Settled as the area of Linden, Gladstone formally incorporated under the Missouri Constitution by popular vote in November 1952.

The purpose of formation was to avoid being annexed by Kansas City.

A remnant of the mesic forested land on which Gladstone is built is preserved as the Maple Woods Natural Area, a park within Gladstone that is a National Natural Landmark.

The Atkins-Johnson Farmhouse Property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007.

The City Council consists of five members popularly elected every three years, with staggered terms in office.

The mayor presides over council meetings, appoints members to resident boards and commissions, meets with constituents, and signs ordinances, resolutions, contracts, and agreements authorized by the council.

I-29 runs near the city's southernmost tip shortly after its initial break from I-35.

A handful of small subdivisions maintain independent municipalities along North Oak Trafficway, a road which is host to much of the area's shopping.

The 2020 United States census[9] counted 27,063 people, 11,598 households, and 7,164 families in Gladstone.

Of all households, 33.7% consisted of individuals and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

At the 2010 census there were 25,410 people, 11,182 households, and 6,859 families living in the city.

At the 2000 census there were 26,365 people, 11,484 households, and 7,384 families living in the city.

According to the town's 2016 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[12] the top employers in the city are: North Kansas City School District is the area school district.

[13] Elementary schools with sections of Gladstone in their attendance boundaries include Chapel Hill, Linden West, Meadowbrook, Oakwood Manor, Briarcliff (Kansas City), Clardy (Kansas City), and Davidson (Kansas City).