101-472: Southwest Trafficway is a major north/south road that runs in Kansas City, Missouri from 27th Street & I-35 to 43rd Street at Madison Avenue and Belleview Avenue. Southwest Trafficway connects Downtown Kansas City to Westport and Country Club Plaza . Left turns are prohibited at nearly every intersection by discouraging local traffic while reducing delays due to vehicles waiting to turn left. There
202-516: A Confederate triumph. Once again their victory proved hollow, as Price was decisively defeated in the pivotal Battle of Westport the next day, effectively ending Confederate efforts to regain Missouri. General Thomas Ewing , in response to a successful raid on nearby Lawrence, Kansas , led by William Quantrill , issued General Order No. 11 , forcing the eviction of residents in four western Missouri counties – including Jackson – except those living in
303-528: A bend in the Missouri River that defines a border between Wyandotte County, Kansas , and Clay County, Missouri , running approximately north–south and a border between North Kansas City, Missouri , and Kansas City, Missouri , running approximately east–west. The river bend's sharpest part forms a peninsula containing the Kansas City Downtown Airport . Downtown Kansas City, Missouri has
404-534: A gain of 5,200 jobs in the Kansas portion of the metro area. In 2015, the metropolitan area accounted for 40.9% of the total GDP in the state of Kansas and 22.7% of the total GDP in the state of Missouri. The Kansas City metropolitan area has more freeway lane miles per capita than any other large metropolitan area in the United States. This is 27% more than the second-place Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex , 50% more than
505-625: A historically Italian American neighborhood , the UMKC area and in River Market, in northern Kansas City. The Historic Kansas City boundary is roughly 58 square miles (150 km ) and has a population density of about 5,000 inhabitants per square mile (1,900/km ). It runs from the Missouri River to the north, 79th Street to the south, the Blue River to the east, and State Line Road to the west. During
606-614: A landing point for West Port, with Lykins as the first postmaster. He found it more convenient to have his goods offloaded at the Prudhomme landing next to Chouteau's landing than in Independence. Several years after Gabriel Prudhomme's death, a group of fourteen investors purchased his land at auction on November 14, 1838. By 1839, the investors divided the property and the first lots were sold in 1846 after legal complications were settled. The remaining lots were sold by February 1850. In 1850,
707-418: A legal discovery of living outside city boundaries, he was soon succeeded by Johnston Lykins as the second (but first legally elected) mayor. The city had an area of 0.70 square miles (1.8 km ) and a population of 2,500. The boundary lines extended from the middle of the Missouri River south to what is now Ninth Street, and from Bluff Street on the west to a point between Holmes Road and Charlotte Street on
808-615: A long-term commuter rail plan. For the time being, the line is being converted to a trail while county officials negotiate with railroads for access to tracks in Downtown Kansas City. On November 7, 2017, Kansas City voters overwhelmingly approved a new single terminal at Kansas City International Airport by a 75% to 25% margin. The new single terminal replaced the three existing "Clover Leafs" at KCI Airport on February 28, 2023. The city has an area of 319.03 square miles (826.28 km ), of which, 314.95 square miles (815.72 km )
909-570: A marked uptick in late spring and summer. Kansas City is located in Tornado Alley , a broad region where cold air from Canada collides with warm air from the Gulf of Mexico, leading to the formation of powerful storms, especially during the spring. The Kansas City metropolitan area has experienced several significant outbreaks of tornadoes in the past, including the Ruskin Heights tornado in 1957 and
1010-506: A name change to Kansas City in 1889, and the city limits to be extended south and east. Westport became part of Kansas City on December 2, 1897. In 1900, Kansas City was the 22nd largest city in the country, with a population of 163,752 residents. Landscape architect George Kessler shaped Kansas City into a leading example of the City Beautiful movement, with a network of boulevards and parks. New neighborhoods like Southmoreland and
1111-504: A non-profit corporation made up of private sector stakeholders and city appointees. A ballot initiative to fund construction of the $ 102 million line was approved by voters on December 12, 2012. The system runs between River Market and Union Station, mostly along Main Street, with extensions north and south under consideration. There are no commuter rail services. Intercity bus service is provided by Greyhound Lines and Jefferson Lines at
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#17330856822281212-524: A park at the surface. Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri ( KC or KCMO ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri by population and area. Most of the city lies within Jackson County , and other portions spill into Clay , Platte , and Cass counties. It is the central city of the Kansas City metropolitan area , which straddles the Missouri – Kansas state line and has
1313-519: A population of 2,392,035. As of the 2020 census , the city had a population of 508,090, making it the 37th most-populous city in the United States , as well as the sixth-most populous city in the Midwest . Kansas City was founded in the 1830s as a port on the Missouri River at its confluence with the Kansas River from the west. On June 1, 1850, the town of Kansas was incorporated; shortly after came
