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How Big is Kansas City? is a blog that discusses the size of Kansas City and how it compares to other cities.
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Geography
Kansas City is a city located in the U.S. state of Missouri. It is the county seat of Jackson County and the largest city in the state of Missouri. Kansas City is the 37th largest city in the United States and the 27th largest city in the Midwest. The city has a population of 459,787 people.
Location
Kansas City is located in the Midwestern United States at the confluence of the Missouri and Kansas rivers, atop the bluffs of the Missouri River valley. It is 2,056 feet (627 m) above sea level and is the geographical center of the U.S. The 2010 census found that Kansas City had a population of 459,787 people, making it the 37th largest city by population in the United States.
Size
Kansas City is 1,499 square miles big.
History
Kansas City is the 37th largest city by population in the United States with a population of 467,000 people. The city has a long history, dating back to the early 1800s. Kansas City was founded in 1838 and was originally called the City of Kansas. The city was renamed Kansas City in 1889.
Foundations
The first known inhabitants of the area were the Hopewell and Missouria nations, who lived in villages along the Missouri River.French explorer Étienne de Veniard, Sieur de Bourgmont was the first European to visit the area and documented his travels in 1724. Missouri was admitted into the union as a state in 1821. Kansas City was founded in 1838 as a port for Santa Fe Trail.
Growth
Kansas City’s growth has been fueled by a number of factors, including its location at the crossroads of the country, its rich history and heritage, and its AAA bond rating, which makes it one of the most financially stable cities in the United States.
Kansas City is the 29th largest city in the United States, with a population of 467,000. The Kansas City metropolitan area is home to more than 2 million people, making it the 37th largest metro area in the country. The city covers 319 square miles, making it one of the larger cities in the Midwest.
Kansas City is a major distribution center for goods and services due to its central location in the country. More than 200 million people live within 500 miles of Kansas City, making it an ideal location for businesses that need to reach a large portion of the country. The city is also home to several major highways and interstates, including I-70, I-35 and I-29, which makes it easy to get around.
Population
As of 2019, the population of Kansas City, Missouri is estimated to be 491,918. The population of the entire Kansas City metropolitan area is estimated to be over 2.1 million.
Density
The density was 2,368 people per square mile (913/km²). There were 1,062 housing units at an average density of 1,012 per square mile (392/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.8% White, 0.7% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.2% Asian, and 0.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 2.1% of the population
Composition
As of 2019, the Kansas City metro area had an estimated population of 2,104,509, which is an increase of about 8.5% since the 2010 census. The racial composition of the city was:
-64.3% white
-29.2% African American
-2.5% Asian
-0.7% Native American or Alaska Native
-1.4% from two or more races
The Hispanic or Latino population of any race made up 11.1% of the city’s population.
Economy
In 2014, the estimated GDP of the Kansas City metropolitan area was $134.9 billion, ranking it as the 29th largest metro economy in the United States. The city is home to numerous corporate headquarters, including Sprint, H&R Block, AMC Theatres, Hallmark Cards, Garmin, Waddell & Reed, J.E. Dunn Construction Group, and Kauffman Foundation.
Industry
The Kansas City metro area is home to a diverse and thriving economy, with major industries in agriculture, automotive manufacturing, bioscience/healthcare, and transportation/logistics. The city is also a major center for finance and banking, with over 30 banks and financial institutions headquartered here.
Kansas City’s agricultural industry is anchored by the world-renowned Kansas City Board of Trade, which is the largest futures market for hard red winter wheat in the world. The city is also home to several large animal packing plants, including Cargill and JBS USA, as well as a number of smaller family farms.
The automotive sector is anchored by General Motors’ Fairfax Assembly Plant, which has been in operation since 1987 and employs over 3,000 people. Kansas City is also home to two Ford Motor Company plants – the Claycomo Assembly Plant and the Kansas City Stamping Plant – as well as a number of smaller auto parts suppliers.
The bioscience/healthcare industry is booming in Kansas City, with over 300 life science companies employing more than 13,000 people in the metro area. Notable companies in this sector include Cerner Corporation, a global leader in healthcare informatics; Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City; and Sprint Nextel Corporation.
Kansas City’s strategic location at the confluence of the Missouri and Kansas rivers has made it a major transportation hub for centuries. Today, the city is served by two Class I freight railroads – BNSF Railway and Union Pacific Railroad – as well as a number of smaller regional carriers. In addition, Kansas City International Airport is one of the busiest cargo airports in the world.
Agriculture
Kansas City’s agricultural history is rooted in the fertile land along the Missouri River. The Lewis and Clark expedition noted an abundance of wildlife and “thick and luxuriant” vegetation growing along the riverbanks. Large herds of bison were common, and elk, deer, bears, turkeys, geese and prairie chickens were also frequently seen. The richness of the land attracted people to the Missouri Valley, and by 1860 Kansas City was one of the largest livestock markets in the country.
The city’s livestock industry was dealt a blow in the 1880s by a parasite called Texas Fever, which killed thousands of cattle. However, the city’s stockyards continued to prosper and Kansas City became known as the “crossroads of the cattle trails.” In 1865, charged with herding Texas longhorn cattle to Sedalia, Missouri for shipment to St. Louis markets, Joseph Gomer sold his entire herd in Kansas City for $35,000-a record for that time.
Today, beef cattle are still raised in Northwest Missouri, but most are shipped to feedlots in Kansas or Nebraska for fattening before going to slaughter. According to the 2012 Census of Agriculture, there were 718 beef cattle operations in Jackson County alone.
