CLAY COUNTY, MO
County Offices
1 Courthouse Square
Liberty, MO 816-407-3600
www.claycountymo.gov
Chamber of Commerce
634 NW Englewood Road
Kansas City, MO 816-455-9911
www.northlandchamber.com
The natural beauty of rural landscapes blends with the convenience of urban living in Clay County, where notable cities and charming small towns dot the countryside. A full 20 percent of Kansas City, Missouri, extends into Clay County, affirming the ease with which residents can access the vast array of metroplex amenities. With its fine recreational resources and close proximity to the best of Kansas City, Clay County is becoming increasingly popular. In conjunction with the residential boom has been an influx of new business, drawn by available land, the low cost of doing business and virtually unlimited capacity for growth.
Residents of Clay County are proud of the region’s eclectic contributions to the fabric of the metroplex, including state-of-the-art health care centers, growing industrial parks, the historic bank in Liberty that was robbed by Jesse James, the area’s only mineral springs and one of the finest fishing spots in Greater Kansas City at Smithville Lake.
Wielding a growing economic influence, Clay County is the fourth largest county in the metroplex. With its ideal location just 15 minutes from downtown Kansas City, it represents a natural distribution center and fertile ground for diverse companies of every size. The small community of North Kansas City is home to more than 1,200 businesses that include within their ranks scores of Fortune 500 companies. The town of Liberty boasts such highly visible names as Hallmark Cards as well as a four-year private college and regional hospital. Vital new businesses are moving into many of the smaller towns, balancing residential expansion with commercial and industrial growth.
Served by a superior highway system of three major interstates and connecting thoroughfares, Clay County is ideally situated to enjoy excellent surface, rail, and air transportation facilities. The Kansas City International Airport and the Downtown Kansas City Airport are both minutes from Clay County. The area is also home to one of many foreign trade zones in Greater Kansas City.
Services
Although many of the communities in Clay County are served by the respected North Kansas City school system, the town of Liberty has developed its own quality district. Private and parochial schools are available close to home, and few areas offer a wider or more attractive selection of vocational and technical schools, two-year community colleges, and four-year colleges or universities. Within Clay County itself, the town of Liberty is home to William Jewell College. This four-year private resident college is affiliated with the Baptist Church, awarding undergraduate degrees and offering the Oxbridge program with tutorial majors and overseas study.
Although residents of Clay County can choose from leading hospitals in Greater Kansas City that are nationally and even internationally recognized for excellence, two outstanding facilities are right around the corner from home. North Kansas City Hospital is an acute-care facility with a skilled staff of more than 500 physicians who represent every major specialty and many subspecialties. In addition to state-of-the-art diagnostics and treatment, the hospital operates screening and wellness programs, behavioral health services, home health services, and community education. Also serving as a regional facility, Liberty Hospital provides a complete range of diagnostic and therapeutic services, from neurosurgery and oncology to Level II trauma care and maternity.
Lifestyle
Newcomers to Clay County will find a fine balance of small-town living and metropolitan attractions. While the best of Kansas City is waiting just across the Missouri River, the county is understandably proud of its sweeping parks, entertainment venues, community cultural centers, great restaurants, and riverboat casinos that represent some of the hottest entertainment spots in the metroplex.
Anglers who prefer the tranquility of a peaceful fishing lake as well as water-skiing and sailing enthusiasts will want to explore 7,200-acre Smithville Lake. Surrounded by 5,500 acres of parkland, the area offers a marina and boat ramps, beaches, and a 3,000 acre waterfowl refuge. Undeveloped areas of the park are open to hunters in season. Another popular destination is Watkins Mill State Park, with its reconstructed 19th-century woolen mill and recreational lake.
Boating, fishing, swimming, canoeing, bicycling, hiking, camping, backpacking, golfing, tennis, swimming pools, country clubs, and fitness centers are all available to offer residents of all ages the opportunity for quality leisure activities. Youngsters can find leagues, clinics, and lessons for sports that include baseball, fishing, gymnastics, tennis, basketball, swimming, and track and field.
Those who prefer to spend the day shopping will want to visit the farmer’s markets or the wonderful antique stores and unusual boutiques that line the quaint town squares. Hidden in this village atmosphere are a number of charming surprises like a cafe housed in a former hardware store circa 1888. Of course, Clay County is also home to sprawling retail centers. In fact, Antioch combines more than 100 stores, eateries, restaurants, and services from dry cleaners to travel in its shopping areas and commercial districts. Metro North Mall offers two levels of indoor shopping, mixing more than 120 shops and department stores with eateries and restaurants.
