Riga, Kansas

Riga, Kansas
Unincorporated community
KDOT map of Trego County (legend)
Riga Show map of Kansas Riga Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 38°57′2″N99°39′1″W / 38.95056°N 99.65028°W / 38.95056; -99.65028 [1]
Country	United States
State	Kansas
County	Trego
Township	Glencoe
Elevation [1]	2,221 ft (677 m)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	67656 [2]
Area code	785
FIPS code	20-59850 [1]
GNIS ID	484721 [1]

Riga is an unincorporated community in Trego County, Kansas, United States. ^[1]

Geography

Riga is located at 39°06′12″N99°14′44″W / 39.10333°N 99.24556°W / 39.10333; -99.24556 at an elevation of 2,221 feet (677 m). ^[1] It is in far east-central Trego County, roughly 4 miles (6.4 km) west of Ellis in neighboring Ellis County ^[3] It lies to the north of Big Creek in the western extent of the Smoky Hills region of the Great Plains. ^[3]

Transportation

Rail

• The Kansas Pacific (KP) ^{[4] [5]} line of the Union Pacific Railroad runs southeast–northwest through Riga, with a siding for the grain elevator.
  • Until 1946, Riga received scheduled local passenger service, at least twice daily; e.g., morning westbound train 69-369 and evening eastbound train 370-70. ^{[6] [7]}
    • However, there is recollection that, in the 1950s, the eastbound and westbound Portland Rose trains would meet at Riga. ^[8]
    • In the 50s and 60s, the eastbound and westbound Portland Rose trains were scheduled to leave Oakley and Ellis, respectively, at about the same time in the early afternoon; and, would have to meet each other at a passing siding on the single track in between. ^{[9] [10]}
    • If the westbound was delayed in leaving Ellis, Riga was the last siding outside of Ellis where the eastbound could wait for the westbound to clear the station.
  • When the Union Pacific rebuilt the Kansas Pacific line in the late 1990s, a new 9300 ft. siding was built just west of Riga. ^[8]

Highways

• Riga Road (FAS 1854) ^[4] runs north–south through the location, connecting to Exit 140 of Interstate 70 one mile to the north. ^[3]
  • The first section of Interstate 70 to be built in western Kansas was completed by 1961, from Riga to Collyer. ^[11]
• 40 Hwy (FAS 1977), ^[4] parallel to and south of the railroad tracks, an old alignment of U.S. Route 40, ^[11] runs southeast–northwest through Riga and is a direct connection between the downtowns of WaKeeney (county seat) and Ellis. ^[12]

References

1. "Riga, Kansas", Geographic Names Information System , United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior
2. "Trego County Profile". zipdatamaps. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
3. "Riga, Glencoe, Kansas". Google Maps . Retrieved December 30, 2020.
4. "General Highway Map - Trego County, Kansas" (PDF). Kansas Department of Transportation. 1978. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
5. "UPRR Common Line Names" (PDF). Union Pacific Railroad . Retrieved December 30, 2020.
6. Time Tables (PDF). Union Pacific Railroad. June 2, 1946. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
7. Condensed Time Tables (PDF). Union Pacific Railroad. September 1, 1947. Retrieved January 9, 2021. Riga is not listed on any table
8. "Historic Venues on the Prairies of Kansas". Trainorders.com Nostalgia & History. December 30, 2020.
9. Time Tables (PDF). Union Pacific Railroad. September 26, 1954. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
10. Time Tables (PDF). Union Pacific Railroad. Summer 1958. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
11. "Official 1960–61 Kansas Highway Map" (PDF). Kansas Department of Transportation . Retrieved July 16, 2015.
12. Kansas 2005–2006 Official Transportation Map

Further reading

See also: List of books about Trego County, Kansas