Olathe, Kansas was founded in the spring of 1857. It served as a stop on the major transportation corridors of the time: the Oregon Trail, the California Trail, and the Santa Fe Trail. After the construction of the transcontinental railroad, the trails to the west lost importance, and Olathe faded into obscurity and remained a small, sleepy prairie town.

In the 1950’s, construction of the Interstate Highway system and I-35 linked Olathe directly to nearby Kansas City. The result was tremendous growth as Olathe became a part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. All of the advantages of a major city are available.

Olathe has experienced strong growth, both in population and economy. In fact, for several years, it has been the fastest growing city in Kansas. It is the fourth largest city in the state and second largest city in Johnson County, one of the most prosperous and wealthy counties in the United States. The city’s schools are among the best in the nation.

The unique infrastructure in and around Olathe makes its commercial and industrial facilities very well-positioned. They are some of the best and most convenient locations in both the greater Kansas City area and the United States. The following features make Olathe, KS an efficient hub for distribution:

• Central location in the country
• Crossroads of two major interstate highways, I-70 and I-35
• Major air cargo and business airports – Kansas City International Airport, New Century Aircenter, and Johnson County Executive Airport
• Rail connections— including two new major intermodal terminals directly serving ports in California and Mexico

Olathe and Johnson County lie at the heart of the nation and possess all the ingredients necessary to economic growth and success. Olathe is located in the geographic center of the County and is the County Seat. The County boasts nationally ranked schools, low crime rate, high quality neighborhoods, low cost of living, and a variety of cultural and entertainment amenities. Moreover, in Money magazine's 2008 annual best places to live, Johnson County had not just one but three cities ranked in the top 50 best places to live in America. Olathe ranked 13th.

This high quality of life and unsurpassed business environment attracts nearly 10,000 new residents and over 11,000 new jobs each year. Johnson County also accounts for more than half of new businesses in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. Johnson County’s population and economic growth rank in the top one-third of Forbes’ rapidly growing premier counties and in the top 9% of all counties in the U.S. It is not surprising, then, that half of the Fortune 100 and one-third of the Fortune 500 firms have operations in Johnson County.