An icy glacier stretched over these 11 counties, leaving behind a beautifully diverse landscape of steep, wooded river bluffs and vast, sprawling prairie.

The center of Kansas politics is Topeka, where John S. Curry's beautiful murals in the State Capitol depict the politics of abolitionist John Brown and Bleeding Kansas. The Kansas Museum of History in Topeka is considered one of the finest state history museums in the United States. For more history, a major point of the Santa Fe Trail is in Council Grove, and the U.S. Cavalry is housed at Fort Riley.

For a more flowery approach, the wildflowers, hills, and horizons of this region are exceptional. Hiking is a popular pastime here; the 8,600 acres of Konza Prairie near Manhattan has hiking trails that wind through the picturesque Flint Hills. Year-round animal lovers stroll through the Rolling Hills Refuge Wildlife Conservation Center near Salina and motorsports fans watch car races at Heartland Park in Topeka.

To satisfy cultural events and nightlife, Kansas City, Topeka, Lawrence, and Manhattan boast nightspots, restaurants, cinemas, museums, and casinos. 

For outdoor enthusiasts, there are nine major reservoirs and 30 municipal and state lakes in the region. Northeast Kansas is full of rich heritage, rolling hills, and quiet sophistication.

Northeast Kansas is home to 32 hospitals.