A plan for Kansas City

Kansas City has a population of 2.2 million (2020). The central city of the metro area is Kansas City, Missouri, the largest city in Missouri, with a population of over 500,000 (2020). Across the state border is Kansas City, Kansas, often called "KCK" by locals, which has a population of 157,000 (2020).

There are suburbs all around the city, on both sides of the state border. In the "Northland" are North Kansas City, Parkville, Gladstone, Liberty, and several others. To the east is Independence, Blue Springs, and Lee's Summit (SE). In the south are Overland Park, Blue Springs, Olathe, Grandview, and several others. Numbering of east/west streets begins at the Missouri River with the east/west division occurring at Main Street. Westport is around 40th St., the Plaza at 47th St., Brookside at 55th, and Waldo beginning around Gregory (71st St.).

Climate

Because there is no large body of water nearby, KC experiences a continental climate with large swings and extremes of temperature. Winters vary from mild to very cold, with significant snow at times, and temperatures occasionally dipping to single digits and below 0°F (-18°C). Snow accumulation occurs 3-5 times per year, on average, sometimes exceeding a foot (31 cm). KC enjoys very pleasant spring and autumn weather, but suffers hot, humid summers. It is not uncommon for the temperature to stay above 90°F (32°C) for weeks at a time, during July and August. Average heat indices in the summer are 95 °F (35 °C) during the day and 74 °F (23 °C) at night, but the heat index can reach 110 °F (43 °C) and not go below 85 °F (29 °C) at night on some exceptionally hot and sweltering days. Because of the heat, almost all buildings in KC are equipped with air conditioning. While KC has relatively high humidity, the most common weather is clear with almost completely blue skies. The majority of the rain falls in Apr-Jun, but even in these wettest months, rain is light, compared to other cities in the region.

Downtown

Central Business District. Downtown Kansas City houses many beautiful art deco buildings as well as examples of mid-century design and modern glass towers.

1 Power and Light District. New development showcasing restaurants and rowdy bars/clubs. Also see the historic Main Street Theater (now Alamo Drafthouse Cinema) which used to be the Flagship theater for AMC who has its HQ in Kansas City. The theater is said to be one of the most advanced theaters in the country complete with vibrating seats.

2 Historic City Market. Offers shopping, dining, concerts, events and a farmers' market.

3 The College Basketball Experience and College Basketball Hall of Fame, 1401 Grand Boulevard, ☏ +1 816-949-7500. Thu-Sat 10AM-6PM, Sun 11AM-6PM. A 41,500-square-foot facility that is connected to the Sprint Center in downtown Kansas City in the Power and Light district. The facility features lots of interactive basketball exhibits and about 1/3 of the College Basketball Experience is occupied by the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. $20 adults (ages 18-64), $18 kids (ages 4-17), $15 seniors (65+), $18 military (Must be active with ID), Kids 3 & Under are free. (updated Jan 2026)

18th and Vine Historic District

4 American Jazz Museum, 1616 E 18th St. Tue-Sat 10AM–5PM, Sun noon–6PM. Adult $10; seniors (ages 60+) $9; youth (ages 6-18) $6; children (ages 5 and under) free; military with ID $4; students & educators (ages 19+ with ID) $8; combined with Negro Leagues Museum $8. (updated Feb 2022)

5 Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, 1616 E 18th St, ☏ +1 816-221-1920. Tue-Sat 10AM–5PM, Sun noon–5PM, closed Mon. A museum devoted to the history of the Negro Leagues, an African-American baseball league that was very popular prior to the racial integration of Major League Baseball. Lots of memorabilia from teams, stadiums, and noted players. $10 adults, $9 seniors, $6 children; combined with Jazz Museum $8. (updated May 2015)

Union Station area

6 Union Station, 30 W Pershing Rd, ☏ +1 816-460-2020, visitor@unionstation.org. 6AM-midnight. Has a visitor center, theatres, restaurants, shops, the Amtrak station and the following attractions. Also, the nation's second largest train station with ceiling over 100 ft (30 m) tall. (updated Sep 2020)

Science City, Gottlieb Planetarium and KC Rail Experience. Ticket to all 3 is $8.95.

