City of Kansas City
Flag Seal
Nickname: "KC", "City of Fountains", "Heart of the Nation"
Location in Jackson, Clay, Platte, and Cass Counties in the state of Missouri.
Coordinates: 39°06′35″N 94°35′19″W / 39.10972, -94.58861
Country	United States of America
State	Missouri
Counties	Jackson Clay Platte Cass
Incorporated	March 28, 1853
Government
- Mayor	Mark Funkhouser
Area
- City	318.0 sq mi (823.7 km²)
- Land	313.5 sq mi (812.1 km²)
- Water	4.5 sq mi (11.6 km²)
- Urban	584.4 sq mi (1,513.6 km²)
Elevation	910 ft (277 m)
Population (2006)[1][2][3]
- City	447,306
- Density	1,406.6/sq mi (543/km²)
- Urban	1,361,744
- Metro	1,947,694
Time zone	CST (UTC-6)
- Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
Area code(s)	816
FIPS code	29-38000GR2
GNIS feature ID	0748198GR3
Website: http://www.kcmo.org/

Kansas City is the largest city in the state of Missouri. It encompasses parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest in Missouri, which includes counties in both Missouri and Kansas. As of 2006, the city had an estimated population of 447,306^[4], with a metro area of nearly two million.^[5] Kansas City was founded in 1838 as the "Town of Kansas"^[6] at the confluence of the Missouri and Kansas rivers and was incorporated in its present form in 1850. Situated opposite Kansas City, Kansas, the city was the location of several battles during the Civil War, including the Battle of Westport. The city is well known for its contributions to the musical styles of jazz and blues as well as to cuisine (Kansas City-style barbecue). Image File history File linksMetadata Kcskylinebridge. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links KCMOSeal. ... EXAMPLE:Laughbox,Blondie,BamBam,Pinkie,etc. ... Image File history File links Clay_County_Missouri_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Kansas_City_Highlighted. ... Jackson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. ... Clay County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. ... Platte County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. ... Cass County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. ... Official language(s) English Capital Jefferson City Largest city Kansas City Largest metro area St Louis[1] Area  Ranked 21st  - Total 69,709 sq mi (180,693 km²)  - Width 240 miles (385 km)  - Length 300 miles (480 km)  - % water 1. ... This list of countries, arranged alphabetically, gives an overview of countries of the world. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  US Government Portal      The political units and divisions of the United States include: The 50 states... Official language(s) English Capital Jefferson City Largest city Kansas City Largest metro area St Louis[1] Area  Ranked 21st  - Total 69,709 sq mi (180,693 km²)  - Width 240 miles (385 km)  - Length 300 miles (480 km)  - % water 1. ... Missouri has 114 counties and one independent city. ... Jackson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. ... Clay County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. ... Platte County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. ... Cass County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. ... A Municipal Corporation is a legal defintion for a local governing body, including (but not necessarily limited to) cities, counties, and towns. ... is the 87th day of the year (88th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1853 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... The Mayor of Kansas City has his office on the 29th floor of the Kansas City City Hall which is the highest occupiable floor in the building The Mayor of Kansas City, Missouri is the highest official in the Kansas City, Missouri Municipal Government. ... Mark Funkhouser (born 1950)[1] is the mayor-elect of Kansas City, Missouri, and a former city auditor for the same. ... This article is about the physical quantity. ... For other uses, see City (disambiguation). ... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (≈1,609 m) in length. ... To help compare different orders of magnitude and geographical regions, we list here areas between 100 km² and 1000 km². See also areas of other orders of magnitude. ... Elevation histogram of the surface of the Earth – approximately 71% of the Earths surface is covered with water. ... A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′ – a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... This article is about the unit of length. ... For other uses, see City (disambiguation). ... Population density per square kilometre by country, 2006 Population density map of the world in 1994. ... Cities with at least a million inhabitants in 2006 An urban area is an area with an increased density of human-created structures in comparison to the areas surrounding it. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Timezone and TimeZone redirect here. ...  CST or UTC-6 The Central Time Zone observes standard time by subtracting six hours from UTC during standard time (UTC-6) and five hours during daylight saving time (UTC-5). ... −12 | −11 | −10 | −9:30 | −9 | −8 | −7 | −6 | −5 | −4 | −3:30 | −3 | −2:30 | −2 | −1 | −0:25 | UTC (0) | +0:20 | +0:30 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +3:30 | +4 | +4:30 | +4:51 | +5 | +5:30 | +5:40 | +5:45 | +6 | +6:30 | +7 | +7:20 | +7... Although DST is common in Europe and North America, most of the worlds people do not use it. ...  CST or UTC-6 The Central Time Zone observes standard time by subtracting six hours from UTC during standard time (UTC-6) and five hours during daylight saving time (UTC-5). ... -12 | -11 | -10 | -9:30 | -9 | -8 | -7 | -6 | -5 | -4 | -3:30 | -3 | -2:30 | -2 | -1 | -0:25 | UTC (0) | +0:20 | +0:30 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +3:30 | +4 | +4:30 | +4:51 | +5 | +5:30 | +5:40 | +5:45 | +6 | +6:30 | +7 | +7:20 | +7... Area Code 816 is an area code in the state of Missouri that covers the Kansas City Metropolitan Area and the city of St. ... Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) are publicly announced standards developed by the U.S. Federal government for use by all (non-military) government agencies and by government contractors. ... GNIS (The Geographic Names Information System) contains name and locative information about almost two million physical and cultural features located throughout the United States of America and its Territories. ... For other uses, see City (disambiguation). ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  US Government Portal      A U.S. state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of... Official language(s) English Capital Jefferson City Largest city Kansas City Largest metro area St Louis[1] Area  Ranked 21st  - Total 69,709 sq mi (180,693 km²)  - Width 240 miles (385 km)  - Length 300 miles (480 km)  - % water 1. ... Jackson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. ... Clay County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. ... Cass County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. ... Platte County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. ... Kansas City satellite map The Kansas City Metropolitan Area is a metropolitan area situated at the confluence of the Kansas and Missouri Rivers, sometimes known as (Kaw Point). ... Official language(s) English[2] Capital Topeka Largest city Wichita Area  Ranked 15th  - Total 82,277 sq mi (213,096 km²)  - Width 211 miles (340 km)  - Length 417 miles (645 km)  - % water 0. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... | Jöns Jakob Berzelius, discoverer of protein 1838 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Look up confluence in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Missouri River is a tributary of the Mississippi River in the United States. ... The Kansas River near De Soto Kaw River (map) looking southward from middle of Turner Diagonal bridge. ... For the game, see: 1850 (board game) 1850 (MDCCCL) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday [1] of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Nickname: Location in Wyandotte, County in the state of Kansas. ... Official language(s) English[2] Capital Topeka Largest city Wichita Area  Ranked 15th  - Total 82,277 sq mi (213,096 km²)  - Width 211 miles (340 km)  - Length 417 miles (645 km)  - % water 0. ... Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America (Confederacy) Commanders Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties 110,000 killed in action, 360,000 total dead, 275,200 wounded 93,000 killed in action, 258,000 total... Combatants United States of America Confederate States of America Commanders Samuel R. Curtis Sterling Price Strength Army of the Border (22,000) Army of Missouri (8,500) Casualties 1,500 1,500 Cannon at Loose Park. ... For other uses, see Jazz (disambiguation). ... Blues music redirects here. ... Cuisine (from French cuisine, cooking; culinary art; kitchen; ultimately from Latin coquere, to cook) is a specific set of cooking traditions and practices, often associated with a specific culture. ... Kansas City-style barbecue plate. ...

