Mission Woods, KS

Mission Woods is a small Johnson County city tucked into the Kansas side of the Kansas City metro, close to State Line Road and the Country Club Plaza. Its name and layout carry an older layer: the first home on the site was an 1860 log house associated with Alexander Johnson, whose father, Rev. Thomas Johnson, operated the Shawnee Indian Mission. After the Johnson family sold part of the large mission property in 1926, the Depression-era sale of land north of Mission Hills Country Club opened the way for J.C. Nichols to begin the subdivision in 1937. Mission Woods incorporated in 1949.

Today, four tree-lined streets hold about 80 homes, with churches, offices, Pembroke Hill school properties, and athletic fields close by. The city’s small footprint puts everyday errands into the orbit of nearby Kansas City institutions, while State Line Road marks the state boundary a short distance away. The former H.D. Lee headquarters, often called the 1900 Building, and the Barney Building give the surrounding area a commercial history that predates current offices and banking. Street, sewer, lighting, and fiber upgrades keep the compact neighborhood tied to present-day metro life.