Difference between revisions of "Kansas City, Missouri" - New World Encyclopedia

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{{redirect|Kansas City|for other uses}}
 
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This page is for items specific to the city of '''Kansas City, Missouri''' only. Items for the metro area; Kansas City, Kansas or North Kansas City, MO should go on their respective pages. —>
 
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<!-- Infobox begins !-->
 
 
{{Infobox Settlement
 
{{Infobox Settlement
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|official_name            = City of Kansas City
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|name                    = Kansas City
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|settlement_type          = [[City]]
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|settlement_type          = City
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|nickname                = "KC," "City of Fountains," "Heart of America," "Paris of the Plains"
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|nickname                = "KC," "KCMO",<br/>"City of Fountains",<br/>"Heart of America," "Paris of the Plains"
 
|image_skyline            = Kcskylinebridge.jpg
 
|image_skyline            = Kcskylinebridge.jpg
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|imagesize                =  
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|imagesize                =
 
|image_caption            =  
 
|image_caption            =  
 
|image_flag              = kcmoflag.jpg
 
|image_flag              = kcmoflag.jpg
 +
|image_seal              =
 
|image_map = US-MO-Kansas City-Entire City.png
 
|image_map = US-MO-Kansas City-Entire City.png
 
|mapsize                  = 250x200px
 
|mapsize                  = 250x200px
 
|map_caption              = Location in [[Jackson County, Missouri|Jackson]], [[Clay County, Missouri|Clay]], [[Platte County, Missouri|Platte]], and [[Cass County, Missouri|Cass]] Counties in the state of [[Missouri]].
 
|map_caption              = Location in [[Jackson County, Missouri|Jackson]], [[Clay County, Missouri|Clay]], [[Platte County, Missouri|Platte]], and [[Cass County, Missouri|Cass]] Counties in the state of [[Missouri]].
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|image_map1              =  
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|image_map1              =
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|mapsize1                =  
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|mapsize1                =
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|map_caption1            =  
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|map_caption1            =
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|subdivision_type        = [[List of countries|Country]]
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|pushpin_map            =
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|subdivision_type1        = [[Political divisions of the United States|State]]
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|pushpin_map_caption    =
 +
|coordinates_region      = US-MO
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|subdivision_type        = Country
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|subdivision_type1        = State
 
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Missouri|Counties]]
 
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Missouri|Counties]]
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|subdivision_name        = [[United States|United States of America]]
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|subdivision_name        = United States
 
|subdivision_name1        = [[Missouri]]
 
|subdivision_name1        = [[Missouri]]
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|subdivision_name2        = [[Jackson County, Missouri|Jackson]]<br/>[[Clay County, Missouri|Clay]]<br/>[[Platte County, Missouri|Platte]]<br/>[[Cass County, Missouri|Cass]]
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|subdivision_name2        = [[Jackson County, Missouri|Jackson]]<br />[[Clay County, Missouri|Clay]]<br />[[Platte County, Missouri|Platte]]<br />[[Cass County, Missouri|Cass]]
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|government_type          =  
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|government_type          =
 
|leader_title            = [[Mayor of Kansas City, Missouri|Mayor]]
 
|leader_title            = [[Mayor of Kansas City, Missouri|Mayor]]
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|leader_name              = [[Mark Funkhouser]]
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|leader_name              = [[Sly James]]
 
|established_title        = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
 
|established_title        = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
 
|established_date        = March 28, 1853
 
|established_date        = March 28, 1853
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|unit_pref                = Imperial
 
|area_magnitude          = 1 E8
 
|area_magnitude          = 1 E8
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|area_total_sq_mi        = 318.0
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|area_total_sq_mi        = 316.0
 
|area_total_km2          = 823.7
 
|area_total_km2          = 823.7
 
|area_land_sq_mi          = 313.5
 
|area_land_sq_mi          = 313.5
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|area_water_km2          = 11.6
 
|area_water_km2          = 11.6
 
|area_urban_sq_mi        = 584.4
 
|area_urban_sq_mi        = 584.4
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|area_urban_km2          = 1513.6
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|population_as_of        = 2012
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|population_as_of        = 2006
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|population_footnotes    =  
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|population_footnotes    =
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|population_total        = 510,245  ([[List of United States cities by population|34th]])
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<ref>{{cite web | title=Census Bureau Estimates Program (2005) | url=http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/files/SUB-EST2005-all.csv | accessdate = 2006-09-11 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Annual Estimates of the Population of Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas: April 1 2000 to July 1 2005 (CBSA-EST2005-01) | url=http://www.census.gov/population/www/estimates/metropop/2005/cbsa-01-fmt.csv | accessdate = 2006-09-11 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Census Bureau Estimates Program (2006) | url=http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/tables/SUB-EST2006-01.xls | accessdate = 2007-29-07 }}</ref>
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|population_urban        = 1.6 million
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|population_total         = 447306
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|population_metro         = 2.2 million
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|population_urban                = 1361744
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|population_demonym      = Kansas Citian
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|population_metro        = 1947694
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|population_density_km2  = 593.9
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|population_density_km2  = 543
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|population_density_sq_mi = 1630.4
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|population_density_sq_mi = 1406.6
 
 
|timezone                = [[North American Central Time Zone|CST]]
 
|timezone                = [[North American Central Time Zone|CST]]
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|utc_offset              = -6
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|utc_offset              = −6
 
|timezone_DST            = [[North American Central Time Zone|CDT]]
 
|timezone_DST            = [[North American Central Time Zone|CDT]]
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|utc_offset_DST          = -5
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|utc_offset_DST          = −5
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|latd = 39 |latm = 06 |lats = 35 |latNS = N
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|latd = 39 |latm = 07 |latNS = N
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|longd = 94 |longm = 35 |longs = 19 |longEW = W
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|longd = 94 |longm = 35 |longEW = W
 
|elevation_m              = 277
 
|elevation_m              = 277
 
|elevation_ft            = 910
 
|elevation_ft            = 910
 
|website                  = http://www.kcmo.org/
 
|website                  = http://www.kcmo.org/
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|postal_code_type        =  
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|postal_code_type        = [[ZIP Code]]
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|postal_code              =  
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|postal_code              = 64101-64102, 64105-64106, 64108-64114, 64116-64134, 64136-64139, 64141, 64144-64158, 64161, 64163-64168, 64170-64172, 64179-64180, 64183-64185, 64187-64188, 64190-64199, 64944, 64999
 
|area_code                = [[Area code 816|816]]
 
|area_code                = [[Area code 816|816]]
 
|blank_name              = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
 
|blank_name              = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
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|blank_info              = 29-38000{{GR|2}}
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|blank_info              = 29-38000
 
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
 
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
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|blank1_info              = 0748198{{GR|3}}
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|blank1_info              = 0748198
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|footnotes                =  
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|footnotes                =
 
}}
 
}}
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{{Cleanup|date=March 2008}}
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'''Kansas City''' is the largest [[city]] in the [[U.S. state|state]] of [[Missouri]]. It encompasses 318 square miles (824 sq km) in parts of [[Jackson County, Missouri|Jackson]], [[Clay County, Missouri|Clay]], [[Cass County, Missouri|Cass]], and [[Platte County, Missouri|Platte]] counties. The city also serves as the anchor city of the [[Kansas City Metropolitan Area]], second largest metro area in Missouri and largest with territory in Kansas, though [[Wichita, Kansas|Wichita]] is the largest metro anchored in Kansas. As of 2006, the city had an estimated population of 447,306, with a metro area population of nearly two million.
  
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'''Kansas City''' is the largest [[city]] in the [[U.S. state|state]] of [[Missouri]]. It encompasses {{convert|318|sqmi|sqkm}} in parts of [[Jackson County, Missouri|Jackson]], [[Clay County, Missouri|Clay]], [[Cass County, Missouri|Cass]], and [[Platte County, Missouri|Platte]] counties. The city also serves as the anchor city of the [[Kansas City Metropolitan Area]], second largest in Missouri and largest with territory in Kansas, though [[Wichita, Kansas|Wichita]] is the largest metro anchored in Kansas. As of 2006, the city had an estimated population of 447,306,<ref>{{cite web | title=Census Bureau Estimates Program (2006) | url=http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/SUB-EST2006.html | accessdate = 2007-12-27 }}</ref> with a metro area of nearly two million.<ref>http://www.census.gov/population/www/estimates/metro_general/2006/CBSA-EST2006-01.xls</ref> Kansas City was founded in 1838 as the "Town of Kansas"<ref>[http://www.kcmo.org/kcmo.nsf/web/kchistory?opendocument A History of Kansas City, Missouri<!-- Bot generated title —>]</ref> at the [[confluence]] of the [[Missouri River|Missouri]] and [[Kansas River|Kansas]] rivers and was incorporated in its present form in 1850. Situated opposite [[Kansas City, Kansas|Kansas City]], [[Kansas]], the city was the location of several battles during the [[American Civil War|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]]).
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Kansas City was founded in 1838 as the "Town of Kansas" at the [[confluence]] of the [[Missouri River|Missouri]] and [[Kansas River|Kansas]] rivers and was incorporated in its present form in 1850. Situated opposite [[Kansas City, Kansas|Kansas City]], [[Kansas]], the city was the location of several battles during the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], including the [[Battle of Westport]].  
  
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==Abbreviations and nicknames==
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Kansas City, nicknamed the "City of Fountains," is well known for its contributions to the musical styles of [[jazz]] and [[blues]] as well as for its famous Kansas City-style barbecue.
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[[Image:Kcsky.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Kansas City Skyline from Liberty Memorial]]
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{{toc}}
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Kansas City, Missouri, is often abbreviated as "KCMO," or simply "KC" (both abbreviations often refer to the [[Kansas City Metropolitan Area|metro area]]). It is officially nicknamed the ''City of [[Fountains]]''. With over 200 fountains, the city claims to have second most in the world, just behind [[Rome]].<ref>{{cite web | title=‘City of Fountains’ Indeed | url=http://www.visitkc.com/media_room/news_releases/index.cfm?page=fountain_release.htm|accessdate = 2006-09-10 }}</ref> The city also has more boulevards than any city except [[Paris]] and has often been called "Paris on the [[Great Plains|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 [[Mean center of U.S. population|population]] center of the United States and the [[Geographic centers of the United States|geographic]] center of the 48 contiguous states.
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Kansas City, Missouri is often abbreviated as "KCMO," or simply "KC," with both abbreviations often referring to the city's entire metropolitan area. Though the area was a hotbed of violence in the days leading to the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], experiencing what was called the "Border Wars" (or [[Bleeding Kansas]]), the city's larger metropolitan area today sits in both states; the border barely more than a narrow street.  
  
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==History==
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== Geography ==
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[[Image:Kc-pioneers1.jpg|thumb|222px|right|Kansas City Pioneer Square monument in Westport features [[Pony Express]] founder [[Alexander Majors]],
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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). According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of 318.0 square miles (823.7 sq km). Of this, 313.5 sq miles (812.1 km²) are land, with the remaining 4.5 sq mi (11.6 km²) of it water.
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Westport/Kansas City founder [[John Calvin McCoy]] and Mountainman [[Jim Bridger]] who owned Chouteau's Store next to Kelly's]]
 
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{{main|History of Kansas City}}
 
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Kansas City, Missouri was incorporated in 1850. The [[Kansas City Metropolitan Area|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.
 
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===Exploration and settlement===
 
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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 (tribe)|Missouri]] village about {{convert|90|mi|km}} east near [[Brunswick, Missouri]], and illegally traded furs.
 
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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.
 
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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, Missouri|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.
 
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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.
 
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In 1833 [[John Calvin McCoy|John McCoy]] established [[Westport, Kansas City|West Port]] along the [[Santa Fe Trail]], three miles (5 km) 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.<ref>{{cite web | title=Why is Kansas City located in Missouri instead of Kansas? | url=http://www.kclibrary.org/guides/localhistory/index.cfm?article=read&articleID=400 | accessdate = 2006-09-11 }}</ref>
 
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By that time, the Town of Kansas, Westport, and nearby [[Independence, Missouri|Independence]], had become critical points in America's [[Territorial acquisitions of the United States|westward expansion]]. Three major [[Historical roads and trails of the United States|trail]]s—the [[Santa Fe Trail|Santa Fe]], [[California Trail|California]], and [[Oregon Trail|Oregon]]—all originated in [[Jackson County, Missouri|Jackson County]].
 
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On February 22, 1853, the City of Kansas was created with a newly elected mayor. It had an area of {{convert|0.70|sqmi|sqkm}} 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.<ref>{{cite web | title=Early City Limits | url=http://images.kclibrary.org/localhistory/media.cfm?mediaID=95980 | accessdate = 2006-09-11 }}</ref>
 
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===Civil War===
 
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The area was rife with animosity as the [[American Civil War|Civil War]] approached. As citizens of a [[slave state]], Missourians tended to sympathize with the southern states. With Kansas petitioning to enter the [[Union (American Civil War)|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.
 
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[[Image:Kansas city mo 1869.gif|thumbnail|left|222px|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]]
 
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During the Civil War, the City of Kansas was in the midst of battles, almost all of them victories by the Union. The [[First Battle of Independence|Battle of Independence]] in August 1862 stunted a [[Confederate States of America|Confederate]] advance into northern Missouri (settled by pro-slavery [[Virginia]]ns), and the October 1864 [[Battle of Westport]] effectively ended Confederate efforts to occupy the city. Moreover, General [[Thomas Ewing, Jr.|Thomas Ewing]]—in response to a successful raid on nearby [[Lawrence, Kansas]], led by [[William Quantrill]]—issued [[General Order No. 11 (1863)|General Order No. 11]], forcing the eviction of residents in four western Missouri counties, including Jackson, except those living in the city and nearby communities and those whose allegiance to the Union was certified by Ewing.
 
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[[Image:Walnut-street-kcmo-1906.jpg|thumbnail|right|222px|Walnut St., Downtown Kansas City, Mo. 1906]]
 
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===Post-Civil War===
 
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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. According to the [http://www.census.gov/population/documentation/twps0027/tab13.txt  US Census] in 1900, Kansas City was the 22nd largest city in the country, with 163,752 residents.
 
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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 (Kansas City)|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 [[Jesse Clyde Nichols|J.C. Nichols]] in 1925 as part of his [[Country Club District]] plan.
 
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===Pendergast era===
 
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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.
 
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===Post-World War II sprawl===
 
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Kansas City's sprawl and the creation of suburbs originally began with the invention and implementation of streetcars into the city and the surrounding areas. [[Streetcar suburb]]s began to pop up and more and more detached, single family homes were built away from the main part of town. The city's first "Suburbs" were in the neighborhoods of Pendleton Heights and Quality Hill. However, the real sprawl and creation of suburbs didn't start until after the second world war.
 
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After [[World War II]], the city experienced considerable sprawl, as the affluent populace left for [[suburb]]s 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.
 
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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.
 
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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 {{convert|316|sqmi|sqkm}}, more than five times its size in 1940.
 
  
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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.
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A city of rolling hills, much of urban Kansas City sits atop 100-200 foot bluffs overlooking the [[river]]s and river bottoms areas. Kansas City proper is bowl-shaped and is surrounded to the north and south by [[glacier]]-carved [[limestone]] and [[bedrock]] cliffs.  
  
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== Geography ==
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The area upon which Kansas City is built is situated at the junction between the [[Dakota ice lobe|Dakota]] and [[Minnesota ice lobes]] during the maximum late [[Independence glaciation]] of the [[Pleistocene]] [[Geologic time scale|epoch]]. The Kansas and Missouri rivers cut wide valleys into the terrain when the [[glacier]]s melted and drained. A partially filled spillway valley crosses the central portion of the city. This valley is an eastward continuation of Turkey Creek valley. The city's renovated (1996) Union Station is located here.<ref>James S. Aber. February 2005. [http://www.geospectra.net/lewis_cl/geology/glacial.htm Glacial Geology of the Kansas City Vicinity] ''Kansas City geology''. Retrieved May 16, 2008. </ref>
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<!-- Unsourced image removed: [[Image:kcskyline_1.jpg|thumb|Downtown Kansas City, [[Union Station]] is featured in front]] —>
 
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According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of 318.0 [[square mile|sq&nbsp;mi]] (823.7 [[square kilometre|km²]]). 313.5 sq&nbsp;mi (812.1 km²) of it is land and 4.5 sq&nbsp;mi (11.6 km²) of it (1.41%) is water.
 
