Town of St. Louis
St. Louis is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It is
bordered by the Mississippi River on the east and by St. Louis County on
the north, south, and west. Sometimes written as Saint Louis, the city is
named for King Louis IX of France. St. Louis is known for its French and
German heritage and Victorian past. Two events at the beginning of the
20th century, the 1904 World's Fair and 1904 Olympic Games (the first
ever held in the United States) are of particular pride to St. Louisans.
In the 21st century, St. Louis has transformed from a manufacturing and
industrial economy into a globally known locus for research in medicine,
biotechnology, and other sciences.
The city has several nicknames, including the "Gateway City", "Gateway to
the West", and "Mound City". It is called "Gateway to the West" for the
many people who moved west through St. Louis via the Missouri River
(first leg of the Oregon Trail) and other wagon trails. "Mound City"
originated with the Native American burial mounds that once were common
in the city. These were largely destroyed to level the ground as the city
grew. The city is also sometimes called "St. Louie", "River City", or
"The Lou"; and a popular abbreviation for St. Louis is "STL" in reference
to
the
airport
code
for
the
city
and
the
long-standing
use
of
an
interlocked S, T, and L by the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team (the St.
Louis Browns also used an interlocked STL).
The City
of
St.
Louis
lies at the
center
of
Greater
St.
Louis, a
sprawling region which includes counties in the states of Missouri and
Illinois, and is the 18th largest metropolitan area in the U.S. with
2,801,033 as of the July 2006 US Census estimate. St. Louis is expected
to increase in its rank as the 18th largest metropolitian area by the
2010 census because of the rapid growth of St. Charles County and western
St. Louis county.
Geography:
According to the United States Census Bureau, St. Louis has a total area
of 171.3 km² (66.2 mi²). 160.4 km² (61.9 mi²) of it is land and 11.0 km²
(4.2 mi² or 6.39%) of it is water. The city is built primarily on bluffs
and terraces that rise 100-200 feet above the western banks of the
page 1/1
Mississippi River, just south of the Missouri-Mississippi confluence.
Much of the area is a fertile and gently rolling prairie that features
low hills and broad, shallow valleys. Both the Mississippi River and the
Missouri River have cut large valleys with wide flood plains.
Limestone and dolomite of the Mississippian epoch underlies the area and
much of the city is a karst area, with numerous sinkholes and caves,
although most of the caves have been sealed shut; many springs are
visible along the riverfront. Significant deposits of coal, brick clay,
and millerite ore were once mined in the city, and the predominant
surface rock, the St. Louis Limestone, is used as dimension stone and
rubble for construction. Near the southern boundary of the City of St.
Louis (separating it from St. Louis County) is the River des Peres,
virtually the only river or stream within the city limits that is not
entirely
underground.[citation
needed]
Most
of
River
des
Peres
was
either
channelized or put underground in the 1920s and early 1930s. The lower
section of the river was the site of some of the worst flooding of the
Great Flood of 1993.
Near the central, western boundary of the city is Forest Park, site of
the 1904 World's fair, the Louisiana Purchase Exposition of 1904, and the
1904 Summer Olympics, the first Olympic Games held in North America. At
the time, St. Louis was the fourth most populous city in the United
States.
The
Missouri
River
forms
the
northern
border
of
St.
Louis
County,
exclusive of a few areas where the river has changed its course. The
Meramec River forms most of its southern border. To the east is the City
and the Mississippi River.
Demographics:
Like
other
large
American
cities,
St.
Louis
experienced
a
large
population shift to the suburbs in the twentieth century; first because
of increased demand for new housing following the Second World War, and
later in response to demographic changes, namely white flight, whether
real
or
perceived,
in
existing
neighborhoods.
The
long
standing
population decline of the city has begun to reverse itself in recent
years. Although recent census reports show population growth, St. Louis
has had a long history of population decline. Between 1950 and 2000, the
city has lost people at a rate faster than any other major American city
except Hartford, Connecticut, losing more than half its population: in
1950,
it
had
a
population
of
856,796;
in
2000,
the
population
page 2/1
was
348,189. As of 2006, the population of St. Louis has shown a small
increase to 353,837.[1]
As
of
the
censusGR2
of
2000,
there
were
348,189
people,
147,076
households, and 76,920 families residing in the city. The population
density was 2,171.2/km² (5,622.9/mi²). There were 176,354 housing units
at an average density of 1,099.7/km² (2,847.9/mi²). The racial makeup of
the city of St. Louis (as separate and distinct from St. Louis County and
the rest of the MSA) was 51.20% African American, 43.85% White, 1.98%
Asian, 0.27% Native American, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.80% from other
ethnic groups, and 1.88% of two or more ethnicities. Hispanic or Latino
of any ethnic group were 2.02% of the population. Historically, North St.
Louis City has been primarily African American and South St. Louis City
has been primarily European American. Since the mid-1990s, an estimated
35,000
-
45,000
Bosnian
immigrants
have
settled
in
the
St.
Louis
metropolitan area, primarily concentrated in the Bevo neighborhood of
south St. Louis and adjacent parts of St. Louis County.
There are 147,076 households, out of which 25.4% have children younger
than 18 living with them, 26.2% were married couples living together,
21.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.7% were
non-families. 40.3% of all households were made up of individuals and
12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The
average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 3.19.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.7% younger than 18,
10.6% from 18 to 24, 30.9% from 25 to 44, 19.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.7%
who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every
100 females there were 88.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and
older, there were 84.2 males.
Recommended attractions:
Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis:
Built between 1907 and 1909, this Cathedral is known for its beautiful
interior mosaics, which took nearly 80 years to create using more than 41
million pieces of tile.
http://www.cathedralstl.org
Magic House, St Louis Children's Museum:
This Museum is a not-for-profit organization that provides children with
hands-on learning experiences.
http://www.magichouse.com
page 3/1
Opera Theatre of St. Louis:
http://www.opera-stl.org/
St. Louis Art Museum:
http://www.stlouis.art.museum/
page 4/1