Overland Park is the second most populous city in the U.S. state of Kansas. Located in Johnson County, it is the largest suburb in the Kansas City metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 173,372.
History
The city traces its roots back to 1905, with the arrival of its founder, William B. Strang Jr. who plotted subdivisions along a military roadway on 600 acres (240 ha)he purchased that are now part of the old downtown area. One of those subdivisions was named Overland Park, and was the site for the first airplane flight west of the Mississippi with shows by the Wright brothers, sponsored by Strang, on December 24, 1909.
The city was incorporated as a "first class city"on May 20, 1960, making it one of the youngest communities inJohnson County. Its initial population was 28,085 and was bounded by Antioch Road (West), 107th Street (South), Chadwick (East) and I-35 (North). In 1960 the population was 28,085 with 13 square miles (33.7 km2) incorporated. By 1990 the population was 111,790 and in 1995 the incorporated land area was 56.6 square miles (146.6 km2). Since 1995, the population has grown to 173,250 in 2008 with 75.33 square miles (195.10 km2) of land area. Overland Park is now the second most populous city in Kansas. (Wichita is the largest.)
In early 2008, the city council voted to annex an additional 15 square miles (39 km2) south of existing city limits. The annexation was approved for an additional 8 miles (13 km) and went into effect March 10. After the annexation, the city spans nearly the entire distance between the northern and southern borders of Johnson County.
Geography
Downtown Overland Park is located at 38°58′56″N 94°40′15″W (38.9822282, -94.6707917) at an elevation of 1,086 feet (331 m). Located in northeastern Kansas at the junction of Interstate 435 and U.S. Route 69, central Overland Park is roughly 13 miles (21 km) south-southwest of downtown Kansas City, Missouri and immediately east ofOlathe, the county seat.
The city lies on the northern edge of the Osage Plains a few miles south of the Kansas River.One of the river's tributaries, Turkey Creek, flows northeast through the extreme northern part of the city. South of Turkey Creek, the majority of the city lies in the watershed of the Blue River.
Several of the river's tributaries run east-northeast across the city; from north to south, these include Indian Creek, Tomahawk Creek, and Negro Creek. In the far southern part of the city, two more tributaries, Coffee Creek and Wolf Creek, join to form the main stem of the Blue River itself.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 75.37 square miles (195.22 km²) of which 74.84 square miles (193.84 km²) is land and 0.53 square mile (1.38 km²) is water.
As a suburb of Kansas City, Overland Park is part of the Kansas City metropolitan area, and it borders other communities on all sides. These include Kansas City, Kansas to the north, Mission and Prairie Village to the northeast, Leawood to the east, Stilwell to the south, Olathe and Lenexa to the west, and Shawnee and Merriamto the northwest.[10] Most of Overland Park, specifically the part of it lying north of 159th Street, lies within the area of Johnson County referred to as Shawnee Mission.[11][12]
2010 census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 173,372 people, 71,443 households, and 45,516 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,316.5 people per square mile (894.4/km²). There were 76,280 housing units at an average density of 1,019.2 per square mile (393.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 84.4% White, 4.3% African American, 0.3% American Indian, 6.3% Asian, 2.1% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races. Hispanics and Latinos of any race were 6.3% of the population.
There were 71,443 households of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.0% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.3% were non-families. 29.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41, and the average family size was 3.04.
The median age in the city was 37.8 years. 24.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28.2% were from 25 to 44; 27.6% were from 45 to 64; and 12.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.3% male and 51.7% female.
The median income for a household in the city was $71,513, and the median income for a family was $93,293. Males had a median income of $65,210 versus $43,413 for females. The per capita income for the city was $39,319. 4.9% of the population and 3.3% of families were living below the poverty line, including 6.5% of those under the age of 18 and 4.9% of those 65 and older.
Economy
The service sector constitutes most of the local economy. Health care, retail trade, professional and technical services, finance and insurance, and information technology are the city’s five largest industries.
More than 40 companies have their corporate headquarters in Overland Park.Telecommunications firmSprint's world headquarters occupies 240 acres (97 ha) of the city and employs about 8,000 people.Other companies with headquarters in the city include Fortune 500 company YRC Worldwide, Black &Veatch,Waddell& Reed, Ferrellgas, Ash Grove Cement Company, and Compass Minerals.[17] Restaurant chainApplebee's was headquartered in the city from 1993 to 2007.
As of 2011, 73.9% of the population over the age of 16 was in the labor force. 0.1% was in the armed forces, and 73.8% was in the civilian labor force with 70.0% being employed and 3.8% unemployed. The composition, by occupation, of the employed civilian labor force was: 51.6% in management, business, science, and arts; 28.1% in sales and office occupations; 10.9% in service occupations; 4.2% in natural resources, construction, and maintenance; 5.2% in production, transportation, and material moving. The three industries employing the largest percentages of the working civilian labor force were: educational services, health care, and social assistance (22.4%); professional, scientific, management, administrative, and waste management services (15.6%); and finance, insurance, real estate, and rental and leasing (11.6%).Sprint is the largest employer in the city followed by Shawnee Mission School District, Johnson County Community College, Blue Valley School District, Black & Veatch, OptumRx, the City of Overland Park, YRC Worldwide, Overland Park Regional Medical Center, and Waddell & Reed.
The cost of living in Overland Park is below average; compared to a U.S. average of 100, the cost of living index for the city is 88.5.As of 2011, the median home value in the city was $224,200, the median selected monthly owner cost was $1,720 for housing units with a mortgage and $534 for those without, and the median gross rent was $911.In 2012, the dollar value of new residential construction was $142,004,873; the value in new commercial construction was $146,316,340.
Government
Under state statute, Overland Park is a city of the first class. Since 1963, it has had a mayor-council-manager form of government.The city council consists of 13 members popularly elected every four years with staggered terms in office. For representative purposes, the city is divided into six wards with two members elected from each ward. The mayor is the 13th member, elected at-large.[24] The council sets policy for the city, annually identifies city priorities for the Kansas Legislature and the United States Congress, and authorizes ordinances, resolutions, contracts, and agreements.[23][24][25] The council meets on the first and third Monday of each month. The mayor presides over council meetings, appoints members to resident boards and commissions, meets with constituents, and signs ordinances, resolutions, contracts, and agreements authorized by the council.The city manager administers city operations and implements policies set by the city council.
Overland Park lies within Kansas's 3rd U.S. Congressional District. For the purposes of representation in the Kansas Legislature, the city is located in the 6th through 8th, 10th, 11th, 21st, and 37th districts of the Kansas Senate and the 8th, 16th, 19th through 24th, 27th through 29th, and 48th districts of the Kansas House of Representatives.