Located on the western bank of the Mississippi River in the eastern section of Missouri, St Louis is one of the state's biggest cities. A huge manufacture, trade, and transport hub for Missouri and nearby Illinois, St Louis covers an area of 66 square miles and has an estimated population of around 308,000 people, with over 2.8 million in the surrounding metropolitan area. The city was named after King Louis IX of France, commonly referred to as Saint Louis.
St Louis
The land that would eventually be the foundation for the city of St Louis was once a prime area for Native Americans along the Mississippi River. Various earthwork mounds like the Cahokia Mounds were constructed in the area, and St Louis now even has the nickname 'Mound City' due to the earthworks within its limits, despite the fact that many were destroyed years ago. French explorers were the first white settlers to arrive in the area in the late 17th century, building various settlements along the Mississippi River. In 1764, the French fur trader Pierre Laclede founded the city of St Louis.
Fur trading was a big part of the city's early economy, and the area gradually built up over the years and adapted to new industries and ways of life to become an important economic center for the state. It was one of the biggest cities in the entire United States in the late 19th century and continued to grow into the 1900s. Nowadays, St Louis has the biggest metropolitan area in the state of Missouri and is home to many major businesses, with nine Fortune 500 companies.
Elevation of St Louis
The elevation of an area tells us how high or low it is in relation to sea level. This is a key geographical statistic with a lot of practical uses. Elevation is most commonly measured in meters or feet, with the average elevation around the United States being 2,500 feet (760 m). The elevation of St Louis is 466 feet (142 m), with the highest point in St Louis being at an elevation of 614 feet (187 m) and the lowest point being at an elevation of 385 feet (117 m). Many other major cities around the United States have similar elevations below 500 feet (152 m).
Missouri is one of the lowest states in general, with an elevation span of 1,524 feet (470 m) between its highest and lowest points. The highest point in the state of Missouri is Taum Sauk Mountain, which is located in the Saint Francois Mountains at an elevation of 1,772 feet (540 m), while the state's lowest point is the Saint Francis River near the border with Arkansas, which has an elevation of just 230 feet (70 m). The mean elevation of the state of Missouri is 800 feet (240 m), so the elevation of St Louis is significantly lower than the state average.
The highest city in the state of Missouri is Seymour, located in Webster County at an elevation of 1,645 feet (501 m). Major cities in Missouri apart from St Louis include Kansas City, which has an elevation of 910 feet (277 m), Springfield, which has an elevation of 1,299 feet (396 m), Columbia, which has an elevation of 758 feet (231 m), and Independence, which is situated at an elevation of 1,033 feet (315 m). The elevation of St Louis is therefore a little lower than most other big cities in Missouri.
Climate and More
The city of St Louis has a climate that includes aspects of both the humid continental and humid subtropical types. It has hot, humid summers and cold winters. The warmest month of the year is July, which has average highs of 89°F (32°C) and lows of 71°F (22°C), while the coldest month of the year is January with average highs of 40°F (4°C) and lows of 24°F (-4°C). St Louis receives rain throughout the year and several inches of snow from November through to March.
St Louis is a huge city with a lot of things to do. The City Museum is a popular spot for families, and hte Gateway Arch is one of the most iconic structures in the entire city, visible from afar. The city also includes many green spaces for cycling and scenic walks, like Forest Park and the Missouri Botanical Garden, