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EDC Quick Stats & Facts

  1. Kansas City boasts more fountains than any city in the world outside of Rome, and more boulevards than Paris.
  2. Many entrepreneurs have called Kansas City home, including Hallmark Cards founder Joyce Clyde Hall; H&R Block co-founders Henry W. Bloch and Richard Bloch; pharmaceutical mogul Ewing Marion Kauffman; and even the great animator and innovator, Walt Disney.
  3. The Pony Express was founded just outside Kansas City in nearby St. Joseph, Mo. Kansas City remains a vital hub for rapid transportation today. For example, Kansas City SmartPort is helping to shape Kansas City as an “inland port,” connecting the city to coastal port cities via rail and setting up convenient delivery of freight nationwide from Kansas City’s central location.
  4. Downtown Kansas City has seen a renaissance in recent years as more than $4 billion has been poured into a dramatic redevelopment of the city’s heart. Cornerstones of the project include a new arena, an entertainment district, and a new performing arts hall set to debut in 2011.
  5. Kansas City is home to the first outdoor shopping center designed with the modern automobile driver in mind. Debuting in about 1922 with its signature Spanish architecture, Kansas City’s famed Country Club Plaza has been a popular destination ever since. “The Plaza,” as its known locally, features unique and upscale shopping, fine dining and a plethora of entertainment options.
  6. Several major companies got their start in Kansas City including Commerce Bancshares, Inc. (with its familiar Commerce Bank branch offices spread through five states); H&R Block; Russell Stover Candies; American Century Companies; and Hallmark Cards—just to name a few.
  7. Kansas City is home to Cerner Corporation, which has been recognized as one of the 100 fastest-growing technology companies in the country by Business 2.0 magazine.
  8. Kansas City is an auto-manufacturing hub in its own right, being the home to four vehicle assembly plants. The Ford Motor Company Kansas City Assembly Plant is located just northeast of the heart of downtown Kansas City in Claycomo, Mo. Harley Davidson motorcycles roar off the line from the American icon’s Kansas City assembly facility. Smith Electric Vehicles manufactures the Smith Newton, the world’s largest battery-electric-powered truck, which runs without producing noise, vibration or exhaust. And across the river, autoworkers build General Motors cars and trucks at the Fairfax Assembly Plant in Kansas City, Kan.
  9. Kansas City is passionate about sports and serves as home to three professional sports franchises: the Kansas City Chiefs (football), Kansas City Royals (baseball) and Kansas City Wizards (soccer). The Wizards plan to kick off soon in a new stadium to be built near the Kansas Speedway in nearby Kansas City, Kan.
  10. Kansas City has more freeway miles per capita than Los Angeles, yet a lower average commute time—just 20.7 minutes.
  11. Kansas City is famous for serving up some of America’s most best barbecue, and is home to two signature icons: Arthur Bryant’s BBQ and Gates BBQ—both nationally renowned for their individual menus. Other favorites include, Fiorella Jack Stack’s Barbecue and Oklahoma Joe’s. There many more small and hidden barbecue gems to discover all around the metro.
  12. Kansas City and jazz are practically synonymous. Saxophone legend Charlie “Bird” Parker was born in Kansas City, Kan., and raised in Kansas City, Mo. As an adult, Parker joined the legions of jazz legends who have played in the historic 18th and Vine District. Today, the area surrounding the famous intersection has been completely redeveloped and features the American Jazz Museum and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.
  13. Kansas City has a wide variety of options for golf enthusiasts. From tradition-rich older courses to several new options that are suitable for professional tournaments, there is something to challenge any handicap. There are 43 public courses spread across the greater metro area, in addition to numerous private courses.
  14. Numerous major corporations have their headquarters located in or near Kansas City, Mo., including American Century Investments, AMC Theaters, Applebee’s International, Cerner Corporation, Garmin International, H&R Block, Hallmark Cards, Inc., Kansas City Southern, and YRC Worldwide—to name a few.
  15. Kansas City is home to several colleges and universities, including the University of Missouri-Kansas City, the Kansas City Art Institute, William Jewell College, Park University, Metropolitan Community College and Rockhurst University. Many other universities also are within 130 miles of Kansas City, including the University of Missouri, the University of Kansas, Kansas State University, Johnson County Community College and Truman University.
  16. Kansas City, Mo., residents total more than 475,000, and the population of the Kansas City metro area  exceeds 2 million people.
  17. In 2010, the average home in the Kansas City metropolitan area cost $144,740.
  18. Kansas City’s cost of living in 2010 was 11 percent lower than the U.S. average.
  19. Missouri is the only state in the country with two of the 12 Federal Reserve Bank headquarters: one in St. Louis, and one in Kansas City. The Kansas City Federal Reserve bank relocated to a new building that opened in 2008 near Union Station. Bills issued by the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City are marked by the letter “J” and/or the number “10.”
  20. 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.
  21. The annual per household income in Kansas City, Mo., is $53,500. The average per capita income is $27,650.
  22. The average age for Kansas City, Mo., residents is 36.
  23. About 90 percent of Kansas City, Mo., residents have a high school education and nearly 32 percent of Kansas City, Mo., residents have a college degree.