Olathe, Kansas
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Olathe is the fastest growing and fifth most populous city in the U.S. state of Kansas, and it is the second most populous city and county seat of Johnson County. As a suburb of Kansas City, the city is included in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. It is bordered by the cities of Lenexa to the north and Overland Park to the east.
Olathe had an estimated population of 108,390 in the year 2004 and is likely approaching 115,000 in 2006. It is not only one of the fastest growing cities in the state, but indeed one of the fastest growing cities in the United States. A recent article in the magazine Midwest Living named Olathe to be the second most livable city with a population larger than 100,000 in the Midwest. Olathe has the 19th highest per-capita income among US cities with a population greater than 100,000.
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Geography
Olathe is located at Template:Coor dmsTemplate:GR. 2003 Orthophoto Aerial
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 141.1 km² (54.5 mi²). 140.3 km² (54.2 mi²) of it is land and 0.8 km² (0.3 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.55% water. Olathe has two public lakes: Lake Olathe with 172 acres (0.7 km²) of water surface, and Cedar Lake with 45 acres (0.2 km²).
Climate
Over the course of a year, temperatures range from an average low below 20°F in January to an average high of nearly 90°F in July. The maximum temperature reaches 90°F an average of 36 days per year and reaches 100°F an average of 3 days per year. The minimum temperature falls below the freezing point (32°F) an average of 102 days per year. Typically the first fall freeze occurs between mid-October and the first week of November, and the last spring freeze occurs between the end of March and the third week of April.
The area receives over 40 inches 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 be anywhere from 28½ to almost 53 inches. There are on average 96 days of measurable precipitation per year. Winter snowfall averages about 17 inches, but the median is 11 inches. Measurable snowfall occurs an average of 10 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.
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notes: Temperatures are in degrees Fahrenheit. Precipitation includes rain and melted snow or sleet in inches; median values are provided for precipitation and snowfall because mean averages may be misleading. Mean and median values are for the 30-year period 1971–2000; temperature extremes are for the station's period of record (1939–2001). The station is located three miles east of Olathe at 38°53′N 94°46′W, elevation 1,055 feet. | |||||||||||||
Demographics
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census year | Population | Change | Percent Change |
| 1870 | 1,817 | - | - |
| 1880 | 2,285 | 468 | 26% |
| 1960 | 9,850 | - | - |
| 1970 | 17,921 | 8,071 | 82% |
| 1980 | 37,258 | 19,337 | 107% |
| 1990 | 63,440 | 26,182 | 70% |
| 2000 | 92,962 | 29,522 | 47% |
| 2005* | 115,000 | 22,308 | 24% |
| *estimated amount only, not an actual census year | |||
As of 2004, the city of Olathe has an estimated population of 108,390, which is an increase of 15,347, or 16.5%, since the year 2000. This is also an increase of 2,908, or 2.8%, from the year 2003.
Census of 2000
As of the census of 2000, there were 92,962 people, 32,314 households, and 24,623 families residing in the city. The population density was 662.7/km² (1,716.4/mi²). There were 33,343 housing units at an average density of 237.7/km² (615.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 88.63% White, 3.70% African American, 0.43% Native American, 2.74% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 2.64% from other races, and 1.80% from two or more races. 5.44% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 32,314 households out of which 45.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.8% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.8% were non-families. 18.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.83 and the average family size was 3.24.
In the city the population was spread out with 30.8% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 36.7% from 25 to 44, 18.1% from 45 to 64, and 5.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 99.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $61,111, and the median income for a family was $68,498. Males had a median income of $45,699 versus $30,217 for females. The per capita income for the city was $24,498. 4.1% of the population and 2.4% of families were below the poverty line. 4.1% of those under the age of 18 and 4.1% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
History
Olathe was founded by Dr. John T. Barton in the Spring of 1857. He rode to the center of Johnson County, Kansas and staked two quarter sections of land as the town site. He later described his ride to friends. "..[T]he 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, Dr. Barton asked a Shawnee interpreter how to say "Beautiful" in his native language. The interpreter responded, "Olathe".
Olathe was not the first city established in Johnson County, but it quickly became the largest and was named county seat. The city's early days were filled with violence, as pro-slavery forces from nearby Missouri often clashed with local abolitionists. These conflicts were known on a large scale as Bleeding Kansas.
As the 1850s came to a close, and as Kansas entered the Union as a Free State in 1861, the violence appeared to die down. However, a year later Confederate guerillas from Missouri led by William Quantrill surprised the residents and raided the city on September 7th, 1862, killing a half dozen men, robbing numerous businesses and private homes, and destroying most of the city in the process. Olathe was site to one of Quantrill’s raids because the people of Olathe were known for their staunch abolitionist stance.
Olathe served as a stop on the Oregon Trail, the California Trail, and the Santa Fe Trail. Local stores and business were heavily dependent on travelers for their main source of income. The Mahaffie House was a popular resupply point for wagons headed westward.
After the construction of the transcontinental railroad, the trails to the west lost importance, and Olathe faded back into obscurity and remained a small, sleepy prairie town until the 1950s. With the construction of the Interstate Highway system and, more directly, I-35, Olathe was directly linked to nearby Kansas City and began an economic boom that accelerated in the 1980s and continues today.
Education
Olathe is the home of MidAmerica Nazarene University and the Kansas State School For the Deaf (established in 1866). SInce 2001, it is also home to the national headquarters of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and hosts several of the NAIA national championships.
The city of Olathe is served by the Olathe School District and Blue Valley School District. There are currently 22,183 students enrolled as of a 2002 statistic. The Olathe School District has 30 elementary schools, 8 junior high schools, and 4 high schools, (in order of age, oldest-newest) Olathe North, Olathe South, Olathe East, Olathe Northwest. The Olathe School District created 21st Century high school transfer programs to offer students new opportunities and balance student populations across the city. At Olathe Northwest the programs include Aerospace Engineering and E-Communications. At Olathe North programs offered include Geosciences, Sports Medicine and Athletic Training, Biotechnology / Life Sciences, and E-Communications.
Commerce
Many well-known companies such as Honeywell and ALDI are located in Olathe's numerous commercial and industrial parks. The GPS manufacturer Garmin is headquartered in this city. Other major local employers are the Olathe Medical Center [1] and Olathe Ford Sales [2]. The United States Department of Transportation administers and maintains an Air Traffic Control center in Olathe, designated ZKC. Johnson County maintains an airport in Olathe (KOJC) which is located on approximately 500 acres (2 km²) of land with a 4,100 ft (1250 m) single runway, parallel taxiways, and a Federal contract air traffic control tower. The airport is the second busiest in the state of Kansas.
Notable Natives
- John Anderson, Jr., Governor of Kansas (1961-1965)
- George Washington Carver, botanist
- Stevana Case, professional video gamer
- Larry Parks, actor
- Charles "Buddy" Rogers, actor
- Darren Sproles, NFL player for the San Diego Chargers
External links
- Olathe School District
- Olathe Public Library
- City of Olathe, GIS
- World Community Grid: Team: Olathe Kansas