1414-635: A population of 25,204. Downtown is Kansas City's historic center, located entirely within Kansas City, Missouri, and contains the city's original town site, business districts, and residential neighborhoods. Downtown is bounded by the Missouri River on the north, the Missouri-Kansas state line on the west, 31st Street on the south and Woodland Avenue on the east. The downtown area includes the Central Business District and its buildings, which form
1515-404: A residential corridor nicknamed Millionaire Row. It is now widely seen as one of the city's most prominent racial and economic dividing lines due to urban decay, which was caused by white flight . During the civil rights era the city blocked people of color from moving to homes west of Troost Avenue, causing the areas east of Troost to have one of the worst murder rates in the country. This led to
1616-596: A total area of 9,220 sq mi (23,900 km ) including 103 sq mi (270 km ) of water. The Kansas City metro area is a swing metro area, going between the Republican and Democratic parties for decades and voting for Democratic and Republican presidential candidates equally since 2000. It is unlike most other large cities in the United States; most populous metropolitan areas lean Democratic, which makes Kansas City slightly Republican as compared to metros of similar size, even as compared to St. Louis , which
1717-411: Is also centered in Missouri . As of 2019 , Missouri accounted for 56% of employment and Kansas accounted for 44% of employment. From 2018 to 2019 Kansas added 13,000 jobs and Missouri added 6,500 jobs. Kansas side employment grew by 2.7% and Missouri side employment grew by 1.1%; job growth in Kansas was more than double that in Missouri. Professional and business employment growth was due entirely to
1818-812: Is centered at Kansas City, Missouri's Union Station and managed by the Kansas City Terminal. Daily long-distance services are Missouri River Runner with two round trips daily to Saint Louis, connecting to Chicago via the Lincoln Service ; and Southwest Chief with daily service between Chicago and Los Angeles . City buses operated by the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) provide most public transportation. The Metro Area Express (MAX) became Kansas City, Missouri's first bus rapid transit line in July 2005, and operates and
1919-475: Is generally implied if 'North' is not specified, except for numbered 'avenues' in North Kansas City. In the northland, east–west streets use the prefix N.E. or N.W., depending on the side of N. Main on which they lie. The metro has several airports. Primary service is at Kansas City International Airport (MCI), 15 miles northwest of downtown Kansas City, Missouri. It was opened in 1972 as TWA's "Airport of
2020-460: Is governed by a single unified government. Another bend in the Missouri River forms the county line between Wyandotte County, Kansas , and Platte County, Missouri , to the north and northeast. The map's northeast quadrant is referred to as the Northland. It includes parts of Clay County, Missouri , including North Kansas City, Missouri and Parkville, Missouri . North Kansas City is bounded by
2121-601: Is home to Saint Luke's Hospital of Kansas City and Research Medical Center . Cultural attractions include the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art , Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art , Uptown Theater , Starlight Theater , the Kansas City Zoo , Loose Park , and Swope Park . The last of these has a soccer complex that is home to the Swope Park Rangers , a USL Championship team that is the official reserve side for
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#17330856822282222-546: Is land and 4.08 square miles (10.57 km ) is water. Bluffs overlook the rivers and river bottom areas. Kansas City proper is bowl-shaped and is surrounded to the north and south by glacier -carved limestone and bedrock cliffs. Kansas City is at the confluence between the Dakota and Minnesota ice lobes during the maximum late Independence glaciation of the Pleistocene epoch . The Kansas and Missouri rivers cut wide valleys into
2323-675: Is marketed akin to a rail system instead of a local bus line. The MAX links River Market, Downtown, Union Station, Crown Center, and Country Club Plaza. Buses in Johnson County, Kansas, are operated by Johnson County Transit , known as The JO. The KC Streetcar is a 2.2-mile modern streetcar line in Downtown Kansas City . Opened to the public in May 2016, it is maintained and operated by the Kansas City Streetcar Authority ,
2424-476: Is one of Jackson County's two seats along with the major satellite city of Independence ; and its other major Missouri suburbs include Blue Springs , Lee's Summit , Raytown , and Liberty . Its major Kansas suburbs include Overland Park , Olathe , Lenexa , and Kansas City, Kansas . The city is composed of several neighborhoods , including the River Market District , 18th and Vine District , and
2525-465: Is the area north of the Missouri River, bordered by the Kansas state line on the west. The southern half of Platte County , and much of Clay County make up the area. The Northland is a fast-growing, primarily suburban region of the metropolitan area, although much of it is contained within the city limits of Kansas City, Missouri . The economy of the Northland is dominated by Cerner , Kansas City International Airport , Ford Kansas City Assembly Plant ,
2626-581: Is the fastest growing county by total population. Municipalities include Overland Park , Olathe , Shawnee , Leawood , Lenexa , Prairie Village , Gardner , Merriam , Mission , Roeland Park , Fairway , Lake Quivira , Mission Hills , Mission Woods , Westwood , and Westwood Hills . Corporate headquarters include Garmin , Black & Veatch , and AMC Theatres , and the secondary headquarters of T-Mobile . Many local area attractions and shopping districts are in Johnson County, such as Oak Park Mall , Town Center Plaza , and Prairie Fire. The Northland
