Do you like suburbia? Then this section of I-35 in Kansas may be up your alley! I-35 is the major highway between Kansas City and Wichita in Kansas, but it traverses through a series of Kansas City's sprawling suburbs, including Mission, Overland Park, Merriam, Lenexa, and Olathe. Other suburbs like Shawnee and Leawood are accessible via highways that connect to I-35.

Southbound

Photographed section is from US 169/Rainbow Boulevard in Kansas City to 119th Street in Olathe

I-35 crosses the Missouri/Kansas border a little over a mile before these pictures begin. Our journey starts at US 169 (Rainbow Boulevard).
Immediately getting onto I-35, we see exit signs for Southwest Boulevard and Mission Road.

I-35 SB ½ mile from Southwest Blvd/Mission Road [Exit 233] (Kansas City, KS)

I-35 guide sign for 37th Avenue [Exit 233] (Kansas City, KS)

I-35 SB @ Southwest Blvd/Mission Road (Kansas City, KS)

Taken April 28, 2022

Soon, we get our first distance sign. These are extremely common along this stretch of I-35 - we'll see many more on our way to Olathe.

Mileage sign, I-35 SB (Kansas City, KS)

Taken April 28, 2022

We get a confirming marker for I-35 and another distance sign as we approach US 69 South.

I-35 SB reassurance marker past Mission Road (Kansas City, KS)

Mileage sign, I-35 SB (Kansas City, KS)

I-35 SB @ US 69 NB [Exit 232B] (Kansas City, KS)

Taken April 28, 2022

  joins 

So many US routes jump on and off from I-35 along this stretch of highway. US 69 joins us for the next two miles. We also approach Lamar Avenue and I-635 while we enter the suburb of Mission.

I-35/US 69 SB reassurance marker past Exit 232B (Kansas City, KS)

I-35 SB ½ mile from Lamar Ave [Exit 232A] (Kansas City, KS)

Mileage sign, I-35 SB (Kansas City, KS)

I-35 SB @ Lamar Avenue [Exit 232A] (Kansas City, KS)

I-35 SB ⅜ mile from I-635/US 69 SB [Exit 231A-B] (Mission, KS)

I-35 SB approaching I-635/US 69 SB [Exit 231A-B] (Mission, KS)

Taken April 28, 2022

We briefly enter Overland Park as I-635 exits here and heads northbound toward KCI airport and Missouri. I-635 is a westward bypass of Kansas City,
connecting the western suburbs to KCI airport and I-29 without having to travel downtown. US 69 also exits south here; in a little over two miles, it will rejoin I-35.

I-35 SB @ I-635 [Exit 231A] (Mission, KS)

I-35 SB @ US 69 SB [Exit 231B] (Overland Park, KS)

Taken April 28, 2022

  exits 

Continuing south, we leave Overland Park and enter Merriam, where we see two exits to local through routes (Antioch Road and Johnson Drive) which serve the Merriam Town Center area.
Past Exit 230 and 229, we approach US 56 (as well as US 69 and 169, which go unsigned on the overheads for some reason).

Mileage sign, I-35 SB (Overland Park, KS)

I-35 SB @ Antioch Road [Exit 230] (Overland Park, KS)

Mileage sign, I-35 SB (Merriam, KS)

I-35 SB - Shawnee Next 4 Exits (Merriam, KS)

I-35 SB reassurance marker past Antioch Road (Merriam, KS)

Mileage sign, I-35 SB (Merriam, KS)

I-35 SB @ US 69/US 169 SB (Merriam, KS)

I-35 SB @ US 56 EB [Exit 228B] (Merriam, KS)

Taken April 28, 2022

  join 

From here, US 56, US 69, and US 169 join I-35, giving us a quadruple concurrency. We luckily get an assembly past 75th Street showing the routes, but it's...something. The I-35 font is way off and the US 69 shield is a cutout for whatever reason.

Mileage sign, I-35 SB (Merriam, KS)

I-35 SB @ 67th Street [Exit 228A] (Merriam, KS)

I-35 SB @ 75th Street [Exit 227] (Merriam, KS)

I-35 SB 1 mile from US 69 SB [Exit 225B] (Overland Park, KS)

I-35/US 69/US 169 SB and US 56 WB confirming marker past 75th Street (Overland Park, KS)

Taken April 28, 2022

US 69, once again, exits off of I-35 and continues through Overland Park, where local government (in conjunction with the Kansas Turnpike Authority) plan on constructing Express Lanes.
I-35, meanwhile, continues into the suburban community of Lenexa while carrying the US 56 and US 169 designations. I-35 has two exits here: 87th St Parkway and 95th Street, both of which serve the Lenexa area.

Mileage sign, I-35 SB (Overland Park, KS)

I-35 SB - Lenexa Next 4 Exits (Lenexa, KS)

I-35 SB ⅕ mile from US 69 SB [Exit 225B] (Lenexa, KS)

I-35 SB @ US 69 SB [Exit 225B] (Lenexa, KS)

  exits 

I-35 SB @ 87th Street Parkway [Exit 225A] (Lenexa, KS)

Mileage sign, I-35 SB (Lenexa, KS)

I-35 SB @ 95th Street [Exit 224] (Lenexa, KS)

I-35/US 169 SB and US 56 WB confirming marker past 95th Street (Lenexa, KS)

Taken April 28, 2022

I-35 continues towards I-435, a beltway around Kansas City. Taking I-435 westbound will take you towards K-10, Edwardsville, and KCI Airport; taking I-435 eastbound will take you back towards US 69, Overland Park, and Grandview, MO. US 50 also joins I-35 from I-435, making this stretch of road a quadruple concurrency again.

Mileage sign, I-35 SB (Lenexa, KS)

I-35 SB @ I-435 WB [Exit 222B] (Lenexa, KS)

US 50, 56, and 169 guide signs along I-35 SB @ I-435 EB (Lenexa, KS)

I-35 SB @ I-435 EB [Exit 222A] (Lenexa, KS)

Taken April 28, 2022

Continue on Exit 222A:
 → East

  joins

Past I-435, I-35 enters the suburb of Olathe. Here is where our journey ends - I exited off of I-35 onto 119th Street. From this point, I-35 continues onward towards Ottawa, Emporia, and, eventually, Wichita.

I-35 SB 1¾ miles from 119th Street [Exit 220] (Lenexa, KS)

I-35 SB 1 mile from 119th Street [Exit 220] (Lenexa, KS)

Mileage sign, I-35 SB (Lenexa, KS)

I-35 SB ½ mile from 119th Street [Exit 220] (Lenexa, KS)

I-35 SB - Olathe Next 5 Exits (Olathe, KS)

I-35 SB @ 119th Street [Exit 220] (Olathe, KS)

I-35 SB and US 50/US 56 WB confirming marker past 119th Street (Olathe, KS)

continue toward Wichita

Published March 23, 2024
Updated March 24, 2024