Prairie Village, Kansas, a suburb of Kansas City located in Johnson County, has a population of 21,447. The town was developed by J. C. Nichols who is the developer of the Country Club Plaza located just a few miles away and was initially intended to provide a community for military personnel returning from the Second World War. It was incorporated in 1951 and was named the best planned community in America in 1949 by the National Association of Home Builders. The award winning Shawnee Mission School District serves the educational needs of the Prairie Village residents.