Jan mean F = 33.0

|Feb mean F = 36.2

|Mar mean F = 45.4

|Apr mean F = 54.3

|May mean F = 64.8

|Jun mean F = 75.1

|Jul mean F = 80.1

|Aug mean F = 78.1

|Sep mean F = 70.0

|Oct mean F = 56.8

|Nov mean F = 43.7

|Dec mean F = 33.9

|year mean F =

|Jan low F = 20.3

|Feb low F = 23.0

|Mar low F = 31.3

|Apr low F = 40.1

|May low F = 51.2

|Jun low F = 61.6

|Jul low F = 66.4

|Aug low F = 64.7

|Sep low F = 56.2

|Oct low F = 42.9

|Nov low F = 30.2

|Dec low F = 22.0

|year low F =

|Jan avg record low F = 2.9

|Feb avg record low F = 5.6

|Mar avg record low F = 12.7

|Apr avg record low F = 24.0

|May avg record low F = 35.8

|Jun avg record low F = 49.1

|Jul avg record low F = 55.8

|Aug avg record low F = 54.7

|Sep avg record low F = 40.3

|Oct avg record low F = 25.7

|Nov avg record low F = 12.8

|Dec avg record low F = 4.2

|year avg record low F = -2.9

|Jan record low F = -20

|Feb record low F = -26

|Mar record low F = -15

|Apr record low F = 9

|May record low F = 19

|Jun record low F = 36

|Jul record low F = 46

|Aug record low F = 43

|Sep record low F = 29

|Oct record low F = 10

|Nov record low F = -13

|Dec record low F = -21

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation inch = 0.60

|Feb precipitation inch = 0.62

|Mar precipitation inch = 1.35

|Apr precipitation inch = 1.99

|May precipitation inch = 2.99

|Jun precipitation inch = 3.29

|Jul precipitation inch = 3.08

|Aug precipitation inch = 2.99

|Sep precipitation inch = 1.31

|Oct precipitation inch = 2.02

|Nov precipitation inch = 0.80

|Dec precipitation inch = 0.96

|year precipitation inch = 22.00

|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in

|Jan precipitation days = 3.6

|Feb precipitation days = 4.4

|Mar precipitation days = 5.6

|Apr precipitation days = 7.1

|May precipitation days = 8.6

|Jun precipitation days = 8.5

|Jul precipitation days = 8.3

|Aug precipitation days = 8.5

|Sep precipitation days = 5.2

|Oct precipitation days = 5.9

|Nov precipitation days = 4.3

|Dec precipitation days = 4.2

|Jan snow inch = 3.9

|Feb snow inch = 4.7

|Mar snow inch = 3.7

|Apr snow inch = 0.8

|May snow inch = 0.0

|Jun snow inch = 0.0

|Jul snow inch = 0.0

|Aug snow inch = 0.0

|Sep snow inch = 0.0

|Oct snow inch = 0.6

|Nov snow inch = 1.4

|Dec snow inch = 4.0

|year snow inch =

|unit snow days = 0.1 in

|Jan snow days = 3.3

|Feb snow days = 2.9

|Mar snow days = 1.9

|Apr snow days = 0.6

|May snow days = 0.0

|Jun snow days = 0.0

|Jul snow days = 0.0

|Aug snow days = 0.0

|Sep snow days = 0.0

|Oct snow days = 0.4

|Nov snow days = 1.2

|Dec snow days = 2.8

|Jan snow depth inch =

|Feb snow depth inch =

|Mar snow depth inch =

|Apr snow depth inch =

|May snow depth inch =

|Jun snow depth inch =

|Jul snow depth inch =

|Aug snow depth inch =

|Sep snow depth inch =

|Oct snow depth inch =

|Nov snow depth inch =

|Dec snow depth inch =

|year snow depth inch =

|source 1 = NOAA

{{cite web

|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USW00013985&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL

|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

|title = U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Dodge City, KS

|access-date = November 26, 2023

}}

|source 2 = National Weather Service

{{cite web

|url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/climate?wfo=ddc

|publisher = National Weather Service

|title = NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Dodge City

|access-date = November 26, 2023

}}

}}

{{US Census population

| 1880 = 996

| 1890 = 1763

| 1900 = 1942

| 1910 = 3214

| 1920 = 5061

| 1930 = 10059

| 1940 = 8487

| 1950 = 11262

| 1960 = 13520

| 1970 = 14127

| 1980 = 18001

| 1990 = 21129

| 2000 = 25176

| 2010 = 27340

| 2020 = 27788

| estyear = 2023

| estimate = 27514

| estref = {{Cite web |title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023 |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-counties-total.html |access-date=March 24, 2024 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}

| align-fn = center

| footnote = [https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html U.S. Decennial Census]
2010-2020

}}

The 2020 United States census counted 27,788 people, 9,000 households, and 6,399 families in Dodge City.{{Cite web |title=US Census Bureau, Table P16: HOUSEHOLD TYPE |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=Dodge%20City%20city,%20Kansas%20p16&y=2020 |access-date=2024-01-02 |website=data.census.gov}} The population density was 1,888.3 per square mile (729.1/km{{sup|2}}). There were 9,869 housing units at an average density of 670.6 per square mile (258.9/km{{sup|2}}).{{Cite web |title=US Census Bureau, Table DP1: PROFILE OF GENERAL POPULATION AND HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS |url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALDP2020.DP1?q=Dodge%20City%20city,%20Kansas%20dp1 |access-date=2024-01-02 |website=data.census.gov}}{{Cite web |title=Gazetteer Files |url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/2020/geo/gazetter-file.html |access-date=2023-12-30 |website=Census.gov}} The racial makeup was 44.58% (12,387) white or European American (29.25% non-Hispanic white), 3.39% (943) black or African-American, 2.43% (675) Native American or Alaska Native, 1.38% (383) Asian, 0.05% (13) Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian, 27.68% (7,692) from other races, and 20.49% (5,695) from two or more races.{{Cite web |title=US Census Bureau, Table P1: RACE |url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALPL2020.P1?q=Dodge%20City%20city,%20Kansas%20p1&y=2020 |access-date=2024-01-02 |website=data.census.gov}} Hispanic or Latino of any race was 63.91% (17,759) of the population.{{Cite web |title=US Census Bureau, Table P2: HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE |url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALPL2020.P2?q=Dodge%20City%20city,%20Kansas%20p2&y=2020 |access-date=2024-01-02 |website=data.census.gov}}

Of the 9,000 households, 43.8% had children under the age of 18; 48.2% were married couples living together; 25.1% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. 23.3% of households consisted of individuals and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.1 and the average family size was 3.7.{{Cite web |title=US Census Bureau, Table S1101: HOUSEHOLDS AND FAMILIES |url=https://data.census.gov/table/ACSST5Y2020.S1101?q=Dodge%20City%20city,%20Kansas%20s1101%20&y=2020 |access-date=2024-01-02 |website=data.census.gov}} The percent of those with a bachelor's degree or higher was estimated to be 9.2% of the population.{{Cite web |title=US Census Bureau, Table S1501: EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT |url=https://data.census.gov/table/ACSST5Y2020.S1501?q=Dodge%20City%20city,%20Kansas%20s1501%20&y=2020 |access-date=2024-01-02 |website=data.census.gov}}

31.7% of the population was under the age of 18, 11.4% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 9.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.9 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 98.1 males.

