Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
Salina
Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics
Quizzes
Tower Bridge over the Thames River in London, England. Opened in 1894. Remains an Important Traffic Route with 40,000 Crossings Every Day.
Guess the City by Its River Quiz
Britannica AI Icon
Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites

Salina

Kansas, United States
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
Last updated
•History

News •

Live Fact Check: Here’s what Donald Trump got wrong in his second Kansas rally • Nov. 1, 2026, 8:24 PM ET (The Kansas City Star)
After canceling rally, Trump reschedules Kansas visit amid close Senate race • Oct. 30, 2026, 11:52 AM ET (The Kansas City Star)
Fact Check: Marshall says 3 Kansas manufacturers benefitted from Trump tariffs • Oct. 24, 2026, 6:00 AM ET (The Kansas City Star)

Salina, city, seat (1859) of Saline county, central Kansas, U.S. It lies on the Smoky Hill River. Founded in 1858 by an antislavery group headed by William A. Phillips, it was named for the Saline River, which enters the Smoky Hill just to the east. The town’s growth was slow until the arrival of the Union (later Kansas) Pacific Railroad in 1867. The city was rebuilt after having been largely destroyed by floods in 1903.

Salina is a trading centre for a large wheat-growing area, and grain milling is the chief industry. Kansas Wesleyan University (founded 1886) and Kansas State University College of Technology and Aviation (created 1991 by a merger with Kansas College of Technology) are located in the city. Rolling Hills Zoo is about 6 miles (10 km) west of the city. Ottawa and Saline state fishing lakes are located north of the city. Inc. 1870. Pop. (2000) 45,679; (2010) 47,707.

Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors.
By clicking “Sign Up”, you consent to the Britannica Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.