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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.

Founded 1905 | Population 205,413 | Peak 205,413 (2024) | County Johnson County

Top 10 Most Important Events for Overland Park, Kansas

1905 Strang 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.

1960 Sprint Establishes Headquarters: United Telephone (later Sprint) built its headquarters in Overland Park, eventually creating a massive campus that employed thousands.

1970 Suburban 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.

1980 Corporate Migration: Major companies including Black & Veatch, YRC Worldwide, and Waddell & Reed established headquarters, making Overland Park a Fortune 500 hub.

1998 Oak 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.

2003 Named 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.

2008 Deanna Rose Farmstead Expands: The popular children's farm and park expanded, becoming one of the most visited attractions in the Kansas City metro.

2014 Jewish 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.

2020 Sprint-T-Mobile Merger: T-Mobile completed its acquisition of Sprint, maintaining significant operations at the former Sprint campus in Overland Park.

2023 Population 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

Latest News in Overland Park

May 11, 2016

Walmart Employee Turns Lost 350 he Found Parking Lot Pays Price

BENTONVILLE, Arkansas — On a routine shift in May 2016, a Walmart employee made a choice that seemed straightforward at the time…

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?

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.

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.

The Sprint (now T-Mobile) campus in Overland Park covers 200 acres with 17 buildings — it's like a small city within the city.