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[[Image:Kansas city metro counties.jpg|thumbnail|right|195px|Kansas City metro area]]
[[Image:Kansas city metro counties.jpg|thumbnail|right|195px|Kansas City metro area]]
'''Kansas City''' (also referred to as '''KC'''<ref>http://www.kcjobfair.com/</ref>) is a fifteen-county [[metropolitan area]], anchored by [[Kansas City, Missouri]], that spans the border between the U.S. states of [[Missouri]] and [[Kansas]]. With a population of 2.34 million, Kansas City ranks as the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri (after [[Greater St. Louis]]) and is the largest with territory in Kansas, ahead of [[Wichita metropolitan area|Wichita]]. Alongside Kansas City, the area includes a number of other cities and suburbs, the largest being [[Overland Park, Kansas]]; [[Kansas City, Kansas]], and [[Independence, Missouri]] all over 100,000 in population. The [[Mid-America Regional Council]] (MARC) serves as the [[Council of Governments]] and the [[Metropolitan Planning Organization]] for the area.
'''Kansas City''' (also referred to as '''KC'''<ref>http://www.kcjobfair.com/</ref>) is a fifteen-county [[metropolitan area]], anchored by [[Kansas City, Missouri]], that spans the border between the U.S. states of [[Missouri]] and [[Kansas]]. With a population of 2.34 million, Kansas City ranks as the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri (after [[Greater St. Louis]]) and is the largest with territory in Kansas, ahead of [[Wichita metropolitan area|Wichita]]. Alongside Kansas City, the area includes a number of other cities and suburbs, the largest being [[Overland Park, Kansas]]; [[Kansas City, Kansas]], and [[Independence, Missouri]], which are all over 100,000 in population. The [[Mid-America Regional Council]] (MARC) serves as the [[Council of Governments]] and the [[Metropolitan Planning Organization]] for the area.


==Geographic overview==
==Geographic overview==
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=== Downtown ===
=== Downtown ===
Downtown is the historic center of Kansas City, located entirely within Kansas City, Missouri, and containing the original town site, business districts and residential neighborhoods of the city. Downtown is bounded by the Missouri River on the north, the state line on the west, 31st Street on the south and the Blue River on the east. Downtown includes the central business district and its buildings which form 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 forming the city's skyline. Also within the downtown loop are small, distinct neighborhoods such as [[Quality Hill, Kansas City|Quality Hill]], the [[Garment District (Kansas City, Missouri)|Garment District]], the [[Financial District (Kansas City, Missouri)|Financial District]], the [[Bartle Hall Convention Center|Convention Center]] District, and the [[Power and Light District]].
Downtown is the historic center of Kansas City, located entirely within Kansas City, Missouri, and containing the original town site, business districts and residential neighborhoods of the city. Downtown is bounded by the Missouri River on the north, the state line on the west, 31st Street on the south and the Blue River on the east. Downtown includes the central business district and its buildings, which form 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 forming the city's skyline. Also within the downtown loop are small, distinct neighborhoods such as [[Quality Hill, Kansas City|Quality Hill]], the [[Garment District (Kansas City, Missouri)|Garment District]], the [[Financial District (Kansas City, Missouri)|Financial District]], the [[Bartle Hall Convention Center|Convention Center]] District, and the [[Power and Light District]].


Other neighborhoods within Downtown are the [[River Market, Kansas City|River Market]] and Columbus Park, both located between the downtown loop and the [[Missouri River]]. Between the downtown loop and the state line are 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, East Bottoms, Northeast, and [[Pendleton Heights, Kansas City|Pendleton Heights]]. South of the loop is the [[Crossroads, Kansas City|Crossroads District]], [[Union Hill, Kansas City|Union Hill]], [[Crown Center, Kansas City|Crown Center]], [[Hospital Hill]], Longfellow, Wendell Phillips, and Washington Wheatley.
Other neighborhoods within Downtown are the [[River Market, Kansas City|River Market]] and Columbus Park, both located between 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, East Bottoms, Northeast, and [[Pendleton Heights, Kansas City|Pendleton Heights]]. South of the loop is the [[Crossroads, Kansas City|Crossroads District]], [[Union Hill, Kansas City|Union Hill]], [[Crown Center, Kansas City|Crown Center]], [[Hospital Hill]], Longfellow, Wendell Phillips, and Washington Wheatley.


The [[Kansas City Convention Center]], [[Municipal Auditorium (Kansas City)|Municipal Auditorium]], [[City Hall (Kansas City)|City Hall]], [[Lyric Theatre (Kansas City, Missouri)|Lyric Theater]], [[Midland Theatre]], Ilus Davis Park, and [[Barney Allis Plaza]] are located within the central business district inside the downtown loop. The [[Sprint Center]] and the [[College Basketball Experience]] are located within 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, Kansas City|Crossroads District]], [[Union Station (Kansas City, Missouri)|Union Station]], [[Crown Center]], the [[National World War I Museum]], [[Liberty Memorial]], [[Penn Valley Park]], [[Truman Medical Center-Hospital Hill|Truman Medical Center]], [[Children's Mercy Hospital]], and 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 [[Kemper Arena]] and [[Hale Arena]].
The [[Kansas City Convention Center]], [[Municipal Auditorium (Kansas City)|Municipal Auditorium]], [[City Hall (Kansas City)|City Hall]], [[Lyric Theatre (Kansas City, Missouri)|Lyric Theater]], [[Midland Theatre]], Ilus Davis Park, and [[Barney Allis Plaza]] are located within the central business district inside the downtown loop. The [[Sprint Center]] and the [[College Basketball Experience]] are located within 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, Kansas City|Crossroads District]], [[Union Station (Kansas City, Missouri)|Union Station]], [[Crown Center]], the [[National World War I Museum]], [[Liberty Memorial]], [[Penn Valley Park]], [[Truman Medical Center-Hospital Hill|Truman Medical Center]], [[Children's Mercy Hospital]], and 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 [[Kemper Arena]] and [[Hale Arena]].


=== Midtown ===
=== Midtown ===
This area is located just south of downtown Kansas City, Missouri, bounded by 31st Street on the north, the state line on the west, W. Gregory Boulevard (= 71st St.) on the south, and [[Troost Avenue]] on the east. Midtown is contained entirely within Kansas City, Missouri, and is largely considered to be the core of the metro area, as it contains numerous cultural attractions, shopping and entertainment areas, large hospitals, universities, and the metro area's most densely populated neighborhoods.
This area is located just south of downtown Kansas City, Missouri, bounded by 31st Street on the north, the state line on the west, W. Gregory Boulevard (71st St.) on the south, and [[Troost Avenue]] on the east. Midtown is contained entirely within Kansas City, Missouri, and is largely considered to be the core of the metro area, as it contains numerous cultural attractions, shopping and entertainment areas, large hospitals, universities, and the metro area's most densely populated neighborhoods.


Midtown consists of numerous distinct and/or historic neighborhoods such as [[Westport, Kansas City|Westport]], Volker, Ivanhoe, the [[Country Club Plaza]], the [[Country Club District]], [[Hyde Park, Kansas City|Hyde Park]], [[Squier Park]], [[Ward Parkway, Kansas City|Ward Parkway]], Armour Hills, [[Brookside, Kansas City|Brookside]], [[Waldo, Kansas City|Waldo]], West Plaza, South Plaza, [[Southmoreland]], Valentine, Hanover Place, Coleman Highlands, and Rockhill.
Midtown consists of numerous distinct and/or historic neighborhoods such as [[Westport, Kansas City|Westport]], Volker, Ivanhoe, the [[Country Club Plaza]], the [[Country Club District]], [[Hyde Park, Kansas City|Hyde Park]], [[Squier Park]], [[Ward Parkway, Kansas City|Ward Parkway]], Armour Hills, [[Brookside, Kansas City|Brookside]], [[Waldo, Kansas City|Waldo]], West Plaza, South Plaza, [[Southmoreland]], Valentine, Hanover Place, Coleman Highlands, and Rockhill.
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===East Side of the Metro or "Eastern Jackson County"===
===East Side of the Metro or "Eastern Jackson County"===


Eastern Jackson County is an area of the Kansas City Metro that contains the far-eastern urban side of Kansas City, Missouri, as well as the following [[Missouri]] suburbs of [[Independence, Missouri|Independence]], [[Blue Springs, Missouri|Blue Springs]], [[Raytown, Missouri|Raytown]], [[Lees Summit, Missouri|Lees Summit]], [[Grain Valley, Missouri|Grain Valley]], [[Oak Grove, Jackson County, Missouri|Oak Grove]], [[Sugar Creek, Missouri|Sugar Creek]], [[Lake Lotawana, Missouri|Lake Lotawana]], [[Greenwood, Missouri|Greenwood]], [[Buckner, Missouri|Buckner]], [[Pleasant Hill, Missouri|Pleasant Hill]], and [[Lone Jack, Missouri|Lone Jack]]
Eastern Jackson County is an area of the Kansas City Metro that contains the far-eastern urban side of Kansas City, Missouri, as well as the [[Missouri]] suburbs of [[Independence, Missouri|Independence]], [[Blue Springs, Missouri|Blue Springs]], [[Raytown, Missouri|Raytown]], [[Lees Summit, Missouri|Lees Summit]], [[Grain Valley, Missouri|Grain Valley]], [[Oak Grove, Jackson County, Missouri|Oak Grove]], [[Sugar Creek, Missouri|Sugar Creek]], [[Lake Lotawana, Missouri|Lake Lotawana]], [[Greenwood, Missouri|Greenwood]], [[Buckner, Missouri|Buckner]], [[Pleasant Hill, Missouri|Pleasant Hill]], and [[Lone Jack, Missouri|Lone Jack]]


====Hospitals====
====Hospitals====
Hospitals that serve this area are: [[Centerpoint Medical Center]], [[St. Mary's Medical Center (Blue Springs)|St. Mary's Medical Center]], [[Saint Luke's Hospital (Kansas City, Missouri)|Saint Luke's Hospital]] East, Saint Luke's North, [[Lee's Summit Medical Center]][Truman Medical Center - Lakewood], [[Children's Mercy Hospital]], and [[The University of Kansas Medical Center]] .
Hospitals that serve this area are: [[Centerpoint Medical Center]], [[St. Mary's Medical Center (Blue Springs)|St. Mary's Medical Center]], [[Saint Luke's Hospital (Kansas City, Missouri)|Saint Luke's Hospital]] East, Saint Luke's North, [[Lee's Summit Medical Center]], [[Truman Medical Center - Lakewood]], [[Children's Mercy Hospital]], and [[The University of Kansas Medical Center]] .


====Colleges====
====Colleges====
Colleges and Universities are as follows: the [[Metropolitan Community College (Kansas City)|Metropolitan Community College]] system and [[Graceland University]], Independence campus. The main campus is in [[Lamoni, Iowa]]. It is called [[Kansas City Kansas Community College]], The Summit Technology Center, which is a branch campus of the [[University of Central Missouri]] and a branch of [[Baker University]], [[University of Missouri-Kansas City]], Avila, [[Rockhurst University]], and the Kansas City Art Institute (KCAI).
Colleges and universities in the area include the [[Metropolitan Community College (Kansas City)|Metropolitan Community College]] system ; [[Graceland University]], Independence campus; [[Kansas City Kansas Community College]]; The Summit Technology Center, which is a branch campus of the [[University of Central Missouri]]; a branch of [[Baker University]]; [[University of Missouri-Kansas City]], [[Avila University]]; [[Rockhurst University]], and the [[Kansas City Art Institute]] (KCAI).


