Olathe

Sister cities

• Chur

History

Olathe was founded by John T. Barton in the spring of 1857. He rode to the center of Johnson County, and staked two quarter sections of land as the town site. He later described his ride to friends: "...the prairie was covered with verbena and other wild flowers. I kept thinking the land was beautiful and that I should name the town Beautiful." Purportedly, Barton asked a Shawnee interpreter how to say "Beautiful" in his native language. The interpreter responded, "Olathe." Olathe was incorporated in 1857, and while not the first city in Johnson County, its rapid growth led to it being named the county seat in October 1859. Kansas militia continued to occupy the Olathe military post through the rest of the Civil War. Confederate forces attempted two further raids against the city. The first happened on August 20–21, 1863, as Quantrill was passing through on his way to Lawrence, Kansas (see Lawrence Massacre). The second raid occurred October 24–5, 1864, when Confederate Major General Sterling Price, with a force of 10,000 men, passed through on their retreat south (see Price's Raid). With the Confederate surrender, the military post was decommissioned in August 1865. Olathe served as a stop on the Oregon Trail, the California Trail, and the Santa Fe Trail. Catering to travelers was the main source of income for local stores and businesses. The Mahaffie House, a popular resupply point for wagons headed westward, is today a registered historical site maintained by the City of Olathe. The staff wears period costumes, and stagecoach rides and farm animals make the site a favorite among children. Visitors can participate in Civil War re-enactments, Wild West Days, and other activities. After the construction of the transcontinental railroad, the trails to the west lost…

Geography

Olathe is bordered by the cities of Lenexa to the north, Overland Park to the east, De Soto to the northwest, and Gardner to the southwest. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of of which are land and is covered by water. Olathe has two public lakes: Lake Olathe with of water surface and Cedar Lake with . Olathe's Black Bob Park is named after Hathawekela Shawnee Chief Black Bob. Olathe has a humid continental climate, with cold winters and hot summers. Temperatures range from an average high of and low in January to an average high of nearly in July. The temperature reaches an average of 36 days per year and an average of three days per year. The minimum temperature falls below freezing (32 °F) an average of 102 days per year, but rarely drops below . Typically, the first frost occurs between mid-October and the first week of November, and the last frost occurs between the end of March and the second week of April. The area receives approximately of precipitation during an average year, with the largest share being received in May and June; the April–June period averages 30 days of measurable precipitation. During a typical year, the total amount of precipitation may range from 28 to almost 53 inches. On average, 95 days of measurable precipitation occur per year. Winter snowfall averages about 19 inches, but the median is . Measurable snowfall occurs an average of nine days per year, with at least an inch of snow being received on seven of those days. Snow depth of at least an inch occurs an average of 25 days per year.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  28,084
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  24,174
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  23,171
• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  22,326
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  19,443
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  17,380
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  16,677
• Downy Woodpecker

  Dryobates pubescens (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  16,511

Largest nearby schools

• Olathe North Sr High
  High · Olathe · 2,230 students · 16.9:1 ratio
• Olathe Northwest High School
  High · Olathe · 1,952 students · 16:1 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
• Gardner Edgerton High
  High · Gardner · 1,789 students · 17.5:1 ratio
• Olathe West High School
  High · Olathe · 1,662 students · 15.5:1 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