Leavenworth County · KS
Tonganoxie, KS
Founded 1866 · 26.8 miles from downtown Kansas City · population 5,891
The market, last twelve months
Half of the homes that sold went under contract within 19 days. The median sale closed at 100.0% of asking - at list. 44% closed at or above the original list price, which is the better measure of how much room a buyer actually has.
Aggregated from Heartland MLS closed sales, twelve months to July 2026. Individual sale prices are not shown - Kansas and Missouri are non-disclosure states and MLS rules do not permit their public display. Ask for the full report if you need them.
How it came to befounded 1866 · where the name comes from · 4 dated events
The town was established on July 21, 1866. The 1912 Kansas Cyclopedia records that Wilson Fox built a cabin on the site in 1862, followed by James English, and that Mrs. Magdalena Bury bought the land and laid out the village in 1866, opening a store and a post office the same year. source 1 source 2
The name. Named for a member of the Delaware (Lenape) tribe whom settlers designated local honorary chief. The name has been translated as 'shorty', 'little man', or 'the one who walks small'. His lodge served as the area post office and as a stop on the stagecoach line between Leavenworth and Lawrence. Magdalena Bury, who platted the town, declined the proposal to call it 'Buryville' and insisted on the chief's name. The spelling was standardized to 'Tonganoxie' after 1900. source 1 source 2
Sources disagree. The 1912 Kansas Cyclopedia states 'late in the '70s Tonganoxie was incorporated as a city of the third class'; Wikipedia gives 1871. Not resolved against a primary record. source 1 source 2
- 1866Town laid out; first general store and post office open the same year. source
- 1868First hotel built; roughly fifteen more followed through 1900, reflecting the town's role as a waypoint on the road west. The Myers Hotel (1889-1931) was a stop on the stagecoach and later bus routes between Kansas City and Denver, and recorded General John J. Pershing and General Dwight D. Eisenhower among its guests. source
- 1922Franklin Ice Cream Company operated in Tonganoxie and was the town's largest employer for its 36-year run (1922-1958). source
- 2017Tyson Foods' announced $320 million poultry complex was withdrawn after county-level opposition; the city subsequently approved a $250 million Hill's Pet Nutrition facility in August 2021. source
The housing stockmedian built 2004
The median home sold here was built in 2004. Most of what sells was built between 1959 and 2025. That closely matches the Census figure of 1996 for all housing, so sales are broadly representative of the stock. 43% of sales included finished basement space beyond the above-grade footprint - which matters here, because square footage quoted above grade can understate a house considerably.
By property type, sales broke down as Single Family (189), Townhouse (13), Patio/Villa (4), Half Duplex (2).
What's hereTonganoxie Community Historical Society and Museum, Chieftain Park water park
Peruvian Connection, the clothing company founded in Kansas in 1976 by Biddy and Annie Hurlbut, has its worldwide headquarters in Tonganoxie at 24535 McLouth Road - still on the family farm, with corporate offices in a remodelled barn more than 100 years old. source 1 source 2
In September 2017 Tyson Foods announced a $320 million poultry complex for the Tonganoxie area, then shelved it within about two weeks after the Leavenworth County Commission rescinded its resolution supporting industrial revenue bonds for the project. The plant was eventually built in Tennessee. source 1 source 2
- Tonganoxie Community Historical Society and Museum
- A ten-acre, four-building complex at 201 West Washington Street, reached by turning west off Chieftain Road (US-24/40). Buildings moved to the site include the 1916 Honey Valley one-room school, the 1918 Reno Methodist Church, and the Fairchild/Knox dairy barn and 1932 milking parlour, along with a historic spring and a 1936 fire pumper truck. The society was founded in 1981. source 1 source 2
- Chieftain Park water park
- The original 'Chief Tonganoxie' swimming pool opened in 1925 and was replaced by a modern water park in 2007. source
Neighborhoods with their own market data1 with enough sales to report
1 subdivision in Tonganoxie had enough closed sales in the last twelve months to report on individually.
| Subdivision | Sold | Median price | $/sq ft | Days | Built |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stone Creek | 52 | $306,002 | $221 | 29 | 2025 |
Practical detailschool district · highways and transit · 3 employers
- Schools
- Tonganoxie USD 464. boundaries do not follow city limits Confirm the assigned school for any specific address before you rely on it. source
- Getting around
- US-24/40 runs through town as Chieftain Road. The Tonganoxie Business Park occupies 237 acres about three miles north of Interstate 70. Historically the town was served by both the Union Pacific and the Missouri Pacific, which made it a supply and shipping point for the surrounding district. source 1 source 2
- Employers located here
- Peruvian Connection, Hill's Pet Nutrition, Unilock. Listed as present in the city, which is not a statement about hiring.
People from hereDanni Boatwright
- Danni Boatwright
- Reality television competitor listed as from Tonganoxie source
More images4 more from the archives
Thinking about buying or selling here?
The numbers above describe the market. What they cannot tell you is what your own house is worth in it, or which of these streets fits what you need. Ask me about Tonganoxie.