====Cultural attractions====
====Cultural attractions====
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! class="unsortable" style="width:700pt;"| Notes
! class="unsortable" style="width:700pt;"| Notes
|-
|-
| || [[List of museums in Missouri|Chicago & Alton Hotel Museum]] || Blue Springs || The oldest business building in Blue Springs, Mo. In 1978, the hotel, which originally served the railroad, was moved from the original site, just south of Main Street, to its present location.
| || [[List of museums in Missouri|Chicago & Alton Hotel Museum]] || Blue Springs || The oldest business building in Blue Springs, MO. In 1978, the hotel, which originally served the railroad, was moved from the original site, just south of Main Street, to its present location.
|-
|-
| || [[List of museums in Missouri|Dillingham-Lewis House Museum]] || Blue Springs || Home built in 1906 and the only structure in Blue Springs that is constructed of native limestone. The house is named after two families.
| || [[List of museums in Missouri|Dillingham-Lewis House Museum]] || Blue Springs || Home built in 1906 and the only structure in Blue Springs that is constructed of native limestone. The house is named after two families.
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| || [[Independence Events Center]] || Independence || A 5,800-seat multi-purpose arena, which currently hosts the home games of the [[Missouri Mavericks]].
| || [[Independence Events Center]] || Independence || A 5,800-seat multi-purpose arena, which currently hosts the home games of the [[Missouri Mavericks]].
|-
|-
| <center>[[File:1859 Independence, Missouri Jail.jpg|150px]]</center> || [[Jackson County Jail and Marshal's House]] || Independence || Former jail site, operated by the Jackson County Historical Society, that housed thousands of prisoners during the bloodiest period of Jackson County's history. Some of its famous guests included [[Frank James]] and [[William Clark Quantrill]]. [[Bingham-Waggoner Estate]]
| <center>[[File:1859 Independence, Missouri Jail.jpg|150px]]</center> || [[Jackson County Jail and Marshal's House]] || Independence || Former jail site, operated by the Jackson County Historical Society, that housed thousands of prisoners during the bloodiest period of Jackson County's history. Some of its famous guests included [[Frank James]] and [[William Clark Quantrill]].
|-
|-
| || [[Leila's Hair Museum]] || Independence || A museum that displays examples of [[Hair jewelry|hair art]] dating back to the 19th century.
| || [[Leila's Hair Museum]] || Independence || A museum that displays examples of [[Hair jewelry|hair art]] dating back to the 19th century.
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|}
|}
|-
|-
| <center>[[File:Truman Sports Complex.jpg|150px]]</center> || [[Truman Sports Complex]] || Kansas City || Home to two major sports venues- [[Arrowhead Stadium]], home of the [[National Football League]]'s [[Kansas City Chiefs]], and [[Kauffman Stadium]], home of [[Major League Baseball]]'s [[Kansas City Royals]].
| <center>[[File:Truman Sports Complex.jpg|150px]]</center> || [[Truman Sports Complex]] || Kansas City || Home to two major sports venues: [[Arrowhead Stadium]], home of the [[National Football League]]'s [[Kansas City Chiefs]], and [[Kauffman Stadium]], home of [[Major League Baseball]]'s [[Kansas City Royals]].
|}
|}


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* [http://www.kclibrary.org/ Kansas City Public Library] (MO)
* [http://www.kclibrary.org/ Kansas City Public Library] (MO)
* [http://www.lhl.lib.mo.us/ Linda Hall Library]
* [http://www.lhl.lib.mo.us/ Linda Hall Library]
* [http://www.mcpl.lib.mo.us/ Mid-continent Library]
* [http://www.mymcpl.org/ Mid-Continent Public Library]
* [http://olathelibrary.org/ Olathe Public Library]
* [http://olathelibrary.org/ Olathe Public Library]


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''[[The Kansas City Star]]'' is the region's major daily newspaper. [[The McClatchy Company]], the owner of ''The Star,'' also owns the suburban weeklies ''Lee's Summit Journal'' and ''Olathe Journal''.
''[[The Kansas City Star]]'' is the region's major daily newspaper. [[The McClatchy Company]], the owner of ''The Star,'' also owns the suburban weeklies ''Lee's Summit Journal'' and ''Olathe Journal''.


The ''[[Kansas City Kansan]]'' serves Wyandotte County, having moved from print to an online format in 2009. Additional weekly papers in the metropolitan include the ''Liberty Tribune'', ''Sun Newspapers'' of Johnson County, the Northland, ''[[The Examiner (Independence)|The Examiner]]'' in Independence and Eastern Jackson County, and ''[[Alternative weekly|The Pitch]]''. Two newspapers serve the area's faith communities: "[http://www.metrovoicenews.com The Metro Voice Christian Newspaper]" and the "Jewish Chronicle". "Dos Mundos" is the area's primary newspaper that serves the Spanish-speaking community, with articles printed in Spanish and English, and Mi Raza magazine as the only weekly Hispanic publication printed in Spanish, [http://www.mirazamagazine.com/ www.mirazamagazine.com]
The ''[[Kansas City Kansan]]'' serves Wyandotte County, having moved from print to an online format in 2009. Additional weekly papers in the metropolitan include the ''Liberty Tribune'', ''Sun Newspapers'' of Johnson County, ''[[The Examiner (Independence)|The Examiner]]'' in Independence and Eastern Jackson County, and ''[[Alternative weekly|The Pitch]]''. Two newspapers serve the area's faith communities: ''[http://www.metrovoicenews.com The Metro Voice Christian Newspaper]'' and the ''Jewish Chronicle''. ''Dos Mundos'' is the area's primary newspaper that serves the Spanish-speaking community, with articles printed in Spanish and English, and [http://www.mirazamagazine.com ''Mi Raza''] magazine is the only weekly Hispanic publication printed in Spanish.


===Broadcast media===
===Broadcast media===
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====Radio====
====Radio====
Over 30 FM and 20&nbsp;am stations broadcast in the Kansas City area, with stations from Topeka, St. Joseph, and Carrollton also reaching into the metropolitan. The highest-rated radio stations according to Arbitron:
Over 30 FM and 20 AM stations broadcast in the Kansas City area, with stations from Topeka, St. Joseph, and Carrollton also reaching into the metropolitan area. The highest-rated radio stations according to Arbitron are:
* [[KPRS|KPRS-FM]] – Urban
* [[KPRS|KPRS-FM]] – Urban
* [[KCMO-FM]] – 60/70s AC
* [[KCMO-FM]] – 60/70s AC
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=====Public and community radio=====
=====Public and community radio=====
* [[KCUR|KCUR-FM]] NPR affiliate
* [[KCUR|KCUR-FM]] – NPR affiliate
:[[KANU-FM]] and [[KTBG|KTBG-FM]], both college radio stations, are also NPR affiliates
* [[KANU-FM]] and [[KTBG|KTBG-FM]] – both college radio stations; also NPR affiliates
* [[KKFI|KKFI-FM]] Locally owned not-for-profit station
* [[KKFI|KKFI-FM]] – Locally owned not-for-profit station
* [[KGSP|KGSP-FM]] Park University college station
* [[KGSP|KGSP-FM]] – Park University college station


=====Specialty TV and radio=====
=====Specialty TV and radio=====
Hispanics account for five percent of the market and are served by three AM radio stations ([[KCZZ]], [[KDTD]], and [[KKHK]]) and a [[Univision]] affiliate, [[KUKC-LP]].
Hispanics account for five percent of the market and are served by three AM radio stations ([[KCZZ]] [[KDTD]] and [[KKHK]]) and a [[Univision]] affiliate, [[KUKC-LP]].


==Business interests==
==Business interests==
The Kansas City Metropolitan Area's largest private employer is [[Sprint Nextel Corporation]]. The international telecommunications company maintains its world headquarters at its {{convert|200|acre|km2|sing=on}} campus facility in south Overland Park. During 2005, the company employed nearly 18,500 people in the five-county metropolitan area, with wages of more than $1.16&nbsp;billion, generating $58&nbsp;million in local and state income taxes. Sprint spent more than $21&nbsp;million on property taxes and $1.74&nbsp;billion for goods and services from area businesses. Sprint's headquarters was temporarily moved to Reston, Virginia, in 2003, after it merged with Nextel.<ref>[http://www.informationweek.com/many-sprint-employees-want-hq-back-in-ka/202402970 Many Sprint Employees Want HQ Back In Kansas] Retrieved August 4, 2013</ref> Since then, the world headquarters has been reconsolidated in Overland Park.<ref>[http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/sprint Sprint] Retrieved August 4, 2013</ref>
The Kansas City Metropolitan Area's largest private employer is [[Sprint Nextel Corporation]]. The international telecommunications company maintains its world headquarters at its {{convert|200|acre|km2|sing=on}} campus facility in south Overland Park. During 2005, the company employed nearly 18,500 people in the five-county metropolitan area, with wages of more than $1.16&nbsp;billion, generating $58&nbsp;million in local and state income taxes. Sprint spent more than $21&nbsp;million on property taxes and $1.74&nbsp;billion for goods and services from area businesses. Sprint's headquarters was temporarily moved to Reston, Virginia, in 2003, after it merged with Nextel.<ref>[http://www.informationweek.com/many-sprint-employees-want-hq-back-in-ka/202402970 Many Sprint Employees Want HQ Back In Kansas] Retrieved August 4, 2013</ref> Since then, the world headquarters has been reconsolidated in Overland Park.<ref>[http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/sprint Sprint] Retrieved August 4, 2013</ref>


Other major employers and business enterprises are [[AT&T Inc.|AT&T]], [[BNSF Railway]], [[Asurion]], [[Cerner]], [[Citigroup]], [[EMBARQ]], [[Farmers Insurance Group]], [[Garmin]], [[Hallmark Cards]], [[Harley-Davidson]], [[Husqvarna Group|Husqvarna]], [[General Motors Corporation|General Motors]], [[Honeywell]], [[Ford Motor Company]], [[MillerCoors]], [[State Street Corporation]], [[The Kansas City Star]], and [[Waddell & Reed]], some of which may be headquartered in the "metro". Kansas City also has a large pharmaceutical industry, with companies such as [[Bayer]] and [[Aventis]] having large presences.
Other major employers and business enterprises are [[AT&T Inc.|AT&T]], [[BNSF Railway]], [[Asurion]], [[Cerner]], [[Citigroup]], [[EMBARQ]], [[Farmers Insurance Group]], [[Garmin]], [[Hallmark Cards]], [[Harley-Davidson]], [[Husqvarna Group|Husqvarna]], [[General Motors Corporation|General Motors]], [[Honeywell]], [[Ford Motor Company]], [[MillerCoors]], [[State Street Corporation]], [[The Kansas City Star]], and [[Waddell & Reed]], some of which are headquartered in the "metro". Kansas City also has a large pharmaceutical industry, with companies such as [[Bayer]] and [[Aventis]] having a large presence.


===Headquarters===
===Headquarters===

Revision as of 20:27, 12 June 2014

"Kansas City" redirects here. For the central city of the metropolitan area, see Kansas City, Missouri. For other uses, see Kansas City (disambiguation).
Kansas City metropolitan area
Nickname(s): 
City of Fountains, KC, Heart of America, Paris of the Prairie
Map
Population
2,343,008
Kansas City metro area

Kansas City (also referred to as KC[1]) is a fifteen-county metropolitan area, anchored by Kansas City, Missouri, that spans the border between the U.S. states of Missouri and Kansas. With a population of 2.34 million, Kansas City ranks as the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri (after Greater St. Louis) and is the largest with territory in Kansas, ahead of Wichita. Alongside Kansas City, the area includes a number of other cities and suburbs, the largest being Overland Park, Kansas; Kansas City, Kansas, and Independence, Missouri, which are all over 100,000 in population. The Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) serves as the Council of Governments and the Metropolitan Planning Organization for the area.

Geographic overview

Kansas City satellite map. The larger Missouri River is zigzagging from west to east; the much smaller Kansas is approaching from the south and joins it at Kaw Point. Kansas City, Missouri, is located immediately south of their intersection; North Kansas City, Missouri, is to its northeast; and Kansas City, Kansas, is to the west.

The Kansas City Metropolitan Area can be visualized roughly by the following divisions:

Downtown

Downtown is the historic center of Kansas City, located entirely within Kansas City, Missouri, and containing the original town site, business districts and residential neighborhoods of the city. Downtown is bounded by the Missouri River on the north, the state line on the west, 31st Street on the south and the Blue River on the east. Downtown includes the central business district and its buildings, which form 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 forming the city's skyline. Also within the downtown loop are small, distinct neighborhoods such as Quality Hill, the Garment District, the Financial District, the Convention Center District, and the Power and Light District.

Other neighborhoods within Downtown are the River Market and Columbus Park, both located between 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, 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 located within the central business district inside the downtown loop. The Sprint Center and the College Basketball Experience are located within 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, Truman Medical Center, Children's Mercy Hospital, and 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 Kemper Arena and Hale Arena.

Midtown

This area is located just south of downtown Kansas City, Missouri, bounded by 31st Street on the north, the state line on the west, W. Gregory Boulevard (71st St.) on the south, and Troost Avenue on the east. Midtown is contained entirely within Kansas City, Missouri, and is largely considered to be the core of the metro area, as it contains numerous cultural attractions, shopping and entertainment areas, large hospitals, universities, and the metro area's most densely populated neighborhoods.

Midtown consists of numerous distinct and/or historic neighborhoods such as Westport, Volker, Ivanhoe, the Country Club Plaza, the Country Club District, Hyde Park, Squier Park, Ward Parkway, Armour Hills, Brookside, Waldo, West Plaza, South Plaza, Southmoreland, Valentine, Hanover Place, Coleman Highlands, and Rockhill.