The 2016-2020 5-year American Community Survey estimates show that the median household income was $52,654 (with a margin of error of +/- $2,947) and the median family income was $61,993 (+/- $5,366).{{Cite web |title=US Census Bureau, Table S1903: MEDIAN INCOME IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS (IN 2020 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS) |url=https://data.census.gov/table/ACSST5Y2020.S1903?q=Dodge%20City%20city,%20Kansas%20s1903%20&y=2020 |access-date=2024-01-02 |website=data.census.gov}} Males had a median income of $35,569 (+/- $3,963) versus $25,217 (+/- $2,969) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $31,089 (+/- $1,012).{{Cite web |title=US Census Bureau, Table S2001: EARNINGS IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS (IN 2020 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS) |url=https://data.census.gov/table/ACSST5Y2020.S2001?q=Dodge%20City%20city,%20Kansas%20s2001%20&y=2020 |access-date=2024-01-02 |website=data.census.gov}} Approximately, 9.7% of families and 13.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.0% of those under the age of 18 and 9.9% of those ages 65 or over.{{Cite web |title=US Census Bureau, Table S1701: POVERTY STATUS IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS |url=https://data.census.gov/table/ACSST5Y2020.S1701?q=Dodge%20City%20city,%20Kansas%20s1701%20&y=2020 |access-date=2024-01-02 |website=data.census.gov}}{{Cite web |title=US Census Bureau, Table S1702: POVERTY STATUS IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS OF FAMILIES |url=https://data.census.gov/table/ACSST5Y2020.S1702?q=Dodge%20City%20city,%20Kansas%20s1702&y=2020 |access-date=2024-01-02 |website=data.census.gov}}

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 27,340 people, 8,777 households, and 6,241 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|1,893.6|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 9,378 housing units at an average density of {{convert|649.5|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 72.5% White, 2.5% African American, 1.1% Native American, 1.6% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 19.3% from other races, and 2.9% from two or more races. Hispanics and Latinos of any race were 57.5% of the population.{{cite web | title = U.S. Census website | publisher = United States Census Bureau | url = https://www.census.gov | access-date = August 14, 2021}}

There were 8,777 households, of which 40.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% were married couples living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 28.9% were non-families. 22.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.05, and the average family size was 3.60.

The median age in the city was 28.9 years. 31.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.8% were from 25 to 44; 19.6% were from 45 to 64; and 8.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 51.4% male and 48.6% female.

The median income for a household was $43,994, and the median income for a family was $49,957. Males had a median income of $31,400 versus $27,884 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,350. About 16.7% of families and 19.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.7% of those under age 18 and 8.1% of those age 65 or over.

File:Dodge City Meat.jpg

{{see also|Golden Triangle of Meat-packing}}

Meat packing is the primary industry in Dodge City. Cargill Meat Solutions and National Beef both operate large facilities in the city.{{cite web | title = Major Employers | publisher = Dodge City Development Corporation | url = http://www.dodgedev.org/community-profile/major-employers/ | access-date = June 19, 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100912002259/http://www.dodgedev.org/community-profile/major-employers/ | archive-date = September 12, 2010 | url-status = dead }} The city also hosts farm implement manufacturing and serves as a supply center for area agriculture. Livestock-raising is a major activity while wheat and sorghum are the area's main crops. In addition, a local tourism industry, including a casino resort, has developed to capitalize on Dodge City's history as an Old West cowtown.{{cite web | title = Attractions | publisher = Dodge City Convention & Visitors Bureau | url = http://www.visitdodgecity.org/index.aspx?nid=59 | access-date = June 19, 2010}} The service sector accounts for much of the rest of the local economy.

As of 2010, 70.9% of the population over the age of 16 was in the labor force. 0.3% was in the armed forces, and 70.5% was in the civilian labor force with 66.9% being employed and 3.6% unemployed. The composition, by occupation, of the employed civilian labor force was: 23.3% in management, business, science, and arts; 16.4% in sales and office occupations; 10.9% in service occupations; 15.2% in natural resources, construction, and maintenance; 34.2% in production, transportation, and material moving. The three industries employing the largest percentages of the working civilian labor force were: manufacturing (33.0%); educational services, health care, and social assistance (18.1%); and retail trade (9.4%).

The cost of living in Dodge City is relatively low; compared to a U.S. average of 100, the cost of living index for the city is 79.3.{{cite web | title = Dodge City, Kansas | publisher = City-Data | url = http://www.city-data.com/city/Dodge-City-Kansas.html | access-date = October 29, 2011}} As of 2010, the median home value in the city was $83,300, the median selected monthly owner cost was $1,013 for housing units with a mortgage and $450 for those without, and the median gross rent was $571.

In late 2023, Hilmar Cheese is scheduled to open a new $550 million cheese and whey protein processing plant in Dodge City.{{cite web |title=Dodge City plans for Hilmar Cheese processing and whey production facility to open in 2023 |url=https://www.dodgeglobe.com/story/news/2021/05/05/hilmar-cheese-production-facility-planned-dodge-city-2023-new-jobs/4965398001/ |publisher=Dodge City Daily Globe |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506025412/https://www.dodgeglobe.com/story/news/2021/05/05/hilmar-cheese-production-facility-planned-dodge-city-2023-new-jobs/4965398001/ |archive-date=May 6, 2021 |date=May 5, 2021 |url-status=dead |access-date=May 6, 2021 }}

Cargill Meat Solutions and National Beef are the two largest employers. Other major employers include local government, schools, retail stores, and health care providers.

Dodge City has a commission-manager form of government.{{cite web | title = Dodge City | work = Directory of Kansas Public Officials | publisher = The League of Kansas Municipalities | url = http://www.lkm.org/directory/cities.php?ID=100 | access-date = October 22, 2011 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111213104650/http://www.lkm.org/directory/cities.php?ID=100 | archive-date = December 13, 2011 }} The city commission consists of five members who serve either two-year or four-year terms, depending on the number of votes they receive. Every year, the commission selects one commissioner to serve as mayor and another to serve as vice-mayor.{{cite web | title = Dodge City Commission | publisher = City of Dodge City, Kansas | url = http://www.dodgecity.org/index.aspx?nid=54 | access-date = June 19, 2010}} The commission meets on the first and third Mondays of each month. Appointed by the commission, the city manager leads the city administration, executes the commission's policies, and develops operational programs to meet the city's needs.{{cite web | title = City Manager's Office | publisher = City of Dodge City, Kansas | url = http://www.dodgecity.org/index.aspx?NID=85 | access-date = June 19, 2010}}

As the county seat, Dodge City is the administrative center of Ford County. The county courthouse is located downtown, and all departments of the county government base their operations in the city.{{cite web | title = Ford County Directory | publisher = Ford County, Kansas | url = http://www.fordcounty.net/contactus.html | access-date = July 2, 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120423064502/http://www.fordcounty.net/contactus.html | archive-date = April 23, 2012 | url-status = dead }}

Dodge City lies within Kansas's 1st U.S. Congressional District. For the purposes of representation in the Kansas Legislature, the city is located in the 38th district of the Kansas Senate and the 115th and 119th districts of the Kansas House of Representatives.

