NUMBER OF VISITS UP NEARLY 8% SINCE 2022
Number of visitors into Downtown Platte City has grown at a steady pace over the past few years, according to numbers presented by RDG Planning and Design.
RDG recently completed the Platte City Downtown Plan, what it calls a “forward-looking guide to revitalize the historic downtown.” The firm made its presentation of what the future of Downtown Platte City could look like at a meeting of the city’s board of aldermen on Feb. 24. The study includes pictures, renderings. graphics, statistics and a video.
Information in the plan shows that the number of visits into Platte City’s Main Street area has grown by about eight percent the past few years.
Here are the past four years total visits to Downtown Platte City.
2022: 385,176
2023: 388,028
2024: 404,195
2025: 414,372
The visits are determined by the tracking of pinging cell phones. The data is gathered by Placer.ai whose gathering techniques are described as “location intelligence by aggregating anonymized, privacy-compliant data from a panel of tens of millions of mobile devices. Key sources include location data from mobile application partners (via SDKs), GPS data, Wi-Fi network connectivity, and census demographic information to analyze foot traffic, dwell times, and consumer behavior.”
“Downtown has a strong mix of commercial, office, civic and residential that attracts more visitors each year,” says the RDG report about Platte City.
Following is a breakdown of number of visits to downtown by month in the year 2025, from most to fewest.
*December 40,546
*October 37,430
*May 37,022
*November 35,653
*July 35,197
*June 35,196
*April 35,078
*September 34,543
*March 34,451
*August 33,124
*January 28,870
*February 27,262
Currently, there is no funding in place to begin any of the plans developed by RDG with input from the public.
“There’s no funding but this could create a private market reaction,” an RDG representative told aldermen.
Preliminary discussion has just begun about possible sources of funding for downtown improvements, including a potential option of forming a community improvement district (CID) that would have a special sales tax enforced within district boundaries.
RDG’s analysis shows Platte City needs wider sidewalks on Main Street in order to be ADA compliant. Also, many businesses on Main Street do not currently have ADA compliant entrances, it was pointed out.
Because of wider sidewalks and the addition of some “bumpouts” planned near intersections, RDG said “parking is going to change” from the current angle parking. RDG said parallel parking is not popular with the people giving input during their planning, and it cuts down on the number of allowable spaces. “Straight in” parking could be an option.
Bryan Richison, city administrtor for Platte City, described the RDG presentation as “an aspirational plan.”
Steve Hoeger, mayor of Platte City, said “these are concepts, not plans.”
Area that was included in the document developed by RDG included the historic downtown, bounded by Hwy. 92, North Street, First Street, and Fourth Street.
“Recently, Main Street has welcomed popular additions such as Barley and Vine and the Virtual Links Golf, reinforcing Downtown as a destination for both residents and visitors,” the study says. “The Farmer’s House, an organization empowering youth and adults with disabilities, also expanded its Main Street presence at the end of 2024 in response to rising program demand, signaling confidence in the district’s momentum.”
The Platte County Courthouse remains the top generator of foot traffic in Platte City’s downtown.
“Community-driven events continue to elevate visibility and visitation, with the year-end holidays generating record activity in 2025 and drawing more than 40,000 visitors to the district in December,” RDG points out.
“Downtown remains the historic and civic heart of Platte City. During the American Civil War, Platte City was burned in 1861, resulting in the destruction of the original courthouse. The Platte County Courthouse that stands today was rebuilt in 1869 and continues to anchor Main Street as both an architectural landmark and a center of county government. Historic buildings and storefronts throughout the Main Street strengthen the historic character of the district,” the study continues.
