Kansas City, Missouri

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Kansas City
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Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
National WWI Museum and Memorial Kansas City Union Station
	Seal
	Nickname(s): "KC", "KCMO", the "City of Fountains", "Paris of the Plains", and the "Heart of America"
	City boundaries and location within the U.S.
	Coordinates: 39°05′59″N 94°34′42″W / 39.09972°N 94.57833°W
Country	United States
FIPS code	29000-38000
GNIS feature ID	748198
Website	kcmo.gov

Kansas City, Missouri (KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020,^[6] making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central city of the Kansas City metropolitan area, which straddles the Missouri–Kansas state line and has a population of 2,392,035.^[7]^[2] Most of the city lies within Jackson County, with portions spilling into Clay, Cass, and Platte counties. 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 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 km²), making it the 23rd largest city by total area in the United States. It serves as one of the two county seats of Jackson County, along with the major satellite city of Independence. Other major suburbs include the Missouri cities of Blue Springs and Lee's Summit and the Kansas cities of Overland Park, Olathe, Lenexa, and Kansas City, Kansas.

The city is composed of several neighborhoods, including the

Kansas City strip steak

, and craft breweries.

History

Kansas City, Missouri, was incorporated as a town on June 1, 1850, and as a city on March 28, 1853. The

area

, straddling the border between Missouri and Kansas at the confluence of the Kansas and Missouri rivers, was considered a good place to build settlements.

The Antioch Christian Church, Dr. James Compton House, and Woodneath are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.^[8]

Exploration and settlement

Kansas City Pioneer Square monument in Westport features Pony Express founder Alexander Majors, Westport/Kansas City founder John Calvin McCoy, and Mountain-man Jim Bridger

who owned Chouteau's Store.

In past centuries, the area's tribal inhabitants include the

furs

.

To clear his name, he wrote Exact Description of Louisiana, of Its Harbors, Lands and Rivers, and Names of 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 the area's first reasonably accurate map.

The Spanish took over the region in the

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 the Louisiana Purchase (1803)

After the 1803

mob violence in 1833, and their settlement remained vacant.^[10]

In 1831, Gabriel Prudhomme Sr., a Canadian trapper, purchased 257 acres of land fronting the Missouri River. He established a home for his wife, Josephine, and six children. He operated a ferry on the river.^[citation needed]

In 1833

Westport Landing on a bend in the Missouri to serve as a landing point for West Port. He found it more convenient to have his goods offloaded at the Prudhomme 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.^{[citation needed}

]

Kansas City in 1843 was depicted in a history of Oregon.

In 1850, the landing area was incorporated as the Town of Kansas.

trails – the Santa Fe, California, and Oregon

– all passed through Jackson County.

On February 22, 1853, the City of Kansas was created with a newly elected mayor. It had an area of 0.70 square miles (1.8 km²) and a population of 2,500. The boundary lines at that time 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 the east.[12]

American Civil War

During the Civil War, the city and its immediate surroundings were the focus of intense military activity. Although the

Missouri expedition of 1864, also resulted in 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 the city and nearby communities and those whose allegiance to the Union was certified by Ewing.

After Civil War

After the Civil War, Kansas City grew rapidly. The selection of the city over

Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad bridge over the Missouri River brought about significant growth. The population exploded after 1869, when the Hannibal Bridge, designed by Octave Chanute, opened. The boom prompted 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.^[13]

Junction of Main and Delaware Streets in 1898

Kansas City, guided by landscape architect

City Beautiful movement, offering a network of boulevards and parks.^[14] New neighborhoods like Southmoreland and the Rockhill District were conceived to accommodate the city's largest residencies of palatial proportions.^{[citation needed}

]

The relocation of

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 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.^{[citation needed}

]

Further spurring Kansas City's growth was the opening of the innovative

J.C. Nichols in 1925, as part of his Country Club District plan.^{[citation needed}

]

20th century streetcar system

The Kansas City streetcar system once had hundreds of miles of streetcars running through the city and was one of the largest systems in the country.^[15] 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.^[16]

Pendergast era

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 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.^[17]

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 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.[18]

After World War II

Kansas City's suburban development began with a streetcar system in the early decades of the 20th century. The city's first suburbs were in the neighborhoods of Pendleton Heights and Quality Hill. After World War II, many relatively affluent residents left for suburbs in Johnson County, Kansas, and eastern Jackson County, Missouri. Many also went north of the Missouri River, where Kansas City had incorporated areas between the 1940s and 1970s.

