Stop with the mileage and simply look at a map of the state and tell me Salina is slighty more than half way from the south border. By all appearances it is about 3/4 of the way to the north border.
I know that the east to west is an issue but you have to remmber, this side of the state is where all the people live. You western Kansas people need to get used to longer drives anyway with the consolidation that is coming.