Midtown is home to a majority of the metro area's regional entertainment, shopping, medical, and cultural attractions. Entertainment attractions are found throughout and include the 39th Street corridor, Westport, the Country Club Plaza, Brookside, and Waldo. Shopping is centered on the Country Club Plaza, which contains numerous luxury retailers, hotels, and restaurants. Brookside and Westport also contain smaller-scale, neighborhood-oriented, and niche-market retailers. Midtown is home to Saint Luke's Hospital and Research Medical Center. Cultural attractions include the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Rockhurst University, Kansas City Art Institute, Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center, Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Midwest Research Institute, Penn Valley Community College, the Tivoli Theater, Uptown Theater, Madrid Theater, Unicorn Theater, Starlight Theater, the Kansas City Zoo, Loose Park, and Swope Park.

South Side of the Metro or "South KC"

Also known as "South Kansas City," this area consists of the southern half of Kansas City, Missouri, as well as the suburbs of Grandview, Harrisonville, Belton, and Raymore. It is sometimes called "the southland."

The Northland

The Northland is the area north of the Missouri River, bordered by Kansas on the west and Missouri Highway 291 on the east. All of Platte County and much of Clay County make up the area. The economy of the Northland is dominated by Kansas City International Airport, the Zona Rosa shopping community, and three riverboat casinos. Communities of the Northland outside of the city limits include Liberty, Platte City, Gladstone and North Kansas City.

East Side of the Metro or "Eastern Jackson County"

Eastern Jackson County is an area of the Kansas City Metro that contains the far-eastern urban side of Kansas City, Missouri, as well as the Missouri suburbs of Independence, Blue Springs, Raytown, Lees Summit, Grain Valley, Oak Grove, Sugar Creek, Lake Lotawana, Greenwood, Buckner, Pleasant Hill, and Lone Jack

Hospitals

Hospitals that serve this area are: Centerpoint Medical Center, St. Mary's Medical Center, Saint Luke's Hospital East, Saint Luke's North, Lee's Summit Medical Center, Truman Medical Center - Lakewood, Children's Mercy Hospital, and The University of Kansas Medical Center .

Colleges

Colleges and universities in the area include the Metropolitan Community College system ; Graceland University, Independence campus; Kansas City Kansas Community College; The Summit Technology Center, which is a branch campus of the University of Central Missouri; a branch of Baker University; University of Missouri-Kansas City, Avila University; Rockhurst University, and the Kansas City Art Institute (KCAI).

Cultural attractions

Cultural attractions include:

Photo Name City Notes
Chicago & Alton Hotel Museum Blue Springs The oldest business building in Blue Springs, MO. In 1978, the hotel, which originally served the railroad, was moved from the original site, just south of Main Street, to its present location.
Dillingham-Lewis House Museum Blue Springs Home built in 1906 and the only structure in Blue Springs that is constructed of native limestone. The house is named after two families.
Fort Osage National Historic Site Sibley Part of the United States factory trading post system for the Osage Nation in the early 19th century, near Sibley, Missouri.
Independence Events Center Independence A 5,800-seat multi-purpose arena, which currently hosts the home games of the Missouri Mavericks.
Jackson County Jail and Marshal's House Independence Former jail site, operated by the Jackson County Historical Society, that housed thousands of prisoners during the bloodiest period of Jackson County's history. Some of its famous guests included Frank James and William Clark Quantrill.
Leila's Hair Museum Independence A museum that displays examples of hair art dating back to the 19th century.
Lone Jack Battlefield Museum Lone Jack The only Civil War Museum in Jackson County, Missouri, and one of the few battlefields where the soldiers- who perished during the battle- are still buried on the battlefield.
Midwest Genealogy Center Independence The largest freestanding public genealogy research library in America.
National Frontier Trails Museum Independence A museum, interpretive center, and research library dedicated to telling the history of America’s principle western trails.
Rice-Tremonti Home Raytown Home built on the Santa Fe Trail in 1844 by Archibald Rice and his family.
Harry S. Truman Historic District Independence and Grandview
The U.S. Historic District associated with 33rd U.S. President Harry S. Truman. District includes:
The Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum, located in Independence, the official Presidential library
The Truman home, located in Independence. The residence where Truman lived for most of his time in Missouri.
The Truman Farm, located in Grandview. The farmhouse built in 1894 by Truman's maternal grandmother.
Truman Sports Complex Kansas City Home to two major sports venues: Arrowhead Stadium, home of the National Football League's Kansas City Chiefs, and Kauffman Stadium, home of Major League Baseball's Kansas City Royals.

Metropolitan area

Anchor city

100,000 or more inhabitants

50,000 to 100,000 inhabitants

10,000 to 50,000 inhabitants

  

1,000 to 10,000 inhabitants

fewer than 1,000 inhabitants

The metropolitan area is experiencing continued growth. Between July 2000 and July 2007, the population in the Kansas City MSA grew from 1,842,965 to an estimated 2,037,357, an increase of 10 percent.[2]

Counties

County State 2010 Population[3] 2000 Population
Bates Missouri 17,049 16,653
Caldwell Missouri 9,424 8,969
Cass Missouri 99,478 82,092
Clay Missouri 221,939 184,006
Clinton Missouri 20,743 18,979
Franklin Kansas 25,992 24,784
Jackson Missouri 674,158 654,880
Johnson Kansas 544,179 451,086
Lafayette Missouri 33,381 32,960
Leavenworth Kansas 76,227 68,691
Linn Kansas 9,656 9,570
Miami Kansas 32,787 28,351
Platte Missouri 89,322 73,781
Ray Missouri 23,494 23,354
Wyandotte Kansas 157,505 157,882

The MSA covers a total area of 7,952 sq mi (20,600 km2). 7,855 sq. mi. is land and 97 sq mi (250 km2). is water.

Associated areas

Often associated with Kansas City, the cities of Lawrence, Kansas, and St. Joseph, Missouri, are identified as separate Metropolitan Statistical Areas.[4]

The Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS Combined Statistical Area, which encompasses the Kansas City MO-KS MSA, the Warrensburg, MO USA (Johnson County, Missouri), and the Atchison, KS USA (Atchison County, Kansas), covers a total area of 9,220 sq. mi. 9,117 sq mi (23,610 km2). is land and 103 sq mi (270 km2). is water.

Transportation

The Kansas City metro area is served by Kansas City International Airport, located 15 miles northwest of downtown.

Kansas City is also served by long-distance Amtrak trains from Union Station (Kansas City, Missouri).

