Kearney

History

Kearney was unofficially founded in the spring of 1856 by David T. Duncan and W. R. Cave, and was originally called Centerville. Centerville was composed of what is now the southeastern portion of the town. In 1867, John Lawrence began laying out plans for another small settlement around the newly established Kansas City and Cameron Railroad subsidiary of the Hannibal and Saint Joseph Railroad which was to build the Hannibal Bridge establishing Kansas City, Missouri as the dominant city in the region. The president of the railroad was Charles E. Kearney (although there is speculation that it was named after Kearney, Nebraska). The railroad still operates as the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway. As they grew, the two settlements of Centerville and Kearney were effectively merged, and the town of Kearney, Missouri was officially incorporated in 1869. The Claybrook House (since destroyed in a fire) and James Brothers' House and Farm are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Geography

Kearney is located in north central Clay County northeast of the Kansas City metropolitan area. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. Kearney lies in the humid continental climate zone, typical of the Midwestern United States. It experiences cold, snowy winters, and warm to hot, humid summers. The city lies in Tornado Alley, a region of the United States that is extremely prone to tornadoes and severe thunderstorms. Generally, most of this severe weather activity occurs in the spring and summer, although severe weather can and has occurred even in the winter months.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  6,456
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  6,006
• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  4,995
• Downy Woodpecker

  Dryobates pubescens (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  4,544
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  4,394
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  4,380
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  3,984
• American Goldfinch

  Spinus tristis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  3,913

Largest nearby schools

• LIBERTY NORTH HIGH SCHOOL
  High · LIBERTY · 2,326 students · 18.2:1 ratio
• LIBERTY HIGH
  High · LIBERTY · 1,997 students · 16.5:1 ratio
• SHOAL CREEK ELEM.
  Elementary · KANSAS CITY · 883 students · 16.4:1 ratio
• KEARNEY HIGH
  High · KEARNEY · 824 students · 14.7:1 ratio
• EXCELSIOR SPRINGS HIGH
  High · EXCELSIOR SPRINGS · 787 students · 16.1:1 ratio
• HERITAGE MIDDLE SCHOOL
  Middle · LIBERTY · 777 students · 14.9:1 ratio
• WARREN HILLS ELEM.
  Elementary · LIBERTY · 603 students · 15.1:1 ratio
• EXCELSIOR SPRINGS MIDDLE
  Middle · EXCELSIOR SPRINGS · 576 students · 14:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.53 — 2025-07-15
  3 km W of Hale, Missouri
• 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 3.1 — 2007-03-23
  5 km N of Nortonville, Kansas