Report: Kansas is the second most rural state

KANSAS (KSNT) - The most recent U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) data indicates Kansas has the second most rural roadways nationwide.

The FHWA publishes an annual report on the nation's highways, bridges and transport conditions. According to the most recent report, Kansas and Georgia have the largest number of rural systems.

Georgia led the nation in rural roadways with 79 systems. Kansas followed Georgia with 77 systems. According to the FHWA, rural roadways in Kansas were more evenly distributed than in Georgia.

"The urban clusters in Kansas are generally very small in area, and are barely visible at this scale. Westward, systems become sparser, especially in the Southwest," an excerpt from the report said.

Areas with populations less than 50,000 are designated as "rural areas". Transit in rural communities provides essential mobility to residents for employment, medical services, schools, places of worship and social and recreational destinations, according to the FHWA.

"Thus, rural transit serves two basic markets: transportation-disadvantaged populations and tourism. The former market is spread throughout the country; the latter is highly concentrated around attractions," the FHWA said in the report.

For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here.