Public transportation in the Kansas City area is only provided by city buses operated by KCATA (Kansas City Area Transportation Authority). Buses in Johnson County, Kansas, are operated by "The JO" (Johnson County Transit).

Construction has begun on the Kansas City Downtown Streetcar line. It is scheduled to be completed late 2015. The city has plans for additional lines to be added to the starter line at a later date.

The Kansas City metropolitan area has more freeway lane-miles per capita than any other large metropolitan area in the United States (over 27% more than the second-place Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex), over 50% more than the average American metro area, and nearly 75% more than the large metro area with the least: Las Vegas.[5]

Some of Kansas City's interstates include:

  • I-29 – To Saint Joseph, Missouri and Omaha, Nebraska, to the north.
  • I-35 – To Des Moines, Iowa, to the north and Wichita, Kansas, to the south.
  • I-49 - To Joplin, to the south.
  • I-70 – To St. Louis, Missouri, to the east and Topeka, Kansas/Denver, Colorado, to the west.
  • I-435 – Bi-state loop through Missouri and Kansas suburbs. Second-longest in U.S., fourth-longest single-numbered beltway in the world.
  • I-470 – Connects South Kansas City with Lee's Summit and Independence.
  • I-635 – Connecting the Kansas suburbs with Kansas City, Kansas, and Kansas City International Airport.
  • I-670 – A southern bypass of I-70 and southern portion of the downtown loop. Signed as East I-70 when exiting from I-35 while traveling north.

Other major highways:

  • U.S. 24 - Independence Ave. and Winner Rd., between downtown Kansas City and Independence MO, serves as a street level connection to Independence.
  • U.S. 40 – U.S. 40 is one of six east-west US-numbered routes that run (or ran) from coast to coast. It serves as a business loop and an alternate route for I-70.
  • U.S. 50 – Enters the area in southern Johnson County, follows I-435 from the west to I-470, then splits off of I-470 in Lee's Summit to continue eastward to Jefferson City and St. Louis as a regular highway. Its former route through Raytown and southeast Kansas City was renumbered as Route 350. U.S. 50 is also one of the six coast-to-coast east-west US highways.
  • U.S. 69 – Connects Excelsior Springs, Missouri, in the north and serves as a freeway in Johnson County suburbs.
  • U.S. 71 – In the north, concurrent with I-29 to Amazonia, Missouri, and serves as a freeway (Bruce R. Watkins Drive) south from downtown, joining with I-49 at the Grandview Triangle.
  • U.S. 169 – Connects Smithville, Missouri, in the north.
  • K-5 – A minor freeway bypassing the north of Kansas City, Kansas, connecting the GM Fairfax plant with I-635. K-5 continues as Leavenworth Road west to I-435 then on to Leavenworth, Kansas.
  • K-7 – A freeway linking Leavenworth County, Kansas, Wyandotte County, Kansas, and Johnson County, Kansas.
  • K-10 – A freeway linking I-435 and Lawrence.
  • K-32 – A highway that links Leavenworth County, Kansas, and Wyandotte County, Kansas.
  • MO 9 – A minor freeway northwest of North Kansas City, and serves as a commercial backbone to North Kansas City, Riverside, Platte Woods, and Parkville.
  • MO 150 – A highway linking southern Lee's Summit and Grandview to the Kansas suburbs at State Line Road.
  • MO 152 – A freeway contained entirely in Kansas City's Northland, stretching from Liberty in Clay County west to its intersection with I-435 near Parkville, Missouri.
  • MO 210 – A minor freeway east of North Kansas City that, as a two-lane road, stretches to Richmond, Missouri.
  • MO 291 – Formerly an eastern bypass route of U.S. 71, the minor freeway connects Harrisonville and Lee's Summit to Independence, Sugar Creek, Liberty and Kansas City North. It is signed along with I-470 north of Lee's Summit.
  • MO 350 – Crosses through Raytown as Blue Parkway.
  • MO 45 - Known as Tom Watson Parkway in the Kansas City Vincity is a highway that goes 42 miles from I-29/US-71 to US-59/MO-273 in Lewis & Clark Village, Missouri (which is right east of the bigger city of Athison, Kansas). Also known as NW 64th St. from NW Klamm Dr. to I-29/US-71. Goes through the northern part of Parkville, Missouri and across Riss Lake. The National Golf Course is off of MO-45. The naming of Tom Watson Parkway ends at I-435.

Other notable roads:

  • Ward Parkway – A scenic parkway in Kansas City, Missouri near the Kansas-Missouri state line, where many large historic mansions and fountains are located.
  • Broadway – A street that runs from the west side of downtown Kansas City to Westport. The street has long been an entertainment center, with various bars, live jazz outlets, and restaurants. It also forms the eastern border of Quality Hill, one of the oldest neighborhoods in Kansas City
  • The Paseo – Part of the city's original system of parks and boulevards developed beginning in the late 1880s, it is the longest of the original boulevards, and the only one that runs the entire length of the pre-World War II city, from the Missouri River bluffs in the north to 79th Street on the south
  • Troost Avenue – A north-south thoroughfare 11 blocks east of Main Street, named for an early Kansas City settler and dentist, Benoist Troost. The street roughly divides the city's mostly black neighborhoods to its east from its mostly white ones to its west
  • Swope Parkway – Running on the south side of the Brush Creek valley eastward from The Paseo, then southward from its junction with Benton Boulevard, this street is the main route from the city's midtown to its largest city park, Swope Park
  • North Oak Trafficway - Major road completely in the Northland (though Oak St. continues in Downtown Kansas City). Signed as MO 283 from MO-9 to I-29/US-71. Continues to the very northern part of the Kansas City limits at NE Cookingham Dr. (MO-291). Considered the biggest commercial street in the Northland. The main street in the suburb of Gladstone, Missouri. Begins at Missouri 9 Highway in North Kansas City, Missouri, and intersects I-29/US-71; Vivion Road; Englewood Road; Barry Road; Missouri Highway 152; and continues north to NE Cookingham Dr. (MO-291).

Local navigation tips

See related article: voy:Kansas City (Missouri) at Wikivoyage

Street numbers

The Missouri side of the Metropolitan Area 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 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.