Dodge City was criticized by Johnny Dunlap, Ford County Democratic Party's chairman, for only having one polling place for 13,000 voters. For the 2018 election, it was moved outside the city limits one mile from the nearest bus stop.{{cite web | title = Iconic Dodge City, Kansas, Moves Only Polling Place Outside Town | date = October 19, 2018 | publisher = Associated Press via KTLA 5 | url = https://ktla.com/2018/10/18/iconic-dodge-city-kan-moves-only-polling-place-outside-town/ | access-date = October 21, 2018}} While the county provided transportation, voters had to arrange for it in advance.{{cite web | title = Dodge City's one and only polling location is moving | publisher = KSN | url = https://www.ksn.com/news/elections/dodge-city-s-one-and-only-polling-location-is-moving/1529330465 | access-date = October 21, 2018 | archive-date = October 21, 2018 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181021192253/https://www.ksn.com/news/elections/dodge-city-s-one-and-only-polling-location-is-moving/1529330465 | url-status = dead }} A lawsuit over the issue was dismissed after Debbie Cox, the county clerk, agreed to open two polling places in the next election.{{cite web | title = Judge dismisses lawsuit over Dodge City polling site | publisher = Associated Press | url = https://www.alvareviewcourier.com/story/2019/01/31/regional/judge-dismisses-lawsuit-over-dodge-city-polling-site/47414.html | access-date = October 21, 2018}}

• P.L. Beatty, 1875 {{cite thesis |last=Weber |first=Brian |date=2010 |title= Progressive municipal reform as reflected in Dodge City newspapers: The progressive agendas of Robert Wright, George Hoover, and Adolph Gluck |url= https://scholars.fhsu.edu/theses/189 |degree=Master of Arts |publisher=Fort Hays State University |location=Kansas }}
• James H. Kelley, 1877-1881 {{citation |author=Robert M. Wright |title= Dodge City: The Cowboy Capital and The Great Southwest |publisher=Wichita Eagle Press |year=1913 |url=https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/009563555 |via=HathiTrust }}
• Alonzo B. Webster, 1881-1883 {{citation |url= https://www.kansasmemory.org/locate.php?categories=3329 |title= Places - Cities and towns - Dodge City |work=kansasmemory.org |publisher= Kansas Historical Society |access-date= 2024-11-24 }}
• Lawrence Edward "Larry" Deger, c.1883
• Robert Marr Wright, c.1885-1886
• Adolph B. Gluck, c.1891 {{citation |title=Adolph Gluck, The Jewish Mayor Of Wild And Wooly Dodge City, Kansas |work= Western States Jewish History |volume= XXIX |number= 4 |date=July 1997 }}
• George Merritt Hoover, c.1904, 1911 {{citation |title=Kansas State Gazetteer and Business Directory |work=R. L. Pook & Co.'s Kansas state gazetteer and business directory |year=1904 |publisher=R.L. Polk & Co. |url=https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/100734890 |via=HathiTrust }}{{citation |url=https://fordcountyhistory.org/george-merritt-hoover/ |title=George Merritt Hoover |work=fordcountyhistory.org |publisher=Ford County Historical Society |location=Dodge City, KS |access-date=2024-11-24 }}
• Ham B. Bell, c.1906, 1913
• Albert B. Reeves, c.1908 {{citation |title=Kansas State Gazetteer and Business Directory |year=1908 |publisher=R.L. Polk & Co. |url=https://archive.org/details/rlpolkcoskansass21rlpo/ |via=Internet Archive }}
• William T. Hale, c.1915-1916 {{citation |volume=4 |title=A standard history of Kansas and Kansans |author= William E. Connelley |location=Chicago |publisher= Lewis Publishing Co. |year= 1918 |url=https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/008653422 |via=HathiTrust }}[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uiug.30112033775427&seq=139]
• W.O. Thompson, c.1928 [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924094330283&seq=614]
• E.G. Gingrich, ca. 1935 {{citation |title=Directory of city officials and index to Kansas cities |series=Bulletin / League of Kansas Municipalities; no. 103: July 1, 1935 |year=1935 |publisher=League of Kansas Municipalities |url=https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/102852728 |via=HathiTrust }}
• C.L. Clinton, c.1952-1954 {{citation |work=Political Graveyard |title=Mayors and Postmasters of Dodge City, Kansas |accessdate= 2024-11-24 |editor=Lawrence Kestenbaum |url=https://politicalgraveyard.com/geo/KS/ofc/dodgecity.html }}
• Gordon R. Morgan, c.1955-1956
• Frank Mapel, c.1967 {{citation |title=Kansas Government Journal v.53 |year=1967 |url=https://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015084475378 |publisher=League of Kansas Municipalities |hdl=2027/mdp.39015084475378 |via=HathiTrust }}
• Louis Sanchez, 1984 {{citation |url=https://fordcountyhistory.org/projects/dust-bowl-oral-history-project/louis-sanchez/ |title=Ford County Dust Bowl Oral History Project: Louis Sanchez |work=fordcountyhistory.org |publisher=Ford County Historical Society |location=Dodge City, KS |date=August 18, 1998 }}
• Gerald Schmitt, c.1999 {{citation |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990219085109/http://www.dodgecity.org/commissn.html |url= http://www.dodgecity.org/commissn.html |archive-date=1999-02-19 |title=Dodge City Commissioners |work=dodgecity.org |via=Wayback Machine }}
• E. Kent Smoll, c.2011-2014
• Joyce Warshaw, c.2015-2020 {{citation |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dodge-city-kansas-mayor-resigns-threats-mask-mandate/ |title=Kansas mayor resigns after threats over backing mask mandate |work=cbsnews.com |date=December 16, 2020 }}
• Brian Delzeit, c.2021-2023
• Chuck Taylor, c.2024

File:Dodge City Carnegie Art Center from SE 3.JPG (2015)]]

Dodge City USD 443 public school district serves over 6,000 students and operates 14 schools in the city, including one early childhood center, eight elementary schools, two middle schools, one high school, and one alternative school.{{cite web | title = District | publisher = Dodge City Public Schools | url = http://www.usd443.org/district.cfm | access-date = October 28, 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110903050550/http://www.usd443.org/district.cfm | archive-date = September 3, 2011 | url-status = dead }}

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Dodge City oversees one Catholic school in the city: Sacred Heart Cathedral School (Pre-K-8).{{cite web | title = Sacred Heart Cathedral School, Dodge City | publisher = Roman Catholic Diocese of Dodge City | url = http://www.dcdiocese.org/catholic-schools/sacred-heart-cathedral-school-dodge-city | access-date = September 18, 2011}}

Dodge City Community College (DCCC), a two-year public college with approximately 2,000 students, is located in the northwestern part of the city.{{cite web | title = Dodge City Community College and Area Technical Center – 2011–2012 Catalog | publisher = Dodge City Community College | url = http://www.dc3.edu/catalog/current_catalog.pdf | access-date = September 18, 2011 | archive-date = September 16, 2008 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080916042603/http://www.dc3.edu/catalog/current_catalog.pdf | url-status = dead }}{{cite web | title = Frequently Asked Questions | publisher = Dodge City Community College | url = http://www.dc3.edu/admissions/ | access-date = September 18, 2011}} From 1952 to 1993, Dodge City was also home to St. Mary of the Plains College, a private, four-year Catholic liberal arts college.{{cite web | title = St. Mary of the Plains Academy, High School and College | publisher = St. Mary of the Plains Alumni Association | url = http://www.stmaryoftheplainsalumniassociation.org/class_index.cfm | access-date = September 18, 2011}} Newman University, a Catholic university based in Wichita, now operates a branch campus on St. Mary of the Plains' former grounds.{{cite web | title = Western Kansas | publisher = Newman University | url = http://www.newmanu.edu/western-kansas | access-date = September 18, 2011}}

