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Overland Park, Kansas

"OP"
The largest city in the Kansas City metro's Kansas side, Overland Park grew from a rural crossroads into one of the best places to live in America — and a major corporate hub.
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Founded 1905 | Population 205,413 | Peak 205,413 (2024) | County Johnson County

Top 10 Most Important Events for Overland Park, Kansas

1
1905Strang Line Railroad: Developer William Strang built an interurban rail line through the area and platted a community called 'Overland Park' at one of the stops, launching suburban development.
2
1960Sprint Establishes Headquarters: United Telephone (later Sprint) built its headquarters in Overland Park, eventually creating a massive campus that employed thousands.
3
1970Suburban Boom: Overland Park's population surged as Johnson County became one of the fastest-growing suburban areas in the Midwest, driven by excellent schools and low crime.
4
1980Corporate Migration: Major companies including Black & Veatch, YRC Worldwide, and Waddell & Reed established headquarters, making Overland Park a Fortune 500 hub.
5
1998Oak Park Mall Dominance: Oak Park Mall grew into one of the largest shopping centers in the Kansas City metro, anchoring commercial development along the Metcalf corridor.
6
2003Named Best City for Families: Money magazine named Overland Park the best city in America to raise a family, recognizing its schools, safety, parks, and quality of life.
7
2008Deanna Rose Farmstead Expands: The popular children's farm and park expanded, becoming one of the most visited attractions in the Kansas City metro.
8
2014Jewish Community Center Shooting: A white supremacist killed three people at the JCC and Village Shalom retirement community on the eve of Passover, in a hate crime that shocked the nation.
9
2020Sprint-T-Mobile Merger: T-Mobile completed its acquisition of Sprint, maintaining significant operations at the former Sprint campus in Overland Park.
10
2023Population Exceeds 205,000: Overland Park surpassed 205,000 residents, making it the largest city in Johnson County and the second-largest in Kansas.
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Population Over Time

0 51,353 102,707 154,060 205,413 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024

Latest News in Overland Park

News articles will appear here as they're published.

Complete Historical Timeline

1905 Transport
Strang Line railroad creates stop
1960 Business
Sprint HQ established
1970 Government
Suburban population boom
1980 Business
Corporate headquarters cluster
1990 Government
Population surpasses 111,000
1998 Business
Oak Park Mall expands
2003 Government
Named best city for families
2008 Culture
Deanna Rose Farmstead expands
2014 Disaster
JCC hate crime shooting
2020 Business
Sprint merges with T-Mobile
2023 Government
Population exceeds 205,000

Did You Know?

1
Overland Park has been named one of the best places to live in America so many times by various publications that it's practically a cottage industry.
2
Johnson County, where Overland Park sits, is one of the wealthiest counties in the United States with a median household income well above the national average.
3
The Sprint (now T-Mobile) campus in Overland Park covers 200 acres with 17 buildings — it's like a small city within the city.
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