Amusement parks

1 Worlds of Fun, 4545 Worlds Of Fun Ave, ☏ +1 816 454-4545. Roller coasters and water slides north of the river. Open during the summer and weekends in the fall. (updated Apr 2021)

2 Great Wolf Lodge Kansas City's Water Park, 10401 Cabela Dr, toll-free: +1 800-608-9653. Hotel with indoor water park. (updated Apr 2026)

3 Legoland Discovery Center Kansas City, 2475 Grand Blvd East Retail Suite 200; Crown Center Shops, toll-free: +1 816-556-3958, KC@legodiscoverycenter.com. Small Lego-themed space in Crown Center. Targeted at small children, adults are not allowed without a child. (updated Apr 2026)

Sports

Major league sports

4 Kansas City Chiefs, 1 Arrowhead Dr (I-70 to exit Blue Ridge/I-435 to exit #63B), ☏ +1 816-920-9400, fax: +1 816-924-4570. National Football League (NFL). A founding member of the upstart American Football League (AFL) in 1960, they moved from Dallas to Kansas City when the Cowboys were put there by the NFL. They lost the first ever Super Bowl to the Green Bay Packers and won the last AFL championship and ensuing Super Bowl in the 1969 season. They failed to return to the big game again until the 2019 season when they won their second Super Bowl Championship 50 years after their last on February 2, 2020. After failing to get to the big game in the 2021-2022, the Chiefs again won the Super Bowl in 2023, and again in 2024, making them a dynasty. (updated Feb 2023)

Barbecue

"Who has the best barbecue in Kansas City?" is a question that causes much debate in Kansas City. Although the debate is usually in good humor, be ready for a passionate explanation which may take some time (or a light-hearted argument if asked in front of more than one person). Although the different restaurants each have their own unique flavors, they will usually have a sauce which is thicker and sweeter than offered in most other parts of the U.S.

Kansas City is also home to a barbecue dish that is rarely found outside the area, called "Burnt Ends." These are the overcooked ends and edges of a brisket, which although dry and chewy, are amazingly smoky and full of flavor (much more flavorful than any other cut). If you are feeling open-minded about your KC barbecue experience, they are definitely worth a try.

1 Arthur Bryant's, 1727 Brooklyn Ave, ☏ +1 816-231-1123, contact@arthurbryantsbbq.com. Mon-Fri 10AM-8PM, Sat 11AM-8PM, Sun 11AM-7PM. It has pictures on the wall of presidents and other famous people who have visited. The sandwich consists of a large pile of brisket and two pieces of butternut bread. One sandwich could feed three people. Ask for sauce for take-outs. Bryant's signature sauce is a vinegar based sauce with slight lower neutral overtones. There are alternative, sweeter versions of the sauce available. There is a security guard in the parking lot at night. (updated Jul 2025)

2 B.B.'s Lawnside BBQ, 1205 E 85th St, ☏ +1 816-822-7427. B.B.'s Lawnside BBQ is in an old roadhouse in south Kansas City, and serves Kansas City-style barbecue. All the ribs, sausage and meats are slow-smoked in a 60 year old pit with apple wood. This often includes Cajun/Creole staples such as Boudin Balls & Jambalaya. However, BB's is best known for live Blues, Zydeco, and other various types of live music six nights a week.

There is a popular brewery in KC by the name of Boulevard whose beers are available on tap at many different bars and restaurants throughout town.

Live Music Venues: Uptown Theatre (Midtown, on Broadway and Valentine) hosts lots of up and coming acts and many timeless performers play here because it is so famous. Beaumont Club is a soulless Westport C&W club that hosts live music but has acoustics' issues and a mechanical bull. The Grand Emporium used to be one of the best blues clubs but after being bought by the owners of the Beaumont they changed it considerably, including the name to Tao.

Downtown

1 Angel's Rock Bar, 50 East 13th St, Suite 200, ☏ +1 816-842-1045.

2 The Drum Room, 1329 Baltimore (In the Hilton President Hotel Kansas), ☏ +1 816-303-1686. Historic jazz and blues location.

3 Howl at the Moon, 1334 Grand Blvd, ☏ +1 816-471-4695. Thu 7PM-2AM, Fri Sat 7PM-3AM, Sun-Wed open for events.

4 John's Deck, 928 Wyandotte St, ☏ +1 816-255-3396.

5 Kansas City Live!, 50 E 13th St, Suite 200, ☏ +1 816-842-1045. Open-air live music and entertainment venue, open-container allowed. Surrounded by the Power & Light District's various bars and eateries.

6 Knucklehead's, 2715 Rochester Ave, ☏ +1 816-483-1456. Wed-Sun. Also known for the wide variety of music they bring to KC like country, blues, rockabilly. Roots, singer/songwriters and Zydeco. Free shuttle available.