Dodge City Public Library, located north of downtown, is the city's main library. A member of the Southwest Kansas Library System, it has a collection of approximately 123,000 volumes, and it circulates more than 189,000 items annually.{{cite web | title = Dodge City Public Library – Dodge City, KS | publisher = lib-web-cats – A directory of libraries throughout the world | url = http://www.librarytechnology.org/lwc-displaylibrary.pl?RC=3959 | access-date = September 23, 2011}} It was founded as a Carnegie library in 1905 and moved to its current facility in 1981.{{cite web | title = About DCPL | publisher = Dodge City Public Library | url = http://www.dcpl.info/about.htm | access-date = September 23, 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070726163126/http://www.dcpl.info/about.htm | archive-date = July 26, 2007 | url-status = dead }} The library offers several services to the public, including computer classes, public internet access, and programs for children and adults.{{cite web | title = Public Services | publisher = Dodge City Public Library | url = http://www.dcpl.info/publicservices.htm | access-date = September 23, 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111122050422/http://www.dcpl.info/publicservices.htm | archive-date = November 22, 2011 | url-status = dead }} Another library in the city is the DCCC Library, which holds more than 30,000 volumes and serves as a federal depository library.{{cite web | title = Facilities | publisher = Dodge City Community College | url = http://www.dc3.edu/handbook/facilities.htm | access-date = September 23, 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110814094942/http://dc3.edu/handbook/facilities.htm | archive-date = August 14, 2011 | url-status = dead }}{{cite web | title = GPO Federal Library Directory | publisher = United States Government Printing Office | url = http://catalog.gpo.gov/fdlpdir/FDLPdir.jsp?flag=searchp&st_12=KS | access-date = September 23, 2011}}

File:Dodge City Train Station.jpg (2008)]]

Originally a stop on the Santa Fe Trail, Dodge City was later located on the National Old Trails Road, also known as the Ocean-to-Ocean Highway, which followed the trail's path in western Kansas upon its establishment in 1912.{{cite web | last = Weingroff | first = Richard F. | title = The National Old Trails Road Part 1: The Quest for a National Road | publisher = Federal Highway Administration | pages = 20–21 | url = https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure/trails.pdf | access-date = October 16, 2011}} Currently, four U.S. Highways meet in Dodge City: U.S. Route 50, U.S. Route 56, U.S. Route 283, and U.S. Route 400. U.S. 50, an east-west route, runs through the northern part of the city. U.S. 400, which also runs east-west, runs through the southern part of the city. U.S. 56, an east-west route, and U.S. 283, a north-south route, run concurrently around the city's southern and eastern fringe. The U.S. 50 business route runs concurrently with U.S. 56, U.S. 283, and U.S. 400 at different points through the southern part and around the eastern part of the city.{{cite web | title = City of Dodge City (Map) | publisher = Kansas Department of Transportation | date = Apr 2009 | url = http://www.ksdot.org/burtransplan/maps/city-pdf/dodge%20city.pdf | access-date = October 16, 2011}}

Dodge City Regional Airport is located approximately {{convert|2|mi|km}} east of the city.{{cite web | title = General Highway Map – Ford County, Kansas | publisher = Kansas Department of Transportation | date = June 1, 2010 | url = http://www.ksdot.org/burtransplan/maps/county-pdf/ford.PDF | access-date = October 16, 2011}} Used primarily for general aviation, it hosts one commercial airline with daily flights to

Denver, CO.{{cite web | title = KDDC – Dodge City Regional Airport | publisher = AirNav.com | url = http://www.airnav.com/airport/KDDC | access-date = October 16, 2011}}{{cite web | title = Transportation | publisher = Dodge City Convention and Visitors Bureau | url = http://www.visitdodgecity.org/index.aspx?nid=65 | access-date = October 16, 2011}}{{cite web | url = https://www.dodgecity.org/60/Airport | access-date = May 24, 2020 |title=Dodge City Regional Airport |website=dodgecity.org}}

Three railroads serve Dodge City: the La Junta Subdivision of the BNSF Railway, which runs east-west; the main line of the Cimarron Valley Railroad of which Dodge City is the northeastern terminus; and the Boot Hill and Western Railway of which the city is the northwestern terminus.{{cite web | title = Kansas Operating Division | publisher = BNSF Railway | date = April 1, 2009 | url = http://www.bnsf.com/customers/pdf/maps/div_ks.pdf | access-date = October 16, 2011 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110325001559/http://www.bnsf.com/customers/pdf/maps/div_ks.pdf | archive-date = March 25, 2011 }} Using the BNSF trackage, Amtrak provides passenger rail service on its Southwest Chief line between Chicago and Los Angeles.{{cite web | title = Southwest Chief | publisher = Amtrak | url = http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?c=AM_Route_C&pagename=am%2FLayout&p=1237405732511&cid=1241245650447 | access-date = October 16, 2011}} Amtrak's Dodge City station is located downtown.{{cite web | title = Dodge City, KS (DDG) | publisher = Amtrak | url = http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?c=am2Station&pagename=am%2Fam2Station%2FStation_Page&cid=1229726270582 | access-date = October 16, 2011}}

Fixed-route bus service provided by D-TRAN operates between 6am and 7pm Monday-Friday.{{Cite web|url=https://www.dodgecity.org/727/Public-Transportation|title=Public Transportation | Dodge City, KS - Official Website|website=www.dodgecity.org}}

The Utilities Division of the city government's Public Works Department operates and maintains the city's water and waste water distribution systems.{{cite web | title = Utilities Division | publisher = City of Dodge City, Kansas | url = http://www.dc3.edu/sports/index.htm | access-date = October 29, 2011 | archive-date = November 8, 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111108065213/http://www.dc3.edu/sports/index.htm | url-status = dead }} The department's Sanitation Division provides trash pickup.{{cite web | title = Sanitation Division | publisher = City of Dodge City, Kansas | url = http://www.dodgecity.org/index.aspx?NID=112 | access-date = October 29, 2011}} Operations Management International, Inc. (OMI), a private contractor, provides waste water treatment, pumping the city's waste water to treatment holding ponds 12 miles south of the city.{{cite web | title = Wastewater Treatment Division | publisher = City of Dodge City, Kansas | url = http://www.dodgecity.org/index.aspx?NID=114 | access-date = October 29, 2011}} The Victory Electric Cooperative Association, Inc., part of the Mid-Kansas Electric Company, delivers electricity to the city.{{cite web | title = About Us | publisher = Victory Electric Cooperative Association, Inc. | url = http://www.victoryelectric.net/about_us.html | access-date = October 29, 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120201013520/http://www.victoryelectric.net/about_us.html | archive-date = February 1, 2012 | url-status = dead }}{{cite web | title = About Us | publisher = Mid-Kansas Electric Company, LLC | url = http://www.midkansaselectric.net/ | access-date = October 29, 2011}} Local residents primarily use natural gas as their heating fuel; natural gas service is provided by Black Hills Energy.{{cite web | title = Black Hills Corporation to Acquire Aquila's Gas Utility Operations in Kansas | publisher = Black Hills Energy | date = February 7, 2007 | url = http://www.blackhillscorp.com/ir/bhc/020607KS.pdf | access-date = October 29, 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120421031919/http://www.blackhillscorp.com/ir/bhc/020607KS.pdf | archive-date = April 21, 2012 | url-status = dead }}

The Western Plains Medical Complex is the sole hospital in Dodge City. A 100-bed hospital accredited by the Joint Commission, it serves as a referral center for southwestern Kansas.{{cite web | title = Western Plains Medical Center & Our Community | publisher = Western Plains Medical Complex | url = http://www.westernplainsmc.com/CustomPage.asp?guidCustomContentID=89AFDF48-0FF2-4CEA-91DD-8E12876C633E | access-date = October 29, 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110729144859/http://www.westernplainsmc.com/CustomPage.asp?guidCustomContentID=89AFDF48-0FF2-4CEA-91DD-8E12876C633E | archive-date = July 29, 2011 | url-status = dead }}

