If the Kansas City metropolitan area benefits
from its central location within the United States, then Jackson County benefits
even more from its dominant location within the metro. Interstates 70 and
35 and their rings—I-470, 670 and 435—pass through the county to
connect the communities of Kansas City to one another and to the rest of the
country. And while I-635 and I-29 run in proximity to the county, they are
close enough to be major connectors to the Kansas City International Airport.
The Bruce R. Watkins Drive, in the planning for 50 years and completed at
last in 2001, connects neighborhoods in the eastern and southern parts of
the county to the core of the city.
Kansas City is considered to be the second largest rail center in the U.S.,
and Jackson County is served by the Class I freight carriers Burlington, Northern
& Santa Fe; Kansas City Southern; and Union Pacific while Amtrak provides
passenger service. In fact, the conjunction of rail lines with the strong
interstate system puts the county at the center of major east-west and north-south
trade routes.
The International Freight Gateway, on the former site of the Richards-Gebaur
Air Force base at the southern county line, has become part of the Kansas
City SmartPort effort. SmartPort is a bistate trade initiative working with
all forms of transportation to develop Kansas City into a premier inland port
and international trade center.
The county has its own air travel facilities, too, with the East Kansas City/Grain
Valley Airport and the Lee’s Summit Municipal Airport. The Lee’s
Summit Municipal Airport recently ranked third on Ingram’s list of airports
in the Kansas City area with 273 daily take-offs and landings, behind only
the Kansas City Downtown Airport and KCI.
Of course, Jackson County adjoins the Missouri River shipping channel that
stretches from Sioux City, Iowa, to St. Louis, Mo. Seven barge lines operate
along the Kansas City portion of the river, and the Kansas City Municipal
Wharf is located in the county. Whether by rail or road, by river or air,
Jackson County can boast prime location and transportation.