Metroplex attractions like The Country Club Plaza or City Market with their landmark sites and architecture are minutes from home for Clay County residents. Take in a show at the Starlight Theatre, ice-skate at the Hallmark Crown Center, or enjoy professional sports at first rate arenas. Stroll through the Kansas City Zoo with its natural habitats and Australian Walkabout area, swim in the million-gallon wave pool at Oceans of Fun, or test your courage on the daredevil rides at Worlds of Fun. Kansas City is a kaleidoscope of fun and thrills for the whole family.
While it’s true that world-class galleries, museums, symphonies, ballet, opera, theatre, nightspots, and comedy clubs are all waiting across the river in Kansas City, Clay County offers a growing calendar of impressive cultural events and attractions. Liberty, for example, supports its own symphony orchestra and civic theater. Like Liberty, many of the region’s cities and towns have transformed their rural, agricultural past into a dynamic synergy of fine residential developments and bustling commercial and retail sectors. Newcomers can select from diverse housing options that range from handsome estates on generous acreage to historic older homes that reflect the character and architecture of yesterday.
Regardless of whether you choose an older home along quiet, tree-lined streets in established neighborhood or modern construction in a booming new subdivision, you’ll be surrounded by the natural beauty of gently rolling hills and mature native trees. Settling in any one of the peaceful small towns and lush open spaces that comprise Clay County ensures you of two things: The brightest lights of Kansas City are twinkling just across the river, and you have chosen one of the most delightful and welcoming place to call home in the entire metroplex.
Claycomo
County Offices
816-452-5539
www.claycomo.org
Chamber of Commerce
816-455-9911
www.northlandchamber.com
Boasting a thriving economy enhanced by superb highway connections, the bustling village of Claycomo is conveniently traversed by Interstates 69, 35 and 435. Excellent transportation amenities have encouraged the community to emerge as one of Clay County’s prime industrial centers. The neighboring communities of Liberty and North Kansas City provide a wealth of urban advantages, including attractive shopping districts, cultural opportunities, a four-year college, and some of the finest healthcare facilities in the metroplex. Local parks provide picnic areas, playgrounds, ball fields, and sports facilities. Nearby lakes are ideal for fishing, water-skiing, sail boating, and swimming.
Gladstone
Municipal Offices
816-423-4096
www.gladstone.mo.us
Chamber of Commerce
816-436-4523
www.gladstonechamber.com
Situated just north of North Kansas City, Gladstone is an advanced, active community that was incorporated as recently as 1952. Housing options are diverse in both price range and architectural style, ranging from homes in well-established neighborhoods to newer houses on large lots. Gladstone is completely surrounded by Kansas City North, home of the Kansas City International Airport and a well-developed urban center in terms of shopping, entertainment, and commercial activity. Good schools, small-town friendliness, easy access to Kansas City, and a progressive attitude ensure that Gladstone’s growth trend will continue. Maple Woods Nature Preserve offers quiet walks and nature studies Local parks provide picnic areas, playgrounds, sports fields, and tennis courts. Swimming, boating, fishing, camping, and hiking/biking trails are all available just minutes from home.
Kearney
City Hall
816-628-4142
www.ci.kearney.mo.us
Chamber of Commerce
816-628-4229
www.kearneychamber.org
Kearney is approximately 15 miles northeast of Kansas City, Missouri. State Highway 33 runs through from the North to the South and State Highway 92 runs from East to West and 1-35 runs near the western boundary. The city is home to more than 10,900 residents. From its humble beginnings in 1856 as an agricultural and livestock community to its current status as a premier area of modern living, Kearney has kept a respectful eye on its rich and colorful past. Kearney holds its place in American history and folklore as the birthplace of one of the American west’s most notorious characters, Jesse James. Each year there is a festival in the third weekend of September to recognize the notorious outlaw. Strong residential growth and increasing business development all contribute to Kearney’s high quality of life. A growing business community and a strong local economy mean residents enjoy a full range of local services. The city is home to a great local park, the 134 acre Jesse James Park. This facility is home to several playing fields, trails and the Kearney Amphitheater. The Kearney Amphitheater hosts concerts, movies in the park, theater in the park, blues fest, jazz fest, a children’s fest, the annual July Fireworks celebration, local talent, and much more. And residents only have to make the short drive to Kansas City to enjoy all of the urban amenities that the city has to offer. Kearney is a great place to call home.