{{Main|Media in Dodge City, Kansas}}

The Dodge City Daily Globe is the city's daily newspaper with a circulation of approximately 7,000 copies.{{cite web | title = Dodge City Daily Globe | publisher = Mondo Times | url = http://www.mondotimes.com/1/world/us/16/907/2363 | access-date = October 23, 2011}} In addition, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Dodge City publishes a weekly newspaper, The Southwest Kansas Catholic, formerly known as The Southwest Kansas Register.{{cite web | title = About this Newspaper: The Southwest Kansas Register | work = Chronicling America | publisher = Library of Congress | url = http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn78003977/ | access-date = September 27, 2009}} The High Plains Journal, a weekly trade journal covering regional agricultural news, is also published in the city.{{cite web | title = High Plains Journal | publisher = Mondo Times | url = http://www.mondotimes.com/1/world/us/16/907/19487 | access-date = October 23, 2011}}

Along with Garden City, Dodge City is a center of broadcast media for southwestern Kansas.{{cite web | title = Radio Stations in Dodge City, Kansas | publisher = Radio-Locator | url = http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/locate?select=city&city=Dodge+City&state=KS&x=0&y=0 | access-date = October 23, 2011}}{{cite web | title = Stations for Garden City, Kansas | publisher = RabbitEars.Info | url = http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=print_market&mktid=86 | access-date = October 23, 2011}} Two AM radio stations, seven FM radio stations, and four television stations are licensed to and/or broadcast from the area.{{cite web | title = TVQ TV Database Query | publisher = Federal Communications Commission | url = http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/audio/tvq.html | access-date = July 1, 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090508022231/http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/audio/tvq.html | archive-date = May 8, 2009 | url-status = dead }}{{cite web|title=About Us |publisher=KWCH-DT |url=http://www.kwch.com/about/kwch-about-us,0,4740020.story |access-date=May 28, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713175912/http://www.kwch.com/about/kwch-about-us%2C0%2C4740020.story |archive-date=July 13, 2011 }} Dodge City is located in the Wichita-Hutchinson, Kansas television market.{{cite web | title = TV Market Maps | publisher = EchoStar Knowledge Base | url = http://dishuser.org/TVMarkets/ | access-date = May 28, 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080820131351/http://www.dishuser.org/TVMarkets/ | archive-date = August 20, 2008 | url-status = dead }} The four stations that broadcast from the city include: one CBS and one FOX network affiliate, both of which are satellite stations of their respective affiliates in Wichita;{{cite web|title=KSAS Coverage Map |publisher=KSAS-TV |url=http://www.foxkansas.com/sites/ksas/content/about_us/contact_us/coverage-map-2009.pdf |access-date=May 28, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929073749/http://www.foxkansas.com/sites/ksas/content/about_us/contact_us/coverage-map-2009.pdf |archive-date=September 29, 2011 }} a satellite station of Smoky Hills Public Television, the Public Broadcasting Service member network covering western Kansas;{{cite web|title=History |publisher=Smoky Hills Public Television |url=http://www.shptv.org/index.php/component/content/article/28-history/32-history |access-date=May 27, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120320101145/http://www.shptv.org/index.php/component/content/article/28-history/32-history |archive-date=March 20, 2012 }} and KDDC-LD a sister station of KDGL-LD in Sublette, Kansas.{{cite web|url=http://www.kdgltv.com/coverage.htm |title=TV23 KDGL-TV – Coverage |publisher=Kdgltv.com |access-date=July 15, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130811103347/http://www.kdgltv.com/coverage.htm |archive-date=August 11, 2013 }}

The city's Parks and Recreation Department maintains 21 parks in the city.{{cite web | title = City Parks Map | publisher = City of Dodge City, Kansas | url = http://www.dodgecity.org/index.aspx?NID=144 | access-date = October 28, 2011}} The largest is Wright Park, located immediately south of downtown and home to the Dodge City Zoo.{{cite web | title = Wright Park Zoo | publisher = City of Dodge City, Kansas | url = http://www.dodgecity.org/index.aspx?NID=106 | access-date = October 28, 2011}} Legends Park, in the northern part of the city, is a four-diamond, tournament-level baseball and softball complex that hosts both youth and adult league games.{{cite web | title = Legends Park | publisher = City of Dodge City, Kansas | url = http://www.dodgecity.org/index.aspx?nid=101 | access-date = October 28, 2011}} The city also maintains the St. Mary Soccer Complex, which includes six full-size game pads and three junior-sized fields, and the municipal pool.{{cite web | title = St. Mary Soccer Complex | publisher = City of Dodge City, Kansas | url = http://www.dodgecity.org/index.aspx?NID=489 | access-date = October 28, 2011}}{{cite web | title = Municipal Pool | publisher = Dodge City Convention and Visitors Bureau | url = http://www.visitdodgecity.org/index.aspx?nid=137 | access-date = October 28, 2011}}

There are two golf courses in the city, one public and one private. Mariah Hills Municipal Golf Course, the public course, is an 18-hole course built in 1974 and redesigned in 1990. It includes a full-service pro shop, driving range, and putting green. Dodge City Country Club, the private course, is an 18-hole course built in 1916 and expanded in 1982.{{cite web | title = Golf Resources | publisher = Dodge City Convention and Visitors Bureau | url = http://www.visitdodgecity.org/index.aspx?nid=72 | access-date = October 28, 2011}}

Two galleries support an arts community in the city. Located in the original public library building, The Carnegie Center for the Arts provides gallery space to local artists and houses the Dodge City Arts Council.{{cite web | title = About Carnegie Arts Center | publisher = Dodge City Convention and Visitors Bureau | url = http://www.visitdodgecity.org/index.aspx?NID=79 | access-date = September 25, 2011}}{{cite web | title = Carnegie Center History | publisher = The Carnegie Center for the Arts | url = http://www.dodgecityarts.org/history.html | access-date = September 25, 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110723071158/http://www.dodgecityarts.org/history.html | archive-date = July 23, 2011 | url-status = dead }} The second gallery, the Second Avenue Art Guild, exhibits the work of regional artists in ceramics, photography, and other media.{{cite web | title = Second Avenue Art Guild | publisher = Dodge City Convention and Visitors Bureau | url = http://www.visitdodgecity.org/index.aspx?NID=245 | access-date = September 25, 2011}}

The Depot Theater Company, based in the former Santa Fe Railroad Depot, puts on theatrical productions throughout the year. Founded in 1984, the group performs in both the old depot and the Occident Theater.{{cite web | title = About the Company | publisher = The Depot Theater Company | url = http://www.depottheaterco.com/cms/index.php?page=about-the-company | access-date = September 25, 2011 | archive-date = April 2, 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120402232226/http://www.depottheaterco.com/cms/index.php?page=about-the-company | url-status = dead }}

