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St. Louis County, Missouri

January 06, 2023

Not to be confused with St. Louis.

St. Louis County is located in the eastern-central portion of Missouri. It is bounded by the City of St. Louis and the Mississippi River to the east, the Missouri River to the north, and the Meramec River to the south. At the 2020 census, the total population was 1,004,125,[1] making it the most populous county in Missouri. Its county seat is Clayton.[2] The county is included in the St. Louis, MO–IL metropolitan statistical area.

Saint Louis County
County
Babler State Park, the largest of three state parks in St. Louis County
Flag
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Missouri
Missouri's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 38°38′N 90°26′W / 38.64°N 90.44°W / 38.64; -90.44
Country United States
State Missouri
FoundedOctober 1, 1812
SeatClayton
Largest cityFlorissant
Government
 • County executiveSam Page (D)
Area
 • Total523 sq mi (1,350 km2)
 • Land508 sq mi (1,320 km2)
 • Water15 sq mi (40 km2)  2.9%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total1,004,125
 • Estimate 
(2021)
997,187
 • Density1,900/sq mi (740/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional districts1st, 2nd
Websitestlouiscountymo.gov

After Great Britain took over former French territory east of the Mississippi River, many ethnic French colonists moved west. They settled the area of St. Louis County and founded the city of St. Louis in the late 1700s. The US acquired this territory in 1803 with the Louisiana Purchase.

In 1877 residents of the City of St. Louis voted to separate from the county and become an independent city. In the 1960s, with growing suburban development of Greater St. Louis, the county's population overtook that of the city for the first time. Restructuring of industry resulted in job and population declines in the city, and the county has continued to expand.

Through the decades changing conditions have led many business and political leaders to propose merging the city and county as a single government. In 2019 there was an effort to put the issue to a state-wide vote, but it did not get on a ballot.[3]

History

Colonial settlement and early government

See also: History of St. Louis

During the 18th century, several European colonial settlements were established in the area that would become St. Louis County. French colonists moved from east of the Mississippi River after France ceded territory to Great Britain after losing the Seven Years' War. It also ceded much of its territory west of the River to Spain.

St. Louis was founded by Pierre Laclède and Auguste Chouteau on February 14, 1764; they became major fur traders in the city.[4] Founded in about 1767 was Carondelet, to the south. It was annexed by the city in 1871.[4] Florissant, then known as St. Ferdinand, was established in 1785 about twelve miles northwest of St. Louis on a tributary of the Missouri River.[4] During the 1790s, the very small settlements known as Creve Coeur and Point Labadie were built north and west of St. Louis.[4]

Upon the sale and transfer of French Louisiana to the United States on October 1, 1804, President Thomas Jefferson suggested the territory retain the districts drawn by Spanish officials during their decades-long rule of the territory after an arrangement with the French.[5] During this time, the first governing body of St. Louis County was established (following the earlier Spanish governors).[6]

This government, called the Court of Quarter Sessions, was composed of Charles Gratiot, Auguste Chouteau, Jacques Clamorgan, and David DeLaunay, all ethnic French or French Canadians; the court held judicial, executive, and legislative power.[6] On October 1, 1812, the District of St. Louis was renamed St. Louis County (exactly eight years after its establishment) during a federal reorganization of the Louisiana Territory's status.[5]

Antebellum growth and early education

After the transfer of Louisiana to the United States, the authority to grant incorporation to municipalities was delegated to the Territory and later was a state power.[7] The first to gain municipal status in St. Louis County was St. Louis, which incorporated on November 9, 1809, under the territorial legislature. It gained city status on December 9, 1822.[4] Only a handful of other municipal incorporations took place prior to the separation of the county and city: St. Ferdinand was granted incorporation in 1829 (and reincorporated as Florissant in 1843), while Bridgeton, a settlement along the Missouri River near Florissant, gained incorporation in 1843.[7]

The towns of Pacific and Kirkwood grew substantially and incorporated in the 1850s, with their growth stimulated by construction of the Pacific Railroad (later the Missouri Pacific Railroad).[7] Pacific, a community along the Meramec River first known as Franklin, straddles St. Louis and Franklin counties; it incorporated as Pacific in 1859.[7] Kirkwood was settled in 1853 after Hiram Leffingwell and Richard Elliott platted and auctioned land along the railroad line; they named their settlement after James P. Kirkwood, who had planned the route of the railroad through the area.[8] Leffingwell organized the town as a planned suburb (the first west of the Mississippi). Kirkwood was granted incorporation by the state in 1865.[7][8]

Other areas of the county began to be settled during this period but did not incorporate as towns.[9] Among these were Chesterfield, and Gumbo, which were both settled in the 1820s in west St. Louis County. Gravois and Affton were settled in south St. Louis County in the 1850s and 1860s.[9]

The first St. Louis Public Schools were established in the major city in the 1830s. It was a decade and more before some of the settlements of St. Louis County began providing public education.[10] In 1854, the School District of Maplewood was established. It included all of today's Maplewood district, part of what became Webster Groves, Missouri, along the south and southwest, a large part of St. Louis in the east, and to the north up to Clayton Road.[10] The first school, originally called the Washington Institute and later renamed as Maplewood High School, opened as a one-room stone building at the crossing of Manchester Road over the Missouri Pacific Railroad tracks.[10] Another antebellum school district was Rock Hill, which provided a one-room school across from the Rock Hill Presbyterian Church until about 1870.[11]

The first school in Florissant opened in 1819 under the direction of the Religious of the Sacred Heart, a Roman Catholic religious congregation.[12] The instructor, Rose Philippine Duchesne, was a French immigrant who has been described as "one of the foremost educators in the state of Missouri."[12] A second school, initially an Indian school known as the St. Regis Academy, was operated for young boys from 1823 to 1829. The complex included the Jesuit St. Stanislaus Seminary, which continued to operate until 1971.[13] The earliest public school in Florissant was the St. Ferdinand School, which was authorized by the General Assembly in 1845 and operated until 1871 when the Florissant School District was formed.[14]

Government changes and early courthouses

From 1813 to 1830, the county initiated several changes to its government. By an act of the territorial legislature, the Court of Quarter Sessions was succeeded by a panel of three judges of common pleas in 1813.[6] Two years later, this panel was succeeded by a newly created county court in 1815, composed of justices of the peace elected from the county to three-month terms.[6] The St. Louis County Circuit Court (established in 1815 as the judicial branch of the county) was given authority in 1816 over the executive and legislative affairs of the county, superseding the court of justices of the peace.[6]

In 1821, a hybrid County and Probate Court was established and given executive and legislative control, and in 1830, its probate functions ceased.[6] This County Court operated as the government of St. Louis County until public scandals encouraged the state legislature to abolish it and replace it in 1859 with a Board of Commissioners.[6]

 
The Old Courthouse was built in downtown St. Louis from 1839 to 1856 as the second purpose-built county courthouse for St. Louis County.

Sessions of the County Court and other county governing bodies were held in a variety of locations during this early period.[15] The Court of Quarter Sessions held its first meeting in 1804 at a tavern in St. Louis, then regularly at a building at Third and Plum until 1817.[15] The county seat moved that year to a newly built one-story log cabin on Third Street between Elm and Spruce, followed by a move to the brick Baptist Church at Third and Market in 1820.[15]

The County Court established a commission in 1822 to study a permanent courthouse (previous facilities were rented). In 1823, Auguste Chouteau and John Baptiste Charles Lucas donated two tracts of land that formed a vacant square bounded by Broadway, Fourth, Chestnut, and Market.[15]

Between the summer of 1826 and 1833, a low-roofed two-story brick structure was built fronting Fourth Street; this was the first permanent courthouse for St. Louis County.[15] Within a few years, however, the building's size was inadequate for the county government's needs; the original building was left in place during construction on the new building, which began in 1839.[15] This new courthouse, now known as the Old Courthouse, included a finished rotunda, dome, and west wing by 1843; the 1833 courthouse was demolished in 1851, and by 1856, the east wing of the new courthouse was complete.[15]

Separation of St. Louis and St. Louis County

During the antebellum period, some city leaders began to work to separate the city of St. Louis, the county's largest municipality, from the county.[6] In 1843, a group of St. Louis city residents petitioned the state legislature to separate the two entities. The General Assembly passed a resolution calling for a referendum on the subject among county voters outside the city.[6] This vote held on August 7, 1844, showed a majority of county voters opposed to separation.[6]

Despite the vote, controversy continued and tension mounted between the county government and the city government during the 1840s and 1850s.[6][16] Much of the dispute involved the double taxation of city residents and their proportionally lesser representation in county government.[17] The reform of 1859, in which the County Court was abolished by the state government and replaced by a Board of Commissioners, was in large part a reaction to city outcry over mismanagement of tax money.[17] More than a name change, the reform expanded the size of the county government council to seven members, with four seats reserved for city representation (but the city at that time had roughly ten times the population of the county, so was still underrepresented in county government).[17] The reform temporarily ameliorated the tensions. In 1863, the General Assembly restored the name of the county government to its former name of County Court.[17]

Despite some reforms, controversy returned and grew during the 1860s. This was largely due to what city residents considered double taxation: by the county and the city for services effectively provided by the city alone.[17] Several plans began to circulate during the late 1860s that would relieve this burden, including home rule status for St. Louis, further reorganization of the County Court to ensure greater representation, city-county government consolidation, and separation of the two entities.[17] The General Assembly considered several plans during this period. In March 1871, it passed a further reorganization of the County Court; the new Court would have an presiding judge elected at-large, four seats reserved to be elected by city residents, and two seats for county residents.[18] This reform, however, pleased virtually no one pushing for reform, and it made little practical difference in the operation of the county government.[18]

 
Local politician David H. Armstrong was a strong supporter of the separation of the city of St. Louis from St. Louis County.

A consolidation plan proceeded in the General Assembly in 1871, backed by city political leaders Anthony Ittner and Roderick E. Rombauer.[18] The Missouri Republican newspaper strongly backed the approach, while the Missouri Democrat argued it would lead city leaders into corruption.[18] The latter pressed for a separation plan, support for which was led by David H. Armstrong.[18] The separation plan gained greater support when it became clear that the mistrust between city and county residents precluded consolidation.[18] A citizen group known as the Taxpayers League formed in 1872 to advance the separation cause. City leaders looked to Baltimore, Maryland, which had separated from Baltimore County in 1853, as an example.[18]

The mechanism by which separation took place began in 1875 at the state constitutional convention.[18] At the convention, a committee examined the issues of the St. Louis government, and it summarized the two options facing the region as consolidation and separation.[18] The full convention voted to include a provision in the constitution allowing for separation; the vote was 53 in favor, 4 opposed, 11 absent.[18] Only one member of the St. Louis delegation opposed separation:

I am in favor of total consolidation of St. Louis County, but I am not in favor of dividing it, splitting and hacking it in this manner...I vote no.

— Nicolas A. Mortell, Cohn, 29.

