Overland Park
Introduction
Overland Park is a city in Johnson County, Kansas, and one of the four principal cities of the Kansas City metropolitan area. It sits on the Kansas side of the metro, where it is the most populous suburb of Kansas City, Missouri, and the largest city in its own county.
Within Kansas, only one city is larger, making Overland Park a major population center in the state as well as a hub of the wider metropolitan region.
Before you go
Overland Park is the largest community in Johnson County, Kansas. Plan your trip around that context: this is a Johnson County address, so the surrounding county shapes what you'll find here.
Getting there
If you're flying in, Kansas City International Airport is the primary airport for the whole Kansas City metro area and sits roughly 45 minutes from Overland Park. A bus also connects the Overland Park campus from Lawrence via the K-10 Connector.
- By car, Interstates 35, 435, and 635, along with U.S. 69, pass through the city.
- Roads are generally uncongested, and nearly all parking in the entire city is free.
Getting around
Overland Park is a large, spread-out suburban city, so a car is by far the most convenient way to cover ground. Nearly all parking in the city is free, which removes a common source of stress. The street system follows a simple convention worth learning before you set out: north–south streets are named, while east–west streets are numbered. A few quirks trip up newcomers. Metcalf Avenue will take you just about anywhere, but in places it has many lanes and can be confusing, so know your route before you drive it and avoid it during rush hour (roughly 5PM–7PM) unless you are prepared to sit in traffic for a long time. State Line is the street that runs directly between Kansas and Missouri, hence the name. College Boulevard is actually 111th Street, named for Johnson County Community College in western Overland Park. And 135th Street becomes Santa Fe as you head west — if you find yourself on Santa Fe, you have left Overland Park and are in Olathe. As a rough mental map, the city lies between I-35 to the north and 199th Street to the south, and between State Line to the east and Quivira to the west.
RideKC, the Kansas City area's bus system, also runs in Overland Park, connecting the city to the wider metro. Transit stops are listed on Google Transit and can be searched there, with one exception: the K-10 Connector does not appear in those listings, so plan for it separately. Because stops are searchable through Google Transit, the most reliable approach is to look up your specific origin and destination there before you travel rather than assuming a stop is nearby. There is no rail, metro, or tram network serving the city, so ground transport here means roads and buses. Walking makes sense within a specific destination — a shopping area, an office park, or a neighborhood — but it is not a realistic way to travel between the city's main areas. Kansas City International Airport is the primary airport for the metro and is about 45 minutes away; with no rail link, you will reach the city by road, and traffic on busy corridors such as Metcalf Avenue can add to the trip during rush hour.
Where to stay
Overland Park's lodging clusters around two main areas: the Convention Center district near 110th Street and the Metcalf Avenue corridor, with a third group of properties along Blue Valley Parkway. The Convention Center area puts you within walking distance of the city's main meeting and event facilities, while the Metcalf corridor sits close to the interchange with I-435, convenient if you're driving through the metro.
- Hyatt Place Kansas City/Overland Park/Convention Center — 5001 W. 110th St
- Hyatt Place Kansas City/Overland Park/Metcalf — 6801 W 112th St
- Mainstay Suites — 11001 Oakmont
- Courtyard Kansas City Overland Park/Convention Center — 11001 Woodson St
- Courtyard Kansas City Overland Park/Metcalf — 11301 Metcalf Ave, south of College Blvd.
- Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites — 8787 Reeder Rd
- Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites — 10920 Nall Ave
- Overland Park Marriott — 10800 Metcalf Avenue
- Residence Inn Kansas City Overland Park — 12010 Blue Valley Pkwy
- SpringHill Suites Kansas City Overland Park — 12000 Blue Valley Parkway
- Sonesta Essentials Overland Park — 7200 W 107th St, at I-435 & Metcalf; breakfast and an outdoor pool
- Embassy Suites Overland Park — 10601 Metcalf Ave, at I-435 & Metcalf; free breakfast, an evening Manager's Reception, two-room suites with refrigerator and microwave, a free 24-hour fitness center, an indoor pool, and meeting rooms
- DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Overland Park — 10100 College Blvd, at I-435 & Metcalf; a restaurant, guest rooms, a free 24-hour fitness center, an indoor pool, and meeting rooms
If you want a suite with kitchen conveniences, the Residence Inn and SpringHill Suites on Blue Valley Parkway, along with the Embassy Suites on Metcalf, are worth considering. Several properties offer indoor pools and fitness centers, which is useful if you're traveling with family or want to keep up a routine. The Metcalf Avenue hotels sit at the I-435 interchange, making them a practical base if your trip extends across the Kansas City metro.
Food & drink
For barbecue, you can head to Wyandot Barbeque on W 75th St or Jack Stack Barbecue on Metcalf Ave. Italian options include Garozzo's Ristorante, known for its spiedini and tiramisu, and Johnny Cascone's, which serves Italian-style food and often brings in jazz singers and bands to play in the middle of the restaurant. Other choices range from Indian at Ruchi and Mongolian barbecue at BD's to Mexican fast food at Taco Via, steaks at J. Gilbert's, and sweets at Crumbl Cookies. YaYas Euro Bistro and J Alexander's round out the sit-down options. For drinks, The Peanut is a smoky spot that's well regarded for its hot chicken wings.What to see and do
For families, the Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead is a petting zoo where kids can feed ducks, pet sheep, climb on playgrounds and take hay rides, making it an easy spot for a picnic or an outing. The Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens offers mulch and paved trails through woods, gardens and a large pond; dogs are welcome on certain trails only, and you should clean up after them. If you'd rather be active or entertained, the Kansas City Curling Club gives you a chance to get on the ice, while the Corporate Woods Jazz Festival and the Kansas International Film Festival at the Glenwood Arts Theatre fill out the calendar. The downtown Overland Park Farmers' Market, held under the Farmers Market Pavilion on Saturdays and Wednesdays and closed in winter, is a thriving open-air market with produce, flowers, specialty foods and entertainment for the whole family.When to go
Overland Park sits in a transition zone, which means you should expect a real split between the seasons rather than a mild middle ground. Summers here are hot and humid, with sticky, energy-sapping days that are best matched to outdoor pools and shaded patios. Plan around the heat and moisture rather than fighting it, and build in time to cool off.
Winters, by contrast, are cold and dry. The dryness means precipitation is limited rather than a constant blanket of snow, but the chill still makes warm layers and indoor attractions the sensible choice. Whenever you come, pack for the season you are actually getting.
Three days in Overland Park
Day one: Start by getting your bearings in Overland Park, the largest city in Johnson County, Kansas. Because the city is spread out, plan to use a car or RideKC Transit to get around; Google Transit can help you map routes. Metcalf Avenue and College Boulevard are useful spines for crossing town. If you arrive via Kansas City International Airport, you will come in from the north in Missouri before crossing into Kansas. Within Kansas, State Line Road marks the boundary with Kansas City, Missouri, and Santa Fe Street runs through Olathe to the west.
Day two: Spend the day along Metcalf Avenue and the Convention Center area near Blue Valley Parkway. The Convention Center sits close to Metcalf, and you will find places to stay nearby such as Hyatt Place Kansas City and Mainstay Suites. Use Quivira and Metcalf as your north-south connectors, and College Boulevard to move east and west. Nearly everything here is reached by car, so plan your stops in order rather than walking between them.
Day three: Head toward Johnson County Community College and the surrounding streets, then continue to Lawrence if you want a change of scene. Interstates and main roads make these connections straightforward. If you are returning to the airport, allow time for the drive back into Missouri. Because the city is so car-oriented, group your final errands along one corridor before you leave.