De Soto

Despite De Soto being one of the fastest-growing cities in the Kansas City metropolitan area, it still maintains its small-town charm. There's a budding downtown district, homes on acres of land and a plethora of community events. Most notably, only three stoplights are dotted across the town’s 11 square miles. “It has all of the conveniences of Kansas City, but none of the traffic and noise,” says Shelly Doris Milburn, a Realtor with Keller Williams and De Soto resident.

In the 1940s, De Soto had a massive housing boom due to the construction of the Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant. While the factory is closed, rows of ranch-style and split-level homes remain from this era. There are also neo-eclectic homes from the 1980s and ‘90s. Find tri-levels with small front porches, classical columns or Mediterranean-inspired curved front doorways. In the city’s eastern area are a slew of new builds with modern farmhouse and contemporary designs. No matter the style, almost every house here sits on quarter to 1-acre lots. With this amount of land, dwellings in De Soto typically sell between $400,00 and $700,000. You’ll also have to act fast to live here. “Everything is selling so quickly, there really aren’t enough homes to fulfill the demand,” says Milburn.

To cross a few items off your grocery list, head to Harps, but if you would rather go out to eat, there are a few locally owned eateries in the downtown area. Sip a macchiato made with ethically sourced beans from Cause Coffee. While the food menu rotates seasonally, past items have included baked French toast covered in strawberries and a croissant breakfast sandwich with chipotle mayonnaise, a fried egg and white cheddar cheese. “It’s newer, but it’s a really cute little place,” says Milburn. “It has live music all the time, and there are always people there.”

On Labor Day weekend, downtown transforms into a quintessential small-town carnival for De Soto Days. The event begins with a parade of classic cars and floats from local schools and businesses. You can enjoy carnival rides, including the Ferris wheel, the dizzy dragon coaster or the super slide. Home cooks can show off their skills in the pie baking contest, or blues lovers can dance to live music in front of the main stage. The event ends with a 5K, and proceeds are donated to the local animal sanctuary and veterinary clinic.

The De Soto Unified School District operates seven elementary schools, three middle schools and two high schools, all boasting an A-minus grade or higher from Niche. Children in the northwestern area of De Soto can attend Starside Elementary, which offers a free after-school tutoring program called Spark. Then, they go to Lexington Trails Middle, where they can participate in extracurriculars like broadcasting, vocal music or band. Lastly, in addition to the core curriculum, students at De Soto High School can take classes like business essentials, engineering and piano for beginners.

The parks and recreation department manages several lively community hubs throughout the city. For instance, the aquatic center is the perfect place to cool off with diving boards, vortex slides and lap lanes where the dolphin’s swim team practices. Stop by Miller Memorial Park to watch a little league game on the baseball diamonds, practice your serve on the volleyball courts or run around the small playground. Just along the banks of the Kansas River is Riverfest Park, where you can fish for bluegill, walleye and channel catfish. The grounds are also home to a few events, like the Summer Concert Series, where residents bring lawn chairs and blankets to listen to Elton John cover bands and other local musicians. One Saturday a month, it becomes an outdoor movie theater. Past flicks have included “Encanto” and “Top Gun: Maverick.”

To access the rest of the metropolitan area, hop on Kansas Highway 10, and a quick 30-mile drive will lead you to Downtown Kansas City.

With convenience and community abound, De Soto combines small-town characteristics with big-city perks.

Written By

Meghan Baker

Photography Contributed By

John Collins

Video By

Crixell Matthews