| Stilwell, Kansas | |
| Settlement Type: | Unincorporated community |
| Pushpin Map: | Kansas#USA |
| Pushpin Label: | Stilwell |
| Pushpin Label Position: | left |
| Coordinates: | 38.7692°N -94.6564°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | Kansas |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Johnson |
| Subdivision Type3: | Township |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | auto |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Timezone: | CST |
| Utc Offset: | -6 |
| Timezone Dst: | CDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -5 |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP code |
| Postal Code: | 66085 |
| Area Code Type: | Area code |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 479569 |
Stilwell is an unincorporated community in Johnson County, Kansas, United States, and part of the Kansas City metropolitan area.
Stilwell had its start when the Missouri Pacific Railroad began to plan to extend the railroad from Kansas City into the south.[1] The railroad was initially planned to run through the town of Aubry, but due to the topography, the railroad decided to place the tracks a half mile to the east. This lead Michael O'Keefe, J. Larkin, W. A. Kelly, and A. J. Norman to file a plat for Mt. Auburn in 1886, which would eventually become Stilwell.[2] The first post office in Stilwell was established in June 1888 and the population of Aubry eventually declined.[3] It was renamed to Stilwell in 1889.[4] Like many towns along the line to the Gulf of Mexico, it is named for Arthur Stilwell, founder of what became the Kansas City Southern Railroad.[5]
Stilwell is mostly agricultural land, largely sod farms, but in recent years has spawned suburban neighborhoods. Stilwell has affordable land and some farms are abandoned; however the large population growth of Overland Park, Kansas increased the demand for new neighborhoods, raising the land value in some areas.
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Stilwell has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.[6]