Profile: Kansas City, Missouri

By Lisa Waterman Gray, FrontDoor.com | Published: 3/26/2009

Lisa Waterman Gray

Population: Kansas City, Mo., 445,000; 2 million people in metro

USDA Hardiness Zone: 5

Major Airports: Kansas City International Airport, Kansas City Downtown Airport

Significant Employers: Several of Kansas City, Missouri's largest employers include the Kansas City School District, Hallmark Cards and American Italian Pasta. Other employers with a major presence in the metropolitan area include Sprint, Ford Motor Company, Federal Express, H& R Block, Proctor & Gamble, Interstate Bakeries, AMC Entertainment, and Black & Veatch.

KC, City of Fountains and Heart of America are all nicknames for Kansas City, MO., and the nation's most centrally located major metropolitan area. Residents of adjacent Kansas City, Kan., and cities such as Westwood, Overland Park, and Lenexa, Kan., or Independence, Lee's Summit, and Gladstone, Mo. also consider themselves Kansas Citians.

Set amidst gently rolling hills on the south bank of the Missouri River, Kansas City offers 11,000+ acres of parks and greenways, dozens of lakes, and more than 200 public fountains. Country Living magazine says "...this pretty, sophisticated city is one of the Midwest's best-kept secrets." A cost of living and median home prices below the national average, and multiple award-winning school districts also make this area a great place to raise a family.

The urban core is experiencing its greatest revival in more than 50 years, with 1,000 new downtown housing units, expansive entertainment, restaurants and shopping, and new corporate and government buildings. The metropolitan area hosts more than 65 performing arts organizations, several casinos, the nation's second largest working train station and the National World War I Museum. It's not just a 'cowtown' anymore.

Read More About Kansas City, MO:

• Search Homes for Sale in Kansas City
• 5 Great Neighborhoods in Kansas City
• Kansas City Essentials
• Local Lingo and Lore in Kansas City
• Kansas City: Like No Place Else
• Kansas City: Sports Central
• Slide Show: Get to Know Kansas City

Explore more cities in FrontDoor's City Guides

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