Troost redlining and white flight

Troost Avenue was once the eastern edge of Kansas City, Missouri and 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.^[19]^[20] 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 the dominating economic success of neighboring Johnson County.^[21]

In 1950, African Americans represented 12.2% of Kansas City's population.

1968 Kansas City riot. At this time, slums were forming in the inner city, and many who could afford to do so left for the suburbs and outer areas of the city. The post-World War II ideals of suburban life and the "American Dream" also contributed to the sprawl of the area. The city's population continued to grow, but the inner city declined. The city's most populous ethnic group, non-Hispanic whites,^[22] declined from 89.5% in 1930 to 54.9% in 2010.^[13]

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, the city covered approximately 316 square miles (820 km²), more than five times its size in 1940.^[citation needed]

Hyatt Regency walkway collapse

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.^[23] In 2015 a memorial called the Skywalk Memorial Plaza was built for the families of the victims of the disaster, across the street from the hotel which is now a Sheraton.^[24]

21st century

Downtown Kansas City re-development

Downtown Kansas City looking over Union Station from the Liberty Memorial.

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 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,^[25] and was renamed T-Mobile Center in 2020; Kemper Arena, which was functionally superseded by Sprint Center, fell into disrepair and was sold to private developers. By 2018, the arena was being converted to a sports complex under the name Hy-Vee Arena.^[26] 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 the operator.^[27]

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 [update]. 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 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%.^[28]

The residential population of downtown has boomed, and the office population has dropped significantly from the early 2000s to 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 the suburbs and expensive coastal cities.^[29]^[30]

Transportation developments

The area has seen additional development through various transportation projects, including improvements to the

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 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.^[31]

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 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.^[32]^[33]

In 2016, Jackson County, Missouri, acquired unused rail lines as part of 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, Missouri, voters overwhelmingly approved a new single terminal at Kansas City International Airport by a 75% to 25% margin. The new single terminal will replace the three existing "Clover Leafs" at KCI Airport and is expected to open in March 2023.^[34]

Geography

The Kansas City metropolitan area was photographed by the Sentinel-2

satellite in July 2022.

The city has an area of 319.03 square miles (826.28 km²), of which, 314.95 square miles (815.72 km²) is land and 4.08 square miles (10.57 km²) is water.[35] 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 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".

Cityscape

Kansas City, Missouri, comprises more than 240^[36] neighborhoods, some with histories as independent cities or as the sites of major events.

Architecture

Community Christian Church was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and next to the Country Club Plaza

.

The

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 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.

City Market

The Town of Kansas Bridge connects pedestrian traffic from the Riverfront Heritage Trail (starting at Berkley Riverfront Park) to River Market.

Since its inception in 1857, City Market has been one of the largest and most enduring public farmers' markets in 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, home accessories and more.^[37] The City Market is also home to the Arabia Steamboat Museum, which houses artifacts from a steamboat that sank near Kansas City in 1856.^[37]

Downtown

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.^[41]

Climate

Kansas City lies in the Midwestern United States, near the geographic center of the country, at the confluence of the Missouri and Kansas rivers. The city either lies in the humid continental zone when using the 0°C isotherm, or in the humid subtropical zone when using the -3°C isotherm.^[42] Additionally, the city experiences roughly 104 air frosts on average per annum.^[43]^{[unreliable source?]} The city is part of USDA plant hardiness zones 5b and 6a.^[44] In 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 the year, and 90 °F (32 °C) on 47 days.^[45]^[46] 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).^[45] The official record highest temperature is 113 °F (45 °C), set on August 14, 1936, at Downtown Airport, while the official record lowest is −23 °F (−31 °C), set on December 22 and 23, 1989.^[45] 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.^[45] Precipitation, both in frequency and total accumulation, shows a marked uptick in late spring and summer.