Highways

  • Kansas Citians tend to express U.S. and Missouri highway designations with the number before the word "highway," (e.g., 40 highway, 71 highway). This colloquialism tends not to apply to interstates or Kansas route numbers (e.g., "I-70", "K-10").
  • 69 Highway "The Overland Parkway": Southbound on I-35 from Kansas City, Missouri towards Johnson County there are two exits marked South 69. The first- or northern- one, (Metcalf Ave/I-635), is a left lane exit and leads to Metcalf, an at-grade trafficway, before turning west along Shawnee Mission Parkway, to rejoin I-35. The southern US-69 exit is a two-lane right lane exit between the 75th and 87th street exits and begins a four-lane highway known as the Overland Parkway.
  • Bruce R. Watkins Drive is the name of the new section of U.S. Route 71 in Kansas City, Missouri. The old U.S. 71 ran mostly on Prospect Avenue.
  • When traveling north on I-35 from Johnson County the first signs that say I-70 east actually guide the driver through the southern portion of I-670 which takes motorists into the southern part of the Downtown Freeway Loop and goes underneath the Bartle Hall Convention Center and some downtown overpasses. This is sometimes referred to as "going under downtown".
  • The downtown freeway loop, is a complex layout of freeways in downtown Kansas City, Missouri involving 23 exits, four Interstate Highways, four U.S. highways and numerous city streets. Each exit in the freeway loop is numbered 2 and suffixed with every letter of the alphabet except I, O and Z (which would look like 1, 0 and 2 on the exit signs), although some of the exits are currently under construction/renovation and closed to traffic. The entire circumference of the loop is just over four miles (6 km).
  • The KCTV pyramid-shaped television and radio tower can be seen from many parts of the city and is well-lit at night. It is next to the KCPT studios at the corner of 31st and Main.
  • The twin red-brick towers of American Century Investments are oriented north and south along Main at 45th street. They are just north of the Country Club Plaza. The Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art is slightly east. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is east and slightly south.
  • Kansas City Community Christian Church at 4601 Main has a group of lights that shoot a beam straight up at night. Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in the 1950s, it is slightly south of and across the street from the American Century Investment Towers. The Nelson Atkins is to the east and the Kemper Museum is to the north and slightly east.
  • Bartle Hall has a section that looks somewhat like a north-south suspension bridge crossing over I-670 at the southwest corner of the downtown loop. It has four towers with metal sculptures on top of each tower.
  • The Veterans Affairs Medical Center has a large "VA" emblem. It is near the intersection of I-70, Linwood and Van Brunt.
  • The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts at 16th and Broadway, just south of the downtown loop, with its tiered glass and steel half-domes, is reminiscent of the world-famous Sydney Opera House.

Areas of the metro

See also: The Districts of Downtown (Kansas City, Missouri)
The center of Kansas City is roughly contained inside the downtown loop (shaded in red).
  • Downtown Kansas City refers to the downtown area of Kansas City, Missouri, where a large concentration of the area's employees work, and where much of the entertainment is located. It has been going through a massive revitalization since 2000, and gained over 7,000 people from 2000 to 2005. The area houses the Power and Light District and the Sprint Center.
  • "The Northland" refers to the area of the metro area that is north of the Missouri River, comprising Clay and Platte counties in Missouri. This area includes the northern half of Kansas City, Missouri, which is referred to as "Kansas City, North" to distinguish it from the rest of the Northland and the city of North Kansas City. Ths area is also referred to as "North of The River" by locals and local TV news and traffic reporting.
  • River Market refers to the area north of downtown, south of the river, and west of highway 9. It is home to a large farmer's market.
  • "North Kansas City" is a separate city that is completely surrounded by Kansas City, Missouri (abbreviated NKC). It is also called Northtown.
  • Shawnee Mission, Kansas, is an area recognized by the United States Postal Service that includes many towns in Johnson County, Kansas.
  • Waldo refers to the Waldo Residential District in Kansas City, Missouri, near 75th Street and Wornall Road.
  • Country Club Plaza (or simply "the Plaza") is an upscale shopping district built by the J.C. Nichols Company in 1923. It was the first suburban shopping district in the United States.[6]
  • Country Club District is the name for the associated group of neighborhoods built along Ward Parkway by J.C. Nichols just south of the Country Club Plaza, and includes Sunset Hill, Brookside, Crestwood, and Mission Hills, Kansas.
  • 39th Street usually refers to the small section of West 39th Street between State Line Road and Southwest Trafficway in Kansas City, Missouri. It has many restaurants, bars and shops, and is just across the state line from the University of Kansas Medical Center. The area is also referred to as the Volker neighborhood or "Restaurant Row".
  • University of Kansas Hospital (KUMED) is the corporate name of the hospital on the KU Medical Center campus.
  • Benton Curve, a curve located where Interstate 70 crosses Benton Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri, is a site of many accidents.
  • Pendleton Heights is a historic neighborhood in the Northeast, home to the city's largest concentration of Victorian homes. It is bordered to the north by Cliff Drive, the east by Chestnut Trafficway, the south by Independence Avenue and to the west by the Paseo Trafficway. It is Kansas City's oldest surviving neighborhood.
  • Grandview Triangle is the intersection of three major highways: Interstate 435, Interstate 470, and U.S. Route 71 (Bruce R. Watkins Drive). Notorious for fatal accidents, as of February 2005, improvements and upgrades on the Triangle have mostly been completed.
  • Emanuel Cleaver II Boulevard, named for former mayor and current Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, comprises recently renamed portions of 47th Street and Brush Creek Boulevard in Kansas City, Missouri.
  • 18th and Vine refers to the 18th and Vine Historic District that contains the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and the American Jazz Museum.
  • The Library District is a recently defined district around the new Central Library at 14 West 10th Street in Kansas City, Missouri.[7]
  • Strawberry Hill is a historical area in Kansas City, Kansas that was home to many eastern European immigrants. Later, the neighborhood became home to many Latino/Chicano families. However, with recent immigration from Eastern Europe, Strawberry Hill is currently seeing immigration once again from Eastern Europe.
  • Hospital Hill is the area near 23rd and Holmes in Kansas City, Missouri, and consists of two major hospitals (Truman Medical Center, The Children's Mercy Hospital) and the University of Missouri, Kansas City's School of Medicine, School of Dentistry, School of Pharmacy and School of Nursing.
  • Argentine is a part of Kansas City, Kansas, near 30th and Argentine. It is one of the oldest Mexican/Latino neighborhoods in Kansas City with Mexican immigration to that area dating to the 1800s.
  • The Crossroads Arts District is a downtown neighborhood between the Central Business District and Union Station, centered around the intersection of 19th Street and Baltimore in Kansas City, Missouri. It contains dozens of art galleries and is considered by many to be the center of the arts culture in the metropolitan area. Local artists sponsor exhibits there on the first Friday of each month.
  • Quality Hill is a residential and commercial neighborhood on top of a western hill in the Central Business District Downtown Kansas City, across the river from the Charles B. Wheeler Airport.
  • Washington-Wheatley is a historically Black neighborhood southeast of the 18th and Vine District.
  • The Westside is a historically African American and Chicano/Latino neighborhood near Southwest Blvd. and Interstate 35.
  • Westport is a historic district offering much of the metro area's entertainment and nightlife.
  • Valentine
  • West Bottoms
  • Rosedale
  • Squier Park
  • Union Hill[8]
  • Armordale, in Kansas City, Kansas, is one of the historically Chicano(a) neighborhoods of the Kansas City metro.
  • Sheffield
  • East Bottoms
  • Brookside is a pedestrian-friendly district built in the 1920s centered on the Brookside Shopping District at 63rd St. & Brookside Blvd.
  • Hanover Heights is a small KCK neighborhood once primarily noted for its antiques shops along 45th St., with neighborhood boundaries mainly between Rainbow Blvd. & State Line Road, running south of KU Medical Center to the Johnson County border. It is notable in that it is the first neighborhood into which Google Fiber is being installed.
  • Northeast refers to the Historic Old Northeast District, a working-class immigrant collection of neighborhoods. It is between downtown Kansas City and the smaller city of Independence.
  • Truman Sports Complex, located at the corner of I-70 and I-435, east of downtown Kansas City, MO, is the sports center of the KCMA. It features Arrowhead Stadium, home of the NFL Kansas City Chiefs; and Kauffman Stadium, home of the MLB Kansas City Royals.
  • Ivanhoe, located in the core of the city of Kansas City, Missouri. 64130 ZIP code. Running from Benton Boulevard on the east, Paseo Boulevard on the west, 39th Street on the north, and 47th Street on the south. This area is known for its high crime rate.