Each summer, the Dodge City Chamber of Commerce holds Dodge City Days, the city's annual community festival.{{cite web | title = Dodge City Days History | publisher = Dodge City Area Chamber of Commerce | url = http://www.dodgecitydays.com/history.html | access-date = September 25, 2011}} Lasting ten days, it includes the Dodge City Roundup Rodeo, a parade, a beauty pageant, music concerts, a golf tournament, arts and craft shows, and other activities.{{cite web | title = Events | publisher = Dodge City Area Chamber of Commerce | url = http://www.dodgecitydays.com/events.html | access-date = September 25, 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111010154256/http://www.dodgecitydays.com/events.html | archive-date = October 10, 2011 | url-status = dead }} Several other community events are held throughout the year.{{cite web | title = 2011 Annual Events Calendar | publisher = Dodge City Convention and Visitors Bureau | url = http://www.visitdodgecity.org/documents/Events/2011%20Calendar%20of%20events.JPG | access-date = September 25, 2011 }}{{Dead link|date=July 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} In early May, the city's sizable Mexican community celebrates Cinco de Mayo in Wright Park with live music, folk dance performances, and traditional Mexican cuisine.{{cite news | last = Perez | first = Candy | title = Cinco de Mayo Celebration at Wright Park | newspaper = Dodge City Daily Globe | date = May 6, 2011 | url = http://www.dodgeglobe.com/news/local/x242751499/Cinco-de-Mayo-Celebration-at-Wright-Park | access-date = October 8, 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120407045252/http://www.dodgeglobe.com/news/local/x242751499/Cinco-de-Mayo-Celebration-at-Wright-Park | archive-date = April 7, 2012 | url-status = dead }} To celebrate Independence Day, the city holds its Old-Fashioned Fourth of July, which includes a fireworks display and children's activities at Boot Hill.{{cite web | title = Old Fashioned Fourth of July | publisher = Dodge City Convention and Visitors Bureau | url = http://www.visitdodgecity.org/index.aspx?nid=99 | access-date = October 8, 2011}} Christmas in Old Dodge City, the city's winter holiday festival, starts in late November and lasts until Christmas. It begins with a formal Christmas tree lighting downtown, a chili cook-off, and the Parade of Lights, a parade of floats decorated with Christmas lights.{{cite web | title = Christmas in Old Dodge City | publisher = Dodge City Convention and Visitors Bureau | url = http://www.visitdodgecity.org/index.aspx?nid=101 | access-date = October 8, 2011}}

Two other annual events reflect the central role of agriculture in the local economy. The Ford County Fair is held in July and includes 4-H and FFA exhibits, competitions, and shows, as well as other activities.{{cite web | title = 2011 Fair Schedule | publisher = Ford County K-State Research and Extension | url = http://www.ford.ksu.edu/DesktopModules/ViewDocument.aspx?DocumentID=31533 | access-date = October 8, 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120425052006/http://www.ford.ksu.edu/DesktopModules/ViewDocument.aspx?DocumentID=31533 | archive-date = April 25, 2012 | url-status = dead }} Also in July, the Western Kansas Manufacturers Association (WKMA) holds the 3i Show, an agri-business expo of agricultural products, technology, and services.{{cite web | title = 3i Show | publisher = Western Kansas Manufacturers Association | url = http://www.3ishow.com/3i/default.htm | access-date = September 25, 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110902231122/http://www.3ishow.com/3i/default.htm | archive-date = September 2, 2011 | url-status = dead }}

File:Boot Hill Museum Entrance (Great Western Hotel).jpg

Located in and around the city are a number of historical sites, museums, and landmarks dedicated to Dodge City's Old West heritage. The Boot Hill Museum, located downtown, contains thousands of artifacts and a variety of exhibits portraying the culture of the city's early years. The museum's larger exhibits include: Front Street, a partial reconstruction of downtown Dodge City as it existed in 1876; the Long Branch Saloon and the Long Branch Variety Show; the Saratoga Saloon; the Hardesty House, a period-typical home built in 1879; the city's original Boot Hill Cemetery; and the Kansas Cowboy Hall of Fame.{{cite web | title = Live the Legend of the West at Boot Hill Museum | publisher = Boot Hill Museum | url = http://boothill.org/live-the-legend-of-the-west-at-boot-hill-museum/ | access-date = October 9, 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110922101401/http://boothill.org/live-the-legend-of-the-west-at-boot-hill-museum/ | archive-date = September 22, 2011 | url-status = dead }}{{cite web | title = Boot Hill Museum Exhibits | publisher = Boot Hill Museum | url = http://boothill.org/about/ | access-date = October 9, 2011}} The Santa Fe Trail Remains, located {{convert|9|mi|km|0}} west of the city, are preserved wagon tracks from a section of the Santa Fe Trail. The Ford County Historical Society maintains the Mueller-Schmidt House, called the "Home of Stone." Built from area limestone in 1881, it is the oldest building in the city still standing at its original site.{{cite web | title = The Mueller-Schmidt House (1881) Museum | publisher = Ford County Historical Society | url = http://www.skyways.org/orgs/fordco/house.html | access-date = October 9, 2011}} Other historical landmarks include: El Capitan, a life-sized bronze sculpture of a Texas Longhorn steer built to commemorate the cattle drives that once ended in the city; a bronze statue of famous Dodge City lawman Wyatt Earp; and the Santa Fe Depot, the largest extant train depot in Kansas.{{cite web | title = Other Dodge City Sites of Interest | publisher = Dodge City Convention and Visitors Bureau | url = http://www.visitdodgecity.org/index.aspx?NID=154 | access-date = October 9, 2011 | archive-date = November 17, 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111117075820/http://visitdodgecity.org/index.aspx?NID=154 | url-status = dead }}{{cite news | last = Hanks | first = Kathy | title = Car crash damages Dodge City longhorn statue El Capitan | newspaper = Lawrence Journal-World | date = October 8, 2010 | url = http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2010/oct/08/car-crash-damages-longhorn-statue/ | access-date = October 9, 2011}}

File:027a Dodge City.jpg

To capitalize on this heritage, the city promotes its downtown business district as historic Old Dodge City complete with Western-themed tourist attractions, shops, and restaurants.{{cite web | title = Historic Downtown Dodge City | publisher = Dodge City Convention and Visitors Bureau | url = http://www.visitdodgecity.org/index.aspx?NID=246 | access-date = October 9, 2011}} Visitors can tour the district by trolley or by taking the Dodge City Trail of Fame walking tour.{{cite web | title = Historic Trolley Tours | publisher = Dodge City Convention and Visitors Bureau | url = http://www.visitdodgecity.org/index.aspx?NID=91 | access-date = October 9, 2011}}{{cite web | title = Dodge City Trail of Fame | publisher = The Dodge City Trail of Fame, Inc. | url = http://www.dodgecitytrailoffame.org/cms/ | access-date = October 9, 2011 | archive-date = August 8, 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110808031251/http://www.dodgecitytrailoffame.org/cms/ | url-status = dead }} The state of Kansas operates the similarly themed Boot Hill Casino & Resort on the west side of the city – when it opened for business in December 2009, Boot Hill became the first state-owned casino in the United States.{{cite web|title=About Us |publisher=Boot Hill Casino & Resort |url=http://www.boothillcasino.com/about_us.php |access-date=October 9, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111004112149/http://www.boothillcasino.com/about_us.php |archive-date=October 4, 2011 }}{{Cite news |title=Dodge casino opens doors |last=Stephens |first=Ken |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/852202// |newspaper=Garden City Telegram |date=December 16, 2009 |page=1 |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=August 12, 2014 }}{{Open access}}