  
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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 [[glacier]]s. Kansas City is situated at the junction between the [[Dakota ice lobe|Dakota]] and [[Minnesota ice lobes]] during the maximum late [[Independence glaciation]] of the [[Pleistocene]] [[Geologic time scale|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 (Kansas City)|Union Station]] is located in this valley.<ref>{{cite web | first=James S. | last=Aber | title=Glacial Geology of the Kansas City Vicinity | url=http://www.geospectra.net/lewis_cl/geology/glacial.htm | accessdate = 2006-09-05 }}</ref>
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The city's tap water was recently rated the cleanest among the 50 largest cities in the United States, containing no detectable impurities.<ref>Robert Bruce. [http://www.icgchurches.org/Kansas_City_MO/kansascityMOhome.shtml Kansas City Missouri] ''Kansas City Missouri Church of God''. Retrieved May 16, 2008.</ref>
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The city's [[tap water|municipal water]] was recently rated the cleanest among the 50 largest cities in the United States, containing no detectable impurities.{{Fact|date=December 2007}}
 
  
 
=== Climate ===
 
=== Climate ===
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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.
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The Kansas City area lies in an area of [[humid continental climate]] ([[Koppen climate classification]] ''Dfa'') with moderate precipitation and extremes of hot and cold. [[Summer]]s can be very humid, with moist air riding up from the [[Gulf of Mexico]], and during July and August daytime highs often  reach into the triple digits. [[Winter]]s 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.
  
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<!--Infobox begins—>{{Infobox Weather
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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. The region is also prone to [[Winter storm#Freezing rain and ice storms|ice storm]]s, such as the [[2002 Central Plains Ice Storm|2002 ice storm]] during which hundreds of thousands lost power for days and (in some cases) weeks.<ref>Matt Stearns, February 1, 2002. [[http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/archives.htm KC powerless as icy barrage pummels the area, leaves behind disaster zone] ''Kansas City Star''. Retrieved May 16, 2008.</ref> Kansas City and its outlying areas are also subject to flooding, and were hit by both the [[Great Flood of 1993]] and the [[Great Flood of 1951]].
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== Cityscape ==
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===Fountains===
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[[Image:Kc-country-club-plaza.jpg|thumb|250px|J.C. Nichols Memorial Fountain, in Mill Creek Park, adjacent to the Country Club Plaza]]
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Officially nicknamed the ''City of Fountains,'' Kansas City has over 200 listed fountains, with more, both public and private, added regularly. The city claims to have the second most in the world, just behind [[Rome]]. It is said that the city's love-affair with water has to do with the importance of water to the city's birth at the confluence of the [[Missouri River|Missouri]] and [[Kansas River]]s.<ref>''Kansas City Convention & Visitors Association''. March 30, 2006. [http://www.visitkc.com/media_room/news_releases/index.cfm?page=fountain_release.htm ‘City of Fountains’ Indeed] Retrieved May 16, 2008.</ref>
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The city also has more boulevards than any city except [[Paris]] and has often been called by locals "Paris on the Plains." Fountains and boulevards, statues, trees and gardens that run throughout the city all combine to make it one of the country's most beautiful [[City|cities]].  
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|source =weather.com <ref name=weather1>{{cite web
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=== Parks and parkways ===
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| url =http://www.weather.com/outlook/travel/businesstraveler/wxclimatology/monthly/USKS0298 | title =Monthly Averages for Kansas City, MO | accessmonthday =Jan 10 | accessyear =2008 
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[[Image:Kcsky.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Kansas City Skyline from Liberty Memorial]]
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| publisher = | language = }}</ref>
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Kansas City is well-known for its spacious parkways and numerous parks. The parkway system winds its way through the city with broad, landscaped medians that include statuary and fountains. One of the best examples is [[Ward Parkway]] on the west side of the city, near the [[Kansas]] state line. Originally designed for aesthetics and minor automobile/horse and buggy traffic, many parkways were drastically altered to accommodate more and more vehicles, becoming minor freeways.
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|accessdate = 2008-01-10
 
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}}<!--Infobox ends—>
 
  
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=== Weather ===
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[[Swope Park]] is one of the nation's largest in-city parks, comprising 1,763 acres (2.75sq mi), more than twice as big as [[New York City|New York's]] [[Central Park]].<ref>''City of Kansas City, Mo''. [http://www.kcmo.org/timeline.nsf/web/18960000?opendocument Timeline 150] Retrieved May 17, 2008.</ref> It includes a full-fledged [[zoo]], two golf courses, a [[lake]], an [[amphitheatre]], day-camp area, and numerous picnic grounds.
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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 [[tornado]]s, including the [[Kansas City Tornado Outbreak of May 1957|Ruskin Heights tornado in 1957]],<ref>[http://www.wdaftv4.com/almanac/watorndo.html Kansas City Tornado Almanac], wdaftv4.com. Accessed Sept. 2006.</ref> 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 [[Winter storm#Freezing rain and ice storms|ice storm]]s, such as the [[2002 Central Plains Ice Storm|2002 ice storm]] during which hundreds of thousands lost power for days and (in some cases) weeks.<ref>[http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/special_packages/star_history/calamities_crime/12508862.htm KC powerless as icy barrage pummels the area, leaves behind disaster zone], Accessed 10 September 2006.</ref> Kansas City and its outlying areas are also subject to flooding, including the [[Great Flood of 1993]] and the [[Great Flood of 1951]].  
 
  
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{{See also|List of tornadoes and tornado outbreaks|List of tornadoes striking downtown areas|1980 United States heat wave}}
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Kansas City has always had an excellent [[urban forestry]] program. At one time, almost all residential streets were planted with a solid canopy of [[American elm]]s, but [[Dutch elm disease]] devastated them. Most of the elms died and were replaced with a variety of other shade trees. A program is underway to replace many of the fast-growing [[American Sweetgum|sweetgum]] trees with [[hardwood]] varieties.<ref>''City of Kansas City, Mo''. [http://www.kcmo.org/planning/pdf/focus/NA_reports/triblen.pdf Tri-Blenheim Neighbors United] Retrieved May 17, 2008. </ref>
  
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=== Cityscape ===
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===Neighborhoods===
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''See Also: [[Downtown Kansas City, Missouri]]''
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[[Image:Brush creek.jpg|thumbnail|right|250px|[[Brush Creek (Missouri)|Brush Creek]] on the Country Club Plaza at Night]]
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A number of Kansas City's 150 neighborhoods have histories as independent cities or the sites of major events. Not far from the downtown area, the urban core of the city has a variety of neighborhoods, including historic [[Westport, Kansas City|Westport]], the [[Crossroads Arts District]], [[18th and Vine Historic District]], [[Pendleton Heights]], [[Quality Hill]], the [[West Bottoms]] and the [[River Market]].
 +
*[[Crown Center]] is the headquarters of [[Hallmark Cards]] and a major downtown shopping and entertainment complex. It is connected to Union Station by a series of covered walkways.
 +
*The [[Country Club Plaza]], or simply "the Plaza," is an upscale, outdoor shopping and entertainment district. It was the first shopping district in the United States designed to accommodate shoppers arriving by automobile, and is surrounded by apartments and condominiums, including a number of high rise buildings.
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*The associated [[Country Club District]] to the south includes the [[Sunset Hill]] and Brookside neighborhoods, and is traversed by [[Ward Parkway]], a beautiful, landscaped boulevard known for its statuary, fountains and large, historic homes.
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*Kansas City's Union Station, which was renovated in 1996, is home to [[Science City]], restaurants, shopping, theaters, and the city's [[Amtrak]] facility.
  
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[[Image:Brush creek.jpg|thumbnail|right|222px|[[Brush Creek (Missouri)|Brush Creek]] on the Country Club Plaza at Night]]
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==History==
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===Exploration and settlement===
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[[Image:Kc-pioneers1.jpg|thumb|225px|left|Kansas City Pioneer Square monument in Westport neighborhood  features [[Pony Express]] founder [[Alexander Majors]], Westport/Kansas City founder [[John Calvin McCoy]] and Mountainman [[Jim Bridger]].]]
  
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Kansas City, Missouri, is organized into a system of more than 150 [[neighborhood]]s, some with histories as independent cities or the sites of major events.  
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The first documented [[Europe]]an visit to Kansas City was [[Étienne de Veniard, Sieur de Bourgmont]]. In 1714 he penned "The Route to Be Taken to Ascend the Missouri River." In the document he described the junction of the "Grande Riv[iere] des Cansez" and [[Missouri River]], being the first to refer to them by those names. French [[cartography|cartographer]] [[Guillaume Delisle]] used the descriptions to make the first reasonably accurate map of the area. Following the [[Louisiana Purchase]] of 1803, [[Lewis and Clark]] visited the confluence of the Kansas and Missouri rivers, noting it as a "good location to build a fort."
  
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Downtown, the center of the city, is currently undergoing major redevelopment. Near Downtown, the urban core of the city has a variety of [[List of neighborhoods in Kansas City, Missouri|neighborhoods]], including historical [[Westport, Kansas City|Westport]], the [[Crossroads Arts District]], [[18th and Vine Historic District]], [[Pendleton Heights]], [[Quality Hill]], the [[West Bottoms]] and the [[River Market]].
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The [[Chouteau]] family operated under the Spanish license at [[St. Louis, Missouri|St. Louis]] in the lower [[Missouri Valley]] as early as 1765, but it would be 1821 before the Chouteaus reached the Kansas City area, when [[François Chouteau]] established Chouteau's Landing.  
  
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[[Image:Alphamap.gif||thumb|left|222px|The city's tallest buildings and characteristic skyline is roughly contained inside the [[downtown freeway loop (Kansas City)|downtown freeway loop]] (shaded in red). Downtown Kansas City itself is established by city [[Local ordinance|ordinance]] to stretch from the Missouri River south to 31st Street (beyond the bottom of this map), and from I-35 to Bruce R. Watkins]]
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[[Missouri]] joined the Union in 1821 and, after the [[Treaty of St. Louis]] in 1825, the 1,400 Missouri [[Shawnee]]s were forcibly relocated from [[Cape Girardeau]] to southeastern [[Kansas]], close to the [[Neosho River]]. In 1826, the Prophet [[Tenskwatawa]] established a village in Argentine, Kansas (now a neighborhood within Kansas City, Kansas). During 1833, only the Black Bob's band of Shawnee resisted the relocation efforts. They settled in northeastern Kansas near the town of Olathe (now a suburb on the Kansas side of the KC metropolitan area) and along the [[Kansas River|Kaw River]] in [[Monticello Township, Kansas|Monticello]] near [[Shawnee, Kansas|Gum Springs]]. Tenskwatawa died in 1836 at his village in Kansas City, Kansas. The ''[[White Feather Spring]]'' marker notes the location.
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Other areas near Downtown Kansas City include:
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[[Image:PROPHET3.JPG|thumb|250px||The Whitefeather Spring marker, near the grave of Shawnee prophet, Tenskwatawa.]]
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In 1833 [[John Calvin McCoy|John McCoy]] established [[Westport, Kansas City|West Port]] along the [[Santa Fe Trail]], three miles 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.<ref>Sherrie Kline Smith. April 2006. [http://www.kclibrary.org/guides/localhistory/index.cfm?article=read&articleID=400 Why is Kansas City located in Missouri instead of Kansas?] ''Kansas City Public Library''. Retrieved May 17, 2008.</ref>
  
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The [[39th Street District]] is known as Restaurant Row[http://restaurants.pitch.com/search/restaurants.php] and features one of Kansas City's largest selections of independently owned restaurants and boutique shops. It is a center of literary and visual arts and [[bohemian culture]].
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By that time, the Town of Kansas, Westport, and nearby [[Independence, Missouri|Independence]], had become critical points in America's [[Manifest Destiny|westward expansion]]. Three major trails—the [[Santa Fe Trail|Santa Fe]], [[California Trail|California]], and [[Oregon Trail|Oregon]]—all originated in [[Jackson County, Missouri|Jackson County]].
  
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[[Crown Center]] is the headquarters of [[Hallmark Cards]] and a major downtown shopping and entertainment complex. It is connected to Union Station by a series of covered walkways.
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On February 22, 1853, the City of Kansas was created with a newly elected mayor. It had an area of less than one square mile and a population of 2,500.  
  
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The [[Country Club Plaza]], or simply "the Plaza," is an upscale, outdoor shopping and entertainment district. It was the first shopping district in the United States designed to accommodate shoppers arriving by automobile, and is surrounded by apartments and condominiums, including a number of high rise buildings.
+
===Civil War===
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[[Image:Kansas city mo 1869.gif|thumbnail|left|250px|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]]
 +
The area was rife with animosity as the [[American Civil War|Civil War]] approached. As citizens of a [[slave state]], Missourians tended to sympathize with the southern states. With Kansas, directly to its west, petitioning to enter the [[Union (American Civil War)|Union]] under the new doctrine of [[popular sovereignty]], many from the area crossed into Kansas to sway the state towards allowing [[slavery]], first by ballot box and then by bloodshed.
  
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The associated [[Country Club District]] to the south includes the [[Sunset Hill]] and Brookside neighborhoods, and is traversed by [[Ward Parkway]], a beautiful, landscaped boulevard known for its statuary, fountains and large, historic homes.
+
During the Civil War, the City of Kansas was in the midst of battles, almost all of them victories by the Union. The [[First Battle of Independence|Battle of Independence]] in August 1862 stunted a [[Confederate States of America|Confederate]] advance into northern Missouri (settled by pro-slavery [[Virginia]]ns), and the October 1864 [[Battle of Westport]] effectively ended Confederate efforts to occupy the city. Moreover, General [[Thomas Ewing, Jr.|Thomas Ewing]]—in response to a successful raid on nearby [[Lawrence, Kansas]], led by [[William Quantrill]]—issued [[General Order No. 11 (1863)|General Order No. 11]], forcing the eviction of residents in four western Missouri counties, including Jackson, except those living in the city and nearby communities and those whose allegiance to the Union was certified by Ewing.
  
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Kansas City's [[Union Station (Kansas City)|Union Station]] is now home to [[Science City]], restaurants, shopping, theaters, and the city's [[Amtrak]] facility.
+
===Post-Civil War===
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[[Image:Walnut-street-kcmo-1906.jpg|thumbnail|right|222px|Walnut St., Downtown Kansas City, Mo. 1906]]
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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. According to the U.S. Census<ref> US Census.</ref> in 1900, Kansas City was the 22nd largest city in the country, with 163,752 residents.
  
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{{further|[[List of neighborhoods in Kansas City, Missouri]]}}
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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 (Kansas City)|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 [[Jesse Clyde Nichols|J.C. Nichols]] in 1925 as part of his [[Country Club District]] plan.
  
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[[Image:kcstreets.jpg|thumbnail|right|222px|A look down Downtown Kansas City streets today.]]
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===Pendergast era===
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At the [[turn of the century]], [[political machine]]s 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 [[skyscraper]]s 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.
  
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===Post-World War II sprawl===
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[[Image:Kansas-City-Missouri-Downtown at Twighlight.jpg|thumb|275px|Union Station, with downtown Kansas City in the background, at twilight, 2004.]]
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Kansas City's expansion and the creation of suburbs originally began with the invention and implementation of [[streetcar]]s into the city and the surrounding areas. [[Streetcar suburb]]s began to pop up and more and more detached, single family homes were built away from the main part of town. The city's first "Suburbs" were in the neighborhoods of Pendleton Heights and Quality Hill. However, the real sprawl and creation of suburbs didn't begin until after the Second World War.
  