Kansas City is located in "

2002 ice storm during which hundreds of thousands of residents lost power for days and (in some cases) weeks.^[48] Kansas City and its outlying areas are also subject to flooding, including the Great Floods of 1951 and 1993

.

Climate data for Kansas City, Missouri (Downtown Airport), 1991–2020 normals,^[a] extremes 1934–present)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	76 (24)	83 (28)	89 (32)	94 (34)	103 (39)	108 (42)	112 (44)	113 (45)	109 (43)	98 (37)	83 (28)	75 (24)	113 (45)
Mean maximum °F (°C)	62.9 (17.2)	68.4 (20.2)	78.6 (25.9)	84.3 (29.1)	90.1 (32.3)	95.4 (35.2)	100.0 (37.8)	99.9 (37.7)	93.8 (34.3)	86.0 (30.0)	73.5 (23.1)	65.2 (18.4)	101.7 (38.7)
Average high °F (°C)	39.9 (4.4)	45.1 (7.3)	56.6 (13.7)	66.8 (19.3)	76.2 (24.6)	85.8 (29.9)	90.2 (32.3)	88.6 (31.4)	80.4 (26.9)	68.2 (20.1)	54.5 (12.5)	43.9 (6.6)	66.3 (19.1)
Daily mean °F (°C)	31.0 (−0.6)	35.8 (2.1)	46.4 (8.0)	56.5 (13.6)	66.7 (19.3)	76.5 (24.7)	81.0 (27.2)	79.2 (26.2)	70.7 (21.5)	58.4 (14.7)	45.4 (7.4)	35.3 (1.8)	56.9 (13.8)
Average low °F (°C)	22.2 (−5.4)	26.4 (−3.1)	36.2 (2.3)	46.3 (7.9)	57.2 (14.0)	67.2 (19.6)	71.9 (22.2)	69.9 (21.1)	61.0 (16.1)	48.7 (9.3)	36.3 (2.4)	26.7 (−2.9)	47.5 (8.6)
Mean minimum °F (°C)	2.7 (−16.3)	8.4 (−13.1)	16.4 (−8.7)	31.0 (−0.6)	42.6 (5.9)	55.1 (12.8)	62.4 (16.9)	60.1 (15.6)	46.4 (8.0)	32.4 (0.2)	19.7 (−6.8)	8.2 (−13.2)	−0.7 (−18.2)
Record low °F (°C)	−14 (−26)	−13 (−25)	−3 (−19)	16 (−9)	32 (0)	44 (7)	52 (11)	48 (9)	34 (1)	21 (−6)	5 (−15)	−19 (−28)	−19 (−28)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	1.02 (26)	1.53 (39)	2.08 (53)	3.89 (99)	5.10 (130)	5.33 (135)	4.38 (111)	4.68 (119)	3.78 (96)	3.24 (82)	1.80 (46)	1.30 (33)	38.13 (969)
Average snowfall inches (cm)	3.4 (8.6)	3.2 (8.1)	0.4 (1.0)	0.1 (0.25)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.3 (0.76)	0.1 (0.25)	3.5 (8.9)	11.0 (28)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in)	4.6	4.8	6.8	9.3	11.0	9.5	7.9	7.8	7.6	7.0	5.2	4.6	86.1
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in)	2.2	1.6	0.4	0.1	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.1	1.9	6.4
Source: NOAA^[45]^[49]^[50]

Climate data for Kansas City Int'l, Missouri (1991–2020 normals,^[a] extremes 1888–present)^[b]
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	75 (24)	83 (28)	91 (33)	95 (35)	103 (39)	108 (42)	112 (44)	113 (45)	109 (43)	98 (37)	83 (28)	74 (23)	113 (45)
Mean maximum °F (°C)	62.0 (16.7)	67.5 (19.7)	78.8 (26.0)	84.5 (29.2)	88.9 (31.6)	93.5 (34.2)	97.9 (36.6)	98.1 (36.7)	92.6 (33.7)	85.9 (29.9)	72.6 (22.6)	64.3 (17.9)	99.7 (37.6)
Average high °F (°C)	38.4 (3.6)	43.6 (6.4)	55.4 (13.0)	65.5 (18.6)	75.0 (23.9)	84.2 (29.0)	88.3 (31.3)	87.1 (30.6)	79.2 (26.2)	67.2 (19.6)	53.5 (11.9)	42.3 (5.7)	65.0 (18.3)
Daily mean °F (°C)	29.0 (−1.7)	33.6 (0.9)	44.5 (6.9)	54.6 (12.6)	64.6 (18.1)	74.1 (23.4)	78.2 (25.7)	76.7 (24.8)	68.4 (20.2)	56.4 (13.6)	43.6 (6.4)	33.1 (0.6)	54.7 (12.6)
Average low °F (°C)	19.5 (−6.9)	23.6 (−4.7)	33.6 (0.9)	43.7 (6.5)	54.3 (12.4)	64.0 (17.8)	68.1 (20.1)	66.3 (19.1)	57.5 (14.2)	45.6 (7.6)	33.6 (0.9)	23.9 (−4.5)	44.5 (6.9)
Mean minimum °F (°C)	−1.5 (−18.6)	4.3 (−15.4)	13.3 (−10.4)	27.8 (−2.3)	39.4 (4.1)	51.6 (10.9)	58.3 (14.6)	56.0 (13.3)	41.9 (5.5)	28.5 (−1.9)	16.3 (−8.7)	4.4 (−15.3)	−5.2 (−20.7)
Record low °F (°C)	−20 (−29)	−22 (−30)	−10 (−23)	12 (−11)	27 (−3)	42 (6)	51 (11)	43 (6)	31 (−1)	17 (−8)	1 (−17)	−23 (−31)	−23 (−31)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	1.16 (29)	1.48 (38)	2.36 (60)	4.05 (103)	5.32 (135)	5.25 (133)	4.58 (116)	4.24 (108)	4.04 (103)	3.25 (83)	2.00 (51)	1.57 (40)	39.30 (998)
Average snowfall inches (cm)	4.9 (12)	5.9 (15)	1.7 (4.3)	0.3 (0.76)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.3 (0.76)	1.1 (2.8)	4.0 (10)	18.2 (46)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in)	6.8	6.7	9.5	11.3	12.1	10.2	9.0	8.4	8.3	8.1	6.8	6.5	103.7
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in)	4.4	3.1	1.7	0.4	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.2	1.0	3.0	13.8
Average relative humidity (%)	68.8	69.6	66.7	62.9	68.0	69.2	67.4	70.0	70.4	67.1	69.7	71.0	68.4
Average dew point °F (°C)	16.5 (−8.6)	21.4 (−5.9)	31.6 (−0.2)	40.6 (4.8)	52.0 (11.1)	61.5 (16.4)	65.8 (18.8)	64.4 (18.0)	56.7 (13.7)	43.5 (6.4)	32.5 (0.3)	21.0 (−6.1)	42.3 (5.7)
Mean monthly sunshine hours	183.7	174.3	223.9	257.8	285.0	305.5	329.3	293.9	240.5	213.6	155.3	147.1	2,809.9
Percent possible sunshine	61	58	60	65	64	68	74	69	64	62	52	50	63
Source: NOAA (relative humidity, dew point, and sun 1972–1990)^[45]^[51]^[52]^[53]

Climate data for Kansas City, Missouri
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average ultraviolet index	2	3	5	7	8	9	10	9	7	4	3	2	6
Source: Weather Atlas ^[54]

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1860	4,418	—
1870	32,260	630.2%
1880	55,785	72.9%
1890	132,716	137.9%
1900	163,752	23.4%
1910	248,381	51.7%
1920	324,410	30.6%
1930	399,746	23.2%
1940	400,178	0.1%
1950	456,622	14.1%
1960	475,539	4.1%
1970	507,087	6.6%
1980	448,159	−11.6%
1990	435,146	−2.9%
2000	441,545	1.5%
2010	459,787	4.1%
2020	508,090	10.5%
U.S. Decennial Census^[55] 2010–2020^[6]

