About St. Louis

A City With a Past—and a Future

St. Louis encompasses the independent city in the state of Missouri (the “City of St. Louis”) as well as its metropolitan area (Greater St. Louis). This area includes counties in the states of Missouri and Illinois; it is the 18th largest in the United States with a population of 2,698,672 as of the 2000 census. The area was originally established in 1764 as a trading post on the banks of the Mississippi River and later became a launching point for westward exploration. It experienced a population boom during the late 1800s when German and Italian immigrants settled in large numbers.

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History

St. Louis stood as a gateway to the west long before the famed St. Louis Arch was erected, before Six Flags flew over St. Louis and before Anheuser-Busch brewed its first beer. French explorers Marquette and Joliet discovered the mouth of the Missouri River in 1673; St. Louis was founded as a fur trading post nearly 100 years later, in 1764, by Pierre Laclede and René Auguste Choutou, who named the town after France’s King Louis IX. However, St. Louis’ history actually began long before the 18^th century. Historians think Native Americans built earthen dwellings here in 400 BC and may have roamed this area more than 1,000 years before that. While Europe was in the Middle Ages, this rich culture vanished for reasons that still elude historians.

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Fast Facts

Population: 2,764,054

Female: 51.95%
Male: 48.05%

Median Age: 36

Neighborhoods

Central West End
Downtown St. Louis
Forest Park Southeast
The Hill
Lafayette Square
Soulard
St. Charles
Tower Grove Heights
Webster Groves
University City
The Ville

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Climate

By Car

The two biggest highways in St. Louis are I-70 and I-44.  I-70 heads west to Columbia and Kansas City.  I-44 goes southwest to Springfield and Joplin.  I-55 runs north to Chicago and south to Memphis.

License & Registration

Driver’s Licenses:
In Missouri, the requirements for obtaining a drivers license are fairly basic: You need to be the required age; you need to bring proper identification to a branch office of the MO DMV; you need to pass a vision and hearing test; and you need to pass the required written and behind-the-wheel driving license testing.

Vehicle Registration:
If you have recently moved to the City of St. Louis, you must obtain your property tax waiver from the county in which you lived on January 1st. To register your automobile you must bring the following to any Missouri Department of Revenue fee office:

1. A paid personal property tax receipt from the Collector of Revenue’s office or a property tax waiver from the City Assessor’s office.

2. A current insurance identification card or other proof of financial responsibility.

3. An emissions inspection notice that is not more than 60 days old, unless exempt (i.e., vehicles more than 26 years old and all motorcycles are exempt). Emissions tests are only required every two years.

4. A signed License Renewal Application. You may obtain an Application for License (Form DOR-184) at your local Missouri Department of Revenue contract office.

5. A check, made out to “Department of Revenue”, or cash, for the correct registration (license plate) fee, typically based on the horsepower of the vehicle

6. $3.50 registration processing fee for a one year registration or $7.00 registration processing fee for a two year registration. This may be included in the check for the registration fee. A $5 renewal penalty will be charged if you renew your plates after the expiration date

Public Transportation

MetroLink
www.metrostlouis.org

MetroLink is the St. Louis metropolitan region’s light rail system and is operated by Metro as part of a fully integrated regional transportation system. MetroLink has 28 stations and stretches 38 miles. It serves several municipalities in St. Louis County, Missouri, St. Clair and Monroe Counties in Illinois, and the City of St. Louis.

Inter-City Transportation
Amtrak
www.amtrak.com
(215) 349-1320

Passenger train service is also available through a new Amtrak station that opened in December, 2004. Other permanent train stations exist in the suburb of Kirkwood, Missouri and nearby Alton, Illinois.

Greyhound Bus
(800) 231-2222

Service from City to numerous locations throughout the United States.

MetroBus
www.metrostlouis.org

The MetroBus system is a major entity of Metro’s multi-modal transit system, which serves four counties in Missouri and Illinois, including the City of St. Louis.

Vandalia Bus Lines
(618) 344-1272

Air Transportation

Lambert-St. Louis International Airport (STL)
10701 Lambert International Blvd
St. Louis, MO 63145-0212
(314) 426-8000
www.flystl.com

Lambert International is just 10 miles northwest of St. Louis.  The airport serves around 90 non-stop destinations, both domestic and international.  It’s a hub for American Airlines. The airport is easily accessible through public transportation.