Abbreviations and nicknames

Kansas City Skyline from Liberty Memorial

Kansas City, Missouri, is often abbreviated as "KCMO", or simply "KC" (both abbreviations often refer to the metro area). It is officially nicknamed the City of Fountains, with over 200 examples, the city claims to have second most in the world, just behind Rome.^[7] The city also has more boulevards than any city except Paris and has often been called "Paris on the Plains." Informal nicknames include BBQ Capital of the World, and residents are known as Kansas Citians. It is sometimes referred to colloquially as the Heart of America as it is near both the geographic and population centers of the United States. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Kansas City satellite map The Kansas City Metropolitan Area is a metropolitan area situated at the confluence of the Kansas and Missouri Rivers, sometimes known as (Kaw Point). ... Fountain is also the name of an artwork by Marcel Duchamp An ornamental lit fountain photographed at night for about 6 seconds. ... For other uses, see Rome (disambiguation). ... This article is about the capital of France. ... For other uses, see Great Plains (disambiguation). ... A member of the Airpork Crew barbecue team prepares pork shoulder at the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest. ... This is a list of geographic centers of each U.S. state: See also Extreme points of the United States Extreme points of each U.S. state List of U.S. states by elevation List of highest points of Canadian provinces and territories Extreme points of Canada Categories: | ...

