In 1905, Overland Park’s founder, William B. Strang Jr. arrived and began to plot subdivisions along an old military roadway, which later became the city’s principal thoroughfare.
On May 20, 1960, Overland Park was officially incorporated as a “city of the first class”
Overland Park officially became the second largest city in the state, following Wichita, Kansas, after passing Kansas City, Kansas.
Overland Park is located in northeastern Kansas at the junction of Interstate 435 and U.S. Route 69 immediately east of Olathe, the county seat.
The city lies on the northern edge of the Osage Plains a few miles south of the Kansas River. One of the river’s tributaries, Turkey Creek, flows northeast through the extreme northern part of the city.
The city of Overland Park has a total area of 75.37 square miles of which 74.84 square miles is land and 0.53 square miles is water.
Overland Park has more than 1,800 acres of parkland and open space.
Overland Park lies in the transition zone between North America’s humid subtropical climate and humid continental climate zones, typically experiencing hot, humid summers and cold, dry winters.
Overland Park was the setting of the 2008 documentary series High School Confidential and the 2009-2011 television series United States of Tara. The YouTube series The Most Popular Girls in School is set in Overland Park.
Overland Park has one sister city Bietigheim-Bissingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.