In 1877, the City of St. Louis separated from the county, creating an independent city. The city in August 1876 narrowly approved the separation while county residents overwhelmingly opposed the separation. City residents had argued they wanted to be "rid of county taxes and state influence over county government." At the time the city had 350,000 residents while the rural county had 30,000. The rural county also had only 150 miles of gravel roads. Although the results were challenged in the courts, the two jurisdictions were formally separated in March 1877.[19]

Post-separation political issues

The first meeting of the new County Court took place on January 22, 1877, at the home of James C. Sutton, in what is now Maplewood. The three judges appointed a new county clerk, sheriff, and treasurer.[20] They also announced at that meeting that the new Court was functional (obviating the legal standing of the previous County Court, which continued to meet albeit without legal function until July 1877) and the transfer of all county buildings and property in the city of St. Louis to the city government.[20] Thus the county's courthouse in St. Louis became city property. The Court also requested that the city of St. Louis continue to provide police protection to some areas of the county until the county could provide these services.[20]

On January 29, 1877, the Court considered a report that recommended Kirkwood as the new county seat, but did not decide the issue at that time.[21] The Court continued to meet at the Sutton House in Maplewood until February 1877, when it convened at the Des Peres Grange Hall. It agreed then to rent space at the Mount Olive Hotel, in what is now University City, until deciding on a new location for the courthouse.[22] The Court continued to meet at the Mount Olive Hotel from March 1877 to 1879.[22] Throughout 1877, the Court debated the question of the county seat; rejecting several sites, including Kirkwood and Florissant.[22]

In September 1877 the Court accepted the donation of 100 acres of land on Hanley Road by a farmer named Ralph Clayton.[22] In addition to the benefit of donated land, the site was chosen because it was on the route of the Hodiamont streetcar line, which connected from St. Louis to Florissant.[23] An additional four acres were given by M. F. Hanley,[22] and in May 1878, the cornerstone was laid for a new county courthouse.[24] In October 1878 the courthouse donation and streets were platted in what would become the town of Clayton.[22] The new courthouse and jail opened in December 1878, at a cost of $38,000.[24] Two additions were made to the courthouse in 1912 and in 1926.[24]

Growth of education and municipalities

In the years from the Civil War to World War I, relatively few new towns incorporated in St. Louis County; the first to incorporate after the war, Fenton, was incorporated in 1874 in southwest St. Louis County.[25] Webster Groves incorporated in 1896, prompted by residents' demands for a police department after the murder of Bertram Atwater, a commercial artist from Chicago.[26] Webster had earlier been settled in 1853 as a stop on the Missouri Pacific line.[27]

Other incorporations before World War I included University City in 1906 near Washington University in St. Louis; Maplewood in 1908, also along the Missouri Pacific railroad line; Wellston in 1908 in the inner north county; Shrewsbury in 1913 north of Webster Groves; Clayton in 1913 south of University City; and Richmond Heights in 1913 south of Clayton.[25] State law required only that 50% of residents agree to incorporation via a petition for a legal incorporation to take place; the county government had no ability to restrict the incorporation if the 50% threshold were met.[7] Significant suburban growth in the early 20th century stimulated a rapid increase in the number of incorporations after 1935.

After the Civil War, dozens of school districts opened in St. Louis County to provide basic primary education. In Eureka, along the Missouri Pacific line to Pacific, a one-room log school opened in the town in 1870, which expanded to two stories and four rooms in about 1900.[28] In the towns of Old Orchard and Webster Groves along the Missouri Pacific line, schools opened in 1867 and 1868, respectively.[27] In Kirkwood, private schools began operating within a few years of the first settlers purchasing lots in 1853; in the early 1860s, these included the Kirkwood Seminary (which closed in 1889), the Kirkwood Military Academy, St. Peter Catholic School, and Concordia Lutheran School.[29] The first public schools in Kirkwood opened in 1866 as part of the newly formed Kirkwood School District; the district provided two years of high school from 1873 and opened a four-year Kirkwood High School in 1896.[29]

In some areas, formerly private schools became part of new public districts. In Florissant, the St. Ferdinand School (opened in 1845) became part of the Florissant School District in 1871, although it continued to be staffed by nuns. The first public school in the newly formed district opened in 1876 near St. Ferdinand and Washington Streets.[14] In Ballwin, a school opened in 1855 by German Methodists was bought by a newly formed Ballwin School District in 1869. The one-room schoolhouse operated until 1900 when a two-room building opened as a replacement.[30]

Post-World War II era

A new courthouse was built in Clayton in 1945 (it serves as the 21st-century County Police headquarters). The original 1878 courthouse was torn down in 1971 to be replaced by county government plaza and modern six-story courthouse.[19]

Several changes took place in St. Louis County education after World War II. The Florissant School District and the Ferguson School District merged in October 1951 to form the Ferguson-Florissant School District.[31] As part of a court-ordered desegregation plan, in 1975 the Ferguson-Florissant district annexed the Kinloch and the Berkeley school districts to combine the schools.[31]

In 1955, St. Louis County established the St. Louis County Police Department, with jurisdiction throughout the county. In 1977, St. Louis County was terrorized by three car bombings, which killed two people. The bomber was never caught.

In 1988 the Board of Freeholders proposed consolidating the county's 89 municipalities into 37 cities, eliminating all unincorporated areas. The vote in June 1989 was challenged by numerous groups on grounds questioning the board's constitutional authority. On June 25, days after the scheduled vote would have occurred, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously overturned the Missouri Supreme Court, arguing the board's land ownership requirement violated the U.S. Constitution's Equal Protection Clause.[32]

The county passed the city in population in the 1970 census when it had 951,353 compared to the city's 622,236. Industrial restructuring cost the city many jobs and residents. By the 2010 census, the city had fewer people than in the 19th century.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 523 square miles (1,350 km2), of which 508 square miles (1,320 km2) is land and 15 square miles (39 km2) (2.9%) is water.[33]

Colloquially, St. Louis County is often divided into Mid, North, West, and South sections. North County lies north of Interstate 70, West County lies west of Interstate 270, South County lies south of Interstate 44 and Mid County lies in the middle of the three main bordering highways (I-70, I-270 & I-44) and the St. Louis county-city line.[citation needed]

Natural boundaries

The Missouri River forms the northern border with St. Charles County, exclusive of a few areas where the river has changed its course. The Meramec River forms most of its southern border with Jefferson County. To the east is the City of St. Louis and the Mississippi River. The western boundary with Franklin County is the north–south line where the distance between the Meramec and Missouri rivers is the shortest, bisecting the city of Pacific, roughly two blocks east of Hwy OO/F (First street).

Topography

The foothills of the Ozark Mountains begin in southwestern St. Louis County, with most of the rest of the county being a fairly level plateau. This western part of the county is the least developed, due to rugged topography. Bluffs along the Mississippi in the south of the county rise about 200–300 feet above the river. A major floodplain area is the Chesterfield Valley, in the western part of the county, along the Missouri River. It was formerly called "Gumbo Flats" after its rich, dark soil; it was submerged by at least ten feet of water during the Great Flood of 1993. The Corps of Engineers constructed a higher levee, and the county has permitted construction in the floodplain.

The Columbia Bottom is a floodplain in the northeast of the county at the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers; this is preserved as a conservation area open to the public. The Missouri Bottom area between the two other floodplains had been developed for agriculture, but it is being increasingly developed for residential, business, and industry. The River des Peres drains the interior of the county before flowing into constructed underground channels into the City of St. Louis. It was allowed to resurface, where it forms the boundary between southern portions of St. Louis City and St. Louis County. Other streams include Coldwater Creek, Bonhomme Creek, and Creve Coeur Creek, flowing into the Missouri River; Keifer Creek, Fishpot Creek, and Grand Glaize Creek, flowing into the Meramec River; Deer Creek and Gravois Creek, flowing into the River des Peres; and Maline Creek, flowing into the Mississippi River. The highest elevation is 904 feet/275 meters.[34]

Geology

The bedrock is mainly limestone and dolomite, and much of the county near the rivers is karst terrain, with numerous caves, sinkholes, and springs. No igneous or metamorphic rock is exposed on the surface. A major outcropping of the St. Peter Sandstone formation, a fine white sandstone used for making clear glass, is mined in the southwest corner of the county in Pacific. Brick clay mining was once a major industry in the county. The Charbonier Bluff along the Missouri River is an outcropping of coal and was used a fueling station for steamboats. The "St. Louis Anticline", an underground formation, has small petroleum deposits in the north part of the county.

Flora and fauna

Before European settlement, the area was prairie and open parklike forest, maintained by Native Americans via burning. Trees are mainly oak, maple, and hickory, similar to the forests of the Ozarks; common understory trees include eastern redbud, serviceberry, and flowering dogwood. Riparian areas are heavily forested with mainly American sycamore. By the 1920s most of the timber in the county was harvested. Since that time, large parks and undeveloped areas in the western and southern parts of the county have grown dense forest cover. Old pastures are usually colonized with eastern red cedar. Most of the residential area of the county is planted with large native shade trees. In autumn, the changing color of the trees is notable. St. Louis County has the most recorded native species of plants in the state, but this is probably due to the intensive botanical research done in the area. Most species here are typical of the Eastern Woodland, but some southern species are found in swampland, and typical northern species survive in sheltered hollows. Invasive species, most notably Japanese honeysuckle, are common in some homesteads converted to parks; these are actively removed.

Large mammals include growing populations of whitetail deer and coyotes, which are becoming increasingly urbanized. Eastern gray squirrel, cottontail rabbit, and other rodents are abundant, as well as opossum, beaver, muskrat, raccoon, and skunk. Large bird species include wild turkey, Canada goose, mallard duck, various raptors like the turkey vulture and red-tailed hawk, as well as shorebirds, including the great egret and great blue heron. Winter populations of bald eagles are found by the Mississippi River around the Chain of Rocks Bridge. The county is on the Mississippi Flyway, used by migrating birds, and has a large variety of small bird species, common to the eastern U.S. The Eurasian tree sparrow, an introduced species, is limited in North America to the counties surrounding St. Louis.

Frogs are commonly found in the springtime, especially after extensive wet periods. Common species include American toad and species of chorus frogs, commonly called "spring peepers", that are found in nearly every pond. Some years have outbreaks of cicadas or ladybugs. Mosquitos and houseflies are common insect nuisances; because of this, windows are nearly universally fitted with screens, and "screened-in" porches are common in homes of the area. Populations of honeybees have sharply declined in recent years, and numerous species of pollinator insects have filled their ecological niche.

