Clay (extends into Platte County) County · MO
Smithville, MO
Founded 1822 · 20.1 miles from downtown Kansas City · population 10,705
The market, last twelve months
Half of the homes that sold went under contract within 17 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 1822 · where the name comes from · 4 dated events
Humphrey and Nancy Smith came west from New York State in 1822 with six sons and a daughter to find land and build a home. They established Smith's Mill - the first water-powered flour mill in Clay County - and the settlement around it became the town. source
The name. From the Smith family and their mill: 'Smith's Mill' became Smithville. source
The town of Smithville was incorporated on 6 July 1868. source
- 1822Humphrey and Nancy Smith arrived from New York State and built the mill. source
- 1868The town was incorporated on 6 July. source
- 1979The Corps of Engineers began impounding the reservoir in October, creating Smithville Lake. source
- 2014The Downtown Smithville Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. source
The housing stockmedian built 2003
The median home sold here was built in 2003. Most of what sells was built between 1971 and 2023. That closely matches the Census figure of 1996 for all housing, so sales are broadly representative of the stock. 69% 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 (219), Townhouse (24), Half Duplex (4), Patio/Villa (1).
What's hereSmithville Lake, Downtown Smithville Historic District and more
Smithville Lake. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began impounding the Little Platte River in October 1979, producing a lake the city describes as 7,200 acres with 175 miles of shoreline. Its authorised purposes are flood damage reduction, recreation, water supply and storage, and fish and wildlife management. source 1 source 2
Smith's Mill was the first water-powered flour mill in Clay County. source
- Smithville Lake
- Corps of Engineers reservoir immediately east of the city; about 7,200 acres with 175 miles of shoreline and roughly 5,000 acres of surrounding public land. source
- Downtown Smithville Historic District
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2014. source
- Aker Cemetery
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places. source
Practical detailschool district · highways and transit
- Schools
- Smithville R-II School District; the Platte County portion of the city falls in Platte County R-III. Two districts serve one city and neither boundary follows the city limits. Confirm the district for any specific address. Confirm the assigned school for any specific address before you rely on it. source
- Getting around
- US Route 169 runs north-south through the whole city and Missouri Route 92 crosses east-west, with supplemental routes F, DD and KK. The FRA crossing inventory records no open at-grade rail crossings within Smithville. source 1 source 2
People from hereWallace Beery and Noah Beery Sr., Jayce Tingler
More images3 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 Smithville.