Fontana, KS

Fontana is a quiet, small-town community tucked into southern Miami County, Kansas, about an hour south of the Kansas City metro area. Home to around 400 residents, it offers a peaceful rural setting framed by open farmland, the Marais des Cygnes River, and the nearby Miami State Fishing Lake. The center of town has plenty of historic character, featuring the original Fontana Bank building, an old stone jail, and a former one-room schoolhouse that now serves as City Hall. Families are served by the Prairie View school district, with middle and high school students attending campus in nearby La Cygne.

The town takes its name from the French word for spring, inspired by a natural water source that drew settlers here in the mid-1800s. Established in 1869 along a new railroad line and later incorporated in 1889, Fontana developed as an easygoing agricultural community. That laid-back countryside appeal continues today, giving residents a tight-knit neighborhood feel, quiet country roads, and immediate access to great local fishing and outdoor spots.