Climate

St. Louis County
Climate chart (explanation)
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
 
 
66
 
 
4
−8
 
 
75
 
 
7
−4
 
 
85
 
 
17
4
 
 
204
 
 
24
10
 
 
108
 
 
26
15
 
 
128
 
 
37
20
 
 
47
 
 
31
22
 
 
113
 
 
31
20
 
 
97
 
 
29
17
 
 
90
 
 
21
10
 
 
46
 
 
15
4
 
 
81
 
 
5
−5
Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
Precipitation totals in mm
Source: [35]
Imperial conversion
JFMAMJJASOND
 
 
2.6
 
 
39
18
 
 
3
 
 
45
25
 
 
3.3
 
 
63
39
 
 
8
 
 
75
50
 
 
4.3
 
 
79
59
 
 
5
 
 
99
68
 
 
1.9
 
 
88
72
 
 
4.4
 
 
88
68
 
 
3.8
 
 
84
63
 
 
3.5
 
 
70
50
 
 
1.8
 
 
59
39
 
 
3.2
 
 
41
23
Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
Precipitation totals in inches

St. Louis County has a mix of a humid subtropical climate and a humid continental climate, with neither large mountains nor large bodies of water to moderate its temperature. The area is affected by both cold Canadian Arctic air, and also hot, humid air from the Gulf of Mexico. The county has four distinct seasons. Spring is the wettest season and produces erratic severe weather ranging from tornadoes to winter storms. Summers are hot, and the humidity can cause the heat index to rise to temperatures above 100 °F (38 °C). Fall is mild, with lower humidity and can produce intermittent bouts of heavy rainfall with the first snow flurries usually forming in late November. Winters are cool to cold with periodic snow and temperatures often below freezing. Winter storm systems, such as Alberta clippers, can bring days of heavy freezing rain, ice pellets, and snowfall.

The average annual temperature for the years 1971–2000, recorded at Lambert–St. Louis International Airport, is 56.3 °F (13.5 °C), and average precipitation is 36 inches (910 mm). The average high temperature in July is 88.4 °F (31.3 °C), and the average low temperature in January is 22.6 °F (−5.2 °C), although these values are often exceeded. Temperatures of 0 °F (−18 °C) or below occur three days per year on average.[36] The highest temperature ever recorded in St. Louis was 115 °F (46 °C), on July 14, 1954, while the lowest temperature on record is −23 °F (−31 °C), on January 29, 1873.[37]

Winter is the driest season, averaging about 6 inches of total precipitation. Springtime (March through May), is typically the wettest season, with under 10.5 inches. Dry spells of one or two weeks' duration are common during the growing seasons.

Thunderstorms can be expected on 40 to 50 days per year. A few of them will be severe with locally destructive winds and large hail, and occasionally accompanied by tornadoes.[38] A period of unseasonably warm weather late in Autumn known as Indian summer is common—roses will still be in bloom as late as November or early December in some years.

Other geography

The largest natural lake in the state is Creve Coeur Lake. It was originally an oxbow of the nearby Missouri River and is now the centerpiece of a popular county park.

Manchester Road (Route 100) follows an ancient path westward out of St. Louis, following the boundary between the Missouri and Meramec watersheds. It is one of only two routes to leave the county without crossing any rivers (the other being State Highway T).

The Sinks is a karst area in the far northern part of the county, with numerous sinkholes.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
182010,049—
183014,12540.6%
184035,979154.7%
1850104,978191.8%
1860190,52481.5%
1870351,18984.3%
188031,888−90.9%
189036,30713.9%
190050,04037.8%
191082,41764.7%
1920100,73722.2%
1930211,593110.0%
1940274,23029.6%
1950406,34948.2%
1960703,53273.1%
1970951,35335.2%
1980973,8962.4%
1990993,5292.0%
20001,016,3152.3%
2010998,954−1.7%
20201,004,1250.5%
2021 (est.)997,187[39]−0.7%
Independent City of St. Louis seceded
from the County in 1876. Population
of the City of St. Louis in 1880
was 350,518.
U.S. Decennial Census[40]
1790–1960[41] 1900–1990[42]
1990–2000[43] 2010–2020[1]

As of the census of 2010, there were 998,954 people. There were 404,765 households with 263,423 family households. The population density was 1,966 inhabitants per square mile (759/km2). There were 423,749 housing units at an average density of 834 per square mile (322/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 68.3% White (66.9% Non-Hispanic White), 35.3% African American, 0.2% Native American, 3.5% Asian (1.1% Asian Indian, 1.0% Chinese, 0.3% Filipino, 0.3% Korean, 0.3% Vietnamese, 0.1% Japanese, 0.4% Other), 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.9% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races and 2.5% Hispanic or Latino (1.5% Mexican, 0.2% Puerto Rican, 0.1% Cuban, 0.8% Other).[44]

There were 404,765 households, out of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.00% were married couples living together, 12.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.00% were non-families. 28.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the county, the age distribution of the population shows 25.20% under the age of 18, 8.30% from 18 to 24, 29.00% from 25 to 44, 23.50% from 45 to 64, and 14.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $58,532, and the median income for a family was $72,680. Males had a median income of $45,714 versus $30,278 for females. The per capita income for the county was $27,595. About 5.00% of families and 6.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.30% of those under age 18 and 5.30% of those age 65 or over.

Racial composition 2010[45] 2020[46]
White 70.3% 63.0%
—Non-Hispanic 68.9% 62.2%
Black or African American 23.3% 24.6%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 2.5% 3.7%
Asian 3.5% 4.9%
Two or More Races 1.9% 5.7%

Economy

As of 2009, the largest employment sectors in St. Louis County are education and health (25.2%), trade and transportation (19.6%), and professional business services (12.7%).[47] The county also has the highest per capita income in Missouri ($49,727), and nearly one-fourth of the state workforce is employed in St. Louis County,[48] but it accounts for 27% of the state's wages. It is home to the eighth-strongest market for technology hiring, and the world's largest concentration of plant science Ph.D.'s.[49] The St. Louis County Economic Council is the economic development agency of St. Louis County, and it is operated under the authority of the St. Louis County government.[50] Among the largest employers in the county are Boeing (16,000 employees), Washington University in St. Louis (13,200 employees), and SSM Healthcare (12,400 employees).[47] As of 2013, Express Scripts has approximately 4,500 employees, with a planned expansion of 1,500 jobs to be added over the five years from 2013 to 2018.[51]

Unemployment in St. Louis County is well below the national rate of 7.7% (November 2012) at 6.5% (October); for monthly unemployment numbers since June 2012, see below:

Arts and culture

See also: St. Louis cuisine

Parks and recreation

St. Louis County owns and maintains more than 40 parks as part of its county park system, including playgrounds and nature preserves. It also operates several recreation centers, the National Museum of Transportation, and the Affton Community Center. In addition to parks owned by St. Louis County, the county is home to three Missouri state parks: Babler, Castlewood, and Route 66 State Park, and part of the Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge and the Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site. Several municipalities in the county also own and maintain their own park systems.

Government

St. Louis County government is divided between executive power vested in the County Executive and legislative power vested in the County Council. The current county executive is Sam Page, who was appointed on April 29, 2019. The county executive's term is four years without term limits, and the position is elected by the population of the entire county. The council consists of seven members elected from separate districts within the county, with four-year terms beginning on January 1 following elections. In 1950, St. Louis County became the first Missouri county to adopt a home-rule charter under the Missouri Constitution, and the current charter was adopted by voters on November 6, 1979.[citation needed]

St. Louis County, Missouri
Elected countywide officials
Assessor Jake Zimmerman Democratic
County Executive Sam Page Democratic
Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell Democratic

Crime and public safety

The St. Louis County Police Department operates under the authority of the St. Louis County Board of Police Commissioners and is the largest law enforcement agency in St. Louis County.[citation needed] Although it is directly responsible for law enforcement in unincorporated areas of the county, several municipalities contract with the county police for public safety services.[53] Municipalities that maintain service agreements with the county police are Black Jack, Fenton, Ferguson, Grantwood Village, Green Park, Hanley Hills, Jennings, Marlborough, Norwood Court, Pasadena Hills, Twin Oaks, Valley Park, Vinita Terrace, Wilbur Park, and Wildwood.[53] A total of 58 of the 90 municipalities in the county maintain their own police departments. Eighty-one of the local towns run their own courts.[54]

St. Louis County fire services are provided by 20 municipal fire departments and 23 fire protection districts.[55] The fire protection districts exist as independent, taxing governments that are unrelated to the St. Louis County government, while the municipal fire departments are funded through municipal taxes and are administered by their respective cities.[55]

 
County government buildings in Clayton. From left to right: County Police headquarters, the Lawrence K. Roos County Government Building, the Buzz Westfall Justice Center, and the Courts Building
Past gubernatorial election results[56]
Year Republican Democratic Third Parties
2020 38.77% 207,535 59.28% 317,327 1.95% 10,413
2016 38.76% 199,827 58.40% 301,115 2.77% 14,299
2012 35.62% 185,704 62.30% 324,748 3.85% 19,652
2008 32.92% 180,278 65.32% 357,649 1.71% 9,396
2004 44.09% 238,783 54.77% 296,624 1.13% 6,127
2000 48.01% 233,031 49.31% 239,341 2.68% 12,997
1996 45.09% 208,184 53.12% 245,275 1.79% 8,259

Politics

United States presidential election results for St. Louis County, Missouri[57]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 199,493 37.19% 328,151 61.17% 8,802 1.64%
2016 202,434 38.95% 286,704 55.17% 30,548 5.88%
2012 224,742 42.39% 297,097 56.04% 8,277 1.56%
2008 221,705 39.60% 333,123 59.50% 5,026 0.90%
2004 244,969 45.12% 295,284 54.38% 2,730 0.50%
2000 224,689 46.15% 250,631 51.48% 11,564 2.38%
1996 196,096 42.42% 225,524 48.79% 40,658 8.80%
1992 188,285 35.21% 235,760 44.09% 110,718 20.70%
1988 262,784 54.67% 216,534 45.05% 1,364 0.28%
1984 307,684 63.99% 173,144 36.01% 0 0.00%
1980 263,518 54.35% 192,796 39.77% 28,517 5.88%
1976 246,988 54.57% 196,915 43.51% 8,723 1.93%
1972 264,147 62.16% 160,801 37.84% 0 0.00%
1968 180,355 46.80% 165,786 43.02% 39,234 10.18%
1964 134,962 38.71% 213,658 61.29% 0 0.00%
1960 157,992 48.69% 166,508 51.31% 0 0.00%
1956 138,111 53.12% 121,881 46.88% 0 0.00%
1952 116,821 54.98% 95,457 44.93% 202 0.10%
1948 69,592 52.17% 62,684 47.00% 1,107 0.83%
1944 64,131 52.45% 57,780 47.26% 355 0.29%
1940 66,909 55.88% 52,380 43.74% 458 0.38%
1936 45,541 40.63% 63,226 56.40% 3,333 2.97%
1932 35,872 36.51% 59,044 60.09% 3,341 3.40%
1928 42,572 55.53% 33,802 44.09% 293 0.38%
1924 26,669 55.75% 16,075 33.61% 5,090 10.64%
1920 25,008 63.57% 12,438 31.62% 1,896 4.82%
1916 12,485 60.41% 7,587 36.71% 594 2.87%
1912 6,177 39.78% 5,409 34.84% 3,940 25.38%
1908 10,177 66.40% 4,522 29.51% 627 4.09%
1904 7,375 69.45% 2,870 27.03% 374 3.52%
1900 6,537 61.83% 3,864 36.55% 172 1.63%
1896 6,210 64.09% 3,403 35.12% 76 0.78%
1892 4,367 57.83% 3,116 41.26% 69 0.91%
1888 4,416 61.54% 2,707 37.72% 53 0.74%

As of March 2016, there were 648,073 registered voters in St. Louis County, down from 708,283 registered voters in April 2013.[58][59][60] At the federal level, the county is represented by Democrat Cori Bush of the 1st district, and Republican Ann Wagner of the 2nd district. Since 1992, the county has favored Democratic candidates in the presidential elections. Democrats are generally strongest in the northern portion of the county, which has a high Black population, while Republicans have historically dominated the western and southern parts of the county. In recent years however, Republicans have seen the western and southern portion of the county, made up of suburbs, become much more competitive. St. Louis County is a diverse, college-educated, suburban, and affluent county, with a large Black population, as well as a new influx of Asian Americans. These factors in recent years have pushed the county to become safer for Democrats. Historically, the Republican voters in this area were more moderate voters, fiscally conservative yet socially liberal. St Louis County overall is a Democratic stronghold, having voted for the Democratic presidential nominee in each election since 1992, and with increasing margins since 2000. In 2004, 2012, 2016, and 2020, it was only one of four counties in the state to vote Democratic. In 2020, Joe Biden won the county with over 60% of the vote, the best ever showing for a Democrat in the county. As of the 2014 elections, of the five senators (who have residences in St. Louis County) elected to the Missouri Senate, four are Democrats and one is a Republican. Of the 28 representatives elected to the Missouri House of Representatives, 19 are Democrats and 9 are Republicans.[61] All of North County elects Democrats to the Missouri General Assembly, most of Mid County also elect Democrats, while most of West County and South County elects Republicans.

