The Kansas City Metropolitan Area is a metropolitan area situated at the confluence of the Kansas and Missouri Rivers, sometimes known as (Kaw Point). The metro straddles the state border between Missouri and Kansas. The 15-county Kansas City Metropolitan Statistical Area, anchored by Kansas City, Missouri, is the 22nd largest in the United States with an estimated population of 2,034,796. It is the second largest metro area in Missouri after St. Louis.
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 2 metro areas to have 2 cities in the top 15, Dallas, Texas being the other. ==Geographic overview== See Also: The Districts of Downtown (Kansas City, Missouri)
The core of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area can be visualized roughly by the following divisions:
The Northland is locally referred to as "north of the river" (Missouri River) or "Kansas City North". (Often confused with Northtown, a nickname for North Kansas City) Contained wholly within Missouri, it encompasses portions of Clay County including the northern half of Kansas City, Missouri, and the cities of Liberty,North Kansas City and Gladstone. The sharpest part of the river bend forms a peninsula containing the Charles B. Wheeler Kansas City Downtown Airport.
Midtown is the core of the metro area just directly to the south of downtown (south of 31st Street) and is mostly urban terrain. Contained within Kansas City, Missouri, it is broken up into the historical neighborhoods of Westport, The Country Club Plaza, Hyde Park, Ward Parkway, Brookside, West Plaza, Southmoreland, Valentine, Coleman Highlands and Rockhill. It contains the majority of the metro area's businesses, visitor attractions, the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
South KC or "South Kansas City" is the southern half of Kansas City, Missouri as well as the suburbs of Lee's Summit, Grandview, Harrisonville, Belton, Raymore. It is sometimes called "the southland."
The Eastside is an area of the metro that contains the eastern urban side of Kansas City, Missouri as well as the suburbs of Independence, Blue Springs and Raytown. This part of town is best known for the Truman Sports Complex where the Royals, Wizards and Chiefs play.
Johnson County (the southwest portion of the metro), indicates all of Johnson County, Kansas, which includes the cities of Overland Park, Lenexa, Olathe, Shawnee Mission, and De Soto. Interstate 35 runs diagonally through Johnson County from the southwest toward the northeast and downtown Kansas City, Missouri.
Wyandotte or the western side of the metro contains Wyandotte County, Kansas. Wyandotte County, sometimes referred to as just 'Wyandotte' or 'The Dot', contains Kansas City, Kansas, Bonner Springs and Edwardsville, and it is governed by a single unified government similar to a consolidated city-county. Often the Wyandotte government is referred to simply as 'The Unified Government'. This area is best known for NASCAR's Kansas Speedway. Another bend in the Missouri River forms the county line between Wyandotte and Platte counties to the north and northeast.
In all, nearly 2 million people live in the metropolitan area. It is difficult to state exactly the size of the population because there are few natural boundaries and suburban expansion (or sprawl) is ongoing.
