Kansas City is the largest city in the US state of Missouri and it also serves as the anchor city for the Kansas City Metropolitan area. Nicknames given to Kansas City include KC, Paris of the Plains, and Heart of America. There are over 200 fountains in the city earning in the nickname The City of Fountains, it claims to have the second most fountains in the world after Rome. Of Kansas City's most 200 fountains, most notable are the J.C. Nichols Memorial Fountain and the Crown Center Fountains.

Several Fortune 500 companies have their headquarters in Kansas City; these companies include Sprint Nextel, H&R Block, YRC Worldwide Inc, and Embarq Corporation. Fortune 100 companies also have their headquarters in Kansas City, most notable are Great Plains Energy and the Interstate Bakeries Corporation.

The city played a big role in the Jazz music scene and in the 1930s. It was instrumental in Jazz's transition from Big Band to Bebop. The annual 'Kansas City Blues and Jazz Festival' is the event that attracts top Jazz stars and music fans alike to the city. The Jazz festival is also rated as Kansas City's best festival. Kansas City is also the home of the American Jazz Museum.