Education

Education in St. Louis County is provided by 23 public school districts, 20 private high schools, both a unified public library system and several municipal libraries, and several colleges and universities. Several of the school districts in the county also maintain a voluntary student transfer agreement with the St. Louis Public Schools that allows county residents to attend magnet schools in the city of St. Louis.

Public Schools

School districts include:[62]

Special School District of St. Louis County (SSD) operates schools for differently abled students.[63]

Private Schools

Higher Education

Library

St. Louis County libraries include the unified St. Louis County Library and several municipal library systems.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Major freeways and highways

Health care

In 1927, a $1 million bond was issued allocating funds for the construction of the first St. Louis County Hospital.[64] Construction of the 200-bed, the non-segregated hospital began in 1929 in the city of Clayton. The hospital opened in July 1931 and ran until June 1986.[65]

Current list of hospitals in St. Louis County:

  • St. Clare Health Center
  • St. John's Mercy Medical Center
  • St. Joseph Hospital
  • St. Luke's Hospital
  • St. Mary's Hospital

Communities

See also: Municipalities of St. Louis County, Missouri

One-third of the county population lives in unincorporated areas, for which the county government provides services such as zoning, code enforcement, refuse disposal, and police protection. In addition to the county-level government, there are 90 municipal governments in St. Louis County that also provide services.[66] These vary widely in population and area. The smallest towns in population are Champ with a 2010 population of 13,[67] Country Life Acres (population 74),[67] and Mackenzie (population 134);[67] 14 county municipalities have a 2010 population under 500, and fewer than a third exceed 10,000. In area, the smallest town is Mackenzie (12.8 acres (5.2 ha)) while 14 other towns are 0.1 square mile (0.26 km2) or less. At the other end of the scale, Florissant has a population over 50,000, and Wildwood at the far west of the county is 66 square miles (170 km2).

St. Louis County municipalities include:

Cities

Villages

Census-designated places

Townships

Unincorporated communities

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ^ Hunn, Jeremy Kohler, David. "'Metro City': Better Together launches a two-year effort to meld St. Louis city and county". stltoday.com. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
  4. ^ a b c d e Cohn, 26.
  5. ^ a b Cohn, 25.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Cohn, 27.
  7. ^ a b c d e f Cohn, 58.
  8. ^ a b Berger Erwin, 7.
  9. ^ a b Cohn, 63.
  10. ^ a b c Thomas, 67.
  11. ^ Thomas, 122.
  12. ^ a b Davison, 61.
  13. ^ Davison, 63.
  14. ^ a b Davison, 67.
  15. ^ a b c d e f g Cohn, 36.
  16. ^ William N. Cassella, Jr. "City-County Separation: The Great Divorce of 1876." Missouri Historical Society Bulletin. (January 1959).
  17. ^ a b c d e f Cohn, 28.
  18. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Cohn, 29.
  19. ^ a b TIM O'NEIL • toneil@post-dispatch.com > 314-340-8132 (April 17, 2011). "A Look Back: Ralph Clayton gave land for county seat". Stltoday.com. Retrieved April 26, 2011.
  20. ^ a b c Cohn, 33.
  21. ^ Cohn, 34.
  22. ^ a b c d e f Cohn, 35.
  23. ^ "St Louis County Parks and Recreation". Ww5.stlouisco.com. Retrieved April 26, 2011.[permanent dead link]
  24. ^ a b c Cohn, 37.
  25. ^ a b Cohn, 110-112.
  26. ^ Hemphill, 10.
  27. ^ a b Hemphill, 8.
  28. ^ Beck, 41.
  29. ^ a b Berger Erwin, 8.
  30. ^ Fiedler, 91.
  31. ^ a b Davison, 68.
  32. ^ Tranel, Mark (2007). St. Louis Plans: The Ideal and the Real St. Louis. Missouri History Museum. pp. 70–74. ISBN 9781883982614. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  33. ^ . United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on October 21, 2013. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
  34. ^ USGS 1/3 Arc Second NED
  35. ^ . NASA. Archived from the original on April 7, 2019. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
  36. ^ 2001 ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI (STL). Weather Explained, Volume 4. 2006. Last accessed December 4, 2006.
  37. ^ Welcome to the Top 10. NOAA's National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office. Last accessed December 4, 2006.
  38. ^ Service, US Department of Commerce, NOAA, National Weather. "St. Louis, MO". www.crh.noaa.gov. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  39. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2021". Retrieved October 24, 2022.
  40. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
  41. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
  42. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
  43. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
  44. ^ Bureau, U. S. Census. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
  45. ^ "American Fact Finder". U.S. Census.[dead link]
  46. ^ "St. Louis County, Missouri". U.S. Census.
  47. ^ a b . Archived from the original on November 27, 2012. Retrieved November 17, 2012.
  48. ^ . Archived from the original on October 11, 2012. Retrieved November 17, 2012.
  49. ^ (PDF). St. Louis County Economic Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 5, 2013. Retrieved July 2, 2013.
  50. ^ . St. Louis Economic Development Partnership. Archived from the original on November 21, 2012. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  51. ^ "Express Scripts plans to add 1,500 jobs in north St. Louis County". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. June 20, 2013.
  52. ^ . Archived from the original on October 25, 2012. Retrieved November 17, 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  53. ^ a b http://www.stlouisco.com/Portals/8/docs/Document%20Library/police/Contracts.pdf September 21, 2014, at the Wayback Machine[bare URL PDF]
  54. ^ "Editorial: Erase arbitrary boundaries to build a greater St. Louis". Post-Dispatch. March 28, 2015.
  55. ^ a b Government, St. Louis County. . www.stlouisco.com. Archived from the original on November 14, 2012. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  56. ^ . Archived from the original on July 28, 2021. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  57. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  58. ^ . St. Louis County. March 25, 2016. Archived from the original on April 9, 2016. Retrieved March 31, 2016.
  59. ^ . St. Louis County. April 2, 2013. Archived from the original on April 29, 2013. Retrieved June 20, 2013.
  60. ^ . St. Louis County. Archived from the original on June 28, 2013. Retrieved June 20, 2013.
  61. ^ . St. Louis County Board of Elections. November 18, 2014. Archived from the original on April 4, 2016. Retrieved March 31, 2016.
  62. ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: St. Louis County, MO" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. (PDF) from the original on July 22, 2022. Retrieved July 22, 2022. - Text list
  63. ^ "SSD Mission & Vision". Special School District of St. Louis County. Retrieved July 22, 2022. 12110 Clayton Road, Town & Country, MO 63131
  64. ^ "History of St. Louis County Hospital." St. Louis County Health. Retrieved on August 24, 2009. January 31, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  65. ^ "History of St. Louis County Hospital." Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis. Retrieved on August 24, 2009.
  66. ^ . Archived from the original on April 15, 2012. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
  67. ^ a b c "Race, Hispanic or Latino, Age, and Housing Occupancy: 2010 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File (QT-PL), Champ village, Missouri". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 25, 2011.

External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to St. Louis County, Missouri.
  • St. Louis County profile
  • St. Louis County Government June 22, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  • St. Louis climate, from the National Weather Service
  • St. Louis County Economic Council
  • Digitized 1930 Plat Book of St. Louis County August 16, 2011, at the Wayback Machine from University of Missouri Division of Special Collections, Archives, and Rare Books
  • "The American Cyclopædia (1879)/Saint Louis (county)" . The American Cyclopædia. 1879.

