Fort Scott is a small, historic city down the highway from Kansas City
Formerly a Western frontier fort, the city of Fort Scott is now a regional hub for Kansas’ border with Missouri. Just over 7,500 people live in this city, many of them working for manufacturers like Peerless Products, Ward Kraft Inc. and Fort Scott Munitions. Though people might come to Fort Scott with Kansas City in mind, they’ll find this historic city to have plenty of amenities and charm of its own. “The appeal there is that it’s about an hour from Kansas City,” says Shelly Hildebrandt, a Realtor with Cobb Realty, Inc. “Some people like to live in Fort Scott if they’re commuting; it’s still not too far to go to Kansas City if they’re employed in that area. They can buy a home so much cheaper than buying it in a large metropolitan area.”
Fort Scott has a long history, with the fort itself founded in 1842 and a community developing around that outpost in the 1850s. “There’s a really cool historical area of Fort Scott that they’re very much known for; in some parts of town like the old downtown area, you still have historic buildings,” Hildebrandt says.
This city's streets combine vintage housing with more recent builds
Much of Fort Scott’s housing supply traces its origins to this town’s railroad boom at the dawn of the 20th century and to the ensuing decades of small-scale industrialization. Small cottages and bungalows built from the 1900s to 1950s have sold for between $30,000 and $320,000, with age and state of repair contributing to this wide range. Ranch-style homes built from the 1950s to 1980s typically go for between $100,000 and $290,000, while homes built since the 1980s vary in price from $120,000 to $500,000. Many of Fort Scott’s homes sit along grid-patterned streets, with those closer to downtown having sidewalks and those farther out instead offering more lawn space.
A small, but diverse retail scene exists at the city's northern edge
While Fort Scott is overwhelmingly residential in character, it includes a handful of local restaurants, especially at the northern edge of the city. The Nu Grille, in business since 1946, offers a traditional counter-serve diner experience and a vintage, checkerboard floor setting. Holmtown Pub, located a block up National Avenue, has a reputation as a locals bar, with returning customers coming back for burgers, games of pool and watching Kansas City Royals games on the television. La Hacienda of Fort Scott brings the bright colors and diverse dishes of a Mexican restaurant to this same retail district. Local grocery options include G&W Foods in eastern Fort Scott and the Walmart at the city’s southern end.
Fort Scott's parks explore both nature and this city's history
Fort Scott is surrounded by small parks and trails that run along the Marmaton River or preserve patches of Kansas countryside. At the city’s northern edge, the Marmaton Riverfront Park includes a pedestrian loop as well as several murals painted under U.S. Route 69. Gunn Park on the city’s western outskirts includes campgrounds, trails with creative names like Bleeding Kansas and Little Bighorn, several playgrounds and a disc golf course. The 18-hole Woodland Hills Golf Course at Fort Scott’s southwest corner is likewise open to the public. Along Old Fort Boulevard, the Fort Scott National Historic Site preserves several 1840s military buildings, offering an open-air venue for learning adventures and the occasional living history event. The entrance to the historic site makes a splash pad available to visitors.
Fort Scott High School has strong athletics and leadership programs
Students can start their education at Winfield Scott Elementary School, which receives a B-plus from Niche. Their journey to Fort Scott Middle School and Fort Scott High School can also start at Eugene Ware Elementary School; these three schools all receive C-pluses. Fort Scott High includes extracurricular programs like Future Farmers of America and Family, Career and Community Leaders of America in addition to a baseball team that recently won a state championship.
U.S. Route 69 connects Fort Scott to the Kansas City area
U.S. Route 69 connects Fort Scott’s commuters with Kansas City 95 miles to the north; Overland Park is less than 85 miles up the same highway. Though Fort Scott has been without a hospital for nearly a decade, Freeman Health is slated to open a new hospital in the city in 2025.
Written By
Jacob Adelhoch