History

Kansas City Pioneer Square monument in Westport features Pony Express founder Alexander Majors, Westport/Kansas City founder John Calvin McCoy and Mountainman Jim Bridger who owned Chouteau's Store next to Kelly's

Main article: History of Kansas City

Kansas City, Missouri was incorporated in 1850. The territory straddling the border between Missouri and Kansas at the confluence of the Kansas and Missouri rivers was considered a good place to build settlements. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2337x2001, 722 KB) Summary Kansas City memorial in Pioneer Square at Westport Road and Broadway. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2337x2001, 722 KB) Summary Kansas City memorial in Pioneer Square at Westport Road and Broadway. ... Frank E. Webner, pony express rider c. ... Alexander Majors (1814 - 1900) was a U.S. businessman, often credited along with William Hepburn Russell and William B. Waddel as the founders, owners, and operators of the Pony Express. ... John Calving McCoy (center) is honored along with Alexander Majors (left) and Mountainman James Bridger at Pioneer Square in Westport in Kansas City. ... Jim Bridger Jim Bridger (right) is honored along with Pony Express founder Alexander Majors (left) and Kansas City founder John Calvin McCoy at Pioneer Square in Westport in Kansas City. ... The History of Kansas City of Missouri and Kansas (and surrounding communities) dates back to the 1800s. ... For the game, see: 1850 (board game) 1850 (MDCCCL) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday [1] of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Kansas City satellite map The Kansas City Metropolitan Area is a metropolitan area situated at the confluence of the Kansas and Missouri Rivers, sometimes known as (Kaw Point). ...

Exploration and settlement

The first documented European visit to Kansas City was Étienne de Veniard, Sieur de Bourgmont, who was also the first European to explore the lower Missouri River. Criticized for his handling of a Native American attack of Fort Detroit, he had deserted his post as commander of the fort and was avoiding the French authorities. Bourgmont lived with a Native American wife in the Missouri village about 90 miles east near Brunswick, Missouri, and illegally traded furs. Étienne de Veniard, Sieur de Bourgmont (April 1679-1734) was a French explorer who made the first maps and documentation of the Missouri and Platte rivers. ... Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit or Fort Detroit was a fort established by the French officer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac in 1701. ... Otoe-Missouria tribal flag The Missouri or Missouria were an aboriginal tribe that inhabited parts of the midwestern United States before European explorers arrived. ... Brunswick is a city located in Chariton County, Missouri. ...

In order 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 followed in 1714 by "The Route to Be Taken to Ascend the Missouri River." In the documents he describes the junction of the "Grande Riv[iere] des Cansez" and Missouri River, being the first to refer to them by those names. French cartographer Guillaume Delisle used the descriptions to make the first reasonably accurate map of the area. Guillaume Delisle (February 28, 1675 - January 25, 1726) was a French cartographer, born in Paris, France (he also died there). ...

The Spanish took over the region in the Treaty of Paris (1763) but were not to play a major role in the area other than taxing and licensing all traffic on the Missouri River. The French continued their fur trade on the river under Spanish license. The Chouteau family operated under the Spanish license at St. Louis in the lower Missouri Valley as early as 1765, but it would be 1821 before the Chouteaus reached Kansas City, when François Chouteau established Chouteau's Landing. The Treaty of Paris, often called the Peace of Paris, or the Treaty of 1763, was signed on February 10, 1763, by the kingdoms of Great Britain, France and Spain, with Portugal in agreement. ... Chouteau was the name of French fur-trading family in the Midwest. ... Nickname: Location in the state of Missouri Coordinates: , Country State County Independent City Government  - Mayor Francis G. Slay (D) Area  - City  66. ... Missouri Valley may refer to: Missouri Valley, Iowa Missouri River This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... François Gesseau Chouteau (1797 - 1838) is traditionally credited as being the founder of Kansas City, Missouri. ...

After the Louisiana Purchase, Lewis and Clark visited the confluence of the Kansas and Missouri rivers, noting it was a good place to build a fort. For the musical, see Louisiana Purchase (musical) and Louisiana Purchase (film). ... The Lewis and Clark expedition (1804-1806) was the first American overland expedition to the Pacific coast and back. ...

In 1833 John McCoy established West Port along the Santa Fe Trail, three miles away from the river. Then in 1834, McCoy established Westport Landing on a bend in the Missouri River to serve as a landing point for West Port. Soon after, the Kansas Town Company, a group of investors, began to settle the area, taking their name from an English spelling of "Cansez." In 1850 the landing area was incorporated as the Town of Kansas.^[8] John Calving McCoy (center) is honored along with Alexander Majors (left) and Mountainman James Bridger at Pioneer Square in Westport in Kansas City. ... Kansas City Pioneer Square monument in Westport features Pony Express founder Alexander Majors, Westport/Kansas City founder John Calvin McCoy and Mountainman Jim Bridger who owned Chouteaus Store next to Kellys Kellys at 500 Westport Road or neighboring Chouteaus Store at 504 Westport are considered to... Trail logo The Santa Fe Trail was an historic 19th century transportation route across southwestern North America connecting Missouri with Santa Fe, New Mexico. ... Kansas City Pioneer Square monument in Westport features Pony Express founder Alexander Majors, Westport/Kansas City founder John Calvin McCoy and Mountainman Jim Bridger who owned Chouteaus Store next to Kellys Kellys at 500 Westport Road or neighboring Chouteaus Store at 504 Westport are considered to...

By that time, the Town of Kansas, Westport, and nearby Independence, had become critical points in America's westward expansion. Three major trails -- the Santa Fe, California, and Oregon -- all originated in Jackson County. A government map, probably created in the mid-20th century, that depicts a simplified history of territorial acquisitions within the continental United States. ... Historical roads and trails of the United States is a list of roads and trails important to the settlement and development of the United States including those used by the American Indians. ... Trail logo The Santa Fe Trail was an historic 19th century transportation route across southwestern North America connecting Missouri with Santa Fe, New Mexico. ... Main route of California Trail (thick red line), including Applegate-Lassen and Beckwourth variations (thinner red lines) The California Trail was a major overland emigrant route across the Western United States from Missouri to California in the middle 19th century. ... The Ox Team or the Old Oregon Trail 1852-1906 by Ezra Meeker. ... Jackson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. ...

On February 22, 1853, the City of Kansas was created with a newly elected mayor. It had an area of 0.70 square miles 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.^[9] is the 53rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1853 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

Civil War

The area was ripe with animosity as the Civil War approached. As citizens of a slave state, Missourians tended to sympathize with the southern states. With Kansas petitioning to enter the Union under the new doctrine of popular sovereignty, many from the area crossed into Kansas to sway the state towards allowing slavery, at first by ballot box and then by bloodshed. Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America (Confederacy) Commanders Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties 110,000 killed in action, 360,000 total dead, 275,200 wounded 93,000 killed in action, 258,000 total... The free and slave states as of 1861, with free states in blue and slave states in red. ... In this map:  Union states prohibiting slavery  Union territories  Border states on the Union side which allowed slavery  Kansas, which entered and fought with the Union as a free state after the Bleeding Kansas crisis  The Confederacy  Confederate claimed and sometimes held territories During the American Civil War, the Union... Pooybuttpular sovereignty is the doctrine that the state is created by and therefore subject to the will of its people, who are the source of all political power. ... Slave redirects here. ...

Bird's eye view of Kansas City, Missouri. Jan. 1869. Drawn by A. Ruger, Merchants Lith. Co., currently located at the Irish Museum and Cultural Center in Union Station

During the Civil War, the City of Kansas was in the midst of battles, almost all of them victories by the Union. The Battle of Independence in August 1862 stunted a Confederate advance into northern Missouri (settled by pro-slavery Virginians), and the October 1864 Battle of Westport effectively ended Confederate efforts to occupy the city. However, a successful raid on nearby Lawrence, Kansas, led by William Quantrill forced General Thomas Ewing to issue General Order No. 11, forcing the eviction of residents in four counties, including Jackson, except those living in the city and nearby communities and those whose allegiance to the Union was certified by Ewing. Image File history File links Kansas_city_mo_1869. ... Image File history File links Kansas_city_mo_1869. ... The Irish Museum and Cultural Center is the newest addition to Kansas Citys Irish American community. ... The First Battle of Independence was a battle of the American Civil War, occurring on August 11, 1862 in Jackson County, Missouri. ... Motto Deo Vindice (Latin: Under God, Our Vindicator) Anthem (none official) God Save the South (unofficial) The Bonnie Blue Flag (unofficial) Dixie (unofficial) Capital Montgomery, Alabama (until May 29, 1861) Richmond, Virginia (May 29, 1861–April 2, 1865) Danville, Virginia (from April 3, 1865) Language(s) English (de facto) Religion... This article is about the U.S. state. ... Combatants United States of America Confederate States of America Commanders Samuel R. Curtis Sterling Price Strength Army of the Border (22,000) Army of Missouri (8,500) Casualties 1,500 1,500 Cannon at Loose Park. ... Lawrence is a river city in and the seat of Douglas County, Kansas, United States, 41 miles (66 km) west of Kansas City, along the banks of both the Kansas (Kaw) and Wakarusa Rivers. ... William Clark Quantrill of Quantrills Raiders William Clarke Quantrill (July 31, 1837 – June 6, 1865), was a Confederate guerrilla leader during the American Civil War. ... Thomas Ewing, Jr. ... General Order No. ...