Coordinates: 38°38′N 90°26′W / 38.64°N 90.44°W / 38.64; -90.44

January 06, 2023
louis, county, missouri, confused, with, louis, louis, county, located, eastern, central, portion, missouri, bounded, city, louis, mississippi, river, east, missouri, river, north, meramec, river, south, 2020, census, total, population, making, most, populous,. Not to be confused with St Louis St Louis County is located in the eastern central portion of Missouri It is bounded by the City of St Louis and the Mississippi River to the east the Missouri River to the north and the Meramec River to the south At the 2020 census the total population was 1 004 125 1 making it the most populous county in Missouri Its county seat is Clayton 2 The county is included in the St Louis MO IL metropolitan statistical area Saint Louis CountyCountyBabler State Park the largest of three state parks in St Louis CountyFlagSealLocation within the U S state of MissouriMissouri s location within the U S Coordinates 38 38 N 90 26 W 38 64 N 90 44 W 38 64 90 44Country United StatesState MissouriFoundedOctober 1 1812SeatClaytonLargest cityFlorissantGovernment County executiveSam Page D Area Total523 sq mi 1 350 km2 Land508 sq mi 1 320 km2 Water15 sq mi 40 km2 2 9 Population 2020 Total1 004 125 Estimate 2021 997 187 Density1 900 sq mi 740 km2 Time zoneUTC 6 Central Summer DST UTC 5 CDT Congressional districts1st 2ndWebsitestlouiscountymo wbr govAfter Great Britain took over former French territory east of the Mississippi River many ethnic French colonists moved west They settled the area of St Louis County and founded the city of St Louis in the late 1700s The US acquired this territory in 1803 with the Louisiana Purchase In 1877 residents of the City of St Louis voted to separate from the county and become an independent city In the 1960s with growing suburban development of Greater St Louis the county s population overtook that of the city for the first time Restructuring of industry resulted in job and population declines in the city and the county has continued to expand Through the decades changing conditions have led many business and political leaders to propose merging the city and county as a single government In 2019 there was an effort to put the issue to a state wide vote but it did not get on a ballot 3 Contents 1 History 1 1 Colonial settlement and early government 1 2 Antebellum growth and early education 1 3 Government changes and early courthouses 1 4 Separation of St Louis and St Louis County 1 5 Post separation political issues 1 6 Growth of education and municipalities 1 7 Post World War II era 2 Geography 2 1 Natural boundaries 2 2 Topography 2 3 Geology 2 4 Flora and fauna 2 5 Climate 2 6 Other geography 3 Demographics 4 Economy 5 Arts and culture 6 Parks and recreation 7 Government 7 1 Crime and public safety 7 2 Politics 8 Education 8 1 Public Schools 8 2 Private Schools 8 3 Higher Education 8 4 Library 9 Infrastructure 9 1 Transportation 9 1 1 Major freeways and highways 9 2 Health care 10 Communities 10 1 Cities 10 2 Villages 10 3 Census designated places 10 4 Townships 10 5 Unincorporated communities 11 See also 12 References 13 External linksHistory EditColonial settlement and early government Edit See also History of St Louis During the 18th century several European colonial settlements were established in the area that would become St Louis County French colonists moved from east of the Mississippi River after France ceded territory to Great Britain after losing the Seven Years War It also ceded much of its territory west of the River to Spain St Louis was founded by Pierre Laclede and Auguste Chouteau on February 14 1764 they became major fur traders in the city 4 Founded in about 1767 was Carondelet to the south It was annexed by the city in 1871 4 Florissant then known as St Ferdinand was established in 1785 about twelve miles northwest of St Louis on a tributary of the Missouri River 4 During the 1790s the very small settlements known as Creve Coeur and Point Labadie were built north and west of St Louis 4 Upon the sale and transfer of French Louisiana to the United States on October 1 1804 President Thomas Jefferson suggested the territory retain the districts drawn by Spanish officials during their decades long rule of the territory after an arrangement with the French 5 During this time the first governing body of St Louis County was established following the earlier Spanish governors 6 This government called the Court of Quarter Sessions was composed of Charles Gratiot Auguste Chouteau Jacques Clamorgan and David DeLaunay all ethnic French or French Canadians the court held judicial executive and legislative power 6 On October 1 1812 the District of St Louis was renamed St Louis County exactly eight years after its establishment during a federal reorganization of the Louisiana Territory s status 5 Antebellum growth and early education Edit After the transfer of Louisiana to the United States the authority to grant incorporation to municipalities was delegated to the Territory and later was a state power 7 The first to gain municipal status in St Louis County was St Louis which incorporated on November 9 1809 under the territorial legislature It gained city status on December 9 1822 4 Only a handful of other municipal incorporations took place prior to the separation of the county and city St Ferdinand was granted incorporation in 1829 and reincorporated as Florissant in 1843 while Bridgeton a settlement along the Missouri River near Florissant gained incorporation in 1843 7 The towns of Pacific and Kirkwood grew substantially and incorporated in the 1850s with their growth stimulated by construction of the Pacific Railroad later the Missouri Pacific Railroad 7 Pacific a community along the Meramec River first known as Franklin straddles St Louis and Franklin counties it incorporated as Pacific in 1859 7 Kirkwood was settled in 1853 after Hiram Leffingwell and Richard Elliott platted and auctioned land along the railroad line they named their settlement after James P Kirkwood who had planned the route of the railroad through the area 8 Leffingwell organized the town as a planned suburb the first west of the Mississippi Kirkwood was granted incorporation by the state in 1865 7 8 Other areas of the county began to be settled during this period but did not incorporate as towns 9 Among these were Chesterfield and Gumbo which were both settled in the 1820s in west St Louis County Gravois and Affton were settled in south St Louis County in the 1850s and 1860s 9 The first St Louis Public Schools were established in the major city in the 1830s It was a decade and more before some of the settlements of St Louis County began providing public education 10 In 1854 the School District of Maplewood was established It included all of today s Maplewood district part of what became Webster Groves Missouri along the south and southwest a large part of St Louis in the east and to the north up to Clayton Road 10 The first school originally called the Washington Institute and later renamed as Maplewood High School opened as a one room stone building at the crossing of Manchester Road over the Missouri Pacific Railroad tracks 10 Another antebellum school district was Rock Hill which provided a one room school across from the Rock Hill Presbyterian Church until about 1870 11 The first school in Florissant opened in 1819 under the direction of the Religious of the Sacred Heart a Roman Catholic religious congregation 12 The instructor Rose Philippine Duchesne was a French immigrant who has been described as one of the foremost educators in the state of Missouri 12 A second school initially an Indian school known as the St Regis Academy was operated for young boys from 1823 to 1829 The complex included the Jesuit St Stanislaus Seminary which continued to operate until 1971 13 The earliest public school in Florissant was the St Ferdinand School which was authorized by the General Assembly in 1845 and operated until 1871 when the Florissant School District was formed 14 Government changes and early courthouses Edit From 1813 to 1830 the county initiated several changes to its government By an act of the territorial legislature the Court of Quarter Sessions was succeeded by a panel of three judges of common pleas in 1813 6 Two years later this panel was succeeded by a newly created county court in 1815 composed of justices of the peace elected from the county to three month terms 6 The St Louis County Circuit Court established in 1815 as the judicial branch of the county was given authority in 1816 over the executive and legislative affairs of the county superseding the court of justices of the peace 6 In 1821 a hybrid County and Probate Court was established and given executive and legislative control and in 1830 its probate functions ceased 6 This County Court operated as the government of St Louis County until public scandals encouraged the state legislature to abolish it and replace it in 1859 with a Board of Commissioners 6 The Old Courthouse was built in downtown St Louis from 1839 to 1856 as the second purpose built county courthouse for St Louis County Sessions of the County Court and other county governing bodies were held in a variety of locations during this early period 15 The Court of Quarter Sessions held its first meeting in 1804 at a tavern in St Louis then regularly at a building at Third and Plum until 1817 15 The county seat moved that year to a newly built one story log cabin on Third Street between Elm and Spruce followed by a move to the brick Baptist Church at Third and Market in 1820 15 The County Court established a commission in 1822 to study a permanent courthouse previous facilities were rented In 1823 Auguste Chouteau and John Baptiste Charles Lucas donated two tracts of land that formed a vacant square bounded by Broadway Fourth Chestnut and Market 15 Between the summer of 1826 and 1833 a low roofed two story brick structure was built fronting Fourth Street this was the first permanent courthouse for St Louis County 15 Within a few years however the building s size was inadequate for the county government s needs the original building was left in place during construction on the new building which began in 1839 15 This new courthouse now known as the Old Courthouse included a finished rotunda dome and west wing by 1843 the 1833 courthouse was demolished in 1851 and by 1856 the east wing of the new courthouse was complete 15 Separation of St Louis and St Louis County Edit During the antebellum period some city leaders began to work to separate the city of St Louis the county s largest municipality from the county 6 In 1843 a group of St Louis city residents petitioned the state legislature to separate the two entities The General Assembly passed a resolution calling for a referendum on the subject among county voters outside the city 6 This vote held on August 7 1844 showed a majority of county voters opposed to separation 6 Despite the vote controversy continued and tension mounted between the county government and the city government during the 1840s and 1850s 6 16 Much of the dispute involved the double taxation of city residents and their proportionally lesser representation in county government 17 The reform of 1859 in which the County Court was abolished by the state government and replaced by a Board of Commissioners was in large part a reaction to city outcry over mismanagement of tax money 17 More than a name change the reform expanded the size of the county government council to seven members with four seats reserved for city representation but the city at that time had roughly ten times the population of the county so was still underrepresented in county government 17 The reform temporarily ameliorated the tensions In 1863 the General Assembly restored the name of the county government to its former name of County Court 17 Despite some reforms controversy returned and grew during the 1860s This was largely due to what city residents considered double taxation by the county and the city for services effectively provided by the city alone 17 Several plans began to circulate during the late 1860s that would relieve this burden including home rule status for St Louis further reorganization of the County Court to ensure greater representation city county government consolidation and separation of the two entities 17 The General Assembly considered several plans during this period In March 1871 it passed a further reorganization of the County Court the new Court would have an presiding judge elected at large four seats reserved to be elected by city residents and two seats for county residents 18 This reform however pleased virtually no one pushing for reform and it made little practical difference in the operation of the county government 18 Local politician David H Armstrong was a strong supporter of the separation of the city of St Louis from St Louis County A consolidation plan proceeded in the General Assembly in 1871 backed by city political leaders Anthony Ittner and Roderick E Rombauer 18 The Missouri Republican newspaper strongly backed the approach while the Missouri Democrat argued it would lead city leaders into corruption 18 The latter pressed for a separation plan support for which was led by David H Armstrong 18 The separation plan gained greater support when it became clear that the mistrust between city and county residents precluded consolidation 18 A citizen group known as the Taxpayers League formed in 1872 to advance the separation cause City leaders looked to Baltimore Maryland which had separated from Baltimore County in 1853 as an example 18 The mechanism by which separation took place began in 1875 at the state constitutional convention 18 At the convention a committee examined the issues of the St Louis government and it summarized the two options facing the region as consolidation and separation 18 The full convention voted to include a provision in the constitution allowing for separation the vote was 53 in favor 4 opposed 11 absent 18 Only one member of the St Louis delegation opposed separation I am in favor of total consolidation of St Louis County but I am not in favor of dividing it splitting and hacking it in this manner I vote no Nicolas A Mortell Cohn 29 In 1877 the City of St Louis separated from the county creating an independent city The city in August 1876 narrowly approved the separation while county residents overwhelmingly opposed the separation City residents had argued they wanted to be rid of county taxes and state influence over county government At the time the city had 350 000 residents while the rural county had 30 000 The rural county also had only 150 miles of gravel roads Although the results were challenged in the courts the two jurisdictions were formally separated in March 1877 19 Post separation political issues Edit The first meeting of the new County Court took place on January 22 1877 at the home of James C Sutton in what is now Maplewood The three judges appointed a new county clerk sheriff and treasurer 20 They also announced at that meeting that the new Court was functional obviating the legal standing of the previous County Court which continued to meet albeit without legal function until July 1877 and the transfer of all county buildings and property in the city of St Louis to the city government 20 Thus the county s courthouse in St Louis became city property The Court also requested that the city of St Louis continue to provide police protection to some areas of the county until the county could provide these services 20 On January 29 1877 the Court considered a report that recommended Kirkwood as the new county seat but did not decide the issue at that time 21 The Court continued to meet at the Sutton House in Maplewood until February 1877 when it convened at the Des Peres Grange Hall It agreed then to rent space at the Mount Olive Hotel in what is now University City until deciding on a new location for the courthouse 22 The Court continued to meet at the Mount Olive Hotel from March 1877 to 1879 22 Throughout 1877 the Court debated the question of the county seat rejecting several sites including Kirkwood and Florissant 22 In September 1877 the Court accepted the donation of 100 acres of land on Hanley Road by a farmer named Ralph Clayton 22 In addition to the benefit of donated land the site was chosen because it was on the route of the Hodiamont streetcar line which connected from St Louis to Florissant 23 An additional four acres were given by M F Hanley 22 and in May 1878 the cornerstone was laid for a new county courthouse 24 In October 1878 the courthouse donation and streets were platted in what would become the town of Clayton 22 The new courthouse and jail opened in December 1878 at a cost of 38 000 24 Two additions were made to the courthouse in 1912 and in 1926 24 Growth of education and municipalities Edit In the years from the Civil War to World War I relatively few new towns incorporated in St Louis County the first to incorporate after the war Fenton was incorporated in 1874 in southwest St Louis County 25 Webster Groves incorporated in 1896 prompted by residents demands for a police department after the murder of Bertram Atwater a commercial artist from Chicago 26 Webster had earlier been settled in 1853 as a stop on the Missouri Pacific line 27 Other incorporations before World War I included University City in 1906 near Washington University in St Louis Maplewood in 1908 also along the Missouri Pacific railroad line Wellston in 1908 in the inner north county Shrewsbury in 1913 north of Webster Groves Clayton in 1913 south of University City and Richmond Heights in 1913 south of Clayton 25 State law required only that 50 of residents agree to incorporation via a petition for a legal incorporation to take place the county government had no ability to restrict the incorporation if the 50 threshold were met 7 Significant suburban growth in the early 20th century stimulated a rapid increase in the number of incorporations after 1935 After the Civil War dozens of school districts opened in St Louis County to provide basic primary education In Eureka along the Missouri Pacific line to Pacific a one room log school opened in the town in 1870 which expanded to two stories and four rooms in about 1900 28 In the towns of Old Orchard and Webster Groves along the Missouri Pacific line schools opened in 1867 and 1868 respectively 27 In Kirkwood private schools began operating within a few years of the first settlers purchasing lots in 1853 in the early 1860s these included the Kirkwood Seminary which closed in 1889 the Kirkwood Military Academy St Peter Catholic School and Concordia Lutheran School 29 The first public schools in Kirkwood opened in 1866 as part of the newly formed Kirkwood School District the district provided two years of high school from 1873 and opened a four year Kirkwood High School in 1896 29 In some areas formerly private schools became part of new public districts In Florissant the St Ferdinand School opened in 1845 became part of the Florissant School District in 1871 although it continued to be staffed by nuns The first public school in the newly formed district opened in 1876 near St Ferdinand and Washington Streets 14 In Ballwin a school opened in 1855 by German Methodists was bought by a newly formed Ballwin School District in 1869 The one room schoolhouse operated until 1900 when a two room building opened as a replacement 30 Post World War II era Edit A new courthouse was built in Clayton in 1945 it serves as the 21st century County Police headquarters The original 1878 courthouse was torn down in 1971 to be replaced by county government plaza and modern six story courthouse 19 Several changes took place in St Louis County education after World War II The Florissant School District and the Ferguson School District merged in October 1951 to form the Ferguson Florissant School District 31 As part of a court ordered desegregation plan in 1975 the Ferguson Florissant district annexed the Kinloch and the Berkeley school districts to combine the schools 31 In 1955 St Louis County established the St Louis County Police Department with jurisdiction throughout the county In 1977 St Louis County was terrorized by three car bombings which killed two people The bomber was never caught In 1988 the Board of Freeholders proposed consolidating the county s 89 municipalities into 37 cities eliminating all unincorporated areas The vote in June 1989 was challenged by numerous groups on grounds questioning the board s constitutional authority On June 25 days after the scheduled vote would have occurred the U S Supreme Court unanimously overturned the Missouri Supreme Court arguing the board s land ownership requirement violated the U S Constitution s Equal Protection Clause 32 The county passed the city in population in the 1970 census when it had 951 353 compared to the city s 622 236 Industrial restructuring cost the city many jobs and residents By the 2010 census the city had fewer people than in the 19th century Geography EditAccording to the United States Census Bureau the county has a total area of 523 square miles 1 350 km2 of which 508 square miles 1 320 km2 is land and 15 square miles 39 km2 2 9 is water 33 Colloquially St Louis County is often divided into Mid North West and South sections North County lies north of Interstate 70 West County lies west of Interstate 270 South County lies south of Interstate 44 and Mid County lies in the middle of the three main bordering highways I 70 I 270 amp I 44 and the St Louis county city line citation needed Natural boundaries Edit The Missouri River forms the northern border with St Charles County exclusive of a few areas where the river has changed its course The Meramec River forms most of its southern border with Jefferson County To the east is the City of St Louis and the Mississippi River The western boundary with Franklin County is the north south line where the distance between the Meramec and Missouri rivers is the shortest bisecting the city of Pacific roughly two blocks east of Hwy OO F First street Topography Edit The foothills of the Ozark Mountains begin in southwestern St Louis County with most of the rest of the county being a fairly level plateau This western part of the county is the least developed due to rugged topography Bluffs along the Mississippi in the south of the county rise about 200 300 feet above the river A major floodplain area is the Chesterfield Valley in the western part of the county along the Missouri River It was formerly called Gumbo Flats after its rich dark soil it was submerged by at least ten feet of water during the Great Flood of 1993 The Corps of Engineers constructed a higher levee and the county has permitted construction in the floodplain The Columbia Bottom is a floodplain in the northeast of the county at the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers this is preserved as a conservation area open to the public The Missouri Bottom area between the two other floodplains had been developed for agriculture but it is being increasingly developed for residential business and industry The River des Peres drains the interior of the county before flowing into constructed underground channels into the City of St Louis It was allowed to resurface where it forms the boundary between southern portions of St Louis City and St Louis County Other streams include Coldwater Creek Bonhomme Creek and Creve Coeur Creek flowing into the Missouri River Keifer Creek Fishpot Creek and Grand Glaize Creek flowing into the Meramec River Deer Creek and Gravois Creek flowing into the River des Peres and Maline Creek flowing into the Mississippi River The highest elevation is 904 feet 275 meters 34 Geology Edit The bedrock is mainly limestone and dolomite and much of the county near the rivers is karst terrain with numerous caves sinkholes and springs No igneous or metamorphic rock is exposed on the surface A major outcropping of the St Peter Sandstone formation a fine white sandstone used for making clear glass is mined in the southwest corner of the county in Pacific Brick clay mining was once a major industry in the county The Charbonier Bluff along the Missouri River is an outcropping of coal and was used a fueling station for steamboats The St Louis Anticline an underground formation has small petroleum deposits in the north part of the county Flora and fauna Edit Before European settlement the area was prairie and open parklike forest maintained by Native Americans via burning Trees are mainly oak maple and hickory similar to the forests of the Ozarks common understory trees include eastern redbud serviceberry and flowering dogwood Riparian areas are heavily forested with mainly American sycamore By the 1920s most of the timber in the county was harvested Since that time large parks and undeveloped areas in the western and southern parts of the county have grown dense forest cover Old pastures are usually colonized with eastern red cedar Most of the residential area of the county is planted with large native shade trees In autumn the changing color of the trees is notable St Louis County has the most recorded native species of plants in the state but this is probably due to the intensive botanical research done in the area Most species here are typical of the Eastern Woodland but some southern species are found in swampland and typical northern species survive in sheltered hollows Invasive species most notably Japanese honeysuckle are common in some homesteads converted to parks these are actively removed Large mammals include growing populations of whitetail deer and coyotes which are becoming increasingly urbanized Eastern gray squirrel cottontail rabbit and other rodents are abundant as well as opossum beaver muskrat raccoon and skunk Large bird species include wild turkey Canada goose mallard duck various raptors like the turkey vulture and red tailed hawk as well as shorebirds including the great egret and great blue heron Winter populations of bald eagles are found by the Mississippi River around the Chain of Rocks Bridge The county is on the Mississippi Flyway used by migrating birds and has a large variety of small bird species common to the eastern U S The Eurasian tree sparrow an introduced species is limited in North America to the counties surrounding St Louis Frogs are commonly found in the springtime especially after extensive wet periods Common species include American toad and species of chorus frogs commonly called spring peepers that are found in nearly every pond Some years have outbreaks of cicadas or ladybugs Mosquitos and houseflies are common insect nuisances because of this windows are nearly universally fitted with screens and screened in porches are common in homes of the area Populations of honeybees have sharply declined in recent years and numerous species of pollinator insects have filled their ecological niche Climate