Liberty
Municipal Offices
816-439-4400
http://libertymissouri.gov
Chamber of Commerce
816-781-5200
www.libertychamber.com
Distinguished as one of the more picturesque communities in Clay County, Liberty is a pleasing blend of historic charm, small-town spirit, and state-of-the-art amenities. The city has blossomed consistently yet continues to offer the friendliness and appeal of a country town. Liberty seems to have found the illusive formula for preserving the best of the past in the midst of growth and change. The thriving businesses that fill the attractive industrial parks combine with a regional medical center, the highly regarded William Jewell College, first-rate schools, fine dining, entertainment spots, historic sites and museums, and cultural attractions that include a local symphony and a performing arts center. Charming shops line the town square, while the farmer’s market and seasonal festivities draw locals and visitors alike to Liberty’s shaded streets and avenues. Distinguished as one of Missouri’s oldest settlements, Liberty is home to a number of well-preserved original structures, the most famous being a bank robbed by the infamous Jesse James. The building is now a museum filled with memorabilia of his era. Home options in Liberty are diverse and attractive, from renovated older properties in peaceful neighborhoods to modern subdivisions or country estates on sprawling acreage. Recreational amenities include hundreds of acres of lush parkland, tennis courts, golf courses, ballfields and team sports, swimming facilities, and a fitness training center. Nearby lakes provide opportunities for fishing and water sports.
North Kansas
Municipal Offices
816-274-6000
www.nkc.org
Chamber of Commerce
816-455-9911
www.northlandchamber.com
Boasting a large and extremely diverse economic base, North Kansas City is home to more than a thousand businesses that include some of the world’s leading corporations. Ranked as one of Missouri’s top municipalities, the city includes a sprawling commercial and employment core intersected by several main highways. Newcomers will find an abundance of lush parks and quiet, tree-lined streets with well-kept homes, and meticulously landscaped yards. Excellent schools, attractive urban neighborhoods, a responsive government, and a favorable economic climate combine with a state-of-the-art medical center and a host of cultural and recreational opportunities. North Kansas City sets a benchmark for a community where residents, industry, and government work together for the common good. Well-developed park system offers ball fields, playgrounds, swimming, tennis, picnic areas, and sports facilities like walking trails, running tracks, handball courts and soccer fields. Live musical entertainment and dancing are also available in local venues.
Pleasant Valley
Municipal Offices
816-781-3996
www.pleasantvalleymo.org
Chamber of Commerce
816-455-9911
www.northlandchamber.com
Those who are seeking the ultimate in residential tranquility will want to consider Pleasant Valley. As its name implies, this community is a lovely small town set against the backdrop of natural beauty. Gently rolling hillsides and open spaces blend with residential areas that offer a variety of architectural styles. Pleasant Valley is situated just west of Liberty, giving residents easy access to the town’s premier medical center, shopping facilities, entertainment spots, recreational opportunities, and cultural events. The close proximity of Interstates 35 and 435 ensure a quick and easy trip into Kansas City’s urban resources, but these major thoroughfares also link Pleasant Valley to the entire metroplex. Nearby parks provide ballfields, playgrounds, picnic areas, tennis courts, and swimming pools. Local lakes are ideal for fishing, boating, and water sports.
Smithville
Municipal Offices
816-532-3897
www.smithvillemo.org
Chamber of Commerce
816-532-0946
www.smithvillechamber.org
Smithville is a town of a little more than 8,000 residents located just 26 miles north of Kansas City. This quiet and family-friendly community is home to the 7,200 acre Smithville Lake with its boating, fishing, hiking, and swimming opportunities. Alongside the lake is the Paradise Pointe Golf Complex with its two challenging 18-hole courses. The community also offers it residents and visitors a beautiful downtown in its Heritage District which is home to numerous shops and restaurants. This district is also home to many of the town’s annual events which draw people from all over the area. Families have a highly rated school district available to them and higher educational opportunities are nearby. The town is home to beautifully maintained parks, walking trails, swimming beaches and much more. The community’s rural setting and quiet lifestyle, combined with the beauty and recreation of Smithville lake make this town a great place to call home. This can be seen in the great sense of community that area residents project.
