Welcome to St. Louis, Missouri
Greater St. Louis is the largest metropolitan area in Missouri and 18th largest MSA in the U.S. The city of St. Louis is situated along the Mississippi river, which forms the border between Missouri and Illinois. St. Louis offers a favorable cost of living, geographic centrality, top educational institutions and nationally ranked hospitals. A favorable business environment makes St. Louis metro headquarters for 20 of the Fortune 1000 companies, such as Emerson Electric, Express Scripts and Anheuser-Busch as well as 9 of the largest private companies, including Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Graybar Electric and Edward Jones.
St. Louis is known around the world for its collection of free attractions, fine cuisine, rhythm & blues music and the Gateway Arch, rising 630 feet from the banks of the Mississippi river. A “river city,” St. Louis was first settled in 1763, when Pierre Laclede traveled up the Mississippi River from New Orleans. The city flourished with the advent of steamboats and continued to prosper with railroad expansion. In 1874, the Eads Bridge was built across the Mississippi River, linking western states for the first time.
St. Louis has played a memorable role in America’s history. St. Louis was the launching point for the Lewis and Clark Expedition in 1804. The Dred Scott slavery trials began at the Old Courthouse downtown, out of which the U.S. Supreme Court’s infamous decision gave way to the Civil War. The 1904 World’s Fair brought 62 nations and 43 states to the city’s Forest Park. Also in that year, the Olympic Games were held at Washington University’s Francis Field.
Nationally renowned medical schools, St. Louis University and Washington University contribute to St. Louis’ reputation as a leading health care center. Top U.S. ranking hospitals include Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis Children’s Hospital, St. John’s Mercy Medical Center and St. Louis University Hospital to name just a few.
There are 151 public school districts and 376 private elementary and secondary schools in the St. Louis area. For higher education, there are 28 four-year universities and colleges enrolling over 110,000 students. 44,156 students are enrolled in two-year schools. A leader in early education, the “Parents as Teachers” program was founded in St. Louis.
