Atchison is a city and county seat of Atchison County, Kansas, United States, and is situated along the Missouri River. As of the 2010 census, its population was 11,021. The city is named in honor of David Rice Atchison, United States senator from Missouri. It was the original eastern starting point of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. Atchison was the birthplace of aviator Amelia Earhart. The Amelia Earhart Festival is held every year in July. Atchison is also home of Benedictine College, a Catholic liberal-arts college.