Belle Plaine, KS

Belle Plaine is the oldest existing city in Sumner County, in a valley between the Arkansas and Ninnescah rivers. Families from Iowa and Ohio established the town in 1871, and it incorporated in 1884. Rail lines then gave the place a working shape: the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe ran along the west edge, Missouri Pacific along the south, and Midland Valley along the east. Agriculture around town includes wheat, grain sorghum, soybeans, mung beans, pecan orchards, and cattle; manufacturing and aviation work also connect residents to the surrounding area.

ATTRJeffrey Beall / CC BY 3.0

Downtown remains the stage for the community’s recurring calendar. Belle Plaine’s Downtown Festival, running for 41 years as of 2026, brings a car show, barbecue competition, and other events into the center. Bartlett’s Arboretum, the city pool, the historical museum, the public library, and the community center add other regular stops. Belle Plaine’s shape is still easy to read: a railroad-built agricultural city using its downtown, arboretum, and seasonal events to keep the old town grid in circulation.