[6][7] Emporia lies between Topeka and Wichita at the intersection of highways K-99, U.S. Route 50, Interstates 335 and 35 (Kansas Turnpike).

It is home to Emporia State University and Flint Hills Technical College, and two annual sporting events: Unbound Gravel (gravel bicycle race) and Dynamic Discs Open (disc golf tournament).

Located on upland prairie, Emporia was founded in 1857, drawing its name from ancient Carthage, a place known in history as a prosperous center of commerce.

[9] In 1864 the Union Pacific Railway, Southern Branch (later incorporated into the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad) received land grants to build from Fort Riley to Emporia.

The road eventually reached Emporia in 1869, becoming the first railroad to serve the burgeoning town.

[11] In 1888, railroad executive and educator John Byers Anderson donated his personal library to the College of Emporia to commemorate his 50th wedding anniversary, and his former mentee Andrew Carnegie donated additional funds to build a library in Anderson's honor (conditioned upon the new college paying off its mortgage).

[14] On March 6, 1988, a heavily armed gunman walked into the Calvary Baptist Church during services and opened fire.

The 2020 United States census counted 24,139 people, 9,876 households, and 5,468 families in Emporia.

The Braum dairy store chain, based in Oklahoma City, originated in Emporia in 1952 under the name Peter Pan.

[37] The company said it needed to move its slaughter operations closer to where the cattle are raised in western Kansas.

[38] As the city's largest employer for 37 years, the Tyson plant creates almost 10 percent of the local economy.

[39] In December 2024, Tyson announced to the 809 remaining employees that the plant in Emporia would be permanently ceasing operations on February 14, 2025.

[40] The company plans to continue their optimization strategy of consolidating operations in western Kansas.

Bus service within the city is provided by LCAT, or Lyon County Area Transportation.

The agency provides demand and deviated fixed-route bus services within the city of Emporia.

The buses are a service of Lyon County, with significant support coming from the Kansas Department of Transportation.

The former Southern Transcon main line of BNSF Railway (ex-Santa Fe) passes east-west through Emporia.

[43] The Emporia Gazette is the city's main newspaper, published six days a week.

[56] It dramatized an actual event in Emporia involving the 1983 death of Sandra Bird.

Notable individuals who were born in and/or have lived in Emporia include actor R. Lee Ermey,[57] journalist William Allen White,[58] college basketball coach Dean Smith,[59] and circus performer/tattoo artist Maud Wagner.