2727-568: Is the headquarters of Hallmark Cards and a major downtown shopping and entertainment complex. It is connected to Union Station by a series of covered walkways. The Country Club Plaza , or "the Plaza", is an upscale, outdoor shopping, and entertainment district. It is the first suburban shopping district in the United States, designed to accommodate shoppers arriving by automobile, and is surrounded by apartments and condominiums, including several high rise buildings. The associated Country Club District to
2828-679: Is the second longest runway in the region next to those at Kansas City International Airport. It is 7 miles (11 km) from the Logistics Park Kansas City Intermodal Facility. Johnson County Executive Airport has one runway on 500 acres and is the fourth-busiest towered airport in the state of Kansas. Kansas City is a freight hub served by the BNSF , CPKC , Norfolk Southern , and Union Pacific . Kansas City Terminal Railway and Kaw River Railroad provide local interchange and switching service. Amtrak Passenger service
2929-850: The American Jazz Museum , the Kansas City Symphony , Kansas City Union Station , the National World War I Museum , the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art , the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art , Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts , the National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame , Negro Leagues Baseball Museum , Arabia Steamboat Museum , Uptown Theater , Midland Theatre , the Kansas City Zoo , Swope Park (featuring Starlight Theater ), Sandstone Amphitheater ,
3030-670: The Country Club Plaza . Celebrated cultural traditions include Kansas City jazz ; theater, as a historical center of the Vaudevillian Orpheum circuit in the 1920s; the nickname City of Fountains ; the Chiefs and Royals sports franchises; and cuisine such as Kansas City–style barbecue and strip steak . The town of Kansas, Missouri , was incorporated on June 1, 1850, reincorporated and renamed City of Kansas on March 28, 1853, and renamed Kansas City in 1889. The area straddles
3131-671: The Fairfax Industrial District , and the Village West entertainment district. The General Motors Fairfax Assembly Plant is in the Fairfax Industrial District. Village West contains many area attractions. This includes many sporting venues such as Children's Mercy Park , home of the area MLS soccer team Sporting Kansas City , the Kansas Speedway , which hosts many NASCAR races, and Field of Legends , home of
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3232-537: The Ford Kansas City Assembly Plant , The Kansas City Star , Bayer , Children's Mercy Hospital , Truman Medical Center-Hospital Hill , and Andrews McMeel Universal (representing Garfield , Calvin and Hobbes , and Doonesbury ). Shopping centers include City Market , Crown Center , Country Club Plaza , Independence Center , Legends Outlets Kansas City , Oak Park Mall , Ward Parkway Center , and Zona Rosa . Cultural attractions include
3333-631: The Grandview Triangle . The southwest quadrant includes all of Johnson County, Kansas , which includes the towns in the area known as Shawnee Mission, Kansas . Interstate 35 runs diagonally through Johnson County, Kansas , from the southwest to Downtown Kansas City, Missouri . The northwest quadrant contains Wyandotte , and Leavenworth , counties in Kansas and parts of Platte County, Missouri . Wyandotte County, Kansas (sometimes referred to as just Wyandotte ), contains Kansas City, Kansas ; Bonner Springs, Kansas ; and Edwardsville, Kansas ; it
3434-475: The Harry S. Truman Historic District ; and the neighborhoods of Westport , 18th and Vine , and Pendleton Heights . Historic cultural origins include KC styles of jazz , vaudeville theater , barbecue , and steak . The larger Kansas City metropolitan area can be visualized as a map with roughly four quadrants: The southeast quadrant includes Kansas City, Missouri , and surrounding areas in Missouri. It includes
3535-641: The Kansas City Bus Station . The architecture of Kansas City, Missouri , and the metropolitan area includes major works by many of the world's most distinguished architects and firms, including McKim, Mead and White ; Jarvis Hunt ; Wight and Wight ; Graham, Anderson, Probst and White ; Hoit, Price & Barnes ; Frank Lloyd Wright ; the Office of Mies van der Rohe ; Barry Byrne ; Edward Larrabee Barnes ; Harry Weese ; and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill . Top 5 largest colleges by total enrollment (within
3636-685: The Kansas City City Hall and the Jackson County Courthouse. During this time, he aided one of his nephew's friends, Harry S. Truman , in a political career. Truman eventually became a senator, then vice president, then president . The machine fell in 1939 when Pendergast, riddled with health problems, pleaded guilty to tax evasion after long federal investigations. His biographers have summed up his uniqueness: Pendergast may bear comparison to various big-city bosses, but his open alliance with hardened criminals, his cynical subversion of
3737-793: The Kansas City Renaissance Festival , Worlds of Fun , Oceans of Fun , the College Basketball Experience and several casinos. Major league sports franchises include the NFL 's Kansas City Chiefs , the MLB 's Kansas City Royals , and the MLS's Sporting Kansas City . The Kansas Speedway is owned by NASCAR . Historic features include the confluence of the eastern endpoints of the California , Santa Fe , and Oregon Trails in Independence;
