Olathe, Kansas is situated in the northeastern portion of the state and serves as the county seat of Johnson County. With a population of just over a quarter million, the city of Olathe is the 4th-largest city in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. The city of Olathe is a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri.
Olathe is known as the cowboy capital since it served as a stopping point along the California Trail, the Santa Fe Trail and the Oregon Trail. The name of the community came from the Shawnee word for beautiful. Dr. John T. Barton founded the city of Olathe in 1857 and it became the county seat two years later. Welcoming the travelers was the city's main purpose and main source of earnings. Local businesses and stores sprung up to cater to people heading westward. A well-known resupply point for wagons was the Mahaffie House, that the City of Olathe now operates as a registered historical location with workers dressed in period costumes. To be able to add to the realism are farm animals and stagecoach rides. Wild West Days and Civil War re-enactments take place there.
The city's Adam Legler Barn Museum has a restored stone barn that dates as far back as 1864. The Harry S. Truman National Historic Site features more of the region's local history. Swope Park is amongst the biggest urban parks within the United States where people could tour around the Heart of America Golf Course.
The city of Olathe has a well developed industrial and commercial base with such businesses as ALDI, Honeywell, Garmin, Grundfos and Husqvarna. Farmers Insurance Group is a key employer. The Air Route Traffic Control Center (designated ZKC) administered by the United States Department of Transportation is another important source of employment. One of the busiest in the state of Kansas is the Johnson County Executive Airport within Olathe.