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Saint Louis, Missouri

St. Louis
Saint-Louis
Independent city
City of St. Louis
From top left: Forest Park Jewel Box, MetroLink at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, Apotheosis of St. Louis at the St. Louis Art Museum, the Gateway Arch and the St. Louis skyline, Busch Stadium, and the St. Louis Zoo
Flag of St. Louis
Flag
Official seal of St. Louis
Seal
Nickname(s): Gateway to the West, The Gateway City, Mound City, The Lou, Rome of the West, River City
St. Louis is located in Missouri
St. Louis
St. Louis
Location in the state of Missouri
Coordinates: 38°37′38″N 90°11′52″W / 38.62722°N 90.19778°W / 38.62722; -90.19778Coordinates: 38°37′38″N 90°11′52″W / 38.62722°N 90.19778°W / 38.62722; -90.19778
Country United States
State Missouri
County None (Independent city)
Metro Greater St. Louis
Founded 1764
Incorporated 1822
Named for Louis IX of France
Government
 • Type Mayor–council government
 • Mayor Francis G. Slay (D)
Area
 • Independent city 66 sq mi (170 km2)
 • Land 61.9 sq mi (160 km2)
 • Water 4.1 sq mi (11 km2)
 • Urban 923.6 sq mi (2,392.2 km2)
 • Metro 8,458 sq mi (21,910 km2)
Elevation 466 ft (142 m)
Highest elevation 614 ft (187 m)
Population (2010)
 • Independent city 319,294
 • Estimate (2015) 315,685
 • Rank US: 60th
MO: 2nd
Midwest: 11th
 • Density 5,099.9/sq mi (1,969.1/km2)
 • Urban 2,150,706 (US: 20th)
 • Metro 2,811,588 (US: 20th)
 • CSA 2,916,447 (US: 19th)
Demonym(s) St. Louisan
Time zone CST (UTC−6)
 • Summer (DST) CDT (UTC−5)
ZIP Codes
Area code 314
Website stlouis-mo.gov

St. Louis (/snt ˈlɪs/) is an independent city and major U.S. port in the state of Missouri, built along the western bank of the Mississippi River, on the border with Illinois. The city had an estimated 2015 population of 315,685, and is the cultural and economic center of the Greater St. Louis area (home to 2,916,447 people), making it the largest metropolitan area in Missouri and the 19th-largest in the United States.

Prior to European settlement, the area was a major regional center of Native American Mississippian culture. The city of St. Louis was founded in 1764 by French fur traders Pierre Laclède and Auguste Chouteau, and named after Louis IX of France. In 1764, following France's defeat in the Seven Years' War, the area was ceded to Spain and retroceded back to France in 1800. In 1803, the United States acquired the territory as part of the Louisiana Purchase. During the 19th century, St. Louis developed as a major port on the Mississippi River. In the 1870 Census, St. Louis was ranked as the 4th-largest city in the United States. It separated from St. Louis County in 1877, becoming an independent city and limiting its own political boundaries. In 1904, it hosted the Louisiana Purchase Exposition and the Summer Olympics.


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