Olathe, Kansas
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Olathe is a city located in Johnson County, Kansas. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 92,962. But a July 1, 2002 estimate put this city's population at 101,413. It is the county seat of Johnson CountyTemplate:GR.
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Geography
KSMap-doton-Olathe.png
Location of Olathe, Kansas
Olathe is located at Template:Coor dmsTemplate:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 141.1 km² (54.5 mi²). 140.3 km² (54.2 mi²) of it is land and 0.8 km² (0.3 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.55% water. Olathe has two public lakes: Olathe Lake with 172 acres of water surface, and Cedar Lake with 45 acres.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 92,962 people, 32,314 households, and 24,623 families residing in the city. The population density is 662.7/km² (1,716.4/mi²). There are 33,343 housing units at an average density of 237.7/km² (615.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 88.63% White, 3.70% African American, 0.43% Native American, 2.74% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 2.64% from other races, and 1.80% from two or more races. 5.44% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 32,314 households out of which 45.1% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.8% are married couples living together, 9.0% have a female householder with no husband present, and 23.8% are non-families. 18.4% of all households are made up of individuals and 3.7% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.83 and the average family size is 3.24.
In the city the population is spread out with 30.8% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 36.7% from 25 to 44, 18.1% from 45 to 64, and 5.2% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 31 years. For every 100 females there are 99.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 96.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $61,111, and the median income for a family is $68,498. Males have a median income of $45,699 versus $30,217 for females. The per capita income for the city is $24,498. 4.1% of the population and 2.4% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 4.1% of those under the age of 18 and 4.1% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
History
Olathe was founded by Dr. John T. Barton in the Spring of 1857. He rode to the center of Johnson County, Kansas and staked two quarter sections of land as the town site.
He later described his ride to friends. "..[T]he prairie was covered with verbena and other wild flowers. I kept thinking the land was beautiful and that I should name the town Beautiful." Purportedly, Dr. Barton asked a Shawnee interpreter how to say "Beautiful" in his native language. The interpreter responded, "Olathe".
Olathe served as a stop on the Oregon Trail, the California Trail, and the Santa Fe Trail. The Mahaffie House was a popular resupply point for wagons headed westward.
After the construction of the transcontinental railroad, Olathe faded back into obscurity, and remained a small, sleepy prairie town until the 1950s. With the construction of the Interstate Highway system and, more directly, I-35, Olathe began an economic boom that accelerated in the 1980s and shows no sign of stopping today.
Education
Olathe is the home of Mid-America Nazarene University and the Kansas State School For the Deaf(established in 1866.)
The city of Olathe is served by the Olathe School District and Blue Valley School District. There are currently 22,183 students enrolled as of a 2002 statistic. The Olathe School District has 30 elementary schools, 8 junior high schools, and 4 high schools, (in order of age, oldest-newest) Olathe North (http://schools.olatheschools.com/olathenorth/), Olathe South (http://schools.olatheschools.com/olathesouth/), Olathe East (http://schools.olatheschools.com/olatheeast/), Olathe Northwest (http://www.onwravens.net/). The Olathe School District created 21st Century high school transfer programs to offer students new opportunities and balance student populations across the city. At Olathe Northwest the programs include Aerospace Engineering (http://www.ravenengineering.net) and E-Communications (http://www.eravens.net). At Olathe North programs offered include Geosciences, Sports Medicine and Athletic Training, Biotechnology / Life Sciences, and E-Communications
Commerce
Many well-known companies such as Honeywell and ALDI are located in Olathe's numerous commercial and industrial parks. The GPS manufacturer Garmin is headquartered in this city. The United States Department of Transportation administers and maintains an Air Traffic Control center in Olathe, designated ZKC.
External links
Template:Mapit-US-cityscale Olathe School District (http://www.olatheschools.com)
City of Olathe, GIS (http://67.65.37.117/disclaimer/accept.htm)
World Community Grid: Team: Olathe Kansas (http://www.worldcommunitygrid.org/team/viewTeamInfo.do?teamId=K4LL67VRGN1)