Dodge City Civic Center and United Wireless Arena are the city's two main indoor event venues. The Civic Center, built in 1954, is a 2,800-seat multipurpose facility that has hosted a variety of events, including concerts and sporting events.{{cite web | title = Civic Center | publisher = City of Dodge City | url = http://dodgecity.org/index.aspx?nid=493 | access-date = October 10, 2011 | archive-date = May 2, 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120502154136/http://dodgecity.org/index.aspx?nid=493 | url-status = dead }}{{cite web | title = Dodge City Civic Center | publisher = City of Dodge City | url = http://dodgecity.org/index.aspx?nid=103 | access-date = October 10, 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120502154303/http://dodgecity.org/index.aspx?nid=103 | archive-date = May 2, 2012 | url-status = dead }} United Wireless Arena, opened in 2011, is a 5,500-seat multipurpose arena located next to the Boot Hill Casino on the west side of the city. Owned by the City of Dodge City and Ford County, the arena complex includes the {{convert|10000|ft2|m2|adj=on}} Magouirk Conference Center.{{cite web | title = United Wireless Arena | publisher = VenuWorks | url = http://unitedwirelessarena.com/ | access-date = October 10, 2011}}

Other sites of interest in the city include the Dodge City Zoo and the Kansas Teachers' Hall of Fame. The Zoo is located in Wright Park and is home to more than 45 animals.{{cite web | title = Dodge City Zoo | publisher = Dodge City Convention and Visitors Bureau | url = http://www.visitdodgecity.org/index.aspx?NID=83 | access-date = October 10, 2011}} Located downtown, the Kansas Teachers' Hall of Fame hosts exhibits on education in Kansas and claims to be the first of its kind in the United States.{{cite web | title = Kansas Teachers' Hall of Fame | publisher = Dodge City Convention and Visitors Bureau | url = http://www.visitdodgecity.org/index.aspx?NID=86 | access-date = October 10, 2011}}

There are 33 Christian churches in and around Dodge City.{{cite web | title = Find a Church in Dodge City, KS | publisher = Patheos | url = http://www.patheos.com/directory/church/KS/Dodge_City | access-date = October 29, 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120501052829/http://www.patheos.com/directory/church/KS/Dodge_City | archive-date = May 1, 2012 | url-status = dead }} The Roman Catholic Diocese of Dodge City is based in the city. Established in 1951, it comprises 28 Kansas counties, roughly the southwestern quarter of the state.{{cite web | title = History | publisher = Roman Catholic Diocese of Dodge City | url = http://www.dcdiocese.org/about-us-diocese/history | access-date = October 29, 2011}} The city is home to the diocese's current cathedral as well as its former cathedral, the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe and Sacred Heart Cathedral, respectively.{{cite web | title = Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe | publisher = Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe | url = http://dodgecitycathedral.com/home/cathedral-history | access-date = October 29, 2011}} Also headquartered in the city is the Dodge City District of the United Methodist Church, which consists of 22 counties in southwestern Kansas.{{cite web | title = Welcome to Dodge City District | publisher = The Dodge City District of the United Methodist Church | url = http://www.kswestumc.org/dsite.asp?dv=2 | access-date = October 29, 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110807134225/http://www.kswestumc.org/dsite.asp?dv=2 | archive-date = August 7, 2011 | url-status = dead }}

Dodge City Community College's athletic teams, the Dodge City Conquistadors (or "Conqs" for short), compete in several sports in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference (KJCCC).{{cite web | title = Dodge City Community College Conquistador Athletics | publisher = Dodge City Community College | url = http://www.dc3.edu/sports/index.htm | access-date = October 22, 2011 | archive-date = November 8, 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111108065213/http://www.dc3.edu/sports/index.htm | url-status = dead }}

Beyond DCCC sports, Dodge City also hosts amateur baseball and professional motorsports. The Dodge City Athletics, nicknamed the "A's", are a collegiate summer baseball team in the Jayhawk Collegiate League of the National Baseball Congress.{{cite web | title = Dodge City Athletics | publisher = Dodge City Athletics | url = http://www.dodgecityas.com/ | access-date = October 23, 2011}} Both the A's and the DCCC Conquistadors baseball team use Cavalier Field, located on the former St. Mary of the Plains College campus, as their home field.{{cite web | title = Cavalier Field | publisher = City of Dodge City, Kansas | url = http://www.dodgecity.org/index.aspx?nid=499 | access-date = October 28, 2011}} Dodge City Raceway Park, located immediately south of the city, is a 3/8-mile dirt track that hosts midget and sprint car racing from April through October. Past events at the park have included National Sprint Tour and World of Outlaws races.{{cite web | title = Dodge City Raceway Park | publisher = Dodge City Convention and Visitors Bureau | url = http://www.visitdodgecity.org/index.aspx?nid=81 | access-date = October 23, 2011}} The Western Kansas Dirt Riders, a motocross team, race at Tumbleweed Raceway adjacent to the Raceway Park.{{cite web | title = Western Kansas Dirt Riders – 2010 Schedule | publisher = Western Kansas Dirt Riders | url = http://www.wkdr.net/2010.htm | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200924075203/http://www.wkdr.net/2010.htm | url-status = dead | archive-date = September 24, 2020 | access-date = October 23, 2011 }}

In the past, Dodge City hosted college football and professional basketball as well. From 1970 to 1980, the annual Boot Hill Bowl post-season college football game was played in Dodge City. The bowl was sanctioned by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and featured schools such as Washburn University and Emporia State University. The last game was played on November 21, 1980.{{Cite web |url=http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/bowls/bowl_results.php?bowlid=37 |title=Games |access-date=January 14, 2008 |archive-date=February 8, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120208171253/http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/bowls/bowl_results.php?bowlid=37 |url-status=dead }} From 2000 to 2007, the city was home to a minor league professional basketball team, the Dodge City Legend of the United States Basketball League.{{cite web | title = Dodge City Legend News | publisher = Dodge City Legend | url = http://www.dodgecitylegend.com/news.html | access-date = October 23, 2011}}

{{for|the idiom|Wiktionary:get out of Dodge}}

Starting in the 1870s, the violent episodes of early Dodge City history, particularly the exploits of Wyatt Earp, attracted national media attention. National news coverage of the 1883 Dodge City War civil strife fueled public perceptions of frontier turmoil and established Dodge City as the "Sodom of the West" in the public consciousness. Gunfighters and lawmen such as Earp and his brothers and partners became celebrities, and sensationalized versions of their activities entered period popular culture as the subject of dime novels. Over time, the level and scale of the violence in early Dodge City were significantly embellished, becoming the stuff of legend. This trend continued into the 20th century, particularly after the 1931 publication of Stuart N. Lake's book Wyatt Earp: Frontier Marshal. Regarded in American folklore as the quintessential rough and rowdy Old West frontier town, Dodge City served as the setting for numerous works of Western-themed media, including later popular films and television series.{{cite encyclopedia | last = Ellis | first = Mark R. | title = Frontier Violence | encyclopedia = Encyclopedia of the Great Plains | publisher = University of Nebraska–Lincoln | url = http://plainshumanities.unl.edu/encyclopedia/doc/egp.ii.026 | access-date = October 12, 2011}}

Dodge City was the setting of the long-running radio and television series Gunsmoke. The series followed the adventures of fictional U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon portrayed on radio by William Conrad and then on television by James Arness, as he dealt with gunfighters, cattle rustlers, gamblers and other criminals while enforcing the law in the frontier town. The radio lasted from 1952 to 1961 while the television series ran from 1955 to 1975, on the CBS television network, and was one of the longest-running prime-time TV dramas in American history. The show proved to be culturally influential and promoted the legend of Dodge City's Old West era. It also served as the source of the idiom "get [the hell] out of Dodge", which means to leave a dangerous area quickly.{{cite encyclopedia | last = Dykstra | first = Robert R. | title = Dodge City, Kansas | encyclopedia = Encyclopedia of the Great Plains | publisher = University of Nebraska–Lincoln | url = http://plainshumanities.unl.edu/encyclopedia/doc/egp.ii.019 | access-date = October 12, 2011}} In honor of the series, the city government changed the name of Walnut Street, one of its downtown streets, to Gunsmoke Street, in 1959.{{cite news | last = Reagan | first = Mark | title = Remembering James Arness | newspaper = Dodge City Daily Globe | date = June 4, 2011 | url = http://www.dodgeglobe.com/news/x907623243/Remembering-James-Arness | access-date = October 12, 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110812095002/http://www.dodgeglobe.com/news/x907623243/Remembering-James-Arness | archive-date = August 12, 2011 | url-status = dead }}

