Learning the Kansas City Transportation - Options to get Around Kansas City.

If you’re new to Kansas City, you might find the size a little overwhelming at first. Getting to know an area that includes more than 1.8 million residents, 11 counties and 136 distinct cities can be a little intimidating. Don’t fret though! America’s sixth largest size is really a small town at heart.

Getting around Kansas City really isn’t as difficult as it seems. First thing’s first, if you’re new to the terrain, get your hands on some maps! Learn the area in which you live and then branch out from there. If you start small and build up to trying to know the entire area like the back of your hand, you’ll be in good shape.

To help you on your way, here are some of the highpoints in the Kansas City transportation system that you might want to be familiar with as you learn your way around:

Kansas City Area Transportation Authority
This interstate agency is a creation of Missouri and Kansas combined. It serves a seven-county area -- Cass, Clay, Jackson, Johnson, Leavenworth, Platte and Wyandotte. The ATA serves an estimated 50,000 passengers per day with 70 bus routes that cover just about every nook and cranny within the metro area. Its web site offers up all kinds of information on routes, schedules and fares.

The MAX Transit System in Kansas City
The Metro Area Express, or MAX for short, is the area’s rapid transit bus line connects such destinations as Midtown, Union Station, the Plaza, Downtown and more. This is part of the massive KCATA system. Check out the systems’ web site for routes, fares, schedules and more.

Kansas City International Airport
This is the premier airport in the Kansas City Metro area. With flights coming from all over the world, Kansas City International Airport’s web site is worth a visit to help you learning real-time flight information, parking strategies and more.

The KCI Shuttle
The airport’s own scheduled ground transportation system provides shuttles to more than 100 area hotels, businesses and destinations. Ticket locations can be found throughout the airport.

Kansas City Scout
This is a system to pay attention to! This system has more than 75 live traffic cameras that keep an eye on the area’s roads around the clock. This means you can get real-time traffic information to help you on your commute, or as you learn the area better.

Getting to know Kansas City well might take more than a single trip out of your new home, but you’ll find the area really isn’t as intimidating as it might seem at first glance. Take your time, get some maps and take advantage of public transit, or at least traffic reports, to help you along the way.