Walnut St., Downtown Kansas City, Mo. 1906

Image File history File links Walnut-street-kcmo-1906. ... Image File history File links Walnut-street-kcmo-1906. ...

Post-Civil War

After the Civil War, the City of Kansas grew rapidly. The selection of the city over Leavenworth, Kansas, for the 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 extend south and east. Westport became part of Kansas City on December 2, 1897. Leavenworth redirects here. ... Hannibal and St. ... Octave Chanute Octave Chanute (18 February 1832 - November 23, 1910) was a French-born American railroad engineer and aviation pioneer. ... is the 336th day of the year (337th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1897 (MDCCCXCVII) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

Kansas City, guided by architect George Kessler, became a forefront example of the City Beautiful movement, developing a network of boulevards and parks around the city. The relocation of Union Station to its current location in 1914 and the opening of the Liberty Memorial in 1923 gave the city two of its most identifiable landmarks. 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. George Kessler After his career in various mercenary troops like South Africa mercenaries and French Foreign Legion, in the Zanzibar Independence War, (commonly referred to as War of the Mercenaries) he was severely wounded in his right thigh, and his professional military career was over. ... The City Beautiful movement was a Progressive reform movement in North American architecture and urban planning that flourished in the 1890s and 1900s with the intent of using beautification and monumental grandeur in cities to counteract the perceived moral decay of poverty-stricken urban environments. ... Kansas City Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri is one of many union stations in the United States. ... Liberty Memorial Liberty Memorial, in Kansas City, is dedicated to the victory of liberty over oppression, in World War I against the Triple Alliance. ... Kansas Citys Country Club Plaza The Country Club Plaza (often referred to as the Plaza) is an upscale shopping district in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. It was the second shopping center in the world designed to accommodate shoppers arriving by automobile. ... Jesse Clyde Nichols (August 23, 1880 - February 16, 1950), better known as J. C. Nichols, was a prominent developer of commercial and residential real estate in Kansas City. ... J.C. Nicholss home in Sunset Hill, located on West 55th Street between Ward Parkway and State Line Road The Country Club District is the name of a group of neighborhoods comprising an upscale, historic residential district in Kansas City, Missouri, and Johnson County, Kansas, USA, developed by noted...

Pendergast era

At the turn of the century, political machines attempted to gain clout in the city, with the one led by Tom Pendergast emerging as the dominant machine by 1925. A new city charter passed that year made it easier for his Democratic Party machine to gain control of the city council (slimmed from 32 members to nine) and appoint a corrupt city manager. Several important buildings and structures were built during this time, to assist with the great depression-- all led by Pendergast, including the Kansas City City Hall and the Jackson County Courthouse-- both added new skyscrapers to the city's growing skyline. The machine fell in 1939 when Pendergast, riddled with health problems, pleaded guilty to tax evasion. The machine, however, gave rise to Harry S. Truman, who quickly became Kansas City's favorite son. Fin de siècle is French for End of the Century. The term turn-of-the-century is sometimes used as a synonym, but is more neutral (lacking some or most of the connotations described below), and can include the first years of a new century. ... Thomas Joseph Pendergast (July 22, 1873 – January 26, 1945) controlled Kansas City as a political boss. ... The Kansas City, Missouri City Hall, in Kansas City, Missouri, is a skyscraper located in downtown Kansas City and the official seat of government for the city of Kansas City, Missouri. ... This article contrasts tax evasion, tax avoidance, tax resistance and tax mitigation. ... For other persons named Harry Truman, see Harry Truman (disambiguation). ...

Post-World War II sprawl

After World War II, the city experienced considerable sprawl, as the affluent populace left for suburbs like Johnson County, Kansas, and eastern Jackson County, Missouri. However, many also went north of the Missouri River, where Kansas City had incorporated areas between the 1940s to 1970s. The population of the urban core significantly dipped, while the city as a whole gained population. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... “Suburbia” redirects here. ... Johnson County (standard abbreviation: JO) is a county located in the state of Kansas. ... Jackson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. ... The Missouri River is a tributary of the Mississippi River in the United States. ... The 1940s decade ran from 1940 to 1949. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, also called The Seventies. ...

The sprawl of the city mainly took shape after the "race riots" of the Civil Rights Movement in Kansas City. At this time, slums were also beginning to form in the inner city, and those who could afford to leave, left for the suburbs and outer edges of the city. The post-WWII idea of suburbs and the "American Dream" also contributed to the sprawl of the area. As the city continued to sprawl, the inner city also continued to decline.

In 1940, the city had about 400,000 residents; by 2000, the same area was home to only about 180,000. 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 had a total area of approximately 316 square miles, more than five times its size in 1940.

