[3][4] After the successful development of the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City, Missouri, real estate magnate J. C. Nichols turned toward development of his native Johnson County, just a few miles from the Plaza.

In 1949, Prairie Village was named the best planned community in America by the National Association of Home Builders.

[citation needed] Remnants of the Santa Fe Trail are found in the city.

[citation needed] Shawnee, Osage, and Kansa Indians formerly inhabited the land now developed into the City of Prairie Village.

Henry Coppock arrived in Johnson County in 1857, before heading farther west to work in freighting and farming.

Coppock built his family home on 900 acres in Prairie Village.

This landmark was a community treasure until 1990 when it was struck by a bolt of lightning during a storm.

In the 1940s, J.C. Nichols, an experienced developer, wanted to turn the farmland into suburban housing for white soldiers returning home from the war.

There were hurdles along the way including a lack of experienced builders after World War II, but this didn't stop Nichols from pursuing his goal.

The 2020 United States census counted 22,957 people, 9,910 households, and 6,108 families in Prairie Village.

31.8% of households consisted of individuals and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

34.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.9% had someone living alone aged 65 years or older.

26.6% had children under the age of 18, 52.8% were married couples living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.3% were non-families.

The Johnson County Library serves residents of Prairie Village.

Notable individuals who were born in and/or have lived in Prairie Village include actress and dancer Sandahl Bergman,[24] and former Governor of Kansas Robert Bennett.