3838-519: The May 2003 tornado outbreak sequence . The region can also experience ice storms during the winter, such as the 2002 ice storm duringin which hundreds of thousands of residents lost power for days or weeks. Kansas City and its outlying areas are also subject to flooding, including the Great Floods of 1844 , 1951 , and 1993 . Kansas City has the second largest Somali and Sudanese populations in
3939-819: The Metropolitan statistical areas (MSA) of Kansas City MO-KS, the St. Joseph metropolitan area and the Lawrence, Kansas metropolitan area with the Micropolitan Statistical Areas (μSA) of Warrensburg, Missouri , Atchison, Kansas , and Ottawa, Kansas . (Warrensburg is in Johnson County, Missouri . Atchison is in Atchison County, Kansas . Ottawa is in Franklin County, Kansas .) The combined statistical area covers
4040-499: The NFL 's Kansas City Chiefs and Kauffman Stadium , home of the MLB 's Kansas City Royals are on the eastern edge of Kansas City. The Cable Dahmer Arena home of the ECHL 's Kansas City Mavericks and the MASL 's Kansas City Comets is in Independence. Johnson County, Kansas contains many municipalities with a population of 609,863. It has the largest economy in the metropolitan area and
4141-532: The Zona Rosa shopping community and three riverboat casinos. The metro area's largest amusement park, Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun , is in the Northland. Major educational institutions in the Northland include Park University , William Jewell College , and the Maple Woods campus of Metropolitan Community College . The Northland is also home to the popular recreational reservoir, Smithville Lake . Communities of
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4242-547: The suburbs with populations above 100,000: Overland Park, Kansas ; Kansas City, Kansas ; Olathe, Kansas ; Independence, Missouri ; and Lee's Summit, Missouri . Business enterprises and employers include Cerner Corporation (the largest, with almost 10,000 local employees and about 20,000 global employees), AT&T , BNSF Railway , GEICO , Asurion , T-Mobile (formerly Sprint ), Black & Veatch , AMC Theatres , Citigroup , Garmin , Hallmark Cards , Waddell & Reed , H&R Block , General Motors , Honeywell ,
4343-485: The 1803 Louisiana Purchase , Lewis and Clark visited the confluence of the Kansas and Missouri rivers, noting it was a good place to build a fort. In 1831, a group of Mormons from New York state led by Joseph Smith settled in the area. They built the first school within what became Kansas City, but were forced out by mob violence in 1833. In 1831, Gabriel Prudhomme Sr., a Canadian trapper and partner of François Chouteau , purchased 257 acres (104 ha) fronting
4444-543: The 18th & Vine District. North of the loop are City Market within the River Market and Richard L. Berkeley Riverfront Park. West of the loop within the West Bottoms are Hy-Vee Arena and Hale Arena . Midtown/Plaza is entirely within Kansas City, Missouri with a population of 40,355. It is just south of downtown, and bounded by 31st Street on the north, the state line on the west, West Gregory Boulevard (71st Street) on
4545-426: The 1960s and 1970s, Kansas City annexed large amounts of land, which are largely undeveloped. Between the 2000 and 2010 census counts, the urban core of Kansas City continued to drop significantly in population. The areas of Greater Downtown in the center city, and sections near I-435 and I-470 in the south, and Highway 152 in the north are the only areas of Kansas City, Missouri, to have an increase in population, with
4646-557: The American Midwest, linking growers and small businesses to the community. More than 30 full-time merchants operate year-round and offer specialty foods, fresh meats and seafood, restaurants and cafes, floral, and home accessories. The City Market has the Arabia Steamboat Museum , which houses artifacts from a steamboat that sank near Kansas City in 1856. Downtown Kansas City is 2.9 square miles (7.5 km ) bounded by
4747-665: The Black Marble H&;R Block fountain in front of Union Station, which features synchronized water jets; the Nichols Bronze Horses at the corner of Main and J.C. Nichols Parkway at the entrance to the Plaza Shopping District; and the fountain at Hallmark Cards World Headquarters in Crown Center . Since its inception in 1857, City Market has been one of the largest and most enduring public farmers' markets in
4848-715: The Central Business District inside the downtown loop. The T-Mobile Center and the College Basketball Experience are within the Power & Light District, also within the downtown loop. The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts is perched upon a high point immediately south of the downtown loop. South of the loop is the Crossroads District , Union Station , Crown Center , the National World War I Museum , Liberty Memorial , Penn Valley Park , University Health Truman Medical Center , Children's Mercy Hospital , and
4949-599: The Central Business District. The Power & Light District , a new, nine-block entertainment district comprising numerous restaurants, bars, and retail shops, was developed by the Cordish Company of Baltimore, Maryland . Its first tenant opened on November 9, 2007. It is anchored by the T-Mobile Center , a 19,000-seat sports and entertainment complex. Kansas City is in the Midwestern United States , near
5050-475: The Commerce Bank Tower into residential and hotel space has helped to fulfill the demand. New apartment complexes like One, Two, and Three Lights, River Market West, and 503 Main have begun to reshape Kansas City's skyline. Strong demand has led to occupancy rates in the upper 90%. The residential population of downtown has boomed, and the office population has dropped significantly from the early 2000s to
