Overland Park’s post office opened in 1910, and 4 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 20% of U.S. towns · #118 of 151 in Kansas. What drives it
Most of Overland Park was built recently: 2% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1989. 4 places in town are on the National Register, among them two historic districts with 32 buildings between them. Below: maps from 1935 on and the census since 1960.
The Overland Park post office opened in 1910, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1960. Five smaller post offices, Glenn (1868), Morse (1878) and Newington (1890), opened inside today’s city and later closed.
First census: 21,110 in 19602020 census: 197,238116 years
How historic is Overland Park?
C−
More historic than 20% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Overland Park post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1960.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Overland Park’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Overland Park is more historic than 20% of U.S. towns, #118 of 151 in Kansas. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
C−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Overland Park’s overall grade.
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Overland Park ranks #341 on History.
Kansas towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Kansas town has 5.1 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Overland Park’s 1.7 sits near the middle of its state (40% of Kansas towns have fewer) while its 34 historic buildings outnumber those of 82% of U.S. towns.
Newer cities are common at Overland Park’s size: in the typical U.S. city of 100,000 or more, 5% of homes predate 1940.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D to C. The pre-1940 share (±0.4 points) is firm at this size. The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata gives 1960.
Founding year: the first post office (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Overland Park’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
In 1905, William B. Strang Jr. arrived and began to plot subdivisions along an old military roadway, which later became the city's principal thoroughfare. He developed large portions of what would later become downtown Overland Park.
On May 20, 1960, Overland Park was officially incorporated as a "city of first class", with a population of 28,085. Less than thirty years later, the population had nearly quadrupled to 111,790 in 1990, increasing to 173,250 as of the 2010 census. Overland Park officially became the second largest city in the state, following Wichita, Kansas, after passing Kansas City, Kansas in the early 2000s.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Overland Park. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1935Lenexa sheet · 1:24,000
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Overland Park.
People over time
Overland Park, census by census
Grew from 21,110 people in 1960 to 197,238 in 2020, 9 times over.
7 censuses, 1960–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Overland Park’s Wikipedia page.
Famous people
32 famous people were born in Overland Park
Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
The Overland Park post office opened in 1910, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1960.
How does Overland Park rank for history?
Overland Park is more historic than 20% of U.S. towns, #118 of 151 in Kansas. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Overland Park?
4 listings: 2 buildings and 2 historic districts, the Blackfeather Farm and the Broadmoor Ranch House Historic District, with 32 contributing buildings. 34 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Overland Park?
2% of Overland Park’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 10% for a Kansas town; the median home was built in 1989.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (6), the National Register of Historic Places (4), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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