Outer Missouri Counties (Clinton, Lafayette, Ray, Caldwell, Bates)

I-70 / I-49 / US-36

The outer Missouri counties of the Kansas City MSA: Clinton (north, anchored by Plattsburg and Lathrop), Lafayette (east along I-70, anchored by Lexington — historic Civil War battle site, and Higginsville), Ray (east, anchored by Richmond), Caldwell (north, anchored by Kingston and Hamilton), and Bates (south, anchored by Butler). These counties are primarily rural with small historic towns and offer significantly lower housing costs with practical commuting distance to Kansas City employment.