Map of racial distribution in Kansas City, 2010 U.S. Census. Each dot is 25 people: ⬤ White ⬤ Black ⬤ Asian ⬤ Hispanic ⬤ Other

Kansas City has the second largest

Italian American neighborhood, the UMKC area and in River Market, in northern Kansas City.^[56]^[57]^[58]

The Historic Kansas City boundary is roughly 58 square miles (150 km²) and has a population density of about 5,000 people per sq. mi. 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 the 1960s and 1970s, Kansas City annexed large amounts of land, which are largely undeveloped to this day.

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 seen an increase in population, with the Northland seeing the greatest population growth.[59] Even so, the population of Kansas City as a whole from 2000 to 2010 increased by 4.1%.

Racial composition	2020^[60]	2010^[22]	1990^[13]	1970^[13]	1940^[13]
White	59.7%	59.2%	66.8%	77.2%	89.5%
Black or African American	26.5%	29.9%	29.6%	22.1%	10.4%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)	10.7%	10.0%	3.9%	2.7%^[c]	N/A
Two or more races	6.3%	3.2%	N/A	N/A	N/A
Asian	2.7%	2.5%	N/A	N/A	N/A
American Indian and Alaska Natives	0.4%	0.5%	N/A	N/A	N/A
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0.3%	0.2%	N/A	N/A	N/A

As of February 2022, there were an estimated 3,000 homeless people in Kansas City.^[61] In spring 2022, more than 700 people were living unsheltered in Kansas City.^[62]

Economy

The federal government is the largest employer in the Kansas City metro area, with more than 146 agencies. Kansas City is one of ten regional office cities for the US government.

nuclear bomb arsenal.^[66] The Social Security Administration has more than 1,700 employees in the metro, with more than 1,200 at its downtown Mid-America Program Service Center (MAMPSC).^[67]

One of the largest US drug manufacturing plants is the

animal health sciences, with Manhattan, Kansas at one end of the^[69] Kansas City Animal Health Corridor, and Kansas City hosting the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility which researches animal diseases. The Stowers Institute for Medical Research engages in medical basic science research, working with Open University and University of Kansas Medical Center

in a joint Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Biomedical Science (IGPBS).

Agriculture companies include Dairy Farmers of America, the largest dairy co-op in the United States. The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and The National Association of Basketball Coaches are based in Kansas City.

H&R Block

's oblong headquarters is in downtown Kansas City.

The Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank opened a new building in 2008 near Union Station. Missouri is the only state to have two of the 12 Federal Reserve Bank headquarters, with the second in St. Louis. Kansas City's effort to get the bank was helped by former mayor James A. Reed, who as senator, broke a tie to pass the Federal Reserve Act.^[70]

The national headquarters for the Veterans of Foreign Wars is headquartered just south of Downtown.

With a

gross state product.^[71] In 2014, Kansas City was ranked #6 for real estate investment.^[72]

Three international law firms, Lathrop & Gage, Stinson Leonard Street, and Shook, Hardy & Bacon are based in the city.

As of 2022^[update], there were reportedly an estimated 3,000 homeless people in Kansas City,^[73] addressed by the Zero KC initiative.^[74]

Headquarters

The following companies are headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri:

American Century Investments
Andrews McMeel Universal
Applebee's (former)
Barkley Inc.
Bernstein-Rein
Black & Veatch's Global Water Business
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City
BNIM
Boulevard Brewing Company
Burns & McDonnell
Cerner
Children International
Commerce Bancshares
Copaken, White & Blitt
Evergy, formerly Great Plains Energy
Freightquote.com
Garney Holding Company
Hallmark Cards
H&R Block
HNTB
Hostess Brands
J.E. Dunn Construction Group
JHS Pedals
Kansas City Southern Railway
Lockton Companies
MANICA Architecture
Novastar Financial
Populous
Russell Stover Candies
Smith Electric Vehicles
UMB Financial Corporation
Veterans of Foreign Wars
Walton Construction

