Stilwell is a small unincorporated community in Johnson County in the U.S. state of Kansas. It is a southern outlying suburb of Kansas City. Stilwell was named for a conductor on the first Missouri Pacific train to arrive in the community in the 1870s. Stilwell is mostly farmland, but in recent years has spawned suburban neighborhoods. The Aubry Township Board has stated that by 2010, most of Stilwell will be urban. Stilwell has low land value and some farms are abandoned; however, in recent years, the large population growth of Overland Park, Kansas has increased the demand for new neighborhoods, raising the land value in some areas to high amounts. Stilwell is located at 38°46′09″N 94°39′23″W / 38.76917°N 94.65639°W / 38.76917; -94.65639Coordinates: 38°46′09″N 94°39′23″W / 38.76917°N 94.65639°W / 38.76917; -94.65639 and encompasses 48.7 square miles, roughly from State Line to Antioch and from 159th Street to 215th Street.