7 McFadden's Sports Saloon, 50 E 13th St, Suite 200, ☏ +1 816-842-1045.

8 The Peanut, 418 W 9th St, ☏ +1 816-221-7470.

9 The Phoenix, 302 W 8th St, ☏ +1 816-221-5299. Live jazz

10 The Quaff, 1010 Broadway Blvd, ☏ +1 816-471-1918. Large, very popular bar with scantily-clad waitresses and tough guy bartenders. Frequented mostly by the post-college crowd.

Brookside

11 The Brooksider, 6330 Brookside Plaza, ☏ +1 816-363-4070. Mon 3PM-midnight, Tue Wed Sun 11AM-midnight, Thu-Sat 11AM-1:30AM.

12 Carmen's Cafe, 6307 Brookside Plaza, ☏ +1 816-333-4048. Carmen's serves up tapas, pasta, and Latin- and Italian-style entrees, wine and cocktails in an intimate and friendly setting. Come in through the downstairs bar. $15-30.

13 Charlie Hooper's, 12 W. 63rd Street, ☏ +1 816-361-8841.

Country Club Plaza

14 The Granfalloon, 608 Ward Pkwy, ☏ +1 816-753-7850.

The national map companies produce book style maps that can be purchased at many grocery and book stores. Local real estate agents and delivery drivers use a book map produced by a local company in the crossroads district but it is hard to find. The one inside the Feist directory is good and can often be obtained locally for free but the directory may be too bulky to carry.

Street numbers

Addresses on east-west streets are numbered from Main Street in Kansas City, MO, and on north-south streets from St. John Ave. (or the Missouri River, in the River Market area). The direction 'South' in street and address numbers is generally implied if 'N' is not specified, except for numbered 'avenues' in North Kansas City. In most of Wyandotte County, Kansas the north-south streets are numbered and the address numbers are measured from Riverview Ave.

Navigation landmarks

The KCTV pyramid-shaped tower can be seen from many parts of the city. It is no longer lit. It is next to KCPT studios at the corner of 31st and Main. It is orange.

West and north of that is the Liberty Memorial cylinder-shaped tower, which overlooks Union Station.

The twin red brick towers of American Century Investments are oriented north and south along Main at 45th St. They are just north of the Country Club Plaza. The Kemper Museum is slightly east. The Nelson Atkins Museum is east and slightly south.

Kansas City Community Christian Church at 4601 Main, has a group of lights that shoot a beam straight up at night. Frank Lloyd Wright designed the church. It is slightly south of and across the street from the American Century Investment Towers. The Nelson Atkins is to the east and the Kemper Museum is to the north and slightly east.

Bartle Hall has a section that looks somewhat like a north-south suspension bridge crossing over I-670 at the southwest corner of the downtown loop. It has four towers with metal sculptures on top of each tower.

One Kansas City Place is the tallest building in KC (as well as the state). The building walls are entirely black glass and the top has a red/white/blue light ring that can be seen at night. On 12th and Main in downtown.

Kansas City Central Library at 14 W 10th St, the main central library of the Kansas City Public Literary system.

The city's crime rate has risen rapidly since 2020.

Kansas City is one of the largest cities in the United States with no city jail which also lacks the ability under state law to automatically offload suspects to the county jail. The city jail closed in 2009, but the city contracted with Jackson County to share its jail until 2019. When that contract ended, KC contracted with distant Vernon and Johnson Counties to use their jails.

The time needed to drive suspects to and from jails over an hour away from KC means that holding cells in KC police stations are often full. Therefore, most criminal suspects are booked and then immediately released for lack of room, and they continue to reoffend until they finally go to trial on a charge severe enough to draw a sentence in state prison. The city began working on a new city jail in 2024, but it will take several years to build. In the meantime, visitors must take appropriate precautions.

Like most major cities, the tourist and business areas (downtown and the Plaza) are generally safe day and night, but it is always best to be aware of your surroundings. It's also best to be especially cautious during the evenings and night around the P and L District, where there has been an increase in crimes. Most violent crime happens during the late nighttime hours. Neighborhoods east and southeast of the downtown/midtown/Plaza areas are experiencing an increase in violent crime. These areas offer little for visitors and are best avoided. (One exception is the Kansas City Zoo, which is in Swope Park. The surrounding area is not the safest, but the zoo itself is fine.)

KC is in Tornado Alley, so make sure you check the local weather forecasts and make sure you understand what to do during a tornado. Tornado sirens are in place to warn of incoming twisters. The system is tested every month on the first Wednesday at around noon. If you hear the sirens any other time, they're serious!