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After [[World War II]], the city experienced considerable sprawl, as the affluent populace left for [[suburb]]s 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.
  
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The sprawl of the city mainly took shape after the "race riots" of the [[Civil Rights Movement]] in Kansas City. At this time, [[slum]]s 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 spread of the area. As the city continued to expand outward, the [[inner city]] also continued to decline.
  
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=== Downtown redevelopment ===
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In 1940, the city proper 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 (818.44 sq km), more than five times its size in 1940.
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{{main|Downtown Kansas City}}
 
  
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Downtown Kansas City is an area of {{convert|2.9|sqmi|sqkm}} bounded by the Missouri River to the north, 31st Street to the south, Bruce R. Watkins Drive ([[U.S. Highway 71]]) to the east and I-35 to the west.
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==Law and government==
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;City government
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Kansas City is home to the largest municipal government in the state of Missouri. The city has a [[city manager]] form of government, however the role of city manager has diminished over the years following excesses during the days of [[Tom Pendergast]]. The mayor is the head of the Kansas City City Council, which has 12 members (one member for each district, plus one at large member per district), and the mayor himself is the presiding member. Kansas City holds city elections on odd numbered years, every four years.  
  
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After years of neglect and seas of parking lots, [[Downtown Kansas City]] currently is undergoing a period of change. Many residential properties recently have been or currently are under redevelopment. The [[Power & Light District]], a new, nine-block entertainment district comprising numerous restaurants, bars, and retail shops, was developed by the [[Cordish Company]] of [[Baltimore, Maryland]], and is nearing completion in the southern part of the [[downtown freeway loop (Kansas City)|downtown freeway loop]]. Its first tenant opened on November 9, 2007, with more openings to continue throughout 2007 and 2008. Due to a new Missouri state law passed in 2005, the Power & Light District will be one of only five places in the United States where [[United States open container laws|open containers]] of [[alcoholic beverage|alcohol]] are allowed in the street. As host of the first annual Downtown Kansas City Festival of the Arts [http://www.artfestival.com/visitors_schedule/110697.htm] the property gears up to be at the forefront in bringing cultural enrichment to the city.
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;Courts
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Kansas City is the seat of the [[United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri]], one of two [[United States district courts|federal district courts]] in the state (the other, the [[United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri|Eastern District]], is in St. Louis). It also is the seat of the Western District of the [[Missouri Court of Appeals]], one of three districts of that court (the Eastern District is in St. Louis and the Southern District is in [[Springfield, Missouri|Springfield]]).
  
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Adjacent to the Power & Light District, a new arena, the [[Sprint Center]], opened on October 10, 2007. The arena was designed by a consortium of local architects, and hopes to lure an [[National Basketball Association|NBA]] or [[NHL]] franchise to the city. [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]]-based [[Anschutz Entertainment Group]] has invested in the arena project and will run its daily operations.
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;National political conventions
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Kansas City has hosted the 1900 Democratic National Convention, the 1928 Republican National Convention, which nominated [[Herbert Hoover]] from [[Iowa]] for President, and the memorable 1976 Republican National Convention, which nominated [[Kansas]] U.S. Senator [[Bob Dole]] for Vice President.  
  
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=== Parks and parkways ===
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Kansas City consistently votes Democratic in Presidential elections, however on the state and local level Republicans often find some success, especially in the Northland and other parts of Kansas City that are predominately suburban.
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[[Image:Kc-country-club-plaza.jpg|thumb|222px|J.C. Nichols Memorial Fountain, in Mill Creek Park, adjacent to the Country Club Plaza]]
 
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Kansas City is well-known for its spacious parkways and numerous parks. The parkway system winds its way through the city with broad, landscaped medians that include statuary and fountains. One of the best examples is [[Ward Parkway]] on the west side of the city, near the [[Kansas]] [[State Line Road|state line]].
 
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Originally designed for aesthetics and minor automobile/horse and buggy traffic, many parkways were drastically altered to accommodate more and more vehicles, becoming minor freeways.
 
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[[Swope Park]] is one of the nation's largest in-city parks, comprising 1,763 acres (2.75sq&nbsp;mi), more than twice as big as New York's Central Park[http://www.kcmo.org/timeline.nsf/web/18960000?opendocument]. It includes a full-fledged [[zoo]], two golf courses, a lake, an [[amphitheatre]], day-camp area, and numerous picnic grounds.
 
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Kansas City has always had one of the nation's best [[urban forestry]] programs{{Fact|date=January 2007}}. At one time, almost all residential streets were planted with a solid canopy of [[American elm]]s but [[Dutch elm disease]] devastated them. Most of the elms died and were replaced with a variety of other shade trees. A program is underway currently to replace many of the fast-growing [[American Sweetgum|sweetgum]] trees with [[hardwood]] varieties.<ref>http://www.kcmo.org/planning/pdf/focus/NA_reports/triblen.pdf</ref>
 
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==Demographics==
 
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{{USCensusPop
 
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|1853= 2500
 
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|1860= 4418
 
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|1870= 32260
 
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|1880= 55785
 
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|1890= 132716
 
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|1900= 163752
 
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|1910= 248381
 
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|1920= 324410
 
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|1930= 399746
 
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|1940= 400178
 
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|1950= 456622
 
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|1960= 475539
 
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|1970= 507087
 
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|1980= 448159
 
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|1990= 435146
 
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|2000= 441545
 
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| estimate=447306
 
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| estyear=2006
 
−
}}
 
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{{demographics|city|441,545|183,981|107,444|543.7|1,408.2|202,334|645.3|249.2|54.68|46.23|0.48|1.85|0.11|3.21|2.44|6.93|28.1|38.0|16.0|41.6|34.1|9.4|2.35|3.06|
 
−
25.4|9.7|32.5|20.6|11.7|34|93.3|89.9|37,198|46,012|35,132|27,548|20,753|14.3|11.1|20.2|10.5}}
 
  
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The United States Census bureau updated their American Community Survey information in 2006 for Kansas City. Their study estimated a population of about 447,306 people.<ref>http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/tables/SUB-EST2006-04-29.xls</ref> Growth in Kansas City is increasing, with 3,618 housing permits granted in 2004 and 2005. As of 2005, about 210,000 households exist.
+
;Congressional representation
 +
Kansas City is represented by two members of the [[United States House of Representatives]]:
 +
*[[Missouri's 5th congressional district]] – all of Kansas City proper in Jackson County plus Independence and portions of Cass County. In 2008 represented by [[Emanuel Cleaver]] (Democrat).
 +
*[[Missouri's Sixth Congressional District]] – all of Kansas City proper north of the [[Missouri River]] and plus suburbs in eastern Jackson County beyond Independence and a vast stretch of suburbs and rural areas extending more than 100 miles to the [[Iowa]] border. In 2008 represented by [[Sam Graves]] (Republican).
  
 
==Economy==
 
==Economy==
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{{main|Kansas City Economy}}
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[[Image:Kc-reserve.jpg|thumb|left|175px|Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank "J" insignia on the dollar bill]]
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[[Image:Kc-reserve.jpg|thumb|right|222px|Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank "J" insignia on the dollar bill]]
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[[Image:Kc-hr-block.jpg|thumb|225px|[[H&R Block]]'s new oblong headquarters in downtown Kansas City]]
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Greater Kansas City is headquarters to four ''[[Fortune 500]]'' companies ([[Sprint Nextel Corporation]], [[H&R Block]], [[Embarq|Embarq Corporation]], and [[YRC Worldwide Inc.]]) and additional ''[[Fortune 1000]]'' corporations ([[Interstate Bakeries Corporation]], [[Great Plains Energy]],[[Aquila, Inc.|Aquila]], [[AMC Theatres]], and [[DST Systems]]). [[Hallmark Cards]]'s gross revenues certainly would qualify it for both lists, but it cannot be included because it is privately owned by the [[Donald J. Hall, Sr.|Hall family]]. Numerous agriculture companies operate out of the city and the [[Kansas City Board of Trade]] is the principal trading center for hard red [[winter wheat]] &mdash; the principal ingredient of [[bread]].
+
Greater Kansas City is headquarters to four ''[[Fortune 500]]'' companies ([[Sprint Nextel Corporation]], [[H&R Block]], [[Embarq|Embarq Corporation]], and [[YRC Worldwide Inc.]]) and additional ''[[Fortune 1000]]'' corporations ([[Interstate Bakeries Corporation]], [[Great Plains Energy]],[[Aquila, Inc.|Aquila]], [[AMC Theatres]], and [[DST Systems]]). [[Hallmark Cards]]'s gross revenues certainly would qualify it for both lists, but it cannot be included because it is privately owned by the [[Donald J. Hall, Sr.|Hall family]]. Numerous agriculture companies operate out of the city and the [[Kansas City Board of Trade]] is the principal trading center for hard red [[winter wheat]]—the principal ingredient of [[bread]].
−
 
 
−
[[Image:Kc-hr-block.jpg|thumb|left|222px|[[H&R Block]]'s new oblong headquarters in downtown Kansas City]]
 
−
The business community is serviced by two major business magazines, the ''Kansas City Business Journal'' (published weekly) and ''Ingram's Magazine'' (published monthly), as well as numerous other smaller publications, including a local [[high society|society]] journal, the ''Independent'' (published weekly).
 
−
 
 
−
Kansas City is literally "on the money."  [[Federal Reserve Notes|Bills]] issued by the [[Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City]] are marked the letter "J" and/or number "10."  The single dollar bills have Kansas City's name on them. Missouri is the only state to have two of the 12 [[Federal Reserve Bank]] headquarters (St. Louis also has a headquarters). Kansas City's effort to get the bank was helped by former Kansas City mayor [[James A. Reed]] who as senator broke a tie to get the [[Federal Reserve Act]] passed.<ref>http://stlouisfed.org/publications/foregone/chapter_three.htm A Foregone Conclusion: The Founding of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis  by James Neal Primm - stlouisfed.org - Retrieved January 1, 2007].</ref>
 
−
 
 
−
 
 
−
==Law and government==
 
−
===City government===
 
−
:''See also: [[List of mayors of Kansas City]]''
 
−
:''See also: [[Alcohol laws of Missouri]]''
 
−
Kansas City is home to the largest [[Kansas City, Missouri Municipal Government|municipal government]] in the state of Missouri. The city has a [[city manager]] form of government, however the role of city manager has diminished over the years following excesses during the days of [[Tom Pendergast]]. The mayor is the head of the [[Kansas City, Missouri City Council|Kansas City City Council]], which has 12 members (one member for each district, plus one at large member per district), and the mayor himself is the presiding member. Kansas City holds city elections on odd numbered years (every four years unless there is a special reason). The last major city-wide election was May 2007, meaning the next one will be in May 2011.
 
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From the late 19th century to the mid 20th century, Kansas City's municipal government was controlled by often corrupt political machines. Tom Pendergast was the most infamous leader of the party machine. The most nationally prominent Democrat associated with Pendergast's machine was [[Harry S Truman]], who became a Senator, [[Vice President of the United States]] and then [[President of the United States]] from 1945-1953.
 
−
 
 
−
===Courts===
 
−
<!-- Unsourced image removed: [[Image:Wdmocourthouse.jpg|thumb|250px|right|The [[Charles Evans Whittaker]] United States Courthouse in Downtown Kansas City, seat of the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri.]] —>
 
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Kansas City is the seat of the [[United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri]], one of two [[United States district courts|federal district courts]] in Missouri (the other, the [[United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri|Eastern District]], is in St. Louis). It also is the seat of the Western District of the [[Missouri Court of Appeals]], one of three districts of that court (the Eastern District is in St. Louis and the Southern District is in [[Springfield, Missouri|Springfield]]).
 
−
 
 
−
===Hosted national political conventions===
 
−
Kansas City has hosted the [[1900 Democratic National Convention]], the [[1928 Republican National Convention]], which nominated [[Herbert Hoover]] from [[Iowa]] for President, and the memorable [[1976 Republican National Convention]], which nominated Kansas U.S. Senator [[Bob Dole]] for Vice President.
 
−
 
 
−
Kansas City consistently vote Democratic in Presidential elections, however on the state and local level Republicans often find some success, especially in the Northland and other parts of Kansas City that are predominately suburban.
 
−
 
 
−
===Congressional representation===
 
−
Kansas City  is represented by two members of the [[United States House of Representatives]]:
 
−
*[[Missouri's 5th congressional district]] – all of Kansas City proper in Jackson County plus Independence and portions of Cass County. Currently represented by [[Emanuel Cleaver]] (Democrat)
 
−
*[[Missouri's 6th congressional district]] – all of Kansas City proper north of the [[Missouri River]] and plus suburbs in eastern Jackson County beyond Independence and a vast stretch of suburbs and rural areas extending all the way to the [[Iowa]] border and more than {{convert|100|mi|km}}. Currently represented by [[Sam Graves]] (Republican)
 
−
 
 
−
==Crime==
 
−
===History===
 
−
Some of the earliest violence in Kansas City erupted during the [[American Civil War]]. Shortly after the city's incorporation in 1850, the period which has become known as [[Bleeding Kansas]] erupted, affecting [[border ruffians]] and [[Jayhawkers]], who both lived in the city. During the war, Union troops [[General Order № 11 (1863)|burned all occupied dwellings]] in Jackson County south of Brush Creek and east of Blue Creek to Independence in an attempt to halt raids into Kansas.
 
−
 
 
−
After the war, the ''[[Kansas City Times]]'' turned outlaw [[Jesse James (outlaw)|Jesse James]] into a folk hero in its coverage. James was born in the Kansas City metro area at [[Kearney, Missouri]], and notoriously robbed the Kansas City Fairgrounds at 12th Street and Campbell Avenue.
 
−
 
 
−
In the early 20th century under [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] political "Boss" [[Tom Pendergast]], Kansas City became the country's "most wide open town," with virtually no enforcement of [[prohibition in the United States|prohibition]]. While this would give rise to [[Kansas City Jazz]], it also led to the rise of the Kansas City [[mafia|mob]] (initially under [[Johnny Lazia]]), as well as the arrival of [[organized crime]]. The 1930s saw the [[Kansas City Massacre]] at [[Union Station (Kansas City)|Union Station]], as well as a shootout between police and outlaws [[Bonnie and Clyde]] at the [[Red Crown Tavern]] near what is now [[Kansas City International Airport]].
 
−
 
 
−
In the 1970s, the Kansas City mob was involved in a gangland war over control of the [[River Quay]] entertainment district, in which three buildings were bombed and several gangsters were killed. Police investigations into the mob took hold after boss [[Nick Civella]] was recorded discussing gambling bets on [[Super Bowl IV]] (where the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Minnesota Vikings). The war and investigation would lead to the end of mob control of the [[Stardust Casino]], which was the basis for the film ''[[Casino (movie)|Casino]]'' (although the Kansas City connections are minimized in the movie).
 
  
−
===Today===
+
Kansas City is literally "on the money." [[Federal Reserve Notes|Bills]] issued by the [[Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City]] are marked with the letter "J" and/or the number "10." The single dollar bills have Kansas City's name on them. Missouri is the only state to have two of the 12 [[Federal Reserve Bank]] headquarters, the other being in St. Louis.
−
As of October 30, 2006, Kansas City [[United States cities by crime rate|ranks 21st]] on the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]]'s annual survey of crime rates for cities with populations over 400,000.<ref>[http://www.morganquitno.com/cit07pop.htm#25 25 Safest Cities] www.morganquinto.com Accessed Nov. 2006</ref>
 
  
−
Kansas City ranked sixth in the rate of murders in that same study. The entire Kansas City metropolitan area has the fourth worst violent crime rate among cities with more than 100,000, with a rate of 614.7 violent crimes per 100,000 residents.<ref>[http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/business/columnists/15607473.htm Kevin Collison, "FBI crime data paint grim portrait," ''[[The Kansas City Star]]'', September 26, 2006]</ref>. On the other hand, many of the surrounding cities in the [[Kansas City Metropolitan Area]] reflect the opposite in crime statistics.  
+
=== Transportation ===
 +
From its beginnings, Kansas City's location on the confluence of the [[Missouri River|Missouri]] and [[Kansas River]]s made it an important transportation hub. It was a launching point for travelers heading west: the [[Santa Fe Trail|Santa Fe]], [[Oregon Trail|Oregon]], and [[California Trail|California]] trails began in the area.
  
