History & Culture
Once a hub for western expansion, Johnson County is now one of the premier suburban communities in the Midwest. Learn more about Kansas' most-populated county and how it's become a destination for families, visitors and sports fans of all ages in the Kansas City metro.
About Johnson County
Johnson County is excited to welcome visitors from across the world to our Midwestern community for FIFA World Cup 2026™!
Located in the heart of the Great Plains, Johnson County is consistently ranked as one of America's best counties to live, as well as one of the best counties for families. In the county's 2025 community survey:
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95% rated the county as a good place to live
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93% rated the county as a good place to raise children
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88% rated the county as a good place to work
Johnson County is the second-most-populated county in the Kansas City metro — and the most-populated county in the state of Kansas. A suburban community along the I-35 corridor in northeast Kansas, more than 600,000 people call this county home as of the 2020 U.S. Census.
There are more than 20 cities in Johnson County, including Edgerton, Fairway, Gardner, Leawood, Lenexa, Merriam, Mission, Mission Hills, Mission Woods, Olathe, Overland Park, Prairie Village, Roeland Park, Shawnee, Westwood, Westwood Hills and parts of Bonner Springs, De Soto, Lake Quivira and Spring Hill. Overland Park is the county's largest city and the second-most-populated city in Kansas.
Sculptures in Shawnee's Pioneer Crossing Park commemorate the three pioneer trails that crossed through the area during 19th century westward expansion: the California, Santa Fe and Oregon Trails.
Johnson County: By the Numbers
1855
Year Johnson County was founded
#1
Most populated county in Kansas, with 20% of the state's population
20
Number of cities in Johnson County
$62 billion
Johnson County's gross domestic product as Kansas' economic hub
477
Square miles of land in Johnson County
12,000+
Acres of parks in Johnson County
Johnson County: A Brief History
Johnson County was created on Aug. 25, 1855, as one of the first 33 counties by the Legislative Act of 1855 in the Territory of Kansas. There now are 105 counties.
Kansas became the 34th state in the Union on Jan. 29, 1861.
Johnson County’s namesake is the Rev. Thomas a Methodist minister, who opened the Shawnee Methodist Mission and Indian Manual Labor School in Fairway in 1839.
Of the 20 cities in Johnson County, eight cities were incorporated before 1922. Six cities reflect the Native American heritage of the Shawnee tribe or the 187-year-old Indian mission. It is now a national and state historic site.
The first railroad in Johnson County was built in 1869. Within the next decade, four railroads crossed the county, and towns sprung up nearby. A railroad could make or break a community. Some, like Edgerton, Gardner, Spring Hill, Olathe and Merriam grew, while other small frontier rail towns faded into history.
Johnson County played a key role in westward expansion in the United States in the 19th century. The Santa Fe, Oregon and California Trails began in Missouri, winding west before splitting off in Gardner. It's estimated at least 500,000 emigrants used the three trails to settle in western America.
Most Johnson County cities were created in the significant suburban expansion and population boom in Johnson County in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Ten cities, mostly in northeast Johnson County, were incorporated in just four years.