5151-595: The Future" , a global hub for supersonic transport and the Boeing 747 . A new single-terminal building was opened on February 28, 2023, to modernize the design, operations, and passenger experience. The much smaller Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport , immediately north of downtown across the Missouri River, was the original headquarters of Trans World Airlines (TWA) and houses the Airline History Museum . It served as
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#17330856822285252-407: The Indian Tribes That Occupy It, and the Commerce and Advantages to Be Derived Therefrom for the Establishment of a Colony in 1713 and The Route to Be Taken to Ascend the Missouri River in 1714. In the documents, he describes the junction of the "Grande Riv[ière] des Cansez" and Missouri River, as the first adoption of those names. French cartographer Guillaume Delisle used the descriptions to make
5353-413: The Missouri River to the north, 31st Street to the south, Troost Avenue to the east, and State Line Road to the west. Areas near Downtown Kansas City include the 39th Street District , which is known as Restaurant Row, and features one of Kansas City's largest selections of independently owned restaurants and boutique shops. It is a center of literary and visual arts, and bohemian culture . Crown Center
5454-409: The Missouri River. He established a home for his wife, Josephine, and six children. He operated a ferry on the river. In 1833, John McCoy , son of Baptist missionary Isaac McCoy and brother-in-law of Johnston Lykins , established West Port along the Santa Fe Trail , 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) south of the river. In 1834, McCoy established Westport Landing on a bend in the Missouri to serve as
5555-480: The Northland outside the city limits include Parkville , Kearney , Liberty , Platte City , Gladstone , Riverside , Smithville , North Kansas City , and Weatherby Lake . Wyandotte County, Kansas has a population of 169,245 and contains Kansas City, Kansas , Bonner Springs, Kansas , and Edwardsville, Kansas . Kansas City, Kansas is locally called "KCK" to distinguish it from the larger Kansas City, Missouri (KCMO). It contains many residential neighborhoods,
5656-403: The Northland population growing the most. Even so, the population of Kansas City as a whole from 2000 to 2010 increased by 4.1%. In February 2022, the city had an estimated 3,000 homeless people. Kansas City Metropolitan Area The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri . Its 14 counties straddle the border between
5757-466: The River Market, Downtown, Union Station, Crown Center and the Country Club Plaza. The KCATA continues to expand MAX with additional routes on Prospect Avenue, Troost Avenue, and Independence Avenue. In 2013, construction began on a two-mile streetcar line in downtown Kansas City (funded by a $ 102 million ballot initiative that was passed in 2012) that runs between the River Market and Union Station, it began operation in May 2016. In 2017, voters approved
5858-400: The Rockhill District were conceived to accommodate the city's largest residencies of palatial proportions. The obsolescence of Union Depot in West Bottoms in favor of the new Union Station in 1914, and the opening of the Liberty Memorial in 1923, provided two of the city's most identifiable landmarks. Robert A. Long , president of the Liberty Memorial Association, was a driving force in
5959-400: The Safdie-designed Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts opened in 2011. The Power and Light Building is influenced by the Art Deco style and sports a glowing sky beacon. The new world headquarters of H&R Block is a 20-story all-glass oval bathed in a soft green light. The four industrial artworks atop the support towers of the Kansas City Convention Center ( Bartle Hall ) were once
6060-413: The U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With 8,472 square miles (21,940 km ) and a population of more than 2.2 million people, it is the second-largest metropolitan area centered in Missouri (after Greater St. Louis ) and is the largest metropolitan area in Kansas, though Wichita is the largest metropolitan area centered in Kansas. Alongside Kansas City, Missouri, these are
6161-439: The United States Congress. Kansas City is home to significant national and international architecture firms including ACI Boland, BNIM , 360 Architecture , HNTB , Populous . Frank Lloyd Wright designed two private residences and Community Christian Church there. Kansas City hosts more than 200 working fountains, especially on the Country Club Plaza. Designs range from French-inspired traditional to modern. Highlights include
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#17330856822286262-402: The United States. The Latino/Hispanic population of Kansas City, which is heavily Mexican and Central American , is spread throughout the metropolitan area, with some concentration in the northeast part of the city and southwest of downtown. The Asian population, mostly Southeast Asian, is partly concentrated within the northeast side to the Columbus Park neighborhood in the Greater Downtown area,
6363-422: The area's Major League Soccer club, Sporting Kansas City . Major educational institutions include the University of Missouri–Kansas City , Rockhurst University , Kansas City Art Institute , Stowers Institute for Medical Research , Midwest Research Institute , and Penn Valley Community College . East Side of the Metro is primarily eastern Jackson County which is an area of the Kansas City Metro that contains
6464-499: The area's first reasonably accurate map. The Spanish took over the region in the Treaty of Paris in 1763, but were not to play a major role other than taxing and licensing Missouri River ship traffic. The French continued their fur trade under Spanish license. The Chouteau family operated under Spanish license at St. Louis , in the lower Missouri Valley as early as 1765 and in 1821 the Chouteaus reached Kansas City, where François Chouteau established Chouteau's Landing. After
