[4] They named the colony WaKeeney, a portmanteau of their surnames, and billed it as "The Queen City of the High Plains", advertising and holding celebrations to attract settlers.

[5] The colony grew rapidly, but crop failures drove settlers to leave in 1880 as quickly as they had come.

[10][11] A small tributary of Big Creek flows south from near the center of the city.

[11] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.71 square miles (4.43 km2), all land.

[14] The 2020 United States census counted 1,799 people, 837 households, and 482 families in WaKeeney.

38.2% of households consisted of individuals and 19.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

[28] The Trego Golden Eagles won the Kansas State High School boys class 2A Track & Field championship in 1977 and the boys class 3A Track & Field championship in 1997.

U.S. 283 runs east–west for one mile in downtown WaKeeney, concurrent with U.S. Route 40 Business and the old alignment of U.S.

[30] Trego WaKeeney Airport is located on the west side of U.S. 283, immediately south of I-70.

[30][33] The local newspaper published in WaKeeney is the weekly Western Kansas World.

[34] K231BG, a translator of radio station KJIL in Copeland, Kansas, broadcasts from WaKeeney on 94.1 FM playing a Contemporary Christian format.

The tree is ceremonially lit the Saturday night after Thanksgiving through New Years Day.

[5] The train depot, built in 1879 with Saline River and Big Creek limestone, was the first major building in the town.

It was inaugurated on July 4 of that year, with officials from Warren, Keeney and the Kansas governor in attendance.

[citation needed] The Opera House was the next major building, completed in 1884 with ceiling murals, a Rochester electric brass chandelier, and seating for 400.

[citation needed] The Trego County Courthouse, constructed of Trego County hard stone and Manhattan stone, was designed by Topeka architect George R. Ropes in the Queen Anne style, with a 100-ft cupola and European tin roof which lasted until 1952.