Top employers

According to the city's Fiscal Year 2014–15 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,^[75] the top ten principal employers are as follows:

Rank	Employer	Employees	Percentage of Total Employment
1.	Public School System	30,172	2.92%
2.	Federal Government	30,000	2.91%
3.	State/County/City Government	24,616	2.39%
4.	Cerner Corporation	10,128	0.98%
5.	HCA Midwest Health System	9,753	0.94%
6.	Saint Luke's Health System	7,550	0.73%
7.	Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics	6,305	0.61%
8.	T-Mobile	6,300	0.61%
9.	The University of Kansas Hospital	6,030	0.58%
10.	Hallmark Cards, Inc.	4,600	0.45%

Culture

Abbreviations and nicknames

Kansas City, Missouri is abbreviated as KCMO and the

geographic center

of the 48 contiguous states.

Performing arts

There were only two theaters in Kansas City when David Austin Latchaw, originally from rural

Robert Mantell.^[78]

Theater troupes in the 1870s toured the state, performing in cities or small towns forming along the railroad lines. Rail transport had enhanced the theater troupe tour market, by allowing full costumes, props, and sets. As theater grew in popularity after the mid-1880s, that number increased and by 1912, ten new theaters had been built in Kansas City. By the 1920s, Kansas City was the center of the

Orpheum circuit.^[78]

Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

The

Starlight Theatre is an 8,105-seat outdoor theatre designed by Edward Delk. The Kansas City Symphony was founded by R. Crosby Kemper Jr. in 1982 to replace the defunct Kansas City Philharmonic, which was founded in 1933. The symphony performs at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. Michael Stern is the symphony's music director and lead conductor. Lyric Opera of Kansas City, founded in 1958, performs at the Kauffman Center, offers one American contemporary opera production during its season, consisting of either four or five productions. The Civic Opera Theater of Kansas City performs at the downtown Folly Theater and at the UMKC Performing Arts Center. Every summer from mid-June to early July, The Heart of America Shakespeare Festival performs at Southmoreland Park near the Nelson-Atkins Museum

; the festival was founded by Marilyn Strauss in 1993.

The Kansas City Ballet, founded in 1957 by Tatiana Dokoudovska, is a ballet troupe comprising 25 professional dancers and apprentices. Between 1986 and 2000, it combined with Dance St. Louis to form the State Ballet of Missouri, although it remained in Kansas City. From 1980 to 1995, the Ballet was run by dancer and choreographer Todd Bolender. Today, the Ballet offers an annual repertory split into three seasons, performing classical to contemporary ballets.^[79] The Ballet also performs at the Kauffman Center. Kansas City is home to The Kansas City Chorale, a professional 24-voice chorus conducted by Charles Bruffy. The chorus performs an annual concert series and a concert in Phoenix each year with their sister choir, the Phoenix Chorale. The Chorale has made nine recordings (three with the Phoenix Chorale).^[80]

Jazz

Entrance of the American Jazz Museum

Kansas City jazz in the 1930s marked the transition from big bands to the bebop influence of the 1940s. The 1979 documentary

Las Vegas casinos. The annual Kansas City Blues and Jazz Festival attracts top jazz stars and large tourist audiences. It was rated^[when?] Kansas City's "best festival" by The Pitch.^[81]

Live music venues are throughout the city, with the highest concentration in the Westport entertainment district centered on Broadway and Westport Road near
Solè. Kansas City Jazz Orchestra
is big band style.
In 2018, UNESCO named Kansas City a City of Music, as the only one in the United States. The designation is based on the city's rich musical heritage, and its $7 million budget for improving the 18th and Vine Jazz District in 2016.^[77]

The Kansas City Convention Center

Irish culture

In 2021, the US Census Bureau estimated 253,040 people of Irish descent in the metro, with 123,934 in Jackson, Clay, and Platte Counties.[82] The Irish were the first large immigrant group to settle in Kansas City following the lead of Fr. Bernard Donnelly (c. 1800–1880) and founded its first newspaper.^[83] The Irish community includes bands, dancers, Irish stores, newspapers, and the Kansas City Irish Center at Drexel Hall in Midtown. The first book detailing Irish history in Kansas City is Missouri Irish: Irish Settlers on the American Frontier, published in 1984. The Kansas City Irish Fest is held over Labor Day weekend in Crown Center and Washington Park.

