HomeCultureDoes Kansas City Belong in the Midwest or the South?

Does Kansas City Belong in the Midwest or the South?

Southern Tendencies

Kansas City is a metropolis that straddles many divides, both geographic and social. In fact, Kansas City is split between Kansas and Missouri. There are parts of the city where a single step will land you in an entirely different jurisdiction.

In U.S. schools, students are taught that Kansas and Missouri are both Midwestern states, and yet the debate rages on: Is Kansas City a Southern metropolis? Or is it Midwestern? It seems the city is a bit Southern in terms of culture, but Kansas City may be mostly Midwestern.

The city’s relationship to sports is a sound starting point in the Southern vs. Midwestern debate. There are three professional teams that locals go crazy for: the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs, the MLB’s Kansas City Royals and the MLS’s Sporting Kansas City. However, like any Southerner would understand, it’s the love of football that drives Kansas City sports.

Arrowhead Stadium can seat over 76,000 fans, but viewing alone isn’t enough for many. After the Kansas City Chiefs’ big win in Miami at the 54th Super Bowl, fans are ready to get closer to the betting action, and this cherished relationship to football is yet another nod to Kansas City’s Southern tendencies.

The New Orleans Saints are a prime example of the South’s love of football. The team’s mascot Gumbo as well as Sir Saint indicate both a staple of the South’s palate for seafood and penchant for manners. Take into account a few team nicknames, such as the Bless You Boys and the Who Dats, and there’s an even clearer line from the football field to pop culture. While it’s been just over a decade since the Saints took their first Super Bowl title in 2009, the city has shown no shortage of love toward their football team with the same fervor that Kansas Citians do.

Midwest Motivations

Since its formation in 1850, Kansas City has been a hometown of duality. The state of Kansas was part of the Union, but Missouri was a Confederate state during the Civil War era—and if allegiance during the Civil War isn’t a clear marker of South vs. Midwest/North, then the margins for definition become even more muddled. Today, this smart city’s surrounding metropolitan area boasts a population of nearly 2.5 million, all with varying opinions and identities, which means this debate has only intensified over time.

However, one stark difference between the South and Kansas City is a formidable winter season. Snow, startling wind and the occasional spring-time tornado differentiate the city from Southern meccas like New Orleans, Miami or Charleston. And while the states of Kansas and Missouri are no stranger to farming, the crops grown are distinctly Midwestern, including corn and wheat, rather than Southern crops like tobacco and fruit.

A look at food also helps differentiate Kansas City from the South. Southern hubs tend to have plenty of access to seafood. Meanwhile, Kansas City, a major crossroads for continental transportation via railroad and semi-truck, has single-handedly perfected barbecue and is renowned as producing the best in the world. The South is no stranger to barbecue though, so this is just another area to muddy the waters.

A look at dialect also hints that Kansas City may not have strong ties to the South, as the city unanimously leans toward a Midwestern accent. There is no Cajun affect like there is in New Orleans, Spanish-influenced twist like in Miami or the classic Southern accent emulated in pop culture as can be found in Alabama.

And, yet again, in a confusing swing toward Southern tendencies, Kansas City is also a place where strangers speak to one another, whether waiting in line or sitting by one another at a sporting event. After all, Kansas City is settled in “the heart of the heartland.” If someone were to place a tack in the center of the continental United States, they’d wind up close to Kansas City. People are friendly, as is expected so near the country roads of Kansas and Missouri, and the lifestyle is equally easygoing. So, the simplest conclusion is to recommend a visit to Kansas City and decide for yourself.

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9 COMMENTS
  • no / July 1, 2020

    Missouri wasn’t confederate, it sided with the union. There was a splinter government which operated in exile, but this doesn’t count as secession.

    • KMM / June 4, 2022

      That “splinter government” was the elected governor of Missouri, who did indeed secede from the Union on August 5, 1861 (Missouri was admitted to the Confederacy on Nov. 28th)…however, the secession was never recognized by the Union. Martial law was declared on August 31st, 1861 and control of the state was seized by General Frémont, suspending all civil courts, establishing a system of military justice, and declaring the articles of sucession illegal and void under the military court.

  • lets connect / September 23, 2021

    Kansas and Missouri are both Midwestern states.
    A gander at lingo additionally indicates that Kansas City might not have solid connections toward the South.
    The typical cost for basic items in Missouri is below the public normal, particularly in lodging costs. While, Kansas is positioned fifteenth among all states in schooling as indicated by World Population Review, making us in the top third of the country.

  • v4 international / October 16, 2021

    Real estate is land along with any permanent improvements attached to the land whether natural or manmade. Real Estate is different from personal property, which is not permanently attached to the land, such has vehicles, boats, jewellery, tools and furniture. Real estate is form of real property. It has five main categories Residential, Commercial, Industrial, raw land, and special use. Real property is one of the two main classifications of property, is the interests, benefits and rights inherent in the ownership of real estate. Real property should not be confused with personal property, basic characteristic of personal property that its moveable. Any property used exclusively for business purposes, such as apartment complexes, gas stations, grocery stores, hospitals, hotels, offices, parking facilities, restaurants, shopping centers, stores, and theaters.

  • v4 international / November 1, 2021

    “Real estate cannot be lost or stolen, nor can it be carried away. Purchased with common sense, paid for in full, and managed with reasonable care, it is about the safest investment in the world.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt, U.S. President
    Real estate investment is one of the oldest businesses in time, and with the modern revolution, it has only gotten safer. Land is a tangible asset that appreciates over time, unlike stock, which can react unpredictably and with many risks.
    Whether it’s residential or commercial real estate, the land that you invest in is tangible and deliverable, even before any construction has begun. You may build a house to live in or to rent out, and get immediate returns on your investment. Or you could buy a commercial space in a mall, which guarantees traffic.
    Remember the Coca-Cola Incident with Christiano Ronaldo? A simple move like choosing water over a beverage caused a four billion dollar plummet. With a real estate investment, you never have to worry about a loss like that.
    What this concludes is that real estate investment in a project like V4 International‘s extravagant V9 Mall and Residency is a steady and secure investment that you don’t have to keep a close eye on, unlike stocks, which can crash at any time, as we have seen time and time again in historical stock market crashes that have collapsed entire economies.

  • zebra-marketing / November 9, 2021

    zebra marketing is a leading real estate agency.We must conduct our property business fairly, with honesty and transparency. We must be caring, show respect, compassion and humanity for our colleagues and customers around the world, and always work for the benefit of the communities we serve. We deal in all kinds of commercial and residential properties.

  • solar / November 17, 2021

    Kansas and Missouri are both Midwestern states.
    A gander at lingo additionally indicates that Kansas City might not have solid connections toward the South.
    The typical cost for basic items in Missouri is below the public normal, particularly in lodging costs. While, Kansas is positioned fifteenth among all states in schooling as indicated by World Population Review, making us in the top third of the country. We must be caring, show respect, compassion and humanity for our colleagues and customers around the world, and always work for the benefit of the communities we serve.

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  • Veda Moore / January 23, 2022

    Kansas City is NOT split between two states. KCMO and KCK are self-governing, separate cities within the Kansas City metropolitan area.

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