Colby is a city in Thomas County, Kansas, home to about 5,387 people across 3.6 square miles. Its ZIP code is 67701.
Mostly Colby
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| Nearest major airport | Denver International Airport (DEN)196 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | McCook Ben Nelson Regional Airport (MCK)62 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Aurora, CO195 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Dallas, TX514 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Colby; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Colby had 5,570 residents in the 2020 census, up 2% since 2000.
It’s the 62nd largest of 721 towns in Kansas by population.
Thomas County grew from 4,112 residents in 1900 to 7,930 in 2020.
Thomas County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 91°F in summer, and winter lows average 15°F. About 20.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 27 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Colby 1sw, KS weather station (about a mile away).
2,870 jobs at 332 businesses in Thomas County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
76 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Colby.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 14 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 4 |
| Dentists | 4 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 19 |
| Mental health providers | 15 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 8 |
| Optometrists | 5 |
| Chiropractors | 7 |
| Pharmacies | 6 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (2 nearby)
Grocery stores (1 nearby)
Museums (1 nearby)
Counts are within about 1.5 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Public schools here are run by Colby Public Schools. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colby ElemColby | Pre-K–4 | 369 | Public | 0.9 mi |
| Colby Middle SchoolColby | 5–8 | 293 | Public | 1.0 mi |
| Colby Senior HighColby | 9–12 | 296 | Public | 0.8 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heartland Christian SchoolColby | Pre-K–11 | 71 | Christian (no specific denomination) | 1.5 mi |
| Heartland Christian SchoolColby | Pre-K–11 | 71 | Christian (no specific denomination) | 1.5 mi |
| Sacred Heart SchoolColby | Pre-K–5 | 73 | Roman Catholic | 1.3 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.