−
Much of the city's murders and violent crimes occur in the city's [[inner city|inner core]]. The violent crime rates in the core consistently have driven the city and metropolitan area down on "livability" indices, hindering initiatives in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s to revive downtown Kansas City. In the 2000s, however, attempts at revitalizing the downtown area have been more successful.<ref>[http://www.thinkdowntownkc.com/happening/happening.htm Kansas City Area Development Council]</ref> Downtown currently has one of the lowest crime rates in the urban core, and thousands of new residents have moved there.{{Fact|date=January 2007}} Other parts of the urban core with higher [[poverty]] levels remain places in which crime remains largely unabated.
+
Today transportation plays a huge part in the economy of the Greater Kansas City area. With the construction of the [[Hannibal Bridge]] across the Missouri River it became the central location for 11 trunk railroads. More rail traffic in terms of tonnage passes through the city than any other city in the country. [[TWA]] located its headquarters in the city with ambitious plans to turn the city into an air hub for the world.
  
−
According to an analysis by ''[[The Kansas City Star]]'' and the [[University of Missouri-Kansas City]] appearing in a Dec. 22, 2007 story, downtown has experienced the largest drop in crime of any neighborhood in the city during the current decade.[http://www.downtownkc.org/content.aspx?pgID=875&newsID=579&exCompID=82]
+
The interstate highway system got its start in the states of Kansas and Missouri with the construction of Interstate 70.<ref>''United States Department of Transportation''.  
 +
[http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/interstate/faq.htm#question10 What was the first Interstate?] Retrieved May 18, 2008.</ref> [[Interstate 435]], which encircles the Kansas City metropolitan area in both states (Kansas and Missouri), is the second longest beltway in the nation.
  
−
== Transportation ==
+
Today, Kansas City and its metropolitan area has more miles of limited access highway lanes per capita than any other large metro area in the United States, over 27 percent more than second-place [[Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex]], over 50 percent more than the average American metro area and nearly 75 percent more than the metropolitan area with the least: [[Las Vegas, Nevada|Las Vegas]]. The relatively uncongested freeway network contributes significantly to Kansas City's position as one of America's largest logistics hubs.
−
{{main|Kansas City Metropolitan Area#Transportation|Kansas City Metropolitan Area}}
 
  
−
First, it was at the confluence of the Missouri River and Kansas River and the launching pointing for travelers on the [[Santa Fe Trail|Santa Fe]], [[Oregon Trail|Oregon]], and [[California Trail|California]] trails. Then with the construction of the [[Hannibal Bridge]] across the [[Missouri River]] it became the central location for 11 trunk railroads. More rail traffic in terms of tonnage still passes through the city than any other city in the country. [[TWA]] located its headquarters in the city and had ambitious plans to turn the city into an air hub for the world.
+
Its meeting of three interstate highway systems (I-29, I-70, I-35 and soon I-49) and its geographical location in the center of the U.S. makes it an important location for distribution. Numerous corporations have built distribution facilities in the area, and more freight moves through Kansas City than any other city in the nation, earning it the nickname ''America's inland port.''<ref>Chris Gutierrez. [http://www.kcsmartport.com/sec_news/media/documents/ShippingCentral.pdf Shipping Central] ''Commercial Journal - Kansas City''. Retrieved May 18, 2008.</ref>
  
−
Missouri and Kansas were the first states to start building interstates with [[Interstate 70]]. [[Interstate 435]], which encircles the entire city, is the second longest beltway in the nation. Today, Kansas City and its metropolitan area has more miles of limited access highway lanes per capita than any other large metro area in the United States, over 27% more than second-place [[Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex]], over 50% more than the average American metro area and nearly 75% more than the metropolitan area with the least: [[Las Vegas, Nevada|Las Vegas]]. The [[Sierra Club]] in particular blames the extensive freeway network for excessive [[urban sprawl|sprawl]] and the decline of central Kansas City. [http://www.sierraclub.org/sprawl/report98/kansas_city.asp] On the other hand, the relatively uncongested freeway network contributes significantly to Kansas City's position as one of America's largest logistics hubs. [http://www.kcsmartport.com/sec_news/media/documents/ShippingCentral.pdf]
+
==== Airports ====
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−
=== Airports ===
 
 
[[Image:Kci.JPG|thumb|222px|[[Kansas City International Airport]]]]
 
[[Image:Kci.JPG|thumb|222px|[[Kansas City International Airport]]]]
−
[[Kansas City International Airport]] was built to the specifications of TWA to make a world hub for the [[supersonic transport]] and [[Boeing 747]]. Its passenger friendly design in which its gates were {{convert|100|ft|m}} from the street has, since the [[September 11, 2001 attacks]], required a costly overhaul to retrofit it to incorporate elements of a more conventional security system. Recent proposals have suggested replacing the three terminals with a new single terminal situated south of the existing runways, thus allowing the airport to operate during construction and to shave miles off of the travel time from downtown and the southern suburbs. The airport is completely supported by user fees and receives no general fund support for operations.
+
[[Kansas City International Airport]] was built to the specifications of TWA to make a world hub for the [[supersonic transport]] and [[Boeing 747]]. Its passenger friendly design in which its gates were {{convert|100|ft|m}} from the street has, since the [[September 11, 2001 attacks]], required a costly overhaul to retrofit it to incorporate elements of a more conventional security system. The airport is completely supported by user fees and receives no general fund support for operations. [[Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport]] was the original headquarters of [[Trans World Airlines]] and houses the [[Airline History Museum]]. It is still used for [[general aviation]] and airshows.
  
−
[[Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport]] was the original headquarters of [[Trans World Airlines]] and houses the [[Airline History Museum]]. It is still used for [[general aviation]] and airshows.
+
==== Mass transit ====
 +
Like most American cities, Kansas City's mass transit system was originally rail-based. An electric [[tram|trolley]] network ran through the city until 1957. The rapid sprawl in the following years led to the closure of this system.
  
−
=== Mass transit ===
+
Today's mass transit system cannot compare to those of the larger cities such as [[New York City|New York]], [[Chicago]], [[Los Angeles]] or [[Seattle, Washington|Seattle]]. This is due in part to the large geographic area which the metropolitan area covers, as well as its easy, uncongested highway system. The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) was formed with the signing of a Bi-State compact created by the Missouri and Kansas legislatures on December 28, 1965. It is governed by a ten-member Board of Commissioners, five from the state of [[Kansas]] and five from the state of [[Missouri]].
−
Like most American cities, Kansas City's mass transit system was originally rail-based. An electric  [[tram|trolley]] network ran through the city until 1957. The rapid sprawl in the following years led to this privately run system to be shut down. The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) was formed with the signing of a Bi-State compact created by the Missouri and Kansas legislatures on December 28, 1965. The compact gives the KCATA responsibility for planning, construction, owning and operating passenger transportation systems and facilities within the seven-county Kansas City metropolitan area. These include the counties of Cass, Clay, Jackson, and Platte in Missouri, and Johnson, Leavenworth, and Wyandotte in Kansas. The KCATA is governed by a 10-member Board of Commissioners, five from the state of Kansas and five from the state of Missouri.
 
  
−
The KCATA offers customers three types of service in the Kansas City area: (1) Fixed-route service along 75 routes (2) Share-A-Fare Paratransit service for the elderly and persons with disabilities (3) MetroFlex service, which offers a combination of fixed-route and demand-response.  
+
The system honors "Ozone Alert!" days between June 1 and September 30, on which the fares are reduced by more than 50 percent in order to encourage [[mass transit]] over individual vehicle usage.
  
−
The base fare is $1.25 one-way, with a variety of passes available. On predicted "Ozone Alert!" days between June 1 and September 30, the fare is $.50.
+
==Crime and livability==
 +
;Historic record
 +
Some of the earliest violence in Kansas City erupted during the [[American Civil War]]. Shortly after the city's incorporation in 1850, the period which has become known as [[Bleeding Kansas]] erupted, affecting [[border ruffians]] and [[Jayhawkers]], who both lived in the city. During the war, Union troops [[General Order № 11 (1863)|burned all occupied dwellings]] in Jackson County south of Brush Creek and east of Blue Creek to Independence in an attempt to halt raids into Kansas.
  
−
A light rail petition initiative was approved by voters in November 2006. The KCATA is currently conducting a federally mandated Alternatives Analysis study in an effort to gain federal funding toward a {{convert|12|mi|km|sing=on}} starter system. The starter line will likely run on or near Main Street from the Country Club Plaza to the Missouri River. Short segments will run north of the river to I-29 and east of Main to Prospect Avenue, primarily to support a suburban commuters and connections with heavily used bus routes on the city's poorer east side.
+
After the war, ''The Kansas City Times'' editor John Newman Edwards turned outlaw [[Jesse James (outlaw)|Jesse James]] into a folk hero through his coverage. James was born in the Kansas City metro area at [[Kearney, Missouri]], and notoriously robbed the Kansas City Fairgrounds at 12th Street and Campbell Avenue, among a multitude of other locations.  
  
−
====Bus rapid transit====
+
In the early twentieth century under [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] political "Boss" [[Tom Pendergast]], Kansas City became the country's "most wide open town," with virtually no enforcement of [[prohibition in the United States|prohibition]]. While this would give rise to [[Kansas City Jazz]], it also led to the rise of the Kansas City [[mafia|mob]] (initially under [[Johnny Lazia]]), as well as the arrival of [[organized crime]]. The 1930s saw the [[Kansas City Massacre]] at [[Union Station (Kansas City)|Union Station]], as well as a shootout between police and outlaws [[Bonnie and Clyde]] at the [[Red Crown Tavern]] near what is now [[Kansas City International Airport]].
−
In July 2005, the [[Kansas City Area Transportation Authority]] (KCATA) launched Kansas City’s first Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line called "MAX" (Metro Area Express). MAX links the vibrant River Market, Downtown, Union Station, Crown Center and the Country Club Plaza. This corridor boasts over 150,000 jobs, as well as some of the area’s most prestigious real estate and treasured cultural amenities.
 
  
−
This $21 million project was the region’s most significant public transportation improvement in decades, providing quicker and more convenient service than the local bus routes. MAX is the spine for future transit expansions and a key component of the region’s long-range transit vision, Smart Moves.
+
In the 1970s, the Kansas City mob was involved in a gangland war over control of the [[River Quay]] entertainment district, in which three buildings were bombed and several gangsters were killed. Police investigations into the mob took hold after boss [[Nick Civella]] was recorded discussing gambling bets on [[Super Bowl IV]] (in which the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Minnesota Vikings). The war and investigation would lead to the end of mob control of the [[Stardust Casino]], which was the basis for the film ''[[Casino (movie)|Casino]]'' (although the Kansas City connections are minimized in the movie).
  
−
By design, MAX operates and is marketed more like a rail system than a local bus line. A unique identity was created for MAX, including 13 modern diesel buses and easily identifiable “stations." MAX features state-of-the-art technology to deliver customers a high level of reliability, speed and comfort. Dedicated lanes during rush hour help give MAX a rapid, smooth ride, and special traffic signalization holds a green light longer—only if needed—to keep MAX on schedule. Limited stops resulted in reduced travel time between Downtown and the Plaza to about 10 minutes.
+
;Twenty-first century
 +
[[Image:KCMO LibertyMemorial 2003.jpg|thumb|200px|right|[[Liberty Memorial]]]]
 +
According to the Morgan Quitno Press for the year 2007, Kansas City ranked 16th on the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]]'s annual survey of crime rates for all cities, regardless of population.<ref>''Morgan Quitno Awards''. 25 Safest Cities. </ref> It ranked sixth in the rate of murders in that group's 2006 survey. The entire Kansas City metropolitan area has the fourth worst violent-crime rate among cities with more than 100,000, with a rate of 614.7 violent crimes per 100,000 residents.<ref>Kevin Collison. September 26, 2006. "FBI crime data paint grim portrait," ''The Kansas City Star''</ref>. On the other hand, many of the surrounding cities in the [[Kansas City Metropolitan Area]] reflect the opposite in crime statistics.  
  
−
MAX has successfully attracted new riders who had not tried transit in Kansas City previously. In fact, 27% of MAX riders indicate they had not ridden transit prior to MAX and a full 77% say that as a result of their experience on MAX, they will now use other Metro routes more often. An average of 5,000 riders use the MAX line daily. It is augmented by the #57 local route, which shares most of the same stops.
+
Much of the city's murders and violent crimes occur in the city's [[inner city|inner core]]. The violent crime rates in the core consistently have driven the city and metropolitan area down on "livability" indices, hindering initiatives in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s to revive downtown Kansas City. In the 2000s, however, attempts at revitalizing the downtown area have been more successful. The downtown neighborhood currently has one of the lowest crime rates in the urban core, prompting revitalization of the area, including new lofts, a new entertainment district and a new arena. According to an analysis by ''The Kansas City Star'' and the University of Missouri at Kansas City, downtown has experienced the largest drop in crime of any neighborhood in the city during the current decade.<ref>Jeffery Spivak and Christine Vendel. December 22, 2007. [http://www.downtownkc.org/content.aspx?pgID=875&newsID=579&exCompID=82 Crime falls downtown and across much of Kansas City] ''Downtown Council''. Retrieved May 17, 2008.</ref>
  
−
The second MAX line is in the design phase and will launch in the Troost Avenue corridor in 2009. It will augment the #25 route, which has an average of 7,500 riders daily.
+
In 2007, Worldwide ERC and Primary Relocation recognized Kansas City third overall as one of the "Best Cities for Relocating Families" in the United States. Also in March 2007, ''Money Magazine'' rated  Overland Park, [[Kansas]], 6th best city to live in the United States. Neighboring city Olathe, Kansas, was rated 13th and [[Lee's Summit, Missouri|Lee's Summit]], [[Missouri]], 44th best. Kansas City is one of two metro areas to have two cities in the top fifteen.<ref>''CNN Money Magazine''. [http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2006/index.html Best Places to Live 2006] Retrieved May 20, 2008.</ref> Though these analyses include the entire metropolitan area, they are an important indicator of the realistic situation of life in and around Kansas City.
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−
MAX runs seven days a week from 5am to 1am. During rush hour periods, the buses make stops about every 9 minutes. The one-way fare is $1.25.
 
−
 
 
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====Light rail====
 
−
*Kansas City does not currently have a [[Subway (rail)|subway]] or [[light rail]] system, and several proposals to build one have been rejected by voters in the past. However, the city is currently in the development phase of a starter light rail system. On November 7, 2006, Kansas City voters narrowly approved a ballot initiative brought forward by [[Clay Chastain]] from Virginia, proposing a city-wide light rail system paid for by a 3/8-cent sales tax that currently funds 40% of Kansas City’s bus system. That sales tax, which will expire April 2009, would have been brought to vote for renewal, but the citizen petition for light rail occurred before this could happen. The initiative requires a {{convert|27|mi|km|sing=on}} light rail line running from the Kansas City Zoo, through the city’s urban core, and out to Kansas City International Airport. In addition to the light rail system, the initiative requires a gondola system that will link Kansas City’s Union Station with the Liberty Memorial, the purchase of 60 hybrid electric busses and the removal of street access through Penn Valley Park, adjacent to the Liberty Memorial. The KCATA estimates that to build the entire light rail system as written will cost between $1.4 and $1.6 billion. The original price tag presented to voters for the line was just below $800 million.
 
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*In August 2007, it was announced by the KCATA that an Alternatives Analysis study of the voter-approved light rail plan had a $415 million funding shortfall, even if the federal government paid half of planned construction costs. This study also revealed that the November 2006 plan had technical problems including issues with bridges, steep inclines, and sharp turns beyond typical tolerances. The City Council repealed the vote in November 2007 and is planning to place an alternative plan on a November 2008 ballot. The KCATA will complete its Alternatives Analysis in Spring 2008.
 
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−
====Trolley/Streetcars====
 
−
*Kansas City has a long history with streetcars and trolleys. From 1870-1957 Kansas City's streetcar system was among the top in the country, with over {{convert|300|mi|km}} of track at its peak. Following the decision to scrap the system, many of its former streetcars have been serving other American cities for a long time. In 2007, ideas and plans arose to add normal trolley lines, as well as possibly fast streetcars to the city's Downtown for the first time in decades. These proposals are being seen as possible first steps in implemented a larger mass transit network, that would include light rail.
 
  
 
==Culture==
 
==Culture==
−
===Ethnic Culture===
+
;Architecture
−
There is a large community of [[Irish American|Irish]] in Kansas City which numbers around 250,000. The Irish Community includes a large number of bands, including Kansas City's own [[The Elders]], multiple newspapers, the numerous Irish stores, including Browne's Irish Market, the oldest Irish owned business in [[North America]], and the [[Irish Museum and Cultural Center]] is the new center of the community. The first book that detailed the history of the Irish in Kansas City was Missouri Irish, Irish Settlers on the American Frontier, published in 1984. The first podcast on the history of the Irish in Kansas City appeared in 2006, under the title of 'Missouri Irish'. It is also of some note that the leading publisher of Irish family works, the Irish Genealogical Foundation, was founded and remains based in Kansas City.
+
[[Image:KCMO Auditorium and ConventionCenter.jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[Municipal Auditorium (Kansas City)|Municipal Auditorium]] and [[Bartle Hall Convention Center]], Kansas City]]
−
 
+
Kansas City has long been praised for its varied [[architecture]]. Its skyline is notable for various structures, including the immense [[Bartle Hall Convention Center]], the adjoined [[art deco]] Municipal Auditorium, and numerous skyscrapers such as the Kansas City Power and Light Building and [[One Kansas City Place]] (the tallest habitable structure in the state), as well as the [[KCTV-Tower]] (the tallest freestanding structure in Missouri and 31st tallest tower in the world). It is also home to the [[Liberty Memorial]], the National World War I Memorial of the United States which houses the The National World War I Museum, as designated by the U.S. Congress in 2004.
−
===Architecture===
 
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[[Image:KCMO Auditorium and ConventionCenter.jpg|thumb|right|222px|[[Municipal Auditorium (Kansas City)|Municipal Auditorium]] and [[Bartle Hall Convention Center]], Kansas City]]
 
−
{{main|Architecture in Kansas City}}
 
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Kansas City has long been praised for its varied architecture, which includes many famous and interesting buildings. Its skyline is notable for various structures, including the immense [[Bartle Hall Convention Center]], the adjoined [[art deco]] [[Municipal Auditorium (Kansas City)|Municipal Auditorium]], and numerous skyscrapers such as the Kansas City Power and Light Building and [[One Kansas City Place]] (the tallest habitable structure in Missouri), as well as the [[KCTV-Tower]] (the tallest freestanding structure in Missouri and [[List of towers|31st tallest tower]] in the world), and the [[Liberty Memorial]] (the national [[World War I]] memorial and museum of the United States).
 
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−
Kansas City offices of significant national and international [[architecture]] firms include          ACI/Boland, [[BNIM]], [[360 Architecture]], [[Ellerbe Becket]], [[HNTB]] and [[HOK Sport]].
 
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[[Image:HermanaKansasCitySevilla.JPG|thumb|222px|Scout Indian statue in Seville, sistered with Kansas City. Kansas City has an almost identical statue in Penn Valley Park, near the [[Liberty Memorial]] that is pointing in the direction of Seville.]]
 
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−
===City of Fountains===
 
−
{{main|List of Fountains in Kansas City}}
 
  
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With more than 200 fountains, Kansas City claims that only Rome has more fountains. A fountain is the logo for the city and "City of Fountains" is an official nickname. The densest and most famous area for fountains is the Country Club Plaza (the 1960 J.C. Nichols Memorial Fountain is located at 47th and Main). Many smaller fountains dot the streetscape throughout the district.
+
Kansas City offices of significant national and international [[architecture]] firms include ACI/Boland, [[BNIM]], [[360 Architecture]], [[Ellerbe Becket]], [[HNTB]] and [[HOK Sport]].
  
−
===Kansas City cuisine===
+
;City of Fountains
−
Kansas City is most famous for its [[steak]] and [[barbecue]].[[Image:Bull-kemper.jpg|thumb|222px|The [[American Hereford Association]] bull and [[Kemper Arena]] and the [[Kansas City Live Stock Exchange]] Building in the former [[Kansas City Stockyard]] of the [[West Bottoms]] as seen from [[Quality Hill]]]]
+
With more than 200 fountains, Kansas City claims that only Rome has more fountains. A fountain is the logo for the city and "City of Fountains" is an official nickname. The densest and most famous area for fountains is the Country Club Plaza. Many smaller fountains dot the street scape throughout the district.
  
−
====Kansas City steaks====
+
;Cuisine
−
During the heyday of the [[Kansas City Stockyards]], the city was known for its Kansas City steaks or [[Strip steak|Kansas City strip steaks]]. The most famous of the steakhouses is the Golden Ox in the [[Kansas City Live Stock Exchange]] in the stockyards in the [[West Bottoms]]. The stockyards, which were second only to those of Chicago in size, never recovered from the [[Great Flood of 1951]] and eventually closed. The famed Kansas City Strip cut of steak is largely identical to the New York Strip cut, and is sometimes referred to just as a strip steak.
+
[[Image:Arthur-bryants.jpg|thumb|250px|Arthur Bryant's Barbecue in the inner-city is visited by U.S. Presidents and celebrities.]]
 +
Kansas City is famous for two specialties; strip steak and barbecue.  
  
−
====Kansas City-style barbecue====
+
During the heyday of the city's stockyards, it became famous for "Kansas City Strip Steaks." The most famous of the steakhouses is the Golden Ox in the [[Kansas City Live Stock Exchange]] in the stockyards in the [[West Bottoms]]. The stockyards, which were second only to those of [[Chicago]] in size, never recovered from the [[Great Flood of 1951]] and eventually closed. The famed Kansas City Strip cut of steak is largely identical to the New York Strip cut, and is sometimes referred to just as a strip steak.
−
{{main|Kansas City-style barbecue}}
 
  
−
Along with Texas, Memphis & North Carolina, Kansas City is a "world capital of barbecue."  There are more than 90 barbecue restaurants[http://www.experiencekc.com/barbeque.html] in the metropolitan area and the [[American Royal]] each fall hosts what it claims is the world's biggest barbecue contest.
+
Nationally famous for its barbecue, it is often dubbed the "barbecue capital of the world."  There are more than 90 barbecue restaurants in the metropolitan area.<ref>''Experience Kansas City''. [http://www.experiencekc.com/barbeque.html Barbecue Kansas City Style] Retrieved May 17, 2008. </ref> The American Royal (an annual livestock, horse and [[rodeo]] show) each fall hosts the world's largest [[barbecue]] contest.
  
−
The classic Kansas City-style barbecue was an [[inner city]] phenomenon that evolved from the pit of [[Henry Perry]] from the [[Memphis, Tennessee]] area in the early 1900s and blossomed in the [[18th and Vine Historic District|18th and Vine]] neighborhood. [[Arthur Bryant's]] was to take over the Perry restaurant and added [[molasses]] to sweeten the recipe. In 1946 [[Gates and Sons Bar-B-Q]] was opened by one of Perry's cooks. The Gates recipe added even more molasses. Although Bryant's and Gates are the two definitive Kansas City barbecue restaurants they have just recently begun expanding outside of the Greater Kansas City Area. [[Fiorella's Jack Stack Barbecue]] is well-regarded by many both locally and nationally.
+
The classic Kansas City-style barbecue was an [[inner city]] phenomenon that evolved from the pit of [[Henry Perry]] from the [[Memphis]], [[Tennessee]] area in the early 1900s and blossomed in Kansas City's famed 18th and Vine neighborhood. ''Arthur Bryant's'' took over the Perry restaurant and amended the recipe. In 1946 [[Gates and Sons Bar-B-Q]] was opened by one of Perry's cooks. The Gates recipe was amended further. Although Bryant's and Gates are the two definitive Kansas City barbecue restaurants, they have just recently begun expanding outside of the Greater Kansas City Area. In 1977 [[Rich Davis]], a psychiatrist, test-marketed his own concoction called K.C. Soul Style Barbecue Sauce. He renamed it [[KC Masterpiece]] and in 1986 he sold the sauce to the Kingsford Company. Davis retained rights to operate restaurants using the name and sauce, with a restaurant in the suburb of Overland Park, Kansas.
−
 
 
−
In 1977 [[Rich Davis]], a psychiatrist, test-marketed his own concoction called K.C. Soul Style Barbecue Sauce. He renamed it [[KC Masterpiece]] and in 1986 he sold the sauce to the Kingsford division of [[Clorox]]. Davis retained rights to operate restaurants using the name and sauce, with a restaurant in the suburb of Overland Park, KS.
 
  
 
===Entertainment and performing arts===
 
===Entertainment and performing arts===
−
====Classical/opera====
+
[[Image:HermanaKansasCitySevilla.JPG|thumb|200px|Scout Indian statue in Seville, sistered with Kansas City. Kansas City has an almost identical statue in Penn Valley Park, near the [[Liberty Memorial]] that is pointing in the direction of Seville.]]
−
Kansas City is home to the [[Kansas City Symphony]], founded by [[R. Crosby Kemper Jr.]] in 1982 to supersede the Kansas City Philharmonic, which had existed since 1933. The symphony currently is located at the Lyric Theatre in Downtown Kansas City, but will move to the new [[Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts]], also downtown, when it is completed in December of 2009. The current music director and lead conductor of the symphony is the world-renowned [[Michael Stern (conductor)|Michael Stern]].
+
[[Image:Kctv-tower1.jpg|thumb|right|200px|KCTV Tower on 31st Street on Union Hill in Kansas City, with the Firefighters' Memorial Fountain in the foreground.]]
 +
;Opera
 +
Kansas City is home to the [[Kansas City Symphony]], founded by [[R. Crosby Kemper Jr.]] in 1982 to supersede the Kansas City Philharmonic, which had existed since 1933. The symphony currently is located at the Lyric Theatre in Downtown Kansas City, but is slated to move to the new [[Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts]], also downtown, when it is completed in December of 2009. The current music director and lead conductor of the symphony is the world-renowned [[Michael Stern (conductor)|Michael Stern]].
  
−
The [[Lyric Opera of Kansas City]], founded in 1970, is one of the nation's premier regional opera companies. It prides itself on offering one American contemporary opera production during its annual season consisting of either four or five productions. Originally, all operas were performed in English, although in the late-1990s the company decided to perform all productions in their original languages. The Lyric Opera also is located at the Lyric Theatre, and also will move to the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts in 2009.
+
The [[Lyric Opera of Kansas City]], founded in 1970, is one of the nation's premier regional opera companies. It prides itself on offering one American contemporary opera production during its annual season consisting of either four or five productions. Originally, all operas were performed in English, although in the late-1990s the company decided to perform all productions in their original languages. The Lyric Opera also is located at the Lyric Theatre, and also will move to the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts upon its completion.
  
−
====Dance====
+
;Dance
−
The [[Kansas City Ballet]], founded in 1957 by Tatiana Dokoudovska, is a ballet troupe comprising 25 professional dancers and apprentices. Between 1986 and 2000, it was combined with [[Dance St. Louis]] to form the [[State Ballet of Missouri]], although it remained located in Kansas City. From 1980 to 1995, the Ballet was run by renowned dancer and choreographer [[Todd Bolender]]. Today, the Ballet offers an annual repertory split into three seasons which ranges from classical to contemporary ballets.<ref>[[Deborah Jowitt]], [http://www.villagevoice.com/dance/0812,kansas-city-ballet-happy-fiftieth,381145,14.html Kansas City Ballet: Happy Fiftieth!], ''The [[Village Voice]]'', March 18th, 2008</ref> The Ballet also is located at the Lyric Theatre, and also will move with the Symphony and Opera to the Kauffman Center in 2009.
+
The [[Kansas City Ballet]], founded in 1957 by Tatiana Dokoudovska, is a ballet troupe comprising 25 professional dancers and apprentices. Between 1986 and 2000, it was combined with [[Dance St. Louis]] to form the [[State Ballet of Missouri]], although it remained in Kansas City. From 1980 to 1995, the Ballet was run by renowned dancer and choreographer [[Todd Bolender]]. Today, the Ballet offers an annual repertory split into three seasons which ranges from classical to contemporary ballets.<ref>Deborah Jowitt. March 18th, 2008. [http://www.villagevoice.com/dance/0812,kansas-city-ballet-happy-fiftieth,381145,14.html Kansas City Ballet: Happy Fiftieth!]. ''The Village Voice''. Retrieved May 20, 2008. </ref> The Ballet also is located at the Lyric Theatre, and also will move with the Symphony and Opera to the Kauffman Center in 2009.
  
−
====Jazz====
+
;Jazz
−
{{main|Kansas City Jazz}}
+
Kansas City Jazz in the 1930s marked the transition from big bands to the bebop influence of the 1940s. In the 1930s City Boss [[Tom Pendergast]] was at the height of his power and left Kansas City a wide open town in which night clubs were allowed to remain open from dusk to dawn. In this venue, an era of [[musical improvisation]] developed in which it was not uncommon for a single "song" to be performed all night by competing performers who passed through the city. The era ended in 1936 when producer [[John H. Hammond]] began signing Kansas City talent and transferring the acts to [[New York City]].  
−
 
 
−
<!-- [[Image:Charlie-parker1.jpg|thumb|right|222px|Memorial to [[Charlie Parker]] at the [[American Jazz Museum]] at 18th and Highland in Kansas City]] —>
 
−
Kansas City Jazz in the 1930s marked the transition from big bands to the bebop influence of the 1940s. In the 1930s City Boss [[Tom Pendergast]] was at his height of his power and left Kansas City a wide open town in which night clubs were allowed to remain open from dusk to dawn. In this venue, an era of [[musical improvisation]] developed in which it was not uncommon for a single "song" to be performed all night by competing performers who passed through the city. The era ended in 1936 when producer [[John H. Hammond]] began signing Kansas City talent and transferring the acts to [[New York City]].  
 
  
 
The era of Kansas City influence is bracketed by the signing of [[Count Basie]] in 1929 to the advent of Kansas City native [[Charlie Parker]] in the 1940s. Pendergast pleaded guilty to income tax evasion in 1939 and the city soon began a crackdown of the clubs.
 
The era of Kansas City influence is bracketed by the signing of [[Count Basie]] in 1929 to the advent of Kansas City native [[Charlie Parker]] in the 1940s. Pendergast pleaded guilty to income tax evasion in 1939 and the city soon began a crackdown of the clubs.
  
−
In the 1970s Kansas City attempted to resurrect the glory of the jazz era in a sanitized family friendly atmosphere. In the 1970s an effort to open jazz clubs in the River Quay area of City Market along the Missouri ended in a gangland war in which three of the new clubs were blown up in what ultimately resulted in the removal of Kansas City mob influence in the Las Vegas casinos that was partially depicted in the movie [[Casino (movie)]].  
+
In the 1970s Kansas City attempted to resurrect the glory of the jazz era in a sanitized family friendly atmosphere. An effort to open jazz clubs in the River Quay area of City Market along the Missouri ended in a gangland war in which three of the new clubs were blown up in what ultimately resulted in the removal of Kansas City mob influence in the Las Vegas casinos that was partially depicted in the movie ''Casino.''
  