Taxis
Board at: Main Terminal, Exit MT14-yellow level of garage; East Terminal, Exit ET12.

Rates
First 1/10 mile $2.50
Each additional 1/10 mile $0.20
Each additional passenger $2.00
Downtown St. Louis Approximate Rate $36.00
Clayton Approximate Rate $25.00
Westport Approximate Rate $21.00

MidAmerica St. Louis Airport
9768 Airport Blvd.
Mascoutah, IL 62258
www.flymidamerica.com

MidAmerica St. Louis Airport is located well east of the city in Illinois adjacent to Scott Air Force Base. Constructed as a reliever airport to Lambert, it has failed to attract any major airlines, primarily due to its distance from downtown and low population in its immediate vicinity.

Spirit of Saint Louis Airport
18270 Edison Avenue
Chesterfield, Missouri 63005
www.spiritairport.com

Spirit of Saint Louis Airport, located in nearby Chesterfield, Missouri is the area’s general aviation airport.

Television

Radio

Newspapers

St. Louis Post-Dispatch
(314) 340-8000
www.stltoday.com

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch is the region’s major daily newspaper. Founded by Joseph Pulitzer in the 1800s, the paper was owned by Pulitzer Publishing until 2005, when the company was acquired by Lee Enterprises.

Belleville News Democrat
(618) 234-1113
www.belleville.com

The daily Belleville News Democrat, published in Belleville, Illinois, serves many Illinois communities in the St. Louis Metro Area.

St. Louis Business Journal
(800) 486-3289
www.bizjournals.com

The St. Louis Business Journal, published weekly on Fridays, covers the region’s business news.

Museums

City Museums offers a variety of interesting exhibits, including several large caves and a huge outdoor playground. It also serves as a meeting point for St. Louis’ young arts scene. The Eugene Field House, located in downtown St. Louis, is a museum dedicated to the distinguished children’s author. The Missouri History Museum presents exhibits and programs on a variety of topics including the 1904 World’s Fair, and a comprehensive exhibit on Lewis and Clark’s voyage exploring the Louisiana Purchase.

American Kennel Club Museum of the Dog
(314) 821-3647
1721 S. Mason Rd.
St. Louis, MO 63131
www.akc.org

Beall Mansion Historic Home Tour
(618) 474-9100, (866) THE-BEAL
407 E. 12th St.
Alton, IL 62002-7230
www.beallmansion.com

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Sports

Enthusiastic and knowledgeable fans give the city a reputation as “a top-notch sports town” and “Baseball City USA.” The Sporting News rated St. Louis the nation’s “Best Sports City.” The St. Louis Cardinals, one of the oldest franchises in Major League Baseball, have won 9 World Championships, second only to the New York Yankees.

St. Louis Cardinals Major League Baseball
Baseball National League
Busch Stadium

Gateway Grizzlies
Frontier League Baseball
www.gatewaygrizzlies.com

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Outdoors

Forest Park, located on the western edge of the central corridor of the City of St. Louis, is one of the largest urban parks in the world, out sizing Central Park in New York City by 500 acres. It offers many of St. Louis’ most popular attractions: the Saint Louis Zoological Park, the Municipal Theatre (also known as, The Muny, the largest and oldest outdoor musical theatre in the United States), the St. Louis Science Center (with its architecturally distinctive McDonnell Planetarium), the Saint Louis Art Museum, the Missouri History Museum, several lakes, and scenic, open areas. Forest Park completed a multimillion dollar renovation in 2004 for the centennial of the St. Louis World’s Fair. The Zoo, Art Museum, and Science Center are all world-class institutions. The Zoo-Museum Tax District provides them operating funds, so general admission to them, as well as to the History Museum, is free.

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Education

Community Colleges
Community colleges exist for two major purposes. The first is to serve as a bridge from high school to college by providing courses for transfer toward a bachelor’s degree. Four out of 10 collegebound high-school graduates start their college education this way.

The second function of community colleges is to prepare students for the job market by offering entry-level career training as well as courses for adult students who want to upgrade their skills for the workplace. They often offer programs that are not available at four-year schools, like fashion design.

