Roeland Park

History

The community was named after John Roe, an immigrant from Ireland who settled on in 1883, on part of which Roeland Park now stands. The Roe Home was built in 1891 and razed in 1958 to make room for the interchange at Roe Boulevard and Shawnee Mission Parkway. The area that would become Roeland Park was first developed in 1905 as a streetcar suburb, known as Southridge, by William Strang. Strang's Missouri and Kansas Interurban Railway went through Roeland Park on its way from Rosedale to downtown Overland Park. Single-family home construction in this area accelerated during the late 1930s and 1940s as more developers subdivided land purchased from farmers. Incorporation of the city of Roeland Park occurred on July 2, 1951, led by developer Charles Vawter and his Roeland Park Homes Association. A series of annexations occurred between 1951 and 1959 leading to the present-day city boundaries. Roeland Park's original pool was built in 1958 on land donated by the Roe Estate. The new pool facility is located on the east side of the Community Center at 4843 Rosewood Drive. The Community Center address is 4850 Rosewood Drive and offers many different programs throughout the year. A fabric dome which covers the main pool is in place from September to May, allowing residents to use the main pool throughout the year. In 2023, Michael Poppa was appointed mayor, becoming the first openly gay mayor of any large city in Johnson County. Poppa succeeded previous mayor, Mike Kelly, who was elected chairman of the Johnson County board of commissioners.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.

Race & ethnicity