Hays, Ellis County, Kansas, USA

Hays is the seat of Ellis County in western Kansas, in the Smoky Hills region. Hays City grew beside Fort Hays and the Kansas Pacific Railroad in the 1860s, becoming a frontier trading center. The preserved fort and the downtown street pattern recall that railroad era. Fort Hays State University, established on the former fort grounds, gives the city a lasting educational role alongside its work as a regional center for health care and commerce.