Edit St Louis CountyClimate chart explanation J F M A M J J A S O N D 66 4 8 75 7 4 85 17 4 204 24 10 108 26 15 128 37 20 47 31 22 113 31 20 97 29 17 90 21 10 46 15 4 81 5 5Average max and min temperatures in CPrecipitation totals in mmSource 35 Imperial conversionJFMAMJJASOND 2 6 39 18 3 45 25 3 3 63 39 8 75 50 4 3 79 59 5 99 68 1 9 88 72 4 4 88 68 3 8 84 63 3 5 70 50 1 8 59 39 3 2 41 23Average max and min temperatures in FPrecipitation totals in inchesSt Louis County has a mix of a humid subtropical climate and a humid continental climate with neither large mountains nor large bodies of water to moderate its temperature The area is affected by both cold Canadian Arctic air and also hot humid air from the Gulf of Mexico The county has four distinct seasons Spring is the wettest season and produces erratic severe weather ranging from tornadoes to winter storms Summers are hot and the humidity can cause the heat index to rise to temperatures above 100 F 38 C Fall is mild with lower humidity and can produce intermittent bouts of heavy rainfall with the first snow flurries usually forming in late November Winters are cool to cold with periodic snow and temperatures often below freezing Winter storm systems such as Alberta clippers can bring days of heavy freezing rain ice pellets and snowfall The average annual temperature for the years 1971 2000 recorded at Lambert St Louis International Airport is 56 3 F 13 5 C and average precipitation is 36 inches 910 mm The average high temperature in July is 88 4 F 31 3 C and the average low temperature in January is 22 6 F 5 2 C although these values are often exceeded Temperatures of 0 F 18 C or below occur three days per year on average 36 The highest temperature ever recorded in St Louis was 115 F 46 C on July 14 1954 while the lowest temperature on record is 23 F 31 C on January 29 1873 37 Winter is the driest season averaging about 6 inches of total precipitation Springtime March through May is typically the wettest season with under 10 5 inches Dry spells of one or two weeks duration are common during the growing seasons Thunderstorms can be expected on 40 to 50 days per year A few of them will be severe with locally destructive winds and large hail and occasionally accompanied by tornadoes 38 A period of unseasonably warm weather late in Autumn known as Indian summer is common roses will still be in bloom as late as November or early December in some years Other geography Edit The largest natural lake in the state is Creve Coeur Lake It was originally an oxbow of the nearby Missouri River and is now the centerpiece of a popular county park Manchester Road Route 100 follows an ancient path westward out of St Louis following the boundary between the Missouri and Meramec watersheds It is one of only two routes to leave the county without crossing any rivers the other being State Highway T The Sinks is a karst area in the far northern part of the county with numerous sinkholes Demographics EditHistorical populationCensus Pop 182010 049 183014 12540 6 184035 979154 7 1850104 978191 8 1860190 52481 5 1870351 18984 3 188031 888 90 9 189036 30713 9 190050 04037 8 191082 41764 7 1920100 73722 2 1930211 593110 0 1940274 23029 6 1950406 34948 2 1960703 53273 1 1970951 35335 2 1980973 8962 4 1990993 5292 0 20001 016 3152 3 2010998 954 1 7 20201 004 1250 5 2021 est 997 187 39 0 7 Independent City of St Louis secededfrom the County in 1876 Populationof the City of St Louis in 1880was 350 518 U S Decennial Census 40 1790 1960 41 1900 1990 42 1990 2000 43 2010 2020 1 As of the census of 2010 there were 998 954 people There were 404 765 households with 263 423 family households The population density was 1 966 inhabitants per square mile 759 km2 There were 423 749 housing units at an average density of 834 per square mile 322 km2 The racial makeup of the county was 68 3 White 66 9 Non Hispanic White 35 3 African American 0 2 Native American 3 5 Asian 1 1 Asian Indian 1 0 Chinese 0 3 Filipino 0 3 Korean 0 3 Vietnamese 0 1 Japanese 0 4 Other 0 03 Pacific Islander 0 9 from other races and 1 9 from two or more races and 2 5 Hispanic or Latino 1 5 Mexican 0 2 Puerto Rican 0 1 Cuban 0 8 Other 44 There were 404 765 households out of which 31 0 had children under the age of 18 living with them 51 00 were married couples living together 12 70 had a female householder with no husband present and 33 00 were non families 28 00 of all households were made up of individuals and 10 10 had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older The average household size was 2 47 and the average family size was 3 05 In the county the age distribution of the population shows 25 20 under the age of 18 8 30 from 18 to 24 29 00 from 25 to 44 23 50 from 45 to 64 and 14 10 who were 65 years of age or older The median age was 38 years For every 100 females there were 90 00 males For every 100 females age 18 and over there were 85 70 males The median income for a household in the county was 58 532 and the median income for a family was 72 680 Males had a median income of 45 714 versus 30 278 for females The per capita income for the county was 27 595 About 5 00 of families and 6 90 of the population were below the poverty line including 9 30 of those under age 18 and 5 30 of those age 65 or over Racial composition 2010 45 2020 46 White 70 3 63 0 Non Hispanic 68 9 62 2 Black or African American 23 3 24 6 Hispanic or Latino of any race 2 5 3 7 Asian 3 5 4 9 Two or More Races 1 9 5 7 Economy EditAs of 2009 the largest employment sectors in St Louis County are education and health 25 2 trade and transportation 19 6 and professional business services 12 7 47 The county also has the highest per capita income in Missouri 49 727 and nearly one fourth of the state workforce is employed in St Louis County 48 but it accounts for 27 of the state s wages It is home to the eighth strongest market for technology hiring and the world s largest concentration of plant science Ph D s 49 The St Louis County Economic Council is the economic development agency of St Louis County and it is operated under the authority of the St Louis County government 50 Among the largest employers in the county are Boeing 16 000 employees Washington University in St Louis 13 200 employees and SSM Healthcare 12 400 employees 47 As of 2013 Express Scripts has approximately 4 500 employees with a planned expansion of 1 500 jobs to be added over the five years from 2013 to 2018 51 Unemployment in St Louis County is well below the national rate of 7 7 November 2012 at 6 5 October for monthly unemployment numbers since June 2012 see below Unemployment in St Louis County Month Civilian labor force Employed Unemployed Unemployment rate 52 2013 03 March 2013 509 541 476 202 33 339 6 52012 10 October 2012 522 285 488 224 34 061 6 52012 9 September 2012 517 435 485 532 31 903 6 22012 8 August 2012 519 193 483 153 36 040 6 92012 7 July 2012 526 118 487 400 38 718 7 42012 6 June 2012 512 170 491 956 36 214 6 9Arts and culture EditSee also St Louis cuisineParks and recreation EditSt Louis County owns and maintains more than 40 parks as part of its county park system including playgrounds and nature preserves It also operates several recreation centers the National Museum of Transportation and the Affton Community Center In addition to parks owned by St Louis County the county is home to three Missouri state parks Babler Castlewood and Route 66 State Park and part of the Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge and the Ulysses S Grant National Historic Site Several municipalities in the county also own and maintain their own park systems Parks owned by St Louis County Name Area acres Region of St Louis County Bee Tree Park 199 SouthBella Fontaine Park 300 NorthBissell House 9 3 NorthBlack Forest Park 4 3 SouthBohrer Park 16 SouthBon Oak Park 15 NorthBuder Park 75 SouthCastlepoint Park 11 NorthCliff Cave Park 560 SouthClydesdale Park 117 SouthCreve Coeur Park 2 114 WestEbsworth Park 10 5 WestEndicott Park 24 NorthFaust Park 197 WestEndicott Park 24 NorthFort Bellefontaine Park 305 6 NorthGreensfelder County Park 1 646 WestJefferson Barracks Park 426 SouthKing Park 4 NorthKinloch Park 9 NorthLaumeier Sculpture Park 105 SouthLarimore Park 22 NorthLemay Park 18 5 SouthLone Elk County Park 546 WestLove Park 89 WestMathilda Welmering Park 6 SouthMcDonnell Park 133 NorthMemorial Park 2 7 NorthOhlendorf Park 10 SouthQueeny Park 564 WestSioux Passage Park 188 NorthSimpson Park 206 SouthSpanish Lake Park 245 NorthStacy Park 35 WestSt Vincent Park 133 NorthSuson Park 98 SouthSylvan Springs Park 70 SouthTilles Park 75 WestUnger Park 140 SouthVeterans Memorial Park 250 NorthWest Tyson County Park 670 WestWinter Park 160 South Regions of St Louis County as defined by the St Louis County Parks and Recreation Department Government EditSt Louis County government is divided between executive power vested in the County Executive and legislative power vested in the County Council The current county executive is Sam Page who was appointed on April 29 2019 The county executive s term is four years without term limits and the position is elected by the population of the entire county The council consists of seven members elected from separate districts within the county with four year terms beginning on January 1 following elections In 1950 St Louis County became the first Missouri county to adopt a home rule charter under the Missouri Constitution and the current charter was adopted by voters on November 6 1979 citation needed St Louis County MissouriElected countywide officialsAssessorJake ZimmermanDemocraticCounty ExecutiveSam PageDemocraticProsecuting AttorneyWesley BellDemocraticCrime and public safety Edit The St Louis County Police Department operates under the authority of the St Louis County Board of Police Commissioners and is the largest law enforcement agency in St Louis County citation needed Although it is directly responsible for law enforcement in unincorporated areas of the county several municipalities contract with the county police for public safety services 53 Municipalities that maintain service agreements with the county police are Black Jack Fenton Ferguson Grantwood Village Green Park Hanley Hills Jennings Marlborough Norwood Court Pasadena Hills Twin Oaks Valley Park Vinita Terrace Wilbur Park and Wildwood 53 A total of 58 of the 90 municipalities in the county maintain their own police departments Eighty one of the local towns run their own courts 54 St Louis County fire services are provided by 20 municipal fire departments and 23 fire protection districts 55 The fire protection districts exist as independent taxing governments that are unrelated to the St Louis County government while the municipal fire departments are funded through municipal taxes and are administered by their respective cities 55 County government buildings in Clayton From left to right County Police headquarters the Lawrence K Roos County Government Building the Buzz Westfall Justice Center and the Courts Building Past gubernatorial election results 56 Year Republican Democratic Third Parties2020 38 77 207 535 59 28 317 327 1 95 10 4132016 38 76 199 827 58 40 301 115 2 77 14 2992012 35 62 185 704 62 30 324 748 3 85 19 6522008 32 92 180 278 65 32 357 649 1 71 9 3962004 44 09 238 783 54 77 296 624 1 13 6 1272000 48 01 233 031 49 31 239 341 2 68 12 9971996 45 09 208 184 53 12 245 275 1 79 8 259Politics Edit United States presidential election results for St Louis County Missouri 57 Year Republican Democratic Third partyNo No No 2020 199 493 37 19 328 151 61 17 8 802 1 64 2016 202 434 38 95 286 704 55 17 30 548 5 88 2012 224 742 42 39 297 097 56 04 8 277 1 56 2008 221 705 39 60 333 123 59 50 5 026 0 90 2004 244 969 45 12 295 284 54 38 2 730 0 50 2000 224 689 46 15 250 631 51 48 11 564 2 38 1996 196 096 42 42 225 524 48 79 40 658 8 80 1992 188 285 35 21 235 760 44 09 110 718 20 70 1988 262 784 54 67 216 534 45 05 1 364 0 28 1984 307 684 63 99 173 144 36 01 0 0 00 1980 263 518 54 35 192 796 39 77 28 517 5 88 1976 246 988 54 57 196 915 43 51 8 723 1 93 1972 264 147 62 16 160 801 37 84 0 0 00 1968 180 355 46 80 165 786 43 02 39 234 10 18 1964 134 962 38 71 213 658 61 29 0 0 00 1960 157 992 48 69 166 508 51 31 0 0 00 1956 138 111 53 12 121 881 46 88 0 0 00 1952 116 821 54 98 95 457 44 93 202 0 10 1948 69 592 52 17 62 684 47 00 1 107 0 83 1944 64 131 52 45 57 780 47 26 355 0 29 1940 66 909 55 88 52 380 43 74 458 0 38 1936 45 541 40 63 63 226 56 40 3 333 2 97 1932 35 872 36 51 59 044 60 09 3 341 3 40 1928 42 572 55 53 33 802 44 09 293 0 38 1924 26 669 55 75 16 075 33 61 5 090 10 64 1920 25 008 63 57 12 438 31 62 1 896 4 82 1916 12 485 60 41 7 587 36 71 594 2 87 1912 6 177 39 78 5 409 34 84 3 940 25 38 1908 10 177 66 40 4 522 29 51 627 4 09 1904 7 375 69 45 2 870 27 03 374 3 52 1900 6 537 61 83 3 864 36 55 172 1 63 1896 6 210 64 09 3 403 35 12 76 0 78 1892 4 367 57 83 3 116 41 26 69 0 91 1888 4 416 61 54 2 707 37 72 53 0 74 As of March 2016 there were 648 073 registered voters in St Louis County down from 708 283 registered voters in April 2013 58 59 60 At the federal level the county is represented by Democrat Cori Bush of the 1st district and Republican Ann Wagner of the 2nd district Since 1992 the county has favored Democratic candidates in the presidential elections Democrats are generally strongest in the northern portion of the county which has a high Black population while Republicans have historically dominated the western and southern parts of the county In recent