St. Louis

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This article is about the U.S. city. For other uses, see Saint Louis.

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 Seal
Nickname(s): Gateway to the West,[1] The Gateway City,[2] Mound City,[3] The Lou,[4] Rome of the West,[5] River City
St. Louis Location in the state of Missouri
Coordinates: 38°37′38″N 90°11′52″WCoordinates: 38°37′38″N 90°11′52″W
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)
• Mayor Elect	Lyda Krewson
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[6]	466 ft (142 m)
Highest elevation[7]	614 ft (187 m)
Population (2010)[8]
• Independent city	319,294
• Estimate (2015)[9]	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	(Almost all of 63101-63199)[10][show]
Area code	314
Website	stlouis-mo.gov

St. Louis (/seɪnt ˈluːɪs/)^[11][12][13] is an independent city^[14] 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,^[9] 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.^[15] 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.
The economy of metro St. Louis relies on service, manufacturing, trade, transportation of goods, and tourism. Its metro area is home to major corporations, including Anheuser-Busch, Express Scripts, Centene, Boeing Defense, Emerson, Energizer, Panera, Enterprise, Peabody Energy, Ameren, Ralcorp, Monsanto, Scottrade, Edward Jones, Go Jet, Purina and Sigma-Aldrich. This city has also become known for its growing medical, pharmaceutical and research presence. St. Louis has 2 professional sports teams: the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball and the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League. The city is commonly identified with the 630-foot (192 m) tall Gateway Arch in Downtown St. Louis.