St. Charles, Missouri

St. Charles, Missouri is a 20-square-mile charter city in beautiful St. Charles County. A charter city is a city in which the governing system is defined by the city's own charter document rather than by state or national laws. St. Charles chose the City Council as the governing body for the city. The City Council consists of 10 members, one from each ward. The mayor is the head of the city government.

There were 61,813 residents in the City of St. Charles, MO in 2007, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. There were 25,000 households in the city, with an average household size of 2.3 people. Families made up 61 percent of the households. The most common occupations are management and professional, sales, and office occupations.

Founded in 1769, St. Charles, MO was the first European settlement along the Missouri River. Louis Blanchette, a French Canadian fur trader called the settlement Les Petit Cotes, French for the Little Hills. In 1791, the name was changed to San Carlos in honor of King Charles IV of Spain. In 1804, the settlement's name was changed once again to St. Charles, and in 1809 St. Charles was incorporated as a village. Other early settlements were established nearby at St. Louis and Florissant.

St. Charles, Missouri has been designated as a Lewis and Clark site on the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail. The city is home to Frontier Park along the banks of the Missouri River. The famous annual Frontier Days in May commemorate the expedition's departure from St. Charles to explore the newly acquired Louisiana Purchase.

St. Charles, MO has a strong and well-deserved tourism industry, with easy access to four major roadways: I-70, I-64, I-44 and I-55. The Saint Charles Convention Center opened in 2005 and has hosted numerous trade shows, conventions, meetings and even weddings. The St. Charles County Family Arena, an 11,000-seat facility, also brings visitors for sports and trade shows. Ameristar Casinos attracts millions of visitors annually, making it the premier entertainment attraction in the area. Historic Main Street also draws thousands of annual visitors. The 13-block stretch boasts a bevy of shops, restaurants and brick-paved streets.

Public education is provided by the St. Charles School District. The city is home to Lindenwood University. Sanford Brown College in St. Peters and St. Charles Community College are nearby.

The City of St. Charles Police Department provides law enforcement services. Cases in the St. Charles Municipal Court involve violations of the City of St. Charles ordinances. Municipal Court is held at the St. Charles Criminal Justice Center, 1781 Zumbehl Road, St. Charles, Missouri 63303.

Missouri's counties and the city of St. Louis are organized into 45 judicial circuits. There is a court in every county. The circuit court is typically in the county seat and St. Charles hosts the circuit court. The St. Charles County Courthouse, Judicial Circuit 11, is located at 300 N. 2nd Street, St. Charles, MO 63301.

< Back to Our Communities