Geography of Manhattan
Manhattan, Kansas, the seat of Riley county. It is on the Kansas River near the mouth of the Big Blue River. 48 miles (77 km) west of Topeka. Manhattan is the trading center of a farming and ranching area, and it is also the seat of Kansas State University.
Manhattan is the birthplace of the author Damon Runyon (1884-1946). Nearby are Fort Riley Military Reservation—site of an army post—and Tuttle Creek Reservoir. The city was settled in 1854 and incorporated in 1857. A flood in 1951 caused widespread damage. Manhattan has the council-manager form of government.
Population: 44,831.