Fast Facts
By the numbers
The basics — useful whether you're planning a visit or explaining where you live to someone who's never been to Johnson County.
197,238
Residents (2020 U.S. Census)
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
2nd
Largest city in Kansas
1905
Founded by William B. Strang Jr.
80+
Parks and playgrounds
Source: City of Overland Park
300
Acres at the Arboretum
#2
Safest large U.S. city (WalletHub, 2025)
Source: WalletHub
A few more things
- Overland Park is its own city in Johnson County — not part of Kansas City, Missouri, though it sits in the same metro area.
- The city was deliberately planned with parks and green space from its 1905 founding — not retrofitted later.
- Downtown Overland Park centers on Santa Fe Drive and hosts a farmers market ranked among the best in the nation.
- The Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art on the JCCC campus offers free admission and is one of the Midwest's premier contemporary art collections.