6565-555: The area's major airport until 1972, when Kansas City International (then known as Mid-Continent International Airport and home to an Overhaul Base for TWA) became the primary airport for the metropolitan area after undergoing $ 150 million in upgrades that had been approved by voters in a 1966 bond issue. Downtown Airport is still used for general aviation and airshows. Two general aviation airports are in Johnson County, Kansas. New Century AirCenter borders southwest Olathe and northeast Gardner. The primary runway at New Century AirCenter
6666-409: The areas east of Troost. The Hyatt Regency walkway collapse was a major disaster that occurred on July 17, 1981, killing 114 people and injuring more than 200 others during a tea dance in the 45-story Hyatt Regency hotel in Crown Center . It is the deadliest structural collapse in US history other than the September 11 attacks . In 2015 a memorial called the Skywalk Memorial Plaza was built for
6767-462: The average American metro area, and nearly 75% more than the large metro area with the least in Las Vegas . The Kansas City area is a confluence of four major U.S. interstate highways : Other interstates that cross through the area include: U.S. Highways serving the Kansas City Metro Area include these: Kansas highways in the area include these: Missouri highways in the area include these: These are other notable roads: The Missouri side of
6868-466: The border between Missouri and Kansas at the confluence of the Kansas and Missouri rivers , and was considered a good place to settle. The Antioch Christian Church , Dr. James Compton House , and Woodneath are listed on the National Register of Historic Places . In past centuries, the area's tribal inhabitants include the Hopewell tradition , Mississippian culture , Kansa , Osage , Otoe , and Missouri . The first documented European visitor to
6969-411: The center of North America, far removed from a significant body of water, there is significant potential for extreme hot and cold swings throughout the year. The warmest month is July, with a 24-hour average temperature of 81.0 °F (27.2 °C). The summer months are hot and humid, with moist air riding up from the Gulf of Mexico , and high temperatures surpass 100 °F (38 °C) on 5.6 days of
7070-417: The city and nearby communities and those whose allegiance to the Union was certified by Ewing. After the Civil War, Kansas City grew rapidly. The selection of the city over Leavenworth, Kansas , for the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad bridge over the Missouri River brought significant growth. The population exploding after 1869, when Hannibal Bridge, designed by Octave Chanute , opened. The boom prompted
7171-466: The city and was one of the largest systems in the country. In 1903 the 8th Street Tunnel was built as an underground streetcar system through the city. The last run of the streetcar was on June 23, 1957, but the tunnel still exists. At the start of the 20th century, political machines gained clout in the city, with the one led by Tom Pendergast dominating the city by 1925. Several important buildings and structures were built during this time, including
7272-517: The city covered approximately 316 square miles (820 km ), more than five times its size in 1940. Aggressively annexing the surrounding suburbs and undeveloped land spared Kansas City from the severe population loss suffered by cities like St. Louis and Detroit, similar cities which both lost over 50% of their population in the postwar era. In the most neglected neighborhoods, however, the same pattern of abandonment occurred and left behind massive numbers of vacant lots and abandoned homes, especially in
7373-708: The city's skyline. The Downtown Loop is formed by Interstates 670, 70, and 35. Within the downtown loop are many of the tall buildings and skyscrapers that make up the city's skyline. The downtown loop also has small, distinct neighborhoods such as Quality Hill , the Garment District , the Financial District , the Convention Center District, and the Power and Light District . Other nearby neighborhoods are River Market and Columbus Park, both located between
7474-441: The democratic process, his monarchistic style of living, his increasingly insatiable gambling habit, his grasping for a business empire, and his promotion of Kansas City as a wide-open town with every kind of vice imaginable, combined with his professed compassion for the poor and very real role as city builder, made him bigger than life, difficult to characterize. Troost Avenue was once the eastern edge of Kansas City, Missouri and
7575-458: The dominating economic success of neighboring Johnson County . In 1950, African Americans represented 12.2% of Kansas City's population. The city's most populous ethnic group, non-Hispanic whites, declined from 89.5% in 1930 to 54.9% in 2010. In 1940, the city had about 400,000 residents; by 2000, it had about 440,000. From 1940 to 1960, the city more than doubled its physical size, while increasing its population by only about 75,000. By 1970,
7676-885: The downtown loop and the Missouri River . Between the downtown loop and the state line are the Westside neighborhood and the West Bottoms , located at the bottom of the bluff adjacent to Kaw Point . East of the loop are the 18th & Vine District, the North Bottoms, and Northeast Kansas City (the East Bottoms, Northeast, and Pendleton Heights ). South of the loop is the Crossroads District , Union Hill , Crown Center , Hospital Hill , Longfellow, Wendell Phillips, and Washington Wheatley. The Kansas City Convention Center , Municipal Auditorium , City Hall , Lyric Theater , Midland Theatre , Ilus Davis Park, and Barney Allis Plaza are within
7777-760: The east. During the Civil War , the city and its immediate surroundings were the focus of intense military activity. Although the First Battle of Independence in August 1862 resulted in a Confederate States Army victory, the Confederates were unable to leverage their win in any significant fashion, as Kansas City was occupied by Union troops and proved too heavily fortified to assault. The Second Battle of Independence , which occurred on October 21–22, 1864, as part of Sterling Price 's Missouri expedition of 1864 , also resulted in
7878-471: The establishment of the Kansas Territory . Confusion between the two ensued, and the name Kansas City was assigned to distinguish them soon after. Sitting on Missouri's western boundary with Kansas , with Downtown near the confluence of the Kansas and Missouri Rivers, the city encompasses about 319.03 square miles (826.3 km ), making it the 25th largest city by total area in the United States. It
7979-626: The eventual site of Kansas City was Étienne de Veniard, Sieur de Bourgmont , who was also the first European to explore the lower Missouri River. Criticized for his response to the Native American attack on Fort Détroit , he had deserted his post as fort commander and was avoiding French authorities. Bourgmont lived with a Native American wife in a village about 90 miles (140 km) east near Brunswick, Missouri , where he illegally traded furs . To clear his name, he wrote Exact Description of Louisiana, of Its Harbors, Lands and Rivers, and Names of
8080-414: The families of the victims of the disaster, across the street from the hotel which is now a Sheraton. In the 21st century, the Kansas City area has undergone extensive redevelopment, with more than $ 6 billion in improvements to the downtown area on the Missouri side. One of the main goals is to attract convention and tourist dollars, office workers, and residents to downtown KCMO. Among the projects include
8181-642: The far-eastern urban side of Kansas City, Missouri and the following large suburbs of Blue Springs , Independence , and Lee's Summit . The area includes western Lafayette County Missouri and the far northeast portion of Cass County Missouri. The East Side of Metro includes the Missouri suburbs of Independence , Grandview , Blue Springs , Raytown , Lees Summit , Grain Valley , Oak Grove , Sugar Creek , River Bend , Lake Lotawana , Lone Jack , Greenwood , Unity Village , Buckner , Pleasant Hill , Bates City , Odessa , and Lake Tapawingo . Arrowhead Stadium , home of
8282-508: The formation of a TDD to expand the streetcar line south 3.5 miles from Union Station to UMKC's Volker Campus. Additionally in 2017, the KC Port Authority began engineering studies for a Port Authority funded streetcar expansion north to Berkley Riverfront Park. Citywide, voter support for rail projects continues to grow with numerous light rail projects in the works. In 2016, Jackson County, Missouri, acquired unused rail lines as part of
8383-634: The funding for construction. Long was a longtime resident and wealthy businessman. He built the R.A. Long Building for the Long-Bell Lumber Company , his home, Corinthian Hall (now the Kansas City Museum ) and Longview Farm . Further spurring Kansas City's growth was the opening of the innovative Country Club Plaza development by J.C. Nichols in 1925, as part of his Country Club District plan. The Kansas City streetcar system once had hundreds of miles of streetcars running through
8484-413: The geographic center of the country, at the confluence of the Missouri and Kansas rivers. The city lies in either the humid continental zone when using the 0 °C (32 °F) isotherm, or in the humid subtropical zone when using the −3 °C (27 °F) isotherm. The city experiences roughly 104 air frosts on average per annum. The city is part of USDA plant hardiness zones 5b and 6a. In
8585-689: The independent baseball team, the Kansas City Monarchs , and the Legends shopping district. Bonner Springs is home to the Azura Amphitheater (commonly known as the Sandstone Amphitheater), the National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame , Wyandotte County Historical Museum, and the annual Kansas City Renaissance Festival . Cass County, Missouri has a population of 107,824 and contains parts of "South Kansas City". This area consists of
8686-562: The landing area was incorporated as the town of Kansas, Missouri . By that time, the towns of Kansas, Westport, and nearby Independence , had become critical points in the westward expansion of the United States. Three major trails – the Santa Fe , California , and Oregon – all passed through Jackson County. On February 22, 1853, Kansas was reincorporated and renamed the City of Kansas with its first elected mayor, William Samuel Gregory . Due to
8787-422: The metropolitan area south of the Missouri River shares a grid system with Johnson County on the Kansas side. Most east–west streets are numbered and most north–south streets named. Addresses on east–west streets are numbered from Main Street in Kansas City, Missouri, and on north–south streets from St. John Avenue (or the Missouri River, in the River Market area). The direction 'South' in street and address numbers
8888-521: The mid-2010s. Top employers like AMC moved their operations to modern office buildings in the suburbs. High office vacancy plagued downtown, leading to the neglect of many office buildings. By the mid-2010s, many office buildings were converted to residential uses and the Class A vacancy rate plunged to 12% in 2017. Swiss Re, Virgin Mobile, AutoAlert, and others have begun to move operations to downtown Kansas City from
