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Say hey to the 12 cities that call themselves Kansas City’s sisters

We’re all one big multicultural family. Meet the cities Kansas City is so close to that we call them sisters.

sister cities international bridge.jpeg

The Sister Cities International Bridge flies all our friends’ flags.

Photo by KCMO Parks and Recreation

Have you ever wondered about those fluttering flags on the pedestrian bridge at Brush Creek? We have the answers.

These flags represent the 12 cities around the globe that Kansas City recognizes as sister cities, aka cities with whom KC has formal partnerships.

These sisterhoods began in 1967, when President Eisenhower partnered with local civic leaders to create affiliations around the world.

Here’s when we linked up with each of our sisters:

  • 1967, Seville, Spain
  • 1972, Kurashiki, Japan
  • 1973, Morelia, Mexico
  • 1974, Freetown, Sierra Leonne
  • 1978, Tainan, Taiwan
  • 1989, Xi’an, China
  • 1991, Guadalajara, Mexico
  • 1993, Hannover, Germany
  • 1993, Port Hartcourt, Nigeria
  • 1995, Arusha, Tanzania
  • 1998, Ramla, Israel
  • 2017, Yan’an, China

Each sister city has a corresponding organization in KC. The activities these councils perform include civic involvement, cultural exchanges, business, and educational programming.

You can learn more about our sister cities from the Kansas City Sister Cities Association.

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