Gladstone is a city in Clay County, Missouri, founded in 1952 and is a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri. Like nearby North Kansas City, the city of Gladstone is now completely surrounded by Kansas City. Prior to 1952 this area was known as Linden. The population was 26,365 at the 2000 census. The city's informal nickname is Happy Rock, and there is a Happy Rock Park near the northeastern city limits on Old Antioch Road. The city is served by the Mid-Continent Public Library system and the North Kansas City School District. The city was hit hard by at least one tornado in the early morning hours of May 2, 2008.