8989-537: The most southern part of Kansas City, Missouri, and the suburbs of Harrisonville , Belton , Loch Lloyd , Peculiar , and Raymore . Leavenworth County, Kansas has a population of 81,881 and contains the cities of Leavenworth and Lansing , and the Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary . The Kansas City metropolitan area (MO-KS) population in 2018 was 2,106,632 and the Kansas City CSA in 2022
9090-507: The official record lowest is −23 °F (−31 °C), set on December 22 and 23, 1989. Normal seasonal snowfall is 13.4 inches (34 cm) at Downtown Airport and 18.8 in (48 cm) at Kansas City International Airport. The average window for freezing temperatures is October 31 to April 4, while for measurable (0.1 in or 0.25 cm) snowfall, it is November 27 to March 16 as measured at Kansas City International Airport. Precipitation, both in frequency and total accumulation, shows
9191-478: The operator. From 2007 to 2017, downtown residential population in Kansas City quadrupled and continues to grow. The area has grown from almost 4,000 residents in the early 2000s to nearly 30,000 as of 2017 . Kansas City's downtown ranks as the sixth-fastest-growing downtown in America with the population expected to grow by more than 40% by 2022. Conversions of office buildings such as the Power & Light Building and
9292-516: The redevelopment of the Power & Light District into a retail and entertainment district; and the Sprint Center, an 18,500-seat arena that opened in 2007, funded by a 2004 ballot initiative involving a tax on car rentals and hotels, designed to meet the stadium specifications for a possible future NBA or NHL franchise, and was renamed T-Mobile Center in 2020; Kemper Arena, which was functionally superseded by Sprint Center, fell into disrepair and
9393-627: The south includes the Sunset Hill and Brookside neighborhoods, and is traversed by Ward Parkway , a landscaped boulevard known for its statuary, fountains, and large, historic homes. Union Station is home to Science City , restaurants, shopping, theaters, and the city's Amtrak facility. After years of neglect and seas of parking lots, Downtown Kansas City is undergoing a period of change with over $ 6 billion in development since 2000. Many residential properties recently have been or are under redevelopment in three surrounding warehouse loft districts and
9494-638: The south, and Troost Avenue on the east. Midtown/Plaza, the core of the metropolitan area, has many cultural attractions, shopping and entertainment areas, large hospitals, universities, and the metro area's most densely populated neighborhoods. Midtown/Plaza has many distinct and historic neighborhoods, including Westport , Hyde Park , and Southmoreland . Shopping is centered on the Country Club Plaza, which has luxury retailers, hotels, and restaurants. Brookside and Westport also contain smaller-scale, neighborhood-oriented, and niche-market retailers. Midtown
9595-540: The subject of ridicule, but now define the night skyline near the T-Mobile Center along with One Kansas City Place (Missouri's tallest office tower), the KCTV-Tower (Missouri's tallest freestanding structure) and the Liberty Memorial , a World War I memorial and museum that flaunts simulated flames and smoke billowing into the night skyline. It was designated as the National World War I Museum and Memorial in 2004 by
9696-473: The suburbs and expensive coastal cities. The area has seen additional development through various transportation projects, including improvements to the Grandview Triangle , which intersects Interstates 435 and 470, and U.S. Route 71 . In July 2005, the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) launched Kansas City's first bus rapid transit line, the Metro Area Express (MAX), which links
9797-557: The terrain when the glaciers melted and drained. A partially filled spillway valley crosses the central city. This valley is an eastward continuation of the Turkey Creek Valley. It is the closest major city to the geographic center of the contiguous United States, or "Lower 48". Kansas City comprises more than 240 neighborhoods, some with histories as independent cities or as the sites of major events. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art opened its Euro-Style Bloch addition in 2007, and
9898-433: The year, and 90 °F (32 °C) on 47 days. The coldest month of the year is January, with an average temperature of 31.0 °F (−0.6 °C). Winters are cold, with 22 days where the high temperature is at or below 32 °F (0 °C) and 2.5 nights with a low at or below 0 °F (−18 °C). The official record highest temperature is 113 °F (45 °C), set on August 14, 1936, at Downtown Airport, while
9999-403: Was 2,209,152. The MSA covers a total area of 7,952 sq mi (20,600 km ) including 97 sq mi (250 km ) of water. Often associated with Kansas City, the cities of Lawrence, Kansas and Saint Joseph, Missouri are identified as separate Metropolitan Statistical Areas. The Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City MO-KS (USA) Combined Statistical Area (CSA) encompasses
10100-432: Was once a pedestrian tunnel under Southwest Trafficway at 40th Terrace, but it was removed as a blighted "dark alley" as part of the construction of the current intersection. In 1998, a team from UMKC analyzed the entirety of Southwest Trafficway and forwarded several proposals which would facilitate pedestrian traffic where the trafficway currently disrupts Westport , including moving the trafficway underground and planting
10201-550: Was sold to private developers. By 2018, the arena was being converted to a sports complex under the name Hy-Vee Arena . The Kauffman Performing Arts Center opened in 2011 providing a new, modern home to the KC Orchestra and Ballet. In 2015, an 800-room Hyatt Convention Center Hotel was announced for a site next to the Performance Arts Center & Bartle Hall. Construction was scheduled to start in early 2018 with Loews as
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