Leawood

History

After the 1803 Louisiana Purchase, the area east of present-day Leawood opened for settlement. The Santa Fe Trail which ran through the area also contributed to the development of the area. The Border Ruffian War (1855–1857), part of a larger conflict known as Bleeding Kansas, damaged the local economy as pro-slavery activists from the slave state of Missouri attacked settlers, traders, and those traveling along the Santa Fe Trail. Conditions improved with the founding of Oxford, Kansas, the predecessor of Leawood. The township was destroyed by the American Civil War, and there was little left by 1865. Leawood was named for Oscar G. Lee, the original land owner of the town site. Modern Leawood was established in the 1920s, after Oscar G. Lee, a retired police chief from Oklahoma, moved to Johnson County. He supervised the construction of Lee Boulevard for public use. In 1948, a housing development by the Kroh Brothers led to the incorporation as a city. On November 30, 1948, Leawood became a city of the third class with a population of less than 2,000. By 1959, it had become a city of the second class. , it is a city of the first class with approximately 32,800 residents.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. The city is over north to south and about east to west. Its eastern border is with Kansas City, Missouri on the Kansas-Missouri state line, which includes eight different Kansas City neighborhoods. On its north and northwest, Leawood is bordered by Prairie Village, which is a similarly small suburb community. Its remaining western and southern boundaries is shared with Overland Park. The city is split into four wards. and most of the city's neighborhoods have HOAs. The city's land area is approximately 75% developed and growth is expected to continue in the future.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  30,535
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  25,723
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  24,950
• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  24,132
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  20,593
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  18,985
• House Finch

  Haemorhous mexicanus (P.L.Statius Müller, 1776) · Aves
  18,333
• Downy Woodpecker

  Dryobates pubescens (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  18,313

Largest nearby schools

• Olathe North Sr High
  High · Olathe · 2,230 students · 16.9:1 ratio
• Olathe East Sr High
  High · Olathe · 1,903 students · 14.8:1 ratio
• Olathe South Sr High
  High · Olathe · 1,841 students · 15.5:1 ratio
• Shawnee Mission East High
  High · Shawnee Mission · 1,697 students · 17:1 ratio
• Shawnee Mission West High
  High · Shawnee Mission · 1,640 students · 15.8:1 ratio
• Shawnee Mission Northwest High
  High · Shawnee Mission · 1,626 students · 15.9:1 ratio
• Shawnee Mission South High
  High · Shawnee Mission · 1,586 students · 15.7:1 ratio
• Shawnee Mission North High
  High · Shawnee Mission · 1,568 students · 14:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 3.5 — 2024-03-15
  2 km NE of Ferrelview, Missouri
• M 2.6 — 2018-07-20
  1 km WNW of Saint Joseph, Missouri
• M 2.6 — 2015-04-04
  3 km ESE of Clinton, Missouri
• M 2.8 — 2014-11-13
  5 km WNW of Prescott, Kansas
• M 3.1 — 2007-03-23
  5 km N of Nortonville, Kansas
• M 3.3 — 2005-05-18
  Missouri