Meteorites Found in Kansas: 147 Documented
Kansas has 147 officially recognized meteorites — 7 witnessed falls and 140 finds. The largest, Long Island (L6 — ordinary chondrite (low iron)), weighed 564 kg. The record here spans 141 years — from Waconda in 1873 to Bazine Creek in 2014. Famous names include Brenham, Norton County.
Classification
Fell vs. found
Kansas Meteorites
Famous Kansas meteorites
A pallasite strewn field in Kiowa County, Kansas, known since 1882. Thousands of kilograms of olivine-studded stony-iron have come out of these fields — including a 650 kg mass found with a metal detector in 2005.
A one-ton aubrite that fell across Norton County, Kansas in 1948 after a daylight fireball. The main mass — the largest witnessed stony fall in the US at the time — is at the University of New Mexico.
The full record
147 meteorites · exact coordinates in the map popups; entries marked “location withheld” are protected by the scientific record.
Reading the classifications
The most common meteorites — stony, with visible metal flecks. H = high iron content, L = low, LL = very low. The digit (3–6) says how much the parent asteroid heated it: 3 is the most pristine.
Primitive, carbon-bearing stones that predate the planets — some carry water-bearing minerals and amino acids. Fragile and rare on the ground.
Solid nickel-iron from the shattered cores of asteroids. Dense, magnetic, and the easiest meteorites to recognize — most of the biggest US finds are irons.
The showpieces: pallasites are gem-quality olivine suspended in polished metal, from the core-mantle boundary of destroyed asteroids.
Volcanic rocks from bodies large enough to melt — most trace to the asteroid Vesta; the rarest are from the Moon and Mars.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many meteorites have been found in Kansas?
147 meteorites from Kansas are officially recognized in the scientific record — 7 witnessed falls and 140 finds.
What's the biggest meteorite ever found in Kansas?
Long Island, a L6 (ordinary chondrite (low iron)) weighing 564 kg, found in 1891.
Can I hunt for meteorites in Kansas?
On BLM-managed public land, casual collecting is legal without a permit: surface finds, up to 10 lb per person per year, personal use only. National parks prohibit all collecting, and on private land the meteorite belongs to the landowner. Always verify land status before hunting.
How do I know if a rock is a meteorite?
Quick field checks: meteorites are unusually dense, most attract a magnet (iron-nickel content), fresh ones have a thin black fusion crust, and many show regmaglypts (thumbprint-like depressions). Slag and magnetite are the common false alarms — our 60-second field test walks through all of it.
⚠️ Always verify current regulations, weather conditions, and access requirements before visiting any location. Information provided is based on community submissions and may not be current or accurate.
Coordinates are historical find locations from the scientific record, often approximate — not guaranteed collecting spots; verify land status and permissions before hunting. Source of record: Meteoritical Bulletin Database (Meteoritical Society).