About Our Communities

With seven campuses across Kansas and Missouri, Baker University has become an integral part of several communities throughout the area. As the University maintains close relationships with these towns and cities, we encourage our students, alumni and friends to learn about and enjoy what our communities have to offer.

When Baker University was nothing more than an idea, two towns wanted ownership of the first university in Kansas. As a compromise between the townships of Palmyra and Prairie City, Baldwin City, Baker’s original community, was created to house the University upon its founding in 1858. For more than 150 years, Baker University and Baldwin City have grown together.

Today, Baldwin City, with a population of about 3,900, retains the historic beauty of days gone by while offering the conveniences of modern life. A beautiful small town with brick streets and wonderfully preserved Victorian homes in southern Douglas County, Baldwin City offers diverse dining options and a variety of businesses that provide both the essentials and unique extras. Baldwin City is near several metropolitan areas - 40 minutes southwest of Kansas City, 15 minutes south of Lawrence and 50 minutes southeast of Topeka.

The town annually attracts more than 30,000 visitors to the Maple Leaf Festival. Always the third full weekend in October, the colorful festival celebrated its golden anniversary in 2007. The city is also home to the nationally registered 1906 Santa Fe Depot, the only remaining depot of Kansas' first railroad south of the Kansas River. More than 50 civic organizations and eight churches call Baldwin City home. Adults and Children enjoy many options for recreational activities.

For more information, go to baldwincitychamber.com.

As Baker has grown, it has reached out to other communities. First expanding into Kansas City in the 1970s, Baker has since offered its educational programs to Topeka and Wichita and to Lee’s Summit, Mo. In the fall of 2008, our newest campus opened in the Kansas City metro area in the Northland. As we continue to grow, Baker remains a vital force in higher education in Kansas and Missouri.

To learn more about our other communities, we encourage you to visit these Web sites:

Kansas City - www.visitkc.com

Lee’s Summit - www.lees-summit.mo.us

Overland Park - www.opkansas.org

Topeka - www.topeka.org

Wichita - www.wichitagov.org