Stilwell, Kansas
Unincorporated community in Johnson County, Kansas, United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Stilwell is an unincorporated community in Aubry Township, Johnson County, Kansas, United States,[1] and part of the Kansas City metropolitan area.[1]
Stilwell, Kansas | |
|---|---|
Stilwell Old Downtown (2026) | |
  Stilwell Location within Kansas  Stilwell Location within the United States | |
| Coordinates: 38°46′09″N 94°39′23″W[1] | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Kansas |
| County | Johnson |
| Platted | 1886 |
| Elevation | 1,066 ft (325 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP Code | 66085 |
| Area code | 913 |
| FIPS code | 20-68275 [1] |
| GNIS ID | 479569 [1] |
History
Stilwell had its start when the Missouri Pacific Railroad began to plan to extend the railroad from Kansas City into the south.[2] The railroad was initially planned to run through the town of Aubry, but due to the topography, the railroad decided to place the tracks a half mile to the east. This lead Michael O'Keefe, J. Larkin, W.A. Kelly, and A.J. Norman to file a plat for Mt. Auburn in 1886, which would eventually become Stilwell.[3] The first post office in Stilwell was established in June 1888 and the population of Aubry eventually declined.[4] It was renamed to Stilwell in 1889.[5] Like many towns along the line to the Gulf of Mexico, it is named for Arthur Stilwell, founder of what became the Kansas City Southern Railroad.[6]
Stilwell has affordable land and some farms are abandoned; however the large suburban population growth of Overland Park, Kansas increased the demand for new neighborhoods, raising the land value in some areas.[citation needed]
Geography
Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Stilwell has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.[7]
Notable people
- Holless Allen (1909–1979), inventor of the compound bow
- Gary Burrell (1937–2019), engineer and entrepreneur, co-founder of Garmin GPS technology company
- Tara Cunningham, Gold Medalist in Women's Weightlifting at 2000 Summer Olympics
- Michael Stevens, host of the YouTube channel Vsauce
- Tom Watson, American professional golfer