Amelia Earhart Memorial Airport (K59) is the ideal mid-continent airport serving general aviation needs and attracting more than 1,500 visitors each year.
The airport offers an attractive alternative to controlled civilian/military airports in Leavenworth and St. Joseph. The airport is located one mile west of the city limits, less than a five-minute drive to beautiful downtown Atchison. Learn more about the Amelia Earhart Airport.
Five major highway entrances facilitate commuting and transportation.
Any motorist coming to or departing from the Atchison will likely utilize one of the five major highway entrances/exits. U.S. Hwy 73 (to the south and west), U.S. Hwy 59 (to the east and west), and State Hwy 7 (to the north) combine just under 24 lane miles of highway within the corporate limits of the City of Atchison. Atchison is 45 minutes from North Kansas City, 60 minutes from the state capitol in Topeka, Kansas, and 30 minutes from St. Joseph, Missouri.
Not only is the bridge an important economic link for the Community, but it has also become a symbol of the vision and growth in Atchison.
Near the end of 2013, the four-lane Amelia Earhart bridge replaced the narrow, two-lane structure which has been in place since the 1950s. The bridge and it’s beautiful light displays have been the subject of many photos, even winning the League of Kansas Municipalities’ Hometown Showdown photo contest in 2016.
Rail line access plays an important role in Atchison.
Railroads have played an important role in Atchison since the 1800s. The Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway was chartered in 1859, just a year after the City was incorporated. The rail line was initially meant to be the Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, but needing additional capital, the founders came to a number of Atchison’s local investors to help fund the balance of the project.
The Shannon Industrial Park, located just a few miles west of the City of Atchison, is provided with rail service via a Union Pacific Railroad line. The yet-to-be developed Armstrong Parcel at Shannon is immediately adjacent to railroad service, making it an ideal candidate for a green field industrial development site that depends on railroad access.