Kansas City, the second city of Missouri, and one of the great towns of the west, is situated on the south bank of the Missouri (here crossed by a fine railway bridge), where the river makes a sharp bend to the east, 283 miles by rail W. by N. of St Louis. Great part of the city is built upon a series of steep hills. The state frontier-line bounds the city on the west, and consequently a large suburb on this side, also called Kansas City, is in the adjoining state of Kansas. This suburb, connected with Kansas City by a remarkable elevated railway, has a pop. of 51,316, and contains great stock-yards and pork-packing establishments. The larger Missouri town possesses numerous fine streets, and handsome residences on the hills. Its public edifices include a fine United States court-house and the imposing building of the Board of Trade; there are two medical colleges here. The city is the terminus of a number of important railways, and is a principal distributing centre for the rich agricultural region to the south and west. There are great grain-elevators and stock-yards, and pork-packing is a principal industry; while the manufactories turn out railroad iron and car-wheels, shot, flour, beer, butterine, soap, furniture, etc. Pop. (1860) 4418; (1870) 32,260; (1880) 55,785 ; (1900) 163,752.