Kansas City, MO Road Trips

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.). 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.

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. Th-Sa 10AM-6PM, Su 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) 4 American Jazz Museum, 1616 E 18th St. Tu-Sa 10AM–5PM, Su 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. Tu-Sa 10AM–5PM, Su noon–5PM, closed M.

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. Hotel with indoor water park. (updated May 2022) 3 Legoland Discovery Center Kansas City. Small Lego-themed space in Crown Center. Targeted at small children, adults are not allowed without a child. 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) 5 Kansas City Royals, Kauffman Stadium, 1 Royal Way (I-70 to exit Blue Ridge/I-435 to exit #63B), toll-free: +1-800-6ROYALS (769257).

"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, [email protected]. M-F 10AM-8PM, Sa 11AM-8PM, Su 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.

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. 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. Th 7PM-2AM, F Sa 7PM-3AM, Su-W 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. W-Su. 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.

1 Honeycomb Hostel, 3314 The Paseo, ☏ +1 816-399-7294. Kansas City's only hostel. Dorm beds come with locker and USB port. One private room available. Free wireless internet. Dorms $38.50, private room $88. (updated Feb 2018) 2 Microtel Inn and Suites Kansas City Airport, 11831 NW Plaza Cir, ☏ +1 816-270-1200. 3 Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City, 3200 N Ameristar Dr, ☏ +1 816-414-7000. Refurbished lobby, 184 rooms all with king or 2 queen size beds. (updated Jan 2026) 4 Embassy Suites by Hilton Kansas City International Airport, 7640 NW Tiffany Springs Parkway (4 mi from MCI Airport, 1 mi from Zona Rosa), ☏ +1 816-891-7788, [email protected]. Check-in: 4 PM, check-out: 11 AM. (updated Jan 2026) 5 Southmoreland on the Plaza, 116 E 46th St, ☏ +1-816-500-1196, [email protected]. B and B. (updated Jan 2026) 6 Courtyard Kansas City Downtown/Convention Center, 1535 Baltimore Ave, ☏ +1 816-221-7400. Check-in: 4PM, check-out: noon. Minimum age to check in is 21. On-site parking is $34 daily. (updated Jan 2026) 7 Residence Inn Kansas City Downtown / Convention Center, 1535 Baltimore Ave, ☏ +1 816-221-1400. Check-in: 4PM, check-out: noon. Minimum age to check in is 21. On-site parking is $34 daily. (updated Jan 2026) 8 Courtyard Kansas City Country Club Plaza (Historic Courtyard Marriott Plaza), 4600 JC Nichols Pkwy. In the heart of the Plaza. The hotel has free Wi-Fi, complimentary parking, refrigerators and microwaves in every room and bar.

1 Kansas City International Airport (MCI IATA). Serves the Kansas City area and is in the Northland. The IATA code MCI comes from its original name, Mid-continent International, but it is now more commonly called KCI, Kansas City International. A new terminal was opened in 2023, and is now much more on par with the nicest airports in the US. (updated Mar 2023) The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority, branded as RideKC, offers hourly service to and from the airport on Route 129 Boardwalk/KCI, 6AM-11PM daily, $1.50 each way. KCI Shuttle offers a shuttle service between the airport and downtown hotels. 2 Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport (MKC IATA). Serves smaller general aviation planes. Amtrak serves KC via the cavernous 3 Kansas City Union Station, at 30 West Pershing Road. KC serves as a major stop on the daily Southwest Chief line which provides service between Chicago and Los Angeles. Barring delays, eastbound trains arrive at 7:24AM and westbound trains arrive at 10:11PM. Kansas City is also the western terminus of Amtrak's Missouri River Runner which provides twice-daily service to and from St. Louis with connecting service to Chicago. Interstate 435 forms a ring around the city. Notably I-70 goes east to St. Louis and west to Denver. I-35 is a major corridor running northeast and southwest. US Highway 71 runs north and south and forms a midtown expressway, running from the I-435/I-470 interchange, in a northwesterly course toward downtown, where it joins I-29. North of the River, US 71 follows the same route as I-29.

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. 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. 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 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.