 
In 1981, 114 people died in the [[Hyatt Regency walkway collapse]] at a [[tea dance]] that was attempting to recreate the jazz era. In 1999 the [[American Jazz Museum]] opened in the 18th and Vine neighborhood.
 
In 1981, 114 people died in the [[Hyatt Regency walkway collapse]] at a [[tea dance]] that was attempting to recreate the jazz era. In 1999 the [[American Jazz Museum]] opened in the 18th and Vine neighborhood.
  
−
====Rock/Blues/Hip-Hop====
+
;Rock/Blues/Hip-Hop
−
Kansas City's local music scene enjoyed a revival starting in the mid-1960s, based around rock and blues in addition to jazz. Live music venues can be found throughout the city, with the highest concentration in the [[Westport, Kansas City|Westport]] entertainment district centered on Broadway and Westport Road near the [[Country Club Plaza]]. More recently, [[punk rock|punk]] and [[hip-hop]] acts have been popular. Recent rock groups originating in Kansas City and direct surrounding areas include [[The Leo Project]], [[Puddle of Mudd]], [[The Get Up Kids]], [[Shiner (band)|Shiner]], [[Flee The Seen]], [[The Life and Times]], [[Reggie and the Full Effect]], [[Coalesce]], [[The Casket Lottery]], [[The Gadjits]], [[The Appleseed Cast]], [[The Rainmakers (Kansas City, Missouri band)]] [[The Esoteric]], [[Vedera]],[[The Elders]] and [[Blackpool Lights]]. Native rappers include [[Tech N9ne]], [[Solè]], [[Skatterman & Snug Brim]],[[Big Bear]], and [[X Dash]].
+
Kansas City's local music scene enjoyed a revival which began in the mid-1960s, based around rock and blues in addition to jazz. Live music venues can be found throughout the city, with the highest concentration in the [[Westport, Kansas City|Westport]] entertainment district centered on Broadway and Westport Road near the [[Country Club Plaza]]. More recently, [[punk rock|punk]] and [[hip-hop]] acts have been popular. In addition, The [[New York Times]] declared nearby [[Lawrence, Kansas]] "the most vital music scene between Chicago and Denver" in a travel column dated February 25, 2005.
  
−
In addition, The [[New York Times]] declared nearby [[Lawrence, Kansas]] "the most vital music scene between Chicago and Denver" in a travel column dated February 25, 2005.
+
;Improv Comedy
−
 
+
In 1995, Kansas City hosted the first ever national improv festival, 'Spontaneous Combustion: The US Improv Festival'. Since then, similar improv festivals have popped up all over the country, most notably, the [[Chicago Improv Festival]]. This festival's current incarnation is called ''KCiF: The Kansas City Improv Festival.'' In 2004, ''The City 3 Project: Kansas City's Improv Community'' was launched in order to facilitate further growth of the art of improv in Kansas City. Since that time, the number of improv troupes in the metro area has tripled and new comedy theaters have opened. Major troupes in Kansas City in 2008 include [[Comedy City]], [[Improv-Abilities]], [[Full-Frontal Comedy]], and [[The Trip Fives]].
−
====Improv Comedy====
 
−
In 1995, Kansas City hosted the first ever national improv festival, 'Spontaneous Combustion: The US Improv Festival'. Since then, similar improv festivals have popped up all over the country, most notably, the [[Chicago Improv Festival]]. This festival's current incarnation is called [[KCiF]]: The Kansas City Improv Festival. In 2004, [http://city3.org The City3 Project] was launched in order to facilitate further growth of the art of improv in Kansas City. Since that time, the number of improv troupes in the metro area has tripled and new comedy theaters have opened. Major troupes in Kansas City include [[Comedy City]], [[Improv-Abilities]], [[Full-Frontal Comedy]], and [[The Trip Fives]].
 
−
 
 
−
 
 
−
==Sister cities==
 
−
 
 
−
As of December 2007, Kansas City has 13 sister cities as referenced to [http://www.kcsistercities.org www.kcsistercities.org]:
 
−
{|
 
−
| valign="top" |
 
−
*{{flagicon|Tanzania}} [[Arusha]], [[Tanzania]] (1995)
 
−
*{{flagicon|Sierra Leone}} [[Freetown]], [[Sierra Leone]] (1974)
 
−
*{{flagicon|Mexico}} [[Guadalajara, Jalisco|Guadalajara]], [[Mexico]] (1991)
 
−
*{{flagicon|Germany}} [[Hanover]], [[Germany]] (1993)
 
−
*{{flagicon|Japan}} [[Kurashiki]], [[Japan]] (1972)
 
−
*{{flagicon|France}} [[Metz]], [[France]] (2004)
 
−
*{{flagicon|Mexico}} [[Morelia]], [[Mexico]] (1973)
 
−
| valign="top" |
 
−
*{{flagicon|Nigeria}} [[Port Harcourt]], [[Nigeria]] (1993)
 
−
*{{flagicon|Israel}} [[Ramla]], [[Israel]] (1998)
 
−
*{{flagicon|Mexico}} [[San Nicolas de los Garza]], [[Mexico]] (1997)
 
−
*{{flagicon|Spain}} [[Seville]], [[Spain]] (1967)
 
−
*{{flagicon|Republic of China}} [[Tainan City]], [[Republic of China]] (1978)
 
−
*{{flagicon|People's Republic of China}} [[Xi'an]], [[People's Republic of China]] (1989)
 
−
|}
 
  
 
==Media==
 
==Media==
−
[[Image:Kc-star-plant1.jpg|thumb|222px|''[[The Kansas City Star]]'' 's new printing plant that opened in June 2006. ''The Star'' headquarters is the red brick building on the lower right.]]
+
[[Image:Kc-star-plant1.jpg|thumb|250px|''The Kansas City Star'' 's printing plant opened in June 2006. ''The Star'' headquarters is the red brick building on the lower right.]]
−
===Print media===
 
−
''[[The Kansas City Star]]'' is the area's primary newspaper. [[William Rockhill Nelson]] and his partner, Samuel Morss, first published the evening paper on September 18, 1880. The ''Star'' competed heavily with the morning ''Times'' before acquiring it in 1901. The "Times" name was discontinued in March 1990, when the morning paper was renamed the "Star."<ref>Harry Haskell, Boss-Busters and Sin Hounds: Kansas City and Its "Star" (Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 2007) ISBN 9780826217691</ref>
 
−
Weekly newspapers include ''The Call''<ref>[http://www.kccall.com/ The Call<!-- Bot generated title —>]</ref> (African American focused) and several weekly papers, including the ''[[Kansas City Business Journal,]]'' ''[[The Pitch (newspaper)|The Pitch]]'' and the bilingual paper "Dos Mundos."
 
−
The city is served by two major faith-oriented newspapers: The Kansas City Metro Voice, serving the Christian community, and the Kansas City Jewish Chronicle, serving the Jewish community.
 
−
 
 
−
===Broadcast media===
 
−
[[Image:Kctv-tower1.jpg|thumb|right|222px|Landmark [[KCTV-TV]] Tower on West 31st on Union Hill]]
 
−
{{main|Broadcast Media in Kansas City}}
 
−
The Kansas City media market (ranked 29 by Arbitron and 31 by Nielsen) includes ten television channels along with 30 FM and 21 AM radio stations. Kansas City has been a stepping stone for many national broadcasters including [[Walter Cronkite]], [[Rush Limbaugh]], and [[Mancow Muller]].
 
  
−
===Film community===
+
''The Kansas City Star'' is the area's primary newspaper. [[William Rockhill Nelson]] and his partner, Samuel Morss, first published the evening paper on September 18, 1880. The ''Star'' competed heavily with the morning ''Times'' before acquiring it in 1901. The "Times" name was discontinued in March 1990, when the morning paper was renamed the "Star."<ref>Harry Haskell. 2007. ''Boss-Busters and Sin Hounds: Kansas City and Its "Star".'' (Columbia: University of Missouri Press. ISBN 9780826217691)</ref>
−
{{main|Film in Kansas City}}
 
−
Kansas City has also been a locale for [[Hollywood]] productions and [[television programming]]. Also, between 1931 and 1982, Kansas City was home to the [[Calvin Company]], a large movie production company that specialized in the making of promotional and sales training short films and commercials for large corporations, as well as educational movies for schools and training films for government. Calvin was also an important venue for the Kansas City arts, serving as training ground for many local filmmakers who went on to successful Hollywood careers, and also employing many local actors, most of whom earned their main income in other fields, such as radio and television announcing. Kansas City native [[Robert Altman]] got his start directing movies at the Calvin Company, and this experience led him to making his first feature film, [[The Delinquents]], in Kansas City using many local thespians.  
 
  
−
The 1983 television movie ''[[The Day After]]'' was filmed in Kansas City and [[Lawrence, Kansas]]. The 1990s film ''[[Truman (film)|Truman]]'' starring [[Gary Sinise]] was also filmed in various parts of the city. Other films shot in or around Kansas City include ''[[Article 99]]'', ''[[Mr. and Mrs. Bridge|Mr. & Mrs. Bridge]]'', ''[[Kansas City (film)|Kansas City]]'', ''[[Paper Moon (film)|Paper Moon]]'', ''[[In Cold Blood (film)|In Cold Blood]]'', and ''[[Sometimes They Come Back]]'' (in and around nearby [[Liberty, Missouri|Liberty, MO]]).
+
Weekly newspapers include ''The Call''<ref> 'The Call Newspaper''. [http://www.kccall.com/ The Call]  Retrieved May 20, 2008. </ref>, a newspaper with an [[African-American]] focus, and several weekly papers, including the ''Kansas City Business Journal,'' ''The Pitch'' and the bilingual paper ''Dos Mundos.'' The city is served by two major faith-oriented newspapers: ''The Kansas City Metro Voice,'' serving the [[Christian]] community, and the ''Kansas City Jewish Chronicle,'' serving the [[Jewish]] community.
  
−
{{see also|The Independent Filmmakers Coalition of Kansas City}}
+
The Kansas City media market (ranked 29 by Arbitron and 31 by Nielsen) includes ten television channels along with 30 FM and 21 AM radio stations. Kansas City has served as a stepping stone for many national broadcasters including [[Walter Cronkite]], [[Rush Limbaugh]], and [[Mancow Muller]].
  
 
== Sports ==
 
== Sports ==
−
{{main|Sports in Kansas City}}
+
[[Image:Kc-memorial-auditorium.jpg|thumb|right|180px|Kansas City's Memorial Auditorium]]
−
[[Image:Kc-memorial-auditorium.jpg|300px]]
+
[[Image:Kauffmanstad.jpg|thumb|right|180px|thumb|Kauffman Stadium]]
−
[[Image:Kauffmanstad.jpg|thumb|left|222px|Kauffman Stadium]]
+
[[Image:Scenter7.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Sprint Center open house, October 10, 2007.]]
−
[[Image:Scenter7.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Sprint Center open house, October 10, 2007.]]
+
[[Image:Kansas City Arrowhead Stadium.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Arrowhead Stadium's exterior facade.]]  
−
[[Image:Kansas City Arrowhead Stadium.jpg|250px|Arrowhead Stadium's exterior facade.]] |
+
[[Image:Kemper-arena1.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Kemper Arena from [[Quality Hill]]]]  
−
[[Image:Kemper-arena1.jpg|300px|Kemper Arena from [[Quality Hill]]]] |
+
Kansas City professional and semi-pro sports teams presently include the following:
−
[[Image:Tenniscourt.jpg|frame|A view of the [[Kansas City Explorers]]' [[Tennis Court]] from the stands in the Barney Allis Plaza]]
 
−
===Current teams===
 
−
Kansas City sports teams presently include the following:
 
−
 
 
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
|-
 
|-
Line 522: Line 328:
  
 
== Sites of interest ==
 
== Sites of interest ==
−
[[Image:KCMO LibertyMemorial 2003.jpg|thumb|222px|right|[[Liberty Memorial]]]]
+
;Museums  
−
 
 
−
=== Museums ===
 
 
*[[Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art]]
 
*[[Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art]]
 
*[[Belger Arts Center]]
 
*[[Belger Arts Center]]
Line 534: Line 338:
 
*[[Irish Museum and Cultural Center]] located in Kansas City's [[Union Station (Kansas City)|Union Station]].
 
*[[Irish Museum and Cultural Center]] located in Kansas City's [[Union Station (Kansas City)|Union Station]].
  
−
[[Image:Kansas City satellite map.jpg|thumbnail|right|195px|Kansas City satellite map]]
+
;Historical sites  
−
 
 
−
=== Historical sites ===
 
 
*[[Battle of Westport]], one of the major battles of the American Civil War .
 
*[[Battle of Westport]], one of the major battles of the American Civil War .
 
*[[Country Club Plaza]], first shopping center designed to accommodate the automobile.
 
*[[Country Club Plaza]], first shopping center designed to accommodate the automobile.
 
*[[Laugh-O-Gram Studio]], Walt Disney's original cartoon studio in Kansas City. Now being renovated.
 
*[[Laugh-O-Gram Studio]], Walt Disney's original cartoon studio in Kansas City. Now being renovated.
  
−
=== Entertainment ===
+
;Entertainment  
 
*[[Worlds of Fun]] and [[Oceans of Fun]] amusement parks
 
*[[Worlds of Fun]] and [[Oceans of Fun]] amusement parks
 
*[[Kansas City Zoo]] and Starlight Theatre, located in Swope Park.
 
*[[Kansas City Zoo]] and Starlight Theatre, located in Swope Park.
−
 
−
==Education==
 
−
{{see|Kansas City Metropolitan Area#Educational institutions}}
 
−
===Post-secondary===
 
−
*Cleveland Chiropractic College( [http://www.cleveland.edu/ website] )
 
−
*[[Avila University]]
 
−
*[[Calvary Bible College]]
 
−
*[[DeVry University]] of Kansas City
 
−
*[[Kansas City Art Institute]]( [http://www.myartcollege.com/areas-of-study.asp website] )
 
−
*Kansas City College
 
−
*[[Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences]]
 
−
*[[Metropolitan Community College (Kansas City)|Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City]] ( [http://www.mcckc.edu/ website] )
 
−
:MCC-Penn Valley
 
−
:MCC-Longview
 
−
:MCC-Maple Woods
 
−
:MCC-Business and Technology
 
−
:MCC-Blue River
 
−
*[[Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary]]
 
−
*[[National American University]]
 
−
*Nazarene Theological Seminary ( [http://www.nts.edu/ website] )
 
−
*[[Rockhurst University]]
 
−
*[[University of Missouri–Kansas City]] (UMKC)
 
−
*[[University of Phoenix]] - Kansas City
 
−
*Vatterott College
 
−
 
−
===Elementary and secondary===
 
−
Kansas City is served by a variety of school districts.
 
−
 
−
School districts that serve Kansas City include:
 
−
*[[Blue Springs R-IV School District]]
 
−
*Center School District
 
−
*Fort Osage R-1 School District
 
−
*Grandview Consolidated No.4 School District
 
−
*Hickman Mills Consolidated No.1 School District
 
−
*Independence School District
 
−
*[[Kansas City, Missouri School District]] (KCMSD)
 
−
*[[Lee's Summit R-VII School District]]
 
−
*Liberty Schools
 
−
*North Kansas City School District
 
−
*[[Park Hill School District]]
 
−
*Platte County School District
 
−
*Raytown Consolidated No.2 School District
 
−
*[[Smithville School District]]
 
−
 
−
Private schools in Kansas City include:
 
−
*[[The Barstow School]]
 
−
*Don Bosco Education Center
 
−
*Kansas City Academy
 
−
*Oakhill Day School
 
−
*Lee's Summit Community Christian School
 
−
*Lutheran High School
 
−
*Bishop Miege High School
 
−
*[[Notre Dame de Sion]]
 
−
*[[The Pembroke Hill School]]
 
−
*[[Rockhurst High School]]
 
−
*[[Archbishop O'Hara High School]]
 
−
*[[Saint Pius X Catholic High School (Kansas City, Missouri)|Saint Pius X High School]]
 
−
*[[St. Teresa's Academy (Kansas City, Missouri)|St. Teresa's Academy]]
 
−
 
−
==See also==
 
−
*[[List of people from Kansas City]]
 
  
 
==Notes==
 
==Notes==
−
{{reflist|2}}
+
<references/>
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
 +
* DeMeza, Kimberly Fox. Kansas City: unlimited possibilities. Atlanta, GA: Riverbend Books, 2007. ISBN 1883987318
 +
* Gillis, Delia C. ''Kansas City''. Black America series. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Pub, 2007. ISBN 978-0738534480
 +
* Haskell, Harry. ''Boss-Busters and Sin Hounds: Kansas City and Its "Star".'' Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 2007. ISBN 9780826217691
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
−
{{sisterlinks|Kansas City, Missouri}}
+
All links retrieved November 6, 2022.
−
*[http://www.kcmo.org/ Official City Website]
 
−
*[http://www.visitkc.com/ Official Travel and Tourism Site]
 
−
*[http://www.kcchamber.com/ Kansas City Chamber of Commerce]
 
−
*[http://kcperky.com Kansas City Independent Coffee Shops Directory]
 
 
{{Mapit-US-cityscale|39.10|-94.58}}
 
{{Mapit-US-cityscale|39.10|-94.58}}
  
−
{{Kansas City, Missouri}}
+
 
−
{{Kansas City MSA}}
 
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{{Cass County, Missouri}}
 
−
{{Clay County, Missouri}}
 
−
{{Jackson County, Missouri}}
 
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{{Platte County, Missouri}}
 
−
{{Missouri}}
 
 
{{USLargestCities}}
 
{{USLargestCities}}
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{{AllAmericanCity}}
+
 
  
 
[[Category:History]]
 
[[Category:History]]
 
[[Category:Geography]]
 
[[Category:Geography]]
 
[[Category:United States]]
 
[[Category:United States]]
 +
[[Category:Cities]]
  
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{{credit|210818536}}
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{{credit|Kansas_City,_Missouri|210818536}}

Revision as of 08:27, 28 February 2023

Kansas City
—  City  —
Kcskylinebridge.jpg
Flag of Kansas City
Flag
Nickname: "KC," "KCMO",
"City of Fountains",
"Heart of America," "Paris of the Plains"
Location in Jackson, Clay, Platte, and Cass Counties in the state of Missouri.
Location in Jackson, Clay, Platte, and Cass Counties in the state of Missouri.
Coordinates: 39°07′N 94°35′W
Country United States
State Missouri
Counties Jackson
Clay
Platte
Cass
Incorporated March 28, 1853
Government
 - Mayor Sly James
Area
 - City 316.0 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 (2012)
 - City 510,245 (34th)
 - Density 1,630.4/sq mi (593.9/km²)
 - Urban 1.6 million
 - Metro 2.2 million
Time zone CST (UTC−6)
 - Summer (DST) CDT (UTC−5)
ZIP Code 64101-64102, 64105-64106, 64108-64114, 64116-64134, 64136-64139, 64141, 64144-64158, 64161, 64163-64168, 64170-64172, 64179-64180, 64183-64185, 64187-64188, 64190-64199, 64944, 64999
Area code(s) 816
FIPS code 29-38000
GNIS feature ID 0748198
Website: http://www.kcmo.org/

Kansas City is the largest city in the state of Missouri. It encompasses 318 square miles (824 sq km) in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties. The city also serves as the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, second largest metro area in Missouri and largest with territory in Kansas, though Wichita is the largest metro anchored in Kansas. As of 2006, the city had an estimated population of 447,306, with a metro area population of nearly two million.

Kansas City was founded in 1838 as the "Town of Kansas" 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.

Kansas City, nicknamed the "City of Fountains," is well known for its contributions to the musical styles of jazz and blues as well as for its famous Kansas City-style barbecue.

Kansas City, Missouri is often abbreviated as "KCMO," or simply "KC," with both abbreviations often referring to the city's entire metropolitan area. Though the area was a hotbed of violence in the days leading to the Civil War, experiencing what was called the "Border Wars" (or Bleeding Kansas), the city's larger metropolitan area today sits in both states; the border barely more than a narrow street.

Geography

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). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 318.0 square miles (823.7 sq km). Of this, 313.5 sq miles (812.1 km²) are land, with the remaining 4.5 sq mi (11.6 km²) of it water.

A city of rolling hills, much of urban Kansas City sits atop 100-200 foot bluffs overlooking the rivers and river bottoms areas. Kansas City proper is bowl-shaped and is surrounded to the north and south by glacier-carved limestone and bedrock cliffs.

The area upon which Kansas City is built 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 the city. This valley is an eastward continuation of Turkey Creek valley. The city's renovated (1996) Union Station is located here.[1]

The city's tap water was recently rated the cleanest among the 50 largest cities in the United States, containing no detectable impurities.[2]

Climate

The Kansas City area lies in an area of 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 often 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.

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. 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.[3] Kansas City and its outlying areas are also subject to flooding, and were hit by both the Great Flood of 1993 and the Great Flood of 1951.

Cityscape

Fountains

J.C. Nichols Memorial Fountain, in Mill Creek Park, adjacent to the Country Club Plaza

Officially nicknamed the City of Fountains, Kansas City has over 200 listed fountains, with more, both public and private, added regularly. The city claims to have the second most in the world, just behind Rome. It is said that the city's love-affair with water has to do with the importance of water to the city's birth at the confluence of the Missouri and Kansas Rivers.[4]

The city also has more boulevards than any city except Paris and has often been called by locals "Paris on the Plains." Fountains and boulevards, statues, trees and gardens that run throughout the city all combine to make it one of the country's most beautiful cities.

Parks and parkways

Kansas City Skyline from Liberty Memorial

Kansas City is well-known for its spacious parkways and numerous parks. The parkway system winds its way through the city with broad, landscaped medians that include statuary and fountains. One of the best examples is Ward Parkway on the west side of the city, near the Kansas state line. Originally designed for aesthetics and minor automobile/horse and buggy traffic, many parkways were drastically altered to accommodate more and more vehicles, becoming minor freeways.

Swope Park is one of the nation's largest in-city parks, comprising 1,763 acres (2.75sq mi), more than twice as big as New York's Central Park.[5] It includes a full-fledged zoo, two golf courses, a lake, an amphitheatre, day-camp area, and numerous picnic grounds.

Kansas City has always had an excellent urban forestry program. At one time, almost all residential streets were planted with a solid canopy of American elms, but Dutch elm disease devastated them. Most of the elms died and were replaced with a variety of other shade trees. A program is underway to replace many of the fast-growing sweetgum trees with hardwood varieties.[6]

Neighborhoods

Brush Creek on the Country Club Plaza at Night

A number of Kansas City's 150 neighborhoods have histories as independent cities or the sites of major events. Not far from the downtown area, the urban core of the city has a variety of neighborhoods, including historic Westport, the Crossroads Arts District, 18th and Vine Historic District, Pendleton Heights, Quality Hill, the West Bottoms and the River Market.

  • Crown Center is the headquarters of Hallmark Cards and a major downtown shopping and entertainment complex. It is connected to Union Station by a series of covered walkways.
  • The Country Club Plaza, or simply "the Plaza," is an upscale, outdoor shopping and entertainment district. It was the first shopping district in the United States designed to accommodate shoppers arriving by automobile, and is surrounded by apartments and condominiums, including a number of high rise buildings.
  • The associated Country Club District to the south includes the Sunset Hill and Brookside neighborhoods, and is traversed by Ward Parkway, a beautiful, landscaped boulevard known for its statuary, fountains and large, historic homes.
  • Kansas City's Union Station, which was renovated in 1996, is home to Science City, restaurants, shopping, theaters, and the city's Amtrak facility.

History

Exploration and settlement

Kansas City Pioneer Square monument in Westport neighborhood features Pony Express founder Alexander Majors, Westport/Kansas City founder John Calvin McCoy and Mountainman Jim Bridger.

The first documented European visit to Kansas City was Étienne de Veniard, Sieur de Bourgmont. In 1714 he penned "The Route to Be Taken to Ascend the Missouri River." In the document he described 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. Following the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, Lewis and Clark visited the confluence of the Kansas and Missouri rivers, noting it as a "good location to build a fort."

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 the Kansas City area, when François Chouteau established Chouteau's Landing.

Missouri joined the Union in 1821 and, after the Treaty of St. Louis in 1825, the 1,400 Missouri Shawnees were forcibly relocated from Cape Girardeau to southeastern Kansas, close to the Neosho River. In 1826, the Prophet Tenskwatawa established a village in Argentine, Kansas (now a neighborhood within Kansas City, Kansas). During 1833, only the Black Bob's band of Shawnee resisted the relocation efforts. They settled in northeastern Kansas near the town of Olathe (now a suburb on the Kansas side of the KC metropolitan area) and along the Kaw River in Monticello near Gum Springs. Tenskwatawa died in 1836 at his village in Kansas City, Kansas. The White Feather Spring marker notes the location.

The Whitefeather Spring marker, near the grave of Shawnee prophet, Tenskwatawa.

In 1833 John McCoy established West Port along the Santa Fe Trail, three miles 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.[7]

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.

On February 22, 1853, the City of Kansas was created with a newly elected mayor. It had an area of less than one square mile and a population of 2,500.

Civil War

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

The area was rife with animosity as the Civil War approached. As citizens of a slave state, Missourians tended to sympathize with the southern states. With Kansas, directly to its west, 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, first by ballot box and then by bloodshed.

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. Moreover, General Thomas Ewing—in response to a successful raid on nearby Lawrence, Kansas, led by William Quantrill—issued General Order No. 11, forcing the eviction of residents in four western Missouri counties, including Jackson, except those living in the city and nearby communities and those whose allegiance to the Union was certified by Ewing.

Post-Civil War

Walnut St., Downtown Kansas City, Mo. 1906

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. According to the U.S. Census[8] in 1900, Kansas City was the 22nd largest city in the country, with 163,752 residents.

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.

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.

Post-World War II sprawl

Union Station, with downtown Kansas City in the background, at twilight, 2004.

Kansas City's expansion and the creation of suburbs originally began with the invention and implementation of streetcars into the city and the surrounding areas. Streetcar suburbs began to pop up and more and more detached, single family homes were built away from the main part of town. The city's first "Suburbs" were in the neighborhoods of Pendleton Heights and Quality Hill. However, the real sprawl and creation of suburbs didn't begin until after the Second World War.

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.

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 spread of the area. As the city continued to expand outward, the inner city also continued to decline.

In 1940, the city proper 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 (818.44 sq km), more than five times its size in 1940.

Law and government

City government

Kansas City is home to the largest municipal government in the state of Missouri. The city has a city manager form of government, however the role of city manager has diminished over the years following excesses during the days of Tom Pendergast. The mayor is the head of the Kansas City City Council, which has 12 members (one member for each district, plus one at large member per district), and the mayor himself is the presiding member. Kansas City holds city elections on odd numbered years, every four years.

Courts

Kansas City is the seat of the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, one of two federal district courts in the state (the other, the Eastern District, is in St. Louis). It also is the seat of the Western District of the Missouri Court of Appeals, one of three districts of that court (the Eastern District is in St. Louis and the Southern District is in Springfield).

National political conventions

Kansas City has hosted the 1900 Democratic National Convention, the 1928 Republican National Convention, which nominated Herbert Hoover from Iowa for President, and the memorable 1976 Republican National Convention, which nominated Kansas U.S. Senator Bob Dole for Vice President.

Kansas City consistently votes Democratic in Presidential elections, however on the state and local level Republicans often find some success, especially in the Northland and other parts of Kansas City that are predominately suburban.

Congressional representation

Kansas City is represented by two members of the United States House of Representatives:

  • Missouri's 5th congressional district – all of Kansas City proper in Jackson County plus Independence and portions of Cass County. In 2008 represented by Emanuel Cleaver (Democrat).
  • Missouri's Sixth Congressional District – all of Kansas City proper north of the Missouri River and plus suburbs in eastern Jackson County beyond Independence and a vast stretch of suburbs and rural areas extending more than 100 miles to the Iowa border. In 2008 represented by Sam Graves (Republican).

Economy

Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank "J" insignia on the dollar bill
H&R Block's new oblong headquarters in downtown Kansas City

Greater Kansas City is headquarters to four Fortune 500 companies (Sprint Nextel Corporation, H&R Block, Embarq Corporation, and YRC Worldwide Inc.) and additional Fortune 1000 corporations (Interstate Bakeries Corporation, Great Plains Energy,Aquila, AMC Theatres, and DST Systems). Hallmark Cards's gross revenues certainly would qualify it for both lists, but it cannot be included because it is privately owned by the Hall family. Numerous agriculture companies operate out of the city and the Kansas City Board of Trade is the principal trading center for hard red winter wheat—the principal ingredient of bread.

Kansas City is literally "on the money." Bills issued by the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City are marked with the letter "J" and/or the number "10." The single dollar bills have Kansas City's name on them. Missouri is the only state to have two of the 12 Federal Reserve Bank headquarters, the other being in St. Louis.

Transportation

From its beginnings, Kansas City's location on the confluence of the Missouri and Kansas Rivers made it an important transportation hub. It was a launching point for travelers heading west: the Santa Fe, Oregon, and California trails began in the area.

Today transportation plays a huge part in the economy of the Greater Kansas City area. With the construction of the Hannibal Bridge across the Missouri River it became the central location for 11 trunk railroads. More rail traffic in terms of tonnage passes through the city than any other city in the country. TWA located its headquarters in the city with ambitious plans to turn the city into an air hub for the world.

The interstate highway system got its start in the states of Kansas and Missouri with the construction of Interstate 70.[9] Interstate 435, which encircles the Kansas City metropolitan area in both states (Kansas and Missouri), is the second longest beltway in the nation.

Today, Kansas City and its metropolitan area has more miles of limited access highway lanes per capita than any other large metro area in the United States, over 27 percent more than second-place Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, over 50 percent more than the average American metro area and nearly 75 percent more than the metropolitan area with the least: Las Vegas. The relatively uncongested freeway network contributes significantly to Kansas City's position as one of America's largest logistics hubs.

Its meeting of three interstate highway systems (I-29, I-70, I-35 and soon I-49) and its geographical location in the center of the U.S. makes it an important location for distribution. Numerous corporations have built distribution facilities in the area, and more freight moves through Kansas City than any other city in the nation, earning it the nickname America's inland port.[10]

Airports

Kansas City International Airport

Kansas City International Airport was built to the specifications of TWA to make a world hub for the supersonic transport and Boeing 747. Its passenger friendly design in which its gates were 100 feet (30 m) from the street has, since the September 11, 2001 attacks, required a costly overhaul to retrofit it to incorporate elements of a more conventional security system. The airport is completely supported by user fees and receives no general fund support for operations. Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport was the original headquarters of Trans World Airlines and houses the Airline History Museum. It is still used for general aviation and airshows.

Mass transit

Like most American cities, Kansas City's mass transit system was originally rail-based. An electric trolley network ran through the city until 1957. The rapid sprawl in the following years led to the closure of this system.

Today's mass transit system cannot compare to those of the larger cities such as New York, Chicago, Los Angeles or Seattle. This is due in part to the large geographic area which the metropolitan area covers, as well as its easy, uncongested highway system. The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) was formed with the signing of a Bi-State compact created by the Missouri and Kansas legislatures on December 28, 1965. It is governed by a ten-member Board of Commissioners, five from the state of Kansas and five from the state of Missouri.

The system honors "Ozone Alert!" days between June 1 and September 30, on which the fares are reduced by more than 50 percent in order to encourage mass transit over individual vehicle usage.

Crime and livability

Historic record

Some of the earliest violence in Kansas City erupted during the American Civil War. Shortly after the city's incorporation in 1850, the period which has become known as Bleeding Kansas erupted, affecting border ruffians and Jayhawkers, who both lived in the city. During the war, Union troops burned all occupied dwellings in Jackson County south of Brush Creek and east of Blue Creek to Independence in an attempt to halt raids into Kansas.

After the war, The Kansas City Times editor John Newman Edwards turned outlaw Jesse James into a folk hero through his coverage. James was born in the Kansas City metro area at Kearney, Missouri, and notoriously robbed the Kansas City Fairgrounds at 12th Street and Campbell Avenue, among a multitude of other locations.

In the early twentieth century under Democratic political "Boss" Tom Pendergast, Kansas City became the country's "most wide open town," with virtually no enforcement of prohibition. While this would give rise to Kansas City Jazz, it also led to the rise of the Kansas City mob (initially under Johnny Lazia), as well as the arrival of organized crime. The 1930s saw the Kansas City Massacre at Union Station, as well as a shootout between police and outlaws Bonnie and Clyde at the Red Crown Tavern near what is now Kansas City International Airport.

In the 1970s, the Kansas City mob was involved in a gangland war over control of the River Quay entertainment district, in which three buildings were bombed and several gangsters were killed. Police investigations into the mob took hold after boss Nick Civella was recorded discussing gambling bets on Super Bowl IV (in which the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Minnesota Vikings). The war and investigation would lead to the end of mob control of the Stardust Casino, which was the basis for the film Casino (although the Kansas City connections are minimized in the movie).

Twenty-first century
Liberty Memorial

According to the Morgan Quitno Press for the year 2007, Kansas City ranked 16th on the Federal Bureau of Investigation's annual survey of crime rates for all cities, regardless of population.[11] It ranked sixth in the rate of murders in that group's 2006 survey. The entire Kansas City metropolitan area has the fourth worst violent-crime rate among cities with more than 100,000, with a rate of 614.7 violent crimes per 100,000 residents.[12]. On the other hand, many of the surrounding cities in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area reflect the opposite in crime statistics.

Much of the city's murders and violent crimes occur in the city's inner core. The violent crime rates in the core consistently have driven the city and metropolitan area down on "livability" indices, hindering initiatives in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s to revive downtown Kansas City. In the 2000s, however, attempts at revitalizing the downtown area have been more successful. The downtown neighborhood currently has one of the lowest crime rates in the urban core, prompting revitalization of the area, including new lofts, a new entertainment district and a new arena. According to an analysis by The Kansas City Star and the University of Missouri at Kansas City, downtown has experienced the largest drop in crime of any neighborhood in the city during the current decade.[13]

In 2007, Worldwide ERC and Primary Relocation recognized Kansas City third overall as one of the "Best Cities for Relocating Families" in the United States. Also in March 2007, Money Magazine rated Overland Park, Kansas, 6th best city to live in the United States. Neighboring city Olathe, Kansas, was rated 13th and Lee's Summit, Missouri, 44th best. Kansas City is one of two metro areas to have two cities in the top fifteen.[14] Though these analyses include the entire metropolitan area, they are an important indicator of the realistic situation of life in and around Kansas City.

Culture

Architecture
Municipal Auditorium and Bartle Hall Convention Center, Kansas City

Kansas City has long been praised for its varied architecture. Its skyline is notable for various structures, including the immense Bartle Hall Convention Center, the adjoined art deco Municipal Auditorium, and numerous skyscrapers such as the Kansas City Power and Light Building and One Kansas City Place (the tallest habitable structure in the state), as well as the KCTV-Tower (the tallest freestanding structure in Missouri and 31st tallest tower in the world). It is also home to the Liberty Memorial, the National World War I Memorial of the United States which houses the The National World War I Museum, as designated by the U.S. Congress in 2004.

Kansas City offices of significant national and international architecture firms include ACI/Boland, BNIM, 360 Architecture, Ellerbe Becket, HNTB and HOK Sport.

City of Fountains

With more than 200 fountains, Kansas City claims that only Rome has more fountains. A fountain is the logo for the city and "City of Fountains" is an official nickname. The densest and most famous area for fountains is the Country Club Plaza. Many smaller fountains dot the street scape throughout the district.

Cuisine
Arthur Bryant's Barbecue in the inner-city is visited by U.S. Presidents and celebrities.

Kansas City is famous for two specialties; strip steak and barbecue.

During the heyday of the city's stockyards, it became famous for "Kansas City Strip Steaks." The most famous of the steakhouses is the Golden Ox in the Kansas City Live Stock Exchange in the stockyards in the West Bottoms. The stockyards, which were second only to those of Chicago in size, never recovered from the Great Flood of 1951 and eventually closed. The famed Kansas City Strip cut of steak is largely identical to the New York Strip cut, and is sometimes referred to just as a strip steak.

Nationally famous for its barbecue, it is often dubbed the "barbecue capital of the world." There are more than 90 barbecue restaurants in the metropolitan area.[15] The American Royal (an annual livestock, horse and rodeo show) each fall hosts the world's largest barbecue contest.

The classic Kansas City-style barbecue was an inner city phenomenon that evolved from the pit of Henry Perry from the Memphis, Tennessee area in the early 1900s and blossomed in Kansas City's famed 18th and Vine neighborhood. Arthur Bryant's took over the Perry restaurant and amended the recipe. In 1946 Gates and Sons Bar-B-Q was opened by one of Perry's cooks. The Gates recipe was amended further. Although Bryant's and Gates are the two definitive Kansas City barbecue restaurants, they have just recently begun expanding outside of the Greater Kansas City Area. In 1977 Rich Davis, a psychiatrist, test-marketed his own concoction called K.C. Soul Style Barbecue Sauce. He renamed it KC Masterpiece and in 1986 he sold the sauce to the Kingsford Company. Davis retained rights to operate restaurants using the name and sauce, with a restaurant in the suburb of Overland Park, Kansas.

Entertainment and performing arts

Scout Indian statue in Seville, sistered with Kansas City. Kansas City has an almost identical statue in Penn Valley Park, near the Liberty Memorial that is pointing in the direction of Seville.
KCTV Tower on 31st Street on Union Hill in Kansas City, with the Firefighters' Memorial Fountain in the foreground.
Opera

Kansas City is home to the Kansas City Symphony, founded by R. Crosby Kemper Jr. in 1982 to supersede the Kansas City Philharmonic, which had existed since 1933. The symphony currently is located at the Lyric Theatre in Downtown Kansas City, but is slated to move to the new Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, also downtown, when it is completed in December of 2009. The current music director and lead conductor of the symphony is the world-renowned Michael Stern.

The Lyric Opera of Kansas City, founded in 1970, is one of the nation's premier regional opera companies. It prides itself on offering one American contemporary opera production during its annual season consisting of either four or five productions. Originally, all operas were performed in English, although in the late-1990s the company decided to perform all productions in their original languages. The Lyric Opera also is located at the Lyric Theatre, and also will move to the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts upon its completion.

Dance

The Kansas City Ballet, founded in 1957 by Tatiana Dokoudovska, is a ballet troupe comprising 25 professional dancers and apprentices. Between 1986 and 2000, it was combined with Dance St. Louis to form the State Ballet of Missouri, although it remained in Kansas City. From 1980 to 1995, the Ballet was run by renowned dancer and choreographer Todd Bolender. Today, the Ballet offers an annual repertory split into three seasons which ranges from classical to contemporary ballets.[16] The Ballet also is located at the Lyric Theatre, and also will move with the Symphony and Opera to the Kauffman Center in 2009.

Jazz

Kansas City Jazz in the 1930s marked the transition from big bands to the bebop influence of the 1940s. In the 1930s City Boss Tom Pendergast was at the height of his power and left Kansas City a wide open town in which night clubs were allowed to remain open from dusk to dawn. In this venue, an era of musical improvisation developed in which it was not uncommon for a single "song" to be performed all night by competing performers who passed through the city. The era ended in 1936 when producer John H. Hammond began signing Kansas City talent and transferring the acts to New York City.

The era of Kansas City influence is bracketed by the signing of Count Basie in 1929 to the advent of Kansas City native Charlie Parker in the 1940s. Pendergast pleaded guilty to income tax evasion in 1939 and the city soon began a crackdown of the clubs.

In the 1970s Kansas City attempted to resurrect the glory of the jazz era in a sanitized family friendly atmosphere. An effort to open jazz clubs in the River Quay area of City Market along the Missouri ended in a gangland war in which three of the new clubs were blown up in what ultimately resulted in the removal of Kansas City mob influence in the Las Vegas casinos that was partially depicted in the movie Casino.

In 1981, 114 people died in the Hyatt Regency walkway collapse at a tea dance that was attempting to recreate the jazz era. In 1999 the American Jazz Museum opened in the 18th and Vine neighborhood.

Rock/Blues/Hip-Hop

Kansas City's local music scene enjoyed a revival which began in the mid-1960s, based around rock and blues in addition to jazz. Live music venues can be found throughout the city, with the highest concentration in the Westport entertainment district centered on Broadway and Westport Road near the Country Club Plaza. More recently, punk and hip-hop acts have been popular. In addition, The New York Times declared nearby Lawrence, Kansas "the most vital music scene between Chicago and Denver" in a travel column dated February 25, 2005.

Improv Comedy

In 1995, Kansas City hosted the first ever national improv festival, 'Spontaneous Combustion: The US Improv Festival'. Since then, similar improv festivals have popped up all over the country, most notably, the Chicago Improv Festival. This festival's current incarnation is called KCiF: The Kansas City Improv Festival. In 2004, The City 3 Project: Kansas City's Improv Community was launched in order to facilitate further growth of the art of improv in Kansas City. Since that time, the number of improv troupes in the metro area has tripled and new comedy theaters have opened. Major troupes in Kansas City in 2008 include Comedy City, Improv-Abilities, Full-Frontal Comedy, and The Trip Fives.

Media

The Kansas City Star 's printing plant opened in June 2006. The Star headquarters is the red brick building on the lower right.

The Kansas City Star is the area's primary newspaper. William Rockhill Nelson and his partner, Samuel Morss, first published the evening paper on September 18, 1880. The Star competed heavily with the morning Times before acquiring it in 1901. The "Times" name was discontinued in March 1990, when the morning paper was renamed the "Star."[17]

Weekly newspapers include The Call[18], a newspaper with an African-American focus, and several weekly papers, including the Kansas City Business Journal, The Pitch and the bilingual paper Dos Mundos. The city is served by two major faith-oriented newspapers: The Kansas City Metro Voice, serving the Christian community, and the Kansas City Jewish Chronicle, serving the Jewish community.

The Kansas City media market (ranked 29 by Arbitron and 31 by Nielsen) includes ten television channels along with 30 FM and 21 AM radio stations. Kansas City has served as a stepping stone for many national broadcasters including Walter Cronkite, Rush Limbaugh, and Mancow Muller.

Sports

Kansas City's Memorial Auditorium
Kauffman Stadium
Sprint Center open house, October 10, 2007.
Arrowhead Stadium's exterior facade.
Kemper Arena from Quality Hill

Kansas City professional and semi-pro sports teams presently include the following:

Club Sport Founded League Venue
Kansas City Chiefs American Football 1963 National Football League Arrowhead Stadium
Kansas City Royals Baseball 1969 Major League Baseball Kauffman Stadium
Kansas City Explorers Tennis 1993 World TeamTennis Barney Allis Plaza
Kansas City Wizards Soccer 1996 Major League Soccer CommunityAmerica Ballpark
Kansas City Brigade Arena Football 2006 Arena Football League Sprint Center
Kansas City Roller Warriors Roller Derby 2004 Women's Flat Track Derby Association Hale Arena

Sporting events

  • Kansas City is often the home of the Big 12 College Basketball Tournaments. Men's Basketball will be played at Sprint Center beginning in March 2008, while women's Basketball will be played at Municipal Auditorium. Lately, arenas in Dallas and Oklahoma City have hosted the tournament.
  • Arrowhead Stadium serves as the venue for various intercollegiate football games. Often it is the host of the Big 12 Football Title Game. On the last weekend in October, the Fall Classic rivalry game between Northwest Missouri State University and Pittsburg State University takes place here. Usually, the Bearcats of Northwest and Gorillas of Pitt State are ranked one-two in the MIAA conference. In 2005, other games at Arrowhead included Arkansas State playing host to Missouri, and Kansas hosting Oklahoma.

Sites of interest

Museums
  • Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
  • Belger Arts Center
  • American Jazz Museum
  • National World War I Museum of the United States.
  • Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
  • Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art
  • Airline History Museum
  • Irish Museum and Cultural Center located in Kansas City's Union Station.
Historical sites
  • Battle of Westport, one of the major battles of the American Civil War .
  • Country Club Plaza, first shopping center designed to accommodate the automobile.
  • Laugh-O-Gram Studio, Walt Disney's original cartoon studio in Kansas City. Now being renovated.
Entertainment
  • Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun amusement parks
  • Kansas City Zoo and Starlight Theatre, located in Swope Park.

Notes

  1. ↑ James S. Aber. February 2005. Glacial Geology of the Kansas City Vicinity Kansas City geology. Retrieved May 16, 2008.
  2. ↑ Robert Bruce. Kansas City Missouri Kansas City Missouri Church of God. Retrieved May 16, 2008.
  3. ↑ Matt Stearns, February 1, 2002. [KC powerless as icy barrage pummels the area, leaves behind disaster zone Kansas City Star. Retrieved May 16, 2008.
  4. ↑ Kansas City Convention & Visitors Association. March 30, 2006. ‘City of Fountains’ Indeed Retrieved May 16, 2008.
  5. ↑ City of Kansas City, Mo. Timeline 150 Retrieved May 17, 2008.
  6. ↑ City of Kansas City, Mo. Tri-Blenheim Neighbors United Retrieved May 17, 2008.
  7. ↑ Sherrie Kline Smith. April 2006. Why is Kansas City located in Missouri instead of Kansas? Kansas City Public Library. Retrieved May 17, 2008.
  8. ↑ US Census.
  9. ↑ United States Department of Transportation. What was the first Interstate? Retrieved May 18, 2008.
  10. ↑ Chris Gutierrez. Shipping Central Commercial Journal - Kansas City. Retrieved May 18, 2008.
  11. ↑ Morgan Quitno Awards. 25 Safest Cities.
  12. ↑ Kevin Collison. September 26, 2006. "FBI crime data paint grim portrait," The Kansas City Star
  13. ↑ Jeffery Spivak and Christine Vendel. December 22, 2007. Crime falls downtown and across much of Kansas City Downtown Council. Retrieved May 17, 2008.
  14. ↑ CNN Money Magazine. Best Places to Live 2006 Retrieved May 20, 2008.
  15. ↑ Experience Kansas City. Barbecue Kansas City Style Retrieved May 17, 2008.
  16. ↑ Deborah Jowitt. March 18th, 2008. Kansas City Ballet: Happy Fiftieth!. The Village Voice. Retrieved May 20, 2008.
  17. ↑ Harry Haskell. 2007. Boss-Busters and Sin Hounds: Kansas City and Its "Star". (Columbia: University of Missouri Press. ISBN 9780826217691)
  18. ↑ 'The Call Newspaper. The Call Retrieved May 20, 2008.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • DeMeza, Kimberly Fox. Kansas City: unlimited possibilities. Atlanta, GA: Riverbend Books, 2007. ISBN 1883987318
  • Gillis, Delia C. Kansas City. Black America series. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Pub, 2007. ISBN 978-0738534480
  • Haskell, Harry. Boss-Busters and Sin Hounds: Kansas City and Its "Star". Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 2007. ISBN 9780826217691

External links

All links retrieved November 6, 2022.


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