years however Republicans have seen the western and southern portion of the county made up of suburbs become much more competitive St Louis County is a diverse college educated suburban and affluent county with a large Black population as well as a new influx of Asian Americans These factors in recent years have pushed the county to become safer for Democrats Historically the Republican voters in this area were more moderate voters fiscally conservative yet socially liberal St Louis County overall is a Democratic stronghold having voted for the Democratic presidential nominee in each election since 1992 and with increasing margins since 2000 In 2004 2012 2016 and 2020 it was only one of four counties in the state to vote Democratic In 2020 Joe Biden won the county with over 60 of the vote the best ever showing for a Democrat in the county As of the 2014 elections of the five senators who have residences in St Louis County elected to the Missouri Senate four are Democrats and one is a Republican Of the 28 representatives elected to the Missouri House of Representatives 19 are Democrats and 9 are Republicans 61 All of North County elects Democrats to the Missouri General Assembly most of Mid County also elect Democrats while most of West County and South County elects Republicans Education EditEducation in St Louis County is provided by 23 public school districts 20 private high schools both a unified public library system and several municipal libraries and several colleges and universities Several of the school districts in the county also maintain a voluntary student transfer agreement with the St Louis Public Schools that allows county residents to attend magnet schools in the city of St Louis Public Schools Edit School districts include 62 Affton School District Bayless School District Brentwood School District School District of Clayton Ferguson Florissant School District Hancock Place School District Hazelwood School District Jennings School District Kirkwood School District Ladue School District Lindbergh Schools Maplewood Richmond Heights School District Mehlville School District Meramec Valley R III School District Normandy Schools Collaborative Parkway School District Pattonville School District Ritenour School District Riverview Gardens School District Rockwood School District School District of University City Valley Park School District Webster Groves School District Special School District of St Louis County SSD operates schools for differently abled students 63 Private Schools Edit Barat Academy Chaminade College Preparatory School All Boys Christian Brothers College High School All Boys Cor Jesu Academy All Girls De Smet Jesuit High School All Boys Incarnate Word Academy All Girls John Burroughs School Lutheran High School North Lutheran High School South Mary Institute and St Louis Country Day School Nerinx Hall High School All Girls The Principia Saint Louis Priory School All Boys St John Vianney High School All Boys St Joseph s Academy All Girls Ursuline Academy All Girls Villa Duchesne All Girls Visitation Academy of St Louis All Girls Westminster Christian Academy Whitfield School Higher Education Edit Concordia Seminary Eden Theological Seminary Fontbonne University Kenrick Glennon Seminary Logan University Maryville University Missouri Baptist University St Louis Christian College St Louis Community College University of Missouri St Louis Washington University in St Louis Webster University Library Edit St Louis County libraries include the unified St Louis County Library and several municipal library systems Infrastructure EditTransportation Edit Major freeways and highways Edit I 44 Interstate 44 Business I 55 I 64 I 70 I 170 I 255 I 270 US 40 US 50 US 61 US 66 1926 1979 US 67 Route 21 Route 30 Route 100 Route 115 Route 141 Route 180 Route 231 Route 267 Route 364 Route 366 Route 367 Route 370Health care Edit In 1927 a 1 million bond was issued allocating funds for the construction of the first St Louis County Hospital 64 Construction of the 200 bed the non segregated hospital began in 1929 in the city of Clayton The hospital opened in July 1931 and ran until June 1986 65 Current list of hospitals in St Louis County Barnes Jewish West County Hospital Christian Hospital DePaul Health Center Des Peres Hospital DuBuis Hospital of St Louis Mercy Hospital South Mercy Hospital St Louis Missouri Baptist Medical Center Northwest HealthCare Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital St Clare Health Center St John s Mercy Medical Center St Joseph Hospital St Luke s Hospital St Mary s HospitalCommunities EditSee also Municipalities of St Louis County Missouri One third of the county population lives in unincorporated areas for which the county government provides services such as zoning code enforcement refuse disposal and police protection In addition to the county level government there are 90 municipal governments in St Louis County that also provide services 66 These vary widely in population and area The smallest towns in population are Champ with a 2010 population of 13 67 Country Life Acres population 74 67 and Mackenzie population 134 67 14 county municipalities have a 2010 population under 500 and fewer than a third exceed 10 000 In area the smallest town is Mackenzie 12 8 acres 5 2 ha while 14 other towns are 0 1 square mile 0 26 km2 or less At the other end of the scale Florissant has a population over 50 000 and Wildwood at the far west of the county is 66 square miles 170 km2 St Louis County municipalities include Cities Edit Ballwin Bella Villa Bellefontaine Neighbors Berkeley Beverly Hills Black Jack Breckenridge Hills Brentwood Bridgeton Calverton Park Charlack Chesterfield Clarkson Valley Clayton county seat Cool Valley Country Club Hills Crestwood Creve Coeur Crystal Lake Park Dellwood Des Peres Edmundson Ellisville Eureka Fenton Ferguson Flordell Hills Florissant Frontenac Glendale Green Park Greendale Hazelwood Huntleigh Jennings Kinloch Kirkwood Ladue Lakeshire Manchester Maplewood Maryland Heights Moline Acres Normandy Northwoods Oakland Olivette Overland Pacific mostly in Franklin County Pagedale Pasadena Hills Pine Lawn Richmond Heights Rock Hill Shrewsbury St Ann St John Sunset Hills Town and Country Twin Oaks University City Valley Park Velda City Velda Village Hills Vinita Park Warson Woods Webster Groves Wellston Wildwood Winchester Woodson Terrace Villages Edit Bellerive Bel Nor Bel Ridge Champ Country Life Acres Glen Echo Park Grantwood Village Hanley Hills Hillsdale Marlborough Norwood Court Pasadena Park Riverview Sycamore Hills Uplands Park Westwood Wilbur Park Census designated places Edit Affton Castle Point Concord Glasgow Village Lemay Mehlville Oakville Old Jamestown Sappington Spanish Lake Townships Edit Airport Bonhomme Chesterfield Clayton Concord Creve Coeur Ferguson Florissant Gravois Hadley Jefferson Lafayette Lemay Lewis and Clark Maryland Heights Meramec Midland Missouri River Normandy Northwest Norwood Oakville Queeny Spanish Lake St Ferdinand Tesson Ferry University WildhorseUnincorporated communities Edit Ascalon Carsonville Earth City Fort Belle Fontaine Glencoe Grover Mackenzie Peerless Park Pond St George Sherman Times BeachSee also EditList of counties in Missouri National Register of Historic Places listings in St Louis County MissouriReferences Edit a b State amp County QuickFacts United States Census Bureau Retrieved October 24 2022 Find a County National Association of Counties Retrieved June 7 2011 Hunn Jeremy Kohler David Metro City Better Together launches a two year effort to meld St Louis city and county stltoday com Retrieved September 4 2019 a b c d e Cohn 26 a b Cohn 25 a b c d e f g h i j k Cohn 27 a b c d e f Cohn 58 a b Berger Erwin 7 a b Cohn 63 a b c Thomas 67 Thomas 122 a b Davison 61 Davison 63 a b Davison 67 a b c d e f g Cohn 36 William N Cassella Jr City County Separation The Great Divorce of 1876 Missouri Historical Society Bulletin January 1959 a b c d e f Cohn 28 a b c d e f g h i j Cohn 29 a b TIM O NEIL toneil post dispatch com gt 314 340 8132 April 17 2011 A Look Back Ralph Clayton gave land for county seat Stltoday com Retrieved April 26 2011 a b c Cohn 33 Cohn 34 a b c d e f Cohn 35 St Louis County Parks and Recreation Ww5 stlouisco com Retrieved April 26 2011 permanent dead link a b c Cohn 37 a b Cohn 110 112 Hemphill 10 a b Hemphill 8 Beck 41 a b Berger Erwin 8 Fiedler 91 a b Davison 68 Tranel Mark 2007 St Louis Plans The Ideal and the Real St Louis Missouri History Museum pp 70 74 ISBN 9781883982614 Retrieved June 19 2017 2010 Census Gazetteer Files United States Census Bureau August 22 2012 Archived from the original on October 21 2013 Retrieved November 20 2014 USGS 1 3 Arc Second NED NASA Earth Observations Data Set Index NASA Archived from the original on April 7 2019 Retrieved January 30 2016 2001 ST LOUIS MISSOURI STL Weather Explained Volume 4 2006 Last accessed December 4 2006 Welcome to the Top 10 NOAA s National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office Last accessed December 4 2006 Service US Department of Commerce NOAA National Weather St Louis MO www crh noaa gov Retrieved March 26 2018 Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties April 1 2020 to July 1 2021 Retrieved October 24 2022 U S Decennial Census United States Census Bureau Retrieved November 20 2014 Historical Census Browser University of Virginia Library Retrieved November 20 2014 Population of Counties by Decennial Census 1900 to 1990 United States Census Bureau Retrieved November 20 2014 Census 2000 PHC T 4 Ranking Tables for Counties 1990 and 2000 PDF United States Census Bureau Archived PDF from the original on March 27 2010 Retrieved November 20 2014 Bureau U S Census U S Census website United States Census Bureau Retrieved September 4 2019 American Fact Finder U S Census dead link St Louis County Missouri U S Census a b SLCEC St Louis County Facts and Figures Archived from the original on November 27 2012 Retrieved November 17 2012 SLCEC Demography Maps Archived from the original on October 11 2012 Retrieved November 17 2012 2012 13 Annual Report PDF St Louis County Economic Council Archived from the original PDF on August 5 2013 Retrieved July 2 2013 St Louis Economic Development Partnership St Louis Economic Development Partnership St Louis Economic Development Partnership Archived from the original on November 21 2012 Retrieved March 26 2018 Express Scripts plans to add 1 500 jobs in north St Louis County St Louis Post Dispatch June 20 2013 Archived copy Archived from the original on October 25 2012 Retrieved November 17 2012 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint archived copy as title link a b http www stlouisco com Portals 8 docs Document 20Library police Contracts pdf Archived September 21 2014 at the Wayback Machine bare URL PDF Editorial Erase arbitrary boundaries to build a greater St Louis Post Dispatch March 28 2015 a b Government St Louis County Municipal Fire Departments Fire Protection Districts Countywide Map www stlouisco com Archived from the original on November 14 2012 Retrieved March 26 2018 Election Results Archive Archived from the original on July 28 2021 Retrieved March 1 2022 Leip David Dave Leip s Atlas of U S Presidential Elections uselectionatlas org Retrieved March 26 2018 Presidential Preference Primary Official Results St Louis County March 25 2016 Archived from the original on April 9 2016 Retrieved March 31 2016 General Municipal Election St Louis County April 2 2013 Archived from the original on April 29 2013 Retrieved June 20 2013 St Louis County ELECTION RESULTS St Louis County Archived from the original on June 28 2013 Retrieved June 20 2013 General Election Official Final Results St Louis County Board of Elections November 18 2014 Archived from the original on April 4 2016 Retrieved March 31 2016 2020 CENSUS SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP St Louis County MO PDF U S Census Bureau Archived PDF from the original on July 22 2022 Retrieved July 22 2022 Text list SSD Mission amp Vision Special School District of St Louis County Retrieved July 22 2022 12110 Clayton Road Town amp Country MO 63131 History of St Louis County Hospital St Louis County Health Retrieved on August 24 2009 Archived January 31 2009 at the Wayback Machine History of St Louis County Hospital Washington University School of Medicine St Louis Retrieved on August 24 2009 Communities Archived from the original on April 15 2012 Retrieved April 16 2012 a b c Race Hispanic or Latino Age and Housing Occupancy 2010 Census Redistricting Data Public Law 94 171 Summary File QT PL Champ village Missouri United States Census Bureau Retrieved October 25 2011 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to St Louis County Missouri St Louis County profile St Louis County Government Archived June 22 2009 at the Wayback Machine St Louis County Municipalities page St Louis climate from the National Weather Service St Louis County Economic Council Digitized 1930 Plat Book of St Louis County Archived August 16 2011 at the Wayback Machine from University of Missouri Division of Special Collections Archives and Rare Books The American Cyclopaedia 1879 Saint Louis county The American Cyclopaedia 1879 Coordinates 38 38 N 90 26 W 38 64 N 90 44 W 38 64 90 44 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title St Louis County Missouri amp oldid 1127362101, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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