Independence Map
Independence is the fourth largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri, and is contained within the counties of Jackson (primarily) and Clay. It is part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. In 2010, The city had a total population of 116,830 and is the county seat of Jackson County, and is known as the "Queen City of the Trails" because it was a point of departure of the California, Oregon and Santa Fe Trails.
The city also played a pivotal role in the early history of the Latter Day Saint movement, and is home to the international headquarters of several Latter Day Saint denominations, most notably the Community of Christ (formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints), whose Temple is located there. Other Latter Day Saint denominations headquartered in the city include the Church of Christ (Temple Lot) and the Church of Jesus Christ (Cutlerite), among others. A number of Restoration Branches are also located in and around Independence.
Independence was originally inhabited by Missouri and Osage Indians, followed by the Spanish and a brief French tenure. It became part of the United States with the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. Lewis and Clark recorded in their journals that they stopped in 1804 to pick plums, raspberries, and wild apples at a site that would later form part of the city.
Nearby cities include Liberty, Westwood, Gladstone, Kansas City, Missouri City.