De Soto, Kansas

De Soto is a city in Johnson and Leavenworth counties in the U.S. state of Kansas. It is part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. Most of the city, , is in Johnson County. In 2010, 5,720 people lived there.
History.
De Soto was platted in spring 1857. It was named after sixteenth-century Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto.
Geography.
De Soto is in northwestern Johnson County and southern Leavenworth County at (38.9791709, -94.9685783). It is along Kansas River. The United States Census Bureau says that the city has a total area of . Of that, are land and , or 1.15%, are water.
People.
2010 census.
The 2010 census says that there were 5,720 people, 2,007 households, and 1,523 families living in De Soto.
Economy.
Two local companies, Great American Bank and Custom Foods, Inc., and one national company, Goodcents Deli Fresh Subs, are headquartered in De Soto. Huhtamaki Americas, Inc. and Engineered Air, two international companies, chose De Soto for their North American headquarters. Merck Animal Health, one of the world's biggest manufacturers of animal health supplies, chose De Soto for one of its U.S. manufacturing facilities.
Biggest employers.
as of January 2017, the largest employers in the city are:
Government.
The De Soto government is made of a mayor and five council members. It has a president that is chosen by the council.
Mayor
City Council President
City Council
Education.
The city of De Soto is served by the De Soto school district. 
Other local education institutions near De Soto include:
Library.
The Johnson County Library System maintains the De Soto Downtown Library.
Media.
Newspapers.
"The De Soto Explorer" was started in 1998, and it was De Soto's main news source for 14 years. It closed in 2012. In the fall of 2015, "Discovering De Soto" magazine released its first preview edition. In 2017, the De Soto City Council funded issues of "Discovering De Soto". This was done in order to distribute the magazine by mail and around local businesses. In 2018, the De Soto City Council funded issues of "Discovering De Soto" for the year.
"The Kansas City Star" and the "Lawrence Journal-World" both cover and deliver to De Soto.
Television.
All Kansas City stations broadcast in De Soto.
Radio.
All Topeka and Kansas City stations broadcast in De Soto.
Transportation.
Road.
Several highways go to De Soto:
Rail.
In 1857, the Atchison, Topeka, Santa Fe Railway built a railroad through northern parts of town. It was built parallel to the river. De Soto's train depot was built along a siding around 1860.
Famous people.
Notable people who were born in and/or have lived in De Soto include: