[10] Lea was listed as the postmaster of nearby Big Cedar in the 1855 United States Official Postal Guide.

He had a farm on the highest point and near the path of the tracks, and his murder had taken place near the site of the proposed depot.

[12] But they misspelled the name "Lees Summit" (with two "e's"; "Lee" instead of "Lea"; and leaving out the apostrophe) on a boxcar that was serving as a station and donated by the Missouri Pacific, then a sign next to the tracks, and finally in the printed time schedule for the railroad.

Most possessive place names lack an apostrophe, such as Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.

The growth of the town can be studied through historic Sanborn maps, which document building types and uses in the city during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.[17][importance?]

Today, one of the horse barns is home to Longview Farm Elementary.

Lee's Summit lies near Missouri's western border with Kansas and is further north than south relative to the rest of the state.

[9] It is part of the Kansas City, MO-KS Metropolitan Statistical Area.

[5] The 2020 United States census[19] counted 101,108 people, 37,664 households, and 27,316 families in Lee's Summit.

Of all households, 22.9% consisted of individuals and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

As of the 2010 census[24][Link to precise page], there were 91,364 people, 34,429 households, and 25,126 families living in the city.

Of all households, 22.8% were made up of individuals, and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

As of the 2000 census,[citation needed] there were 70,700 people, 26,417 households, and 19,495 families living in the city.

Of all households, 22.0% were made up of individuals, and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

According to the town's Economic Development Council,[25] the top employers in the city are: Lee's Summit is a charter and council-manager form of government, represented by a mayor and a city council.

Each of the four districts are represented by two councilmembers whose terms are staggered and expire every four years.

It also is home to the Summit Technology Center which is a branch campus of the University of Central Missouri.

[26] Lee's Summit experiences a four-season humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfa) with cold days and nights during the winter, and hot days and muggy nights during the summer.