Casinos

Missouri voters approved riverboat
Hollywood Casino
(which opened in February 2012 in Kansas City, Kansas).

Cuisine

Kansas City Stockyard of West Bottoms

Kansas City is famous for its
Kansas City-style barbecue, along with the typical array of Southern cuisine. During the heyday of the Kansas City Stockyards, the city was known for its Kansas City steaks or Kansas City strip steaks. The most famous of its steakhouses is the Golden Ox in the Kansas City Live Stock Exchange in the West Bottoms stockyards. These stockyards were second only to those of Chicago in size, but they never recovered from the Great Flood of 1951 and eventually closed. Founded in 1938, Jess & Jim's Steakhouse
in the Martin City neighborhood was also well known.
The Kansas City Strip cut of steak is similar to the New York Strip cut, and is sometimes referred to just as a strip steak. Along with Texas, Memphis, North, and South Carolina, Kansas City is lauded as a "world capital of barbecue". More than 90 barbecue restaurants^[86] operate in the metropolitan area. The American Royal each fall hosts what it claims is the world's biggest barbecue contest.

President Obama visits Arthur Bryant's
barbecue.

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Name	Description	Photo
Country Club Plaza District	A district developed in 1922 featuring Spanish-styled architecture and upscale shops and restaurants. Two universities have locations near the district (University of Missouri-Kansas City and the Kansas City Art Institute). The Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art and the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art are also around the district.
18th & Vine District	Cradle of distinctive Kansas City styled jazz. Home of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, American Jazz Museum, and the future home of the MLB Urban Youth Academy.^[87] The district contains several jazz clubs and venues, such as the Gem Theater and the Blue Room.
Crossroads Arts District	Home to several restaurants, art galleries, and hotels. First Friday is a popular monthly event in the district. Pop-up galleries, food trucks, venue deals, and music events are planned for First Fridays. Union Station and the Kauffman Center are within the district. Union Station has exhibits that change frequently, including at Science City.
Westport District	Originally a separate town before being annexed by Kansas City, the district contains several restaurants, shops, and nightlife options. Along with the Power and Light District, it serves as one of the city's main entertainment areas. The University of Kansas Hospital is close to the district, just across State Line Road.
Power and Light District	A new shopping and entertainment district within the Central Business District. It was developed by the Cordish Companies. The T-Mobile Center is within the district and is a major anchor development for the area. The Midland Theater, a popular concert venue, is also in the district.
Berkley Riverfront Park	Kansas City's original neighborhood on the Missouri River. The district contains one of the country's largest and longest lasting Berkley Riverfront Park, which is operated by Port KC .
Crown Center	A district developed by Hallmark. The district is a short walk from the National World War I Museum and Memorial (Liberty Memorial).
West Bottoms	The West Bottoms originated primarily as stockyards and for industrial uses, but is slowly being revitalized with apartments and shops. It has Kemper Arena .
Kansas City, North	Several attractions are north of the Missouri River. Zona Rosa is a mixed-used development with shopping, dining, and events. The Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport features the Aviation History Museum. Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun are major amusement parks of the midwest.
Swope Park	Swope Park has an area of 1,805 acres, a larger total space than Central Park, with several attractions. The Kansas City Zoo, encompassing 200 acres, features more than 1,000 animals and was ranked as one of the top 60 zoos in the United States. Starlight Theatre is the second largest outdoor musical theatre venue in the U.S.^[88] Sporting Kansas City practice at the soccer complex.

Club	Sport	Founded	League	Venue
Kansas City Chiefs	Football	1960 (as the Dallas Texans) 1963 (as Kansas City Chiefs)	National Football League	Arrowhead Stadium
Kansas City Royals	Baseball	1969	Major League Baseball	Kauffman Stadium
Sporting Kansas City	Soccer	1996	Major League Soccer	Children's Mercy Park (Kansas City, Kansas)
Sporting Kansas City II	Soccer	2016	MLS Next Pro	Children's Mercy Park (Kansas City, Kansas)
Kansas City Current	Soccer	2018 (as Utah Royals FC) 2021 (as KC NWSL)	National Women's Soccer League	Children's Mercy Park (Kansas City, Kansas)
Kansas City Mavericks	Hockey	2009	ECHL	Cable Dahmer Arena (Independence )
Kansas City Comets	Indoor soccer	2010	Major Arena Soccer League	Cable Dahmer Arena (Independence)
Kansas City Monarchs	Baseball	1993 (as the Duluth-Superior Dukes) 2003 (as the Kansas City T-Bones)	American Association	Legends Field
Kansas City Blues	Rugby Union	1966	USA Rugby Division 1	Swope Park Training Complex
Kansas City Storm	Football, Women's	2004	WTFA	North Kansas City High School

Office	Officeholder
Mayor (presides over Council)	Quinton Lucas
Councilman, District 1 At-large	Kevin O'Neill
Councilwoman, District 1	Heather Hall
Councilwoman, District 2 At-large	Teresa Loar
Councilman, District 2	Dan Fowler
Councilman, District 3 At-large	Brandon Ellington
Councilwoman, District 3	Melissa Robinson
Councilwoman, District 4 At-large	Katheryn Shields
Councilman, District 4	Eric Bunch
Councilman, District 5 At-large	Lee Barnes, Jr.
Councilwoman, District 5	Ryana Parks-Shaw
Councilwoman, District 6 At-large	Andrea Bough
Councilman, District 6	Kevin McManus
City Manager	Brian Platt
Mayor Pro-Tem	Kevin McManus

City	Subdivision	Country	Date
Seville	Andalusia	Spain	1967
Kurashiki^[139]^[140]	Okayama Prefecture	Japan	1972
Morelia	Michoacán	Mexico	1973
Freetown	Western Area	Sierra Leone	1974
Tainan		Taiwan	1978
Xi'an	Shaanxi	People's Republic of China	1989
Guadalajara^[141]	Jalisco	Mexico	1991
Hannover	Lower Saxony	Germany	1993
Port Harcourt	Rivers State	Nigeria	1993
Arusha	Arusha Region	Tanzania	1995
San Nicolás de los Garza	Nuevo León	Mexico	1997
Ramla		Israel	1998
Metz	Moselle	France	2004
Yan'an	Shaanxi	People's Republic of China	2017
Kabul	Kabul Province^[142]	Afghanistan	2018

Authority control
International	FAST VIAF WorldCat
National	Spain France BnF data Germany Israel United States Czech Republic
Geographic	MusicBrainz area
Other	NARA IdRef

History

Exploration and settlement

After the Louisiana Purchase (1803)

American Civil War

After Civil War

20th century streetcar system

Pendergast era

After World War II

Troost redlining and white flight

Hyatt Regency walkway collapse

21st century

Downtown Kansas City re-development

Transportation developments

Geography

Cityscape

Architecture

City Market

Downtown

Climate

Demographics

Economy

Headquarters

Top employers

Culture

Abbreviations and nicknames

Performing arts

Jazz

Irish culture

Casinos

Cuisine

Points of interest

Religion

Walt Disney

Sports

Professional football

Professional baseball

Professional soccer

College athletics

Rugby

Former teams

Parks and boulevards

Civil Engineering Landmark

Law and government

City government

National political conventions

Federal representation

Crime

Education

Colleges and universities

Primary and secondary schools

Libraries and archives

Media

Print media

Broadcast media

Film community

Transportation

Highways

Interstate highways

US highways

Missouri state highways

Other routes

Airports

Public transportation

KCATA RideKC

RideKC Bus and MAX

RideKC Streetcar

RideKC Bridj

Walkability

Modal characteristics

Sister cities

Notable people

See also

Notes

References

External links