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Kansas
City is the largest city in the state of Missouri. It
encompasses 318 square miles (820 km²) in parts
of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties. The city
also serves as the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan
Area, second largest in Missouri and largest with territory
in Kansas, though Wichita is the largest metro anchored
in Kansas. As of 2006, the city had an estimated population
of 447,306, with a metro area of nearly two million.
Kansas City was founded in 1838 as the "Town of
Kansas" at the confluence of the Missouri and
Kansas rivers and was incorporated in its present form
in 1850. Situated opposite Kansas City, Kansas, the city
was the location of several battles during the Civil
War, including the Battle of Westport. The city is well
known for its contributions to the musical styles of
jazz and blues as well as to cuisine (Kansas City-style
barbecue).
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city
has a total area of 318.0 sq mi (823.7 km²). 313.5
sq mi (812.1 km²) of it is land and 4.5 sq mi
(11.6 km²) of it (1.41%) is water.
Kansas City is often imagined to be flat
like Chicago, Manhattan or Dallas, but in fact it has
many rolling hills. Much of urban Kansas City sits atop
100-200ft bluffs overlooking the rivers and river bottoms
areas. Kansas City proper is bowl-shaped and is surrounded
to the north and south by limestone and bedrock cliffs
that were carved by glaciers. Kansas City is situated
at the junction between the Dakota and Minnesota ice
lobes during the maximum late Independence glaciation
of the Pleistocene epoch. The Kansas and Missouri rivers
cut wide valleys into the terrain when the glaciers melted
and drained. A partially filled spillway valley crosses
the central portion of Kansas City, Missouri. This valley
is an eastward continuation of Turkey Creek valley. Union
Station is located in this valley.
The city's municipal water was recently
rated the cleanest among the 50 largest cities in the
United States, containing no detectable impurities.
Climate
Kansas City lies near the geographic center of the contiguous
United States, at the confluence of the second largest
river in the country, the Missouri River, and the Kansas
River (also known as the Kaw River). This makes for
a humid continental climate (Koppen climate classification
Dfa) with moderate precipitation and extremes of hot
and cold. Summers can be very humid, with moist air
riding up from the Gulf of Mexico, and during July
and August daytime highs can reach into the triple
digits. Winters vary from mild days to bitterly cold,
with lows reaching into the teens below zero a few
times a year. Spring and autumn are pleasant and peppered
with thunderstorms.
Demographics
As of the census[4] of 2000, there
are 441,545 people, 183,981 households, and 107,444
families residing in the city. The population density
is 1,408.2 people per square mile (543.7/km²). There are 202,334 housing
units at an average density of 249.2 per square mile
(645.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city is 54.68%
White, 46.23% African American or Black, 0.48% Native
American, 1.85% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 3.21%
from other races, and 2.44% from two or more races. 6.93%
of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 183,981 households out of which 28.1% have
children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.0%
are married couples living together, 16.0% have a female
householder with no husband present, and 41.6% are non-families.
34.1% of all households are made up of individuals and
9.4% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age
or older. The average household size is 2.35 and the
average family size is 3.06.
In the city the population is spread out with 25.4%
under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 32.5% from 25
to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who are 65 years
of age or older. The median age is 34 years. For every
100 females there are 93.3 males. For every 100 females
age 18 and over, there are 89.9 males.
The median income for a household in
the city is $37,198, and the median income for a family
is $46,012. Males have a median income of $35,132 versus
$27,548 for females. The per capita income for the city
is $20,753. 14.3% of the population and 11.1% of families
are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living
in poverty, 20.2% are under the age of 18 and 10.5% are
65 or older.
The United States Census bureau updated their American
Community Survey information in 2006 for Kansas City.
Their study estimated a population of about 447,306 people.[20]
Growth in Kansas City is increasing, with 3,618 housing
permits granted in 2004 and 2005. As of 2005, about 210,000
households exist.
Special Thanks to : Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
and Las Vegas Tourism Bureau
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