Kansas City is located in
Jackson County and it is the county seat. It lies on the Kansas state line in east-central Missouri along Interstate 70/35, on the banks of the Missouri River.
In 1821, Francois Chouteau erected a trading post on the Kansas City site. The place became known as Chouteau's, or Westport, Landing. In 1839, the town was settled as Kansas, originally spelled Kanzas.
Today, Kansas City is the largest wheat and farm distribution center in the country and the largest city in a metropolitan area of 1.6 million people. With a population 443,400, it is the nation's 25th largest city. Kansas City is well-known for its steaks, barbecue and jazz. Hallmark Cards, U.S. Sprint and Farmland Industries have headquarters in Kansas City among many others; General Motors and Ford operate major plants here. The city also is a major passenger and freight transportation hub. Seven professional sports teams call the city home.
Kansas City is part of the Kansas City, Missouri-Kansas metro area.