The city has also been a setting for a number of films and television series dramatizing the career of Wyatt Earp. These include several seasons of the series The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp starring Hugh O'Brian from 1955 to 1961, and the films Winchester '73 (1950), with James Stewart; Masterson of Kansas (1954), with George Montgomery; Cheyenne Autumn (1964), featuring Stewart, Richard Widmark, and Edward G. Robinson; and Wyatt Earp (1994) with Kevin Costner and Gene Hackman. In the 1939 film Dodge City, the fictional lawman Wade Hatton, played by Errol Flynn, was modeled on Earp.{{cite web | title = Photo Gallery: Wyatt Earp in Popular Culture | work = American Experience | publisher = PBS | url = https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/photo-gallery/wyatt/ | access-date = October 16, 2011}}

The area officially called West Brewarrina, part of Brewarrina, New South Wales, Australia, was dubbed "Dodge City" by its Aboriginal residents, after they had been moved there in 1965 from the Aboriginal reserve known as Brewarrina Aboriginal Mission. The name reflects the racial segregation practised in the town.{{cite web | title=Lloyd James Boney: Historical Background 2 |website=Austlii| url=http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/other/IndigLRes/rciadic/individual/brm_ljb/19.html | access-date=18 February 2025}} (Extract of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody report, 1991.

In the television series Smallville, Metropolis is said to be southwest of Dodge City with Smallville, "Superman" / Clark Kent's childhood and adolescent residence, located {{convert|200|mi|km}} west of Wichita.{{Cite news |date=June 15, 2013 |title=Site of Superman's Kansas hometown up for debate |url=https://www.newstribune.com/news/2013/jun/15/site-supermans-kansas-hometown-debate/ |access-date=March 2, 2025 |work=News Tribune}}

More recently, Dodge City served as a setting for the 2005 multi-platform video game Gun.{{cite web | last = Kasavin | first = Greg | title = Gun Review | website = GameSpot | date = November 8, 2005 | url = http://www.gamespot.com/xbox/action/gun/review.html?tag=summary%3Bread-review | access-date = October 16, 2011}}

The Bruce Springsteen song "If I Was the Priest", from his 2020 album Letter to You, has a lyric where one character tells another "We need you, son, tonight up in Dodge City".{{Cite news |last=Inskeep |first=Steve |author-link=Steve Inskeep |date=October 22, 2020 |title=What Bruce Springsteen Lost and Found |url=https://www.npr.org/transcripts/925358745 |access-date=March 2, 2025 |work=NPR}}

Dodge City is prominently featured in Ken Burns PBS documentary The American Buffalo, which premiered on October 16, 2023.{{Cite news |last=Alvarez |first=Josh |date=October 16, 2023 |title=Ken Burns's The American Buffalo Isn't Really About Bison |url=https://www.texasmonthly.com/being-texan/ken-burns-american-buffalo-documentary-review/ |access-date=March 2, 2025 |work=Texas Monthly}}

{{Main|List of people from Dodge City, Kansas}}

{{See also|Dodge_City_Community_College#Notable_alumni|l1=List of Dodge City Community College people}}

Numerous figures of the American Old West lived in Dodge City during its period as a frontier cowtown. These included, most notably, lawmen Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson as well as gunfighter Doc Holliday.{{cite web | title = More Dodge City History | publisher = Dodge City Convention and Visitors Bureau | url = http://www.visitdodgecity.org/index.aspx?NID=106 | access-date = September 23, 2011}} Other notable natives and residents have included Vaudeville actor and comedian Eddie Foy Sr., wrestler Sputnik Monroe,{{cite web | title = Sputnik Monroe Biography | publisher = Georgia Wrestling History | url = http://www.georgiawrestlinghistory.com/host/monroes/sputnik.html | access-date = September 23, 2011 | archive-date = September 28, 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110928051827/http://www.georgiawrestlinghistory.com/host/monroes/sputnik.html | url-status = dead }} and actor Dennis Hopper.

Image:Boot Hill Museum Shops-East.jpg|Reconstructed shops on Front Street at the Boot Hill Museum (2010)

File:Dodge City, Kansas Hangman's Tree - 1972.jpg|Hanging Tree at the Boot Hill Cemetery (1972)

Image:Graves at Boot Hill, Dodge City, KS, 1959(1).jpg|Graves at Museum (1959)

{{Portal|Kansas}}

• Jones Plummer Trail
• Murder trial of seven Cheyenne (1879)
• National Old Trails Road
• Santa Fe Trail

{{Notelist}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Kansas books}}

{{See also|Ford County, Kansas#Further reading|l1=List of books about Ford County, Kansas}}

{{See also|Santa Fe Trail#Further reading|l1=List of books about Santa Fe Trail}}

• {{cite journal|last1=Britz|first1=Kevin|title='Boot Hill Burlesque': The Frontier Cemetery as Tourist Attraction in Tombstone, Arizona, and Dodge City, Kansas|journal=Journal of Arizona History|date=October 1, 2003|publisher=Arizona Historical Society |asin=B00E428MGY}}
• {{cite book|last1=Clavin|first1=Tom|title=Dodge City: Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, and the Wickedest Town in the American West|date=2017|publisher=St. Martin's Press|isbn=978-1250071484}}
• Dykstra, Robert R. The Cattle Towns. University of Nebraska Press, 1968.
• Dykstra, Robert R. and JoAnn Manfra. Dodge City and the Birth of the Wild West. University Press of Kansas, 2017. [https://doi.org/10.17077/0003-4827.12553 online review].
• Miner, Craig. West of Wichita: Settling the High Plains of Kansas, 1865–1890. University Press of Kansas, 1988.
• Vestal, Stanley. Dodge City: Queen of Cowtowns: "the Wickedest Little City in America" 1872–1886. University of Nebraska Press, 1998. {{ISBN|0-8032-9617-7}}

{{Commons category|Dodge City, Kansas}}

{{wikivoyage|Dodge City}}

• {{Official website|https://www.dodgecity.org/}}
• [https://www.lkm.org/members/?id=41260651 Dodge City – Directory of Public Officials]
• [https://www.kansasmemory.org/locate.php?categories=3158-3329&/ Dodge City documents, photographs, and other primary sources] – Kansas State Historical Society
• [http://www.kansashistory.us/grenvilledodge.html General Grenville Dodge History]
• [https://www.boothill.org/ Boot Hill Museum]
• [https://www.ksdot.org/Assets/wwwksdotorg/bureaus/burTransPlan/maps/city-pdf/dodge%20city.pdf Dodge City Map], KDOT

{{Ford County, Kansas}}

{{Kansas}}

{{Wild West}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1872 establishments in Kansas

Category:American frontier

Category:Boot Hill cemeteries

Category:Cities in Ford County, Kansas

Category:Cities in Kansas

Category:County seats in Kansas

Category:Gunsmoke

Category:Kansas populated places on the Arkansas River

Category:Micropolitan areas of Kansas

Category:Populated places established in 1872