Educational institutions

Post-secondary

In Kansas City, Missouri:

MCC-Penn Valley
MCC-Maple Woods
MCC-Business and Technology Center
MCC-Blue River
MCC-Longview

On the Missouri side of the Missouri River:

Other nearby Missouri educational institutions:

Other nearby Kansas educational institutions:

Libraries

Media

The Kansas City Star is the region's major daily newspaper. The McClatchy Company, the owner of The Star, also owns the suburban weeklies Lee's Summit Journal and Olathe Journal.

The Kansas City Kansan serves Wyandotte County, having moved from print to an online format in 2009. Additional weekly papers in the metropolitan include the Liberty Tribune, Sun Newspapers of Johnson County, The Examiner in Independence and Eastern Jackson County, and The Pitch. Two newspapers serve the area's faith communities: The Metro Voice Christian Newspaper and the Jewish Chronicle. Dos Mundos is the area's primary newspaper that serves the Spanish-speaking community, with articles printed in Spanish and English, and Mi Raza magazine is the only weekly Hispanic publication printed in Spanish.

Broadcast media

Main article: Broadcast Media in Kansas City

According to Arbitron, about 1.5 million people over the age of 12 are part of the Kansas City DMA, making it the 30th largest market for radio and 31st for television Nielsen ratings.

Television

Kansas City metro television stations, with all major network affiliates represented, include:

Radio

Over 30 FM and 20 AM stations broadcast in the Kansas City area, with stations from Topeka, St. Joseph, and Carrollton also reaching into the metropolitan area. The highest-rated radio stations according to Arbitron are:

Public and community radio
  • KCUR-FM – NPR affiliate
  • KANU-FM and KTBG-FM – both college radio stations; also NPR affiliates
  • KKFI-FM – Locally owned not-for-profit station
  • KGSP-FM – Park University college station
Specialty TV and radio

Hispanics account for five percent of the market and are served by three AM radio stations (KCZZ KDTD and KKHK) and a Univision affiliate, KUKC-LP.

Business interests

The Kansas City Metropolitan Area's largest private employer is Sprint Nextel Corporation. The international telecommunications company maintains its world headquarters at its 200-acre (0.81 km2) campus facility in south Overland Park. During 2005, the company employed nearly 18,500 people in the five-county metropolitan area, with wages of more than $1.16 billion, generating $58 million in local and state income taxes. Sprint spent more than $21 million on property taxes and $1.74 billion for goods and services from area businesses. Sprint's headquarters was temporarily moved to Reston, Virginia, in 2003, after it merged with Nextel.[10] Since then, the world headquarters has been reconsolidated in Overland Park.[11]

Other major employers and business enterprises are AT&T, BNSF Railway, Asurion, Cerner, Citigroup, EMBARQ, Farmers Insurance Group, Garmin, Hallmark Cards, Harley-Davidson, Husqvarna, General Motors, Honeywell, Ford Motor Company, MillerCoors, State Street Corporation, The Kansas City Star, and Waddell & Reed, some of which are headquartered in the "metro". Kansas City also has a large pharmaceutical industry, with companies such as Bayer and Aventis having a large presence.

Headquarters

The following companies and organizations (excluding educational institutions) are among the larger ones headquartered in the metro area (noting cities of headquarters office if not Kansas City, MO):

The Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank is one of the U.S.'s 12 such banks.

Shopping centers

Local organizations

See also

References

  1. ^ http://www.kcjobfair.com/
  2. ^ "County Population Estimates-U.S. Census Bureau". Census.gov. Retrieved October 12, 2011.
  3. ^ "State & County QuickFacts : Bates County, Missouri". Retrieved June 13, 2011.
  4. ^ "Bulletin" (PDF). Retrieved 2013-07-10.
  5. ^ "publicpurpose.com". publicpurpose.com. January 10, 2002. Retrieved October 12, 2011.
  6. ^ "Official web site of the". Country Club Plaza. Retrieved October 12, 2011.
  7. ^ Library district walking tour Retrieved August 4, 2013
  8. ^ The Union Hill Historic District Retrieved August 4, 2013
  9. ^ "Metropolitan Community College, Kansas City". Mcckc.edu. Retrieved October 12, 2011.
  10. ^ Many Sprint Employees Want HQ Back In Kansas Retrieved August 4, 2013
  11. ^ Sprint Retrieved August 4, 2013

Further reading

  • Shortridge, James R. Kansas City and How It Grew, 1822–2011 (University Press of Kansas; 2012) 248 pages; historical geography

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