The future for sprawl in Kansas City is uncertain. Johnson County has continued to sprawl at a constant rate, and Clay County, Missouri, also has begun to sprawl once more. However recent revelations in urban planning have slowed sprawl and focused instead on the inner city, existing infrastructure and housing, as well as reviving the city's formerly blighted downtown. Uses of the New Urbanism style of planning is now also occurring in some of the most prominent suburban projects. The New urbanism is an American urban design movement that arose in the early 1980s. ...

Notable Kansas City residents/natives

• Robert Altman, acclaimed film director

• Burt Bacharach, pianist and composer

• Thomas Hart Benton, American muralist of the Regionalist school

• Early screen actors Noah Beery and Wallace Beery

• Charles Ragland Bunnell, artist

• Don Cheadle, Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe Award-winning American actor

• Evan S. Connell, writer

• Chris Cooper, Academy Award-winning American film actor

• Joan Crawford, movie actress

• Walter Cronkite, broadcast journalist

• Walt Disney moved to Kansas City and established his first animation studio, Laugh-O-Gram Studio, at E 31st Street and Forest Avenue in 1923

• David Dreier, a Republican Congressman for California

• David F. Duncan, health scientist and Presidential advisor

• Tony Dungy, NFL Super Bowl winning head coach

• Eddie Griffin, comedian and actor

• Joyce Hall, American businessman, founder of Hallmark Cards

• Jean Harlow, American film actress and sex symbol of the 1930s

• Robert A. Heinlein, science fiction writer. (Many of Heinlein's stories take place in Kansas City or its analogue and in areas nearby)

• Ernest Hemingway wrote for the Kansas City Star during World War I

• Clarence M. Kelley, F.B.I. Director

• John Kander, American composer of a series of musical theatre successes as part of the songwriting team of Kander and Ebb

• Ewing Kauffman, pharmaceutical entrepreneur, philanthropist, and Major League Baseball owner of the Kansas City Royals

• Pat Metheny, jazz guitarist and composer

• Erich Matthew Muller, American radio and television personality, known by his nickname Mancow

• William Least Heat Moon, writer

• Wayne Nelson, lead singer of the classic rock's Little River Band

• Satchel Paige, baseball pitcher in the Negro League and Major League Baseball, inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame

• Charlie Parker, noted jazz musician

• Albert Pujols, Major League Baseball player

• Ginger Rogers, actress and entertainer

• Paul Rudd, film and television actor

• Craig Stevens, actor

• Virgil Thomson, American composer

• Eddie Timanus, First blind Jeopardy! contestant and sportswriter for USA Today

• Calvin Trillin, American journalist, humorist, and novelist

• Big Joe Turner, "The Boss of the Blues," noted jazz, blues, and rock n' roll singer

• Aaron Yates, rap and hip-hop artist, known by his pseudonym, Tech N9ne

For other persons named Robert Altman, see Robert Altman (disambiguation). ... The film director, on the right, gives last minute direction to the cast and crew, whilst filming a costume drama on location in London. ... This biographical article needs additional references for verification. ... Thomas Hart Benton, painter Thomas Hart Benton, or Tom Benton (April 15, 1889 - January 19, 1975) was an American muralist of the Regionalist school. ... Noah Beery (January 17, 1882 - April 1, 1946) was an American actor. ... Wallace Beery (April 1, 1885 – April 15, 1949) was an American actor, best known for his many cinema appearances. ... Charles Ragland Bunnell (born in Kansas City, Missouri in 1897, died in Colorado in 1968), was an American painter, printmaker, and muralist. ... Don Cheadle (born November 29, 1964) is an Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe Award-winning American actor. ... Although he never won an Oscar for any of his movie performances, the comedian Bob Hope received two honorary Oscars for his contributions to cinema. ... The Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are American awards for motion pictures and television programs, given out each year during a formal dinner. ... Evan S. Connell (b. ... Christopher W. Cooper (born July 9, 1951) is an Academy Award-winning American film actor. ... For other persons named Joan Crawford, see Joan Crawford (disambiguation). ... Walter Leland Cronkite, Jr. ... For the company founded by Disney, see The Walt Disney Company. ... Laugh-O-Gram Studio in Kansas City. ... Year 1923 (MCMXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... David Timothy Dreier (born July 5, 1952), American politician, has been a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives since January 1981, representing Californias 26th congressional district (map). ... The Republican Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States of America, along with the Democratic Party. ... Type Bicameral Houses Senate House of Representatives President of the Senate President pro tempore Dick Cheney, (R) since January 20, 2001 Robert C. Byrd, (D) since January 4, 2007 Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, (D) since January 4, 2007 Members 535 plus 4 Delegates and 1 Resident Commissioner Political... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... David F. Duncan, Dr. P.H. was Born in Kansas City, Missouri on June 26, 1947. ... Anthony Kevin Tony Dungy (born October 6, 1955) is a former professional American football player and the current head coach of the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. ... Eddie Griffin (July 15, 1968) is an American comedian and television/film actor. ... Joyce C. Hall, founder of Hallmark Cards. ... This article or section cites very few or no references or sources. ... Jean Harlow (March 3, 1911 – June 7, 1937) was an American film actress and sex symbol of the 1930s. ... Robert Anson Heinlein (July 7, 1907 – May 8, 1988) was one of the most popular, influential, and controversial authors of hard science fiction. ... Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and journalist. ... The Kansas City Star is a newspaper in Kansas City, Missouri. ... “The Great War ” redirects here. ... Clarence M. Kelley (October 24, 1911 - August 5, 1997) was a public servant and former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. ... John Harold Kander (born March 18, 1927 in Kansas City, Missouri) is the American composer of a series of musical theatre successes as part of the songwriting team of Kander and Ebb. ... Ewing Marion Kauffman (September 21, 1916-August 1, 1993) was an American pharmaceutical magnate, philanthropist, and Major League Baseball owner. ... Pharmacology (in Greek: pharmacon is drug, and logos is science) is the study of how chemical substances interfere with living systems. ... An entrepreneur (a loanword from French introduced and first defined by the Irish economist Richard Cantillon) is a person who operates a new enterprise or venture and assumes some accountability for the inherent risks. ... A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, or reputation to a charitable cause. ... Major Leagues redirects here. ... Major league affiliations American League (1969–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 5, 10, 20, 42 Name Kansas City Royals (1969–present) Other nicknames The Boys in Blue Ballpark Kauffman Stadium (1973–present) a. ... Patrick Bruce Metheny (born August 12, 1954 in Lees Summit, Missouri) is an American jazz guitarist and composer. ... Mancows 2003 book Erich Matthew Muller (born June 21, 1966 in Kansas City, Missouri) is a United States radio and television personality known as Mancow and Mancow Muller. ... Mancows 2003 book, on sale at amazon. ... William Least Heat-Moon, byname of William Trogdon (born 1940) is an American travel writer of English, Irish and Osage Nation ancestry. ... Wayne Nelson (born June 1, 1950 in Kansas City, MO) is an American musician best known for being a member of the famed Australian rock band, Little River Band. ... Little River Band is an Australian rock band formed in Melbourne in 1975 and named after a road sign for the Victorian township of Little River, near Geelong. ... Leroy Robert Satchel Paige (July 7, 1906–June 8, 1982)[1] was an American baseball player who pitched in several different Negro Leagues and in Major League Baseball. ... A baseball pitcher delivers the ball to home plate In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws the baseball from the pitchers mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter who attempts to either make contact with it or draw a... Part of the History of baseball series. ... The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, located at 62 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, is a semi-official museum operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of baseball-related... Charles Bird Parker, Jr. ... For other uses, see Jazz (disambiguation). ... “Pujols” redirects here. ... Ginger Rogers (Virginia Katherine McMath, July 16, 1911 – April 25, 1995) was an Academy Award-winning American film and stage actress and singer. ... Paul Stephen Rudd (born April 6, 1969) is an American film, television, and stage actor. ... Craig Stevens (born July 8, 1918; died May 10, 2000) was an American motion picture and television actor. ... Virgil Thomson, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1947 Virgil Thomson (November 25, 1896 - September 30, 1989) was an American composer from Missouri, whose rural background gave a sense of place in his compositions. ... Eddie Timanus is a Jeopardy! champion and USA Today sportswriter who graduated from Wake Forest University. ... Jeopardy redirects here. ... USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. ... Calvin Trillin (born Kansas City, Missouri, December 5, 1935) is an American journalist, humorist, and novelist. ... Big Joe Turner (born Joseph Vernon Turner Jr. ... For other uses, see Jazz (disambiguation). ... Blues music redirects here. ... Rock and roll (also spelled rock n roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... Tech N9ne (born Aaron Dontez Yates on November 8, 1971 in Kansas City, Missouri) is an American rapper. ... Tech N9ne (born Aaron Dontez Yates on November 8, 1971 in Kansas City, Missouri) is an American rapper. ...

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 318.0 mi² (823.7 km²). 313.5 mi² (812.1 km²) of it is land and 4.5 mi² (11.6 km²) of it (1.41%) is water. The United States Census Bureau (officially Bureau of the Census as defined in Title ) is a part of the United States Department of Commerce. ... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (≈1,609 m) in length. ... Square kilometre (U.S. spelling: square kilometer), symbol km², is a decimal multiple of SI unit of surface area square metre, one of the SI derived units. ...

Kansas City is often imagined to be flat like Chicago, Manhattan or Dallas, but in fact it has many rolling hills. Much of urban Kansas City sits atop 100-200ft bluffs overlooking the rivers and river bottoms areas. Kansas City proper is bowl-shaped and is surrounded to the north and south by limestone and bedrock cliffs that were carved by glaciers. Kansas City is situated at the junction 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 portion of Kansas City, Missouri. This valley is an eastward continuation of Turkey Creek valley. Union Station is located in this valley.^[10] Nickname: Motto: Urbs in Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Location in the Chicago metro area and Illinois Coordinates: , Country State Counties Cook, DuPage Settled 1770s Incorporated March 4, 1837 Government  - Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) Area  - City  234. ... For other uses, see Manhattan (disambiguation). ... Dallas redirects here. ... For other uses, see Limestone (disambiguation). ... Bedrock is the native consolidated rock underlying the Earths surface. ... This article is about the geological formation. ... The Pleistocene epoch (IPA: ) on the geologic timescale is the period from 1,808,000 to 11,550 years BP. The Pleistocene epoch had been intended to cover the worlds recent period of repeated glaciations. ... // For other uses, see time scale. ... Kansas City Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri is one of many union stations in the United States. ...

The city's municipal water was recently rated the cleanest among the 50 largest cities in the United States, containing no detectable impurities.^[11] A water tap Tap water (also known as running water) has existed for as long as indoor plumbing, i. ...

Climate

Kansas City lies near the geographic center of the contiguous United States, at the confluence of the second largest river in the country, the Missouri River, and the Kansas River (also known as the Kaw River). This makes for a humid continental climate (Koppen climate classification Dfa) with moderate precipitation and extremes of hot and cold. Summers can be very humid, with moist air riding up from the Gulf of Mexico, and during July and August daytime highs can reach into the triple digits. Winters vary from mild days to bitterly cold, with lows reaching into the teens below zero a few times a year. Spring and autumn are pleasant and peppered with thunderstorms. The Missouri River is a tributary of the Mississippi River in the United States. ... The Kansas River near De Soto Kaw River (map) looking southward from middle of Turner Diagonal bridge. ... The humid continental climate is a climate found over large areas of land masses in the temperate regions of the mid-latitudes where there is a zone of conflict between polar and tropical air masses. ... The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. ... Gulf of Mexico in 3D perspective. ...

Weather

Kansas City is situated in "Tornado Alley," a broad region where cold air from the Rocky Mountains and Canada collides with warm air from the Gulf of Mexico, leading to the formation of powerful storms. Kansas City has had many severe outbreaks of tornados, including the Ruskin Heights tornado in 1957,^[12] and the May 2003 Tornado Outbreak Sequence, as well as other severe weather, most notably the Kansas City derecho in 1982. The region is also prone to ice storms, such as the 2002 ice storm during which hundreds of thousands lost power for days and (in some cases) weeks.^[13] Kansas City and its outlying areas are also subject to flooding, including the Great Flood of 1993 and the Great Flood of 1951. An outline of Significant Tornado Alley in the United States, where the highest percentage of violent tornadoes occur Tornado Alley is a colloquial term most often used in reference to the area of the United States in which tornadoes are most frequent. ... For individual mountains named Rocky Mountain, see Rocky Mountain (disambiguation). ... Gulf of Mexico in 3D perspective. ... This article is about the weather phenomenon. ... 1Time from first tornado to last tornado 2Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale The May 2003 Tornado Outbreak Sequence in the United States was a series of tornado outbreaks that occurred from May 3 to May 11, 2003. ... Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ... A typical view of a winter storm. ... The 2002 Central Plains Ice Storm was a major winter storm that affected the American Midwest, causing significant damage expecially in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. ... The Great Flood of 1993 was a major flood that occurred in the American Midwest, along the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, and their tributaries, from April to October of 1993. ... Flooding in northeast Topeka, 1951 In mid-July 1951, heavy rains led to a great rise in the Kansas River and other surrounding areas. ...

See also: List of tornadoes and tornado outbreaks, List of tornadoes striking downtown areas, and 1980 United States heat wave

// Tornado Events These are some notable tornadoes, tornado outbreaks, and tornado outbreak sequences that have occurred around the globe. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... The 1980 United States heat wave was among the most devastating natural disasters in terms of deaths and destruction in U.S. history. ...

Cityscape

See Also: