Overland Park Kansas (KS) Buyers Agent

Overland Park offers one of the most highly skilled and educated labor pools in the country. Over 40 percent of the adult population has at least a bachelors degree, twice the national average.

Overland Park was incorporated as a first-class city May 20, 1960 with a population of 28,085. The city now has about 152,000 residents, making it the second most populous city in Kansas. Our geographical area includes about 56 square miles of Johnson County, which is located in the Kansas City metropolitan area.

Prior to incorporation, Overland Park was part of the Mission Urban Township, which included the cities of Mission and Prairie Village. Overland Park's formation was based on land other communities shunned.

The City of Overland Park traces its roots back to 1905 with the arrival of its founder William B. Strang Jr., who platted subdivisions along a military roadway. Strang envisioned a "park-like" community that was self-sustaining and well planned. He also sought strong commerce, quality education, vibrant neighborhoods, convenient transportation and accommodating recreational facilities.

Strang platted several subdivisions and named one "Overland Park." Many of his other subdivisions had Overland in their names, too. There soon were more than 21 homes and plenty of businesses.

His limestone car barn at 79th and Santa Fe Drive is now the site of Traditions Furniture. The Carriage House at Santa Fe Commons Park, 8445 Santa Fe Drive, is the site of the Overland Park Historical Society. Each building is open for tours and located within the downtown Overland Park business district.

Before Strang's death in 1921, he established several housing developments, an interurban railroad and an airfield. Remnants from Strang's interurban line remain today.

During the early 1960s, city leaders adopted a comprehensive plan to manage growth in the following areas: land use, parks, schools, zoning and housing. Also considered were industry, shopping districts and expressways.

The 1960s and 1970s brought the city Corporate Woods, Metcalf South Shopping Center, Oak Park Mall, a new City Hall and many residential subdivisions. In the 1980s Overland Park experienced a boom in commercial and residential development. By 1988, the city's population surpassed 100,000.

In the early 1990s, city officials focused their efforts on renovating the historic downtown area. The Clock Tower Plaza was dedicated and the Farmers' Market Pavilion was constructed.

In 1993, Overland Park earned a spot in the book 50 Fabulous Places to Raise a Family. Criteria considered included excellent education, low crime rate, good health facilities and well-planned developments. Overland Park was named again in the 1997 edition.

In 1996, the County Economic Research Institute ranked Overland Park number one among 13 AAA rated communities in the nation in a quality of life index. Factors measured included: education, local government cost, economic growth, infrastructure, crime, housing costs and population growth.

In 2001, Overland Park was named the second-best city in America to live by "Business Development Outlook Magazine."

Today, Overland Park remains a nationally recognized city and has a thriving economy.