St. Louis Community Colleges
(314) 539-5000
300 South Broadway
St. Louis, MO 63102-2800

St. Louis Community College is the largest community college system in Missouri and one of the largest in the United States. The college serves an area of approximately 700 square miles that includes the City of St. Louis, St. Louis County and portions of Jefferson and Franklin counties.

Louis Community College’s three campuses, Florissant Valley, Forest Park and Meramec, are shaped by their urban and suburban communities, and many programs are planned for the needs and special interests of their surrounding areas. The campuses offer freshman- and sophomore-level college transfer, career and developmental programs, plus non-credit continuing education courses.

Liberal Arts Colleges
Liberal arts colleges offer a broad base of courses in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. Most are private and focus mainly on undergraduate students. Classes tend to be small and personal attention is available.

Online Learning
Recent years have witnessed the rise of online degree programs, to allow the busy professional a chance to work at their own pace from the comfort of their home on the path to getting a degree. The costs to students are typically the same as for traditional classes- and financial aid is equally available-while the cost to the institution can be much less.

There are online universities ranging from legitimate distance learning systems to fly-by-night degree-mills. It’s important to research a particular institution before deciding to enroll in their system. Generally, brick-and-mortar schools that also offer online classes are the safest, though there are plenty of fully accredited online universities out there.

Nearly 3 million students are believed to be taking online classes at institutions of higher education in the United States this year. That number has been growing about 25% a year recently. Now, virtually all public higher education institutions, as well as a vast majority of private, for-profit institutions, now offer online classes. By contrast, only about half of private, nonprofit schools offer them. Online schools offer everything from Associate’s degrees to Doctoral programs with available emphases in everything from Business Administration to Criminal Justice to Nursing. Some programs require students to attend some campus classes or orientations, but many are delivered completely online. Online courses generally require a computer with a broadband connection, but are now a serious option for the busy professional.

Public vs. Private
Public colleges are usually less expensive, particularly for in-state residents. They get most of their money from the state or local government. Private colleges rely on tuition, fees, endowments, and other private sources. Private colleges are usually smaller and can offer more personalized attention and often more prestige.

Harris-Stowe State University
(314) 340-3366
3026 Laclede Ave
St. Louis, Missouri 63103
www.hssu.edu

Harris-Stowe State University is strongly committed to providing a high quality higher education experience that is both affordable and accessible to the diverse populations within and beyond the Metropolitan St. Louis region.

Maryville University
(800) 627-9855
650 Maryville University Drive
St. Louis, MO 63141
www.maryville.edu

Maryville University, founded in 1872, is today a private, coeducational university. Maryville’s enrollment of approximately 3,200 students includes 1,700 undergraduates, 1,000 Weekend College students, and 500 graduate students.

Missouri Baptist University
(314) 434-1115
One College Park Dr.
Saint Louis, MO 63141-8698
www.mobap.edu

Private, four-year, Christian Liberal Arts College

Saint Louis University
(314) 977-2240
221 N. Grand Blvd
St. Louis, MO 63103
www.slu.edu

Saint Louis University is a Jesuit, Catholic university ranked among the top research institutions in the nation. The University fosters the intellectual and character development of 11,800 students on campuses in St. Louis and Madrid, Spain.

Washington University in St. Louis
(314) 935-6000
Campus Box 1089
One Brookings Drive
St. Louis, MO 63130
www.wustl.edu

Washington University in St. Louis is a medium-sized, independent research university.

Universities
Generally, a university is bigger than a college and offers more majors and research facilities. Class size often reflects institutional size and some classes may taught by graduate students.

University of Missouri – St. Louis
(314) 516-5000
One University Boulevard
St. Louis, MO 63121-4400
www.umsl.edu

The University of Missouri-St. Louis, founded in 1963 is one of four campuses in the University of Missouri System. UMSL has a rich tradition of fostering student learning through excellent teaching.

Upper Division
Upper-division schools offer the last two years of undergraduate study, usually in specialized programs leading to a bachelor’s degree. Students then generally transfer to an upper-division college after completing an associate degree or after finishing a second year of study at a four-year college.

School District

Saint Louis Public Schools
801 N. 11th Street
St. Louis, MO, 63101
(314) 231-3720
www.slps.org

Within the city proper, the 168-year-old St. Louis public school district controls the 92 schools in the public school system. With over 38,000 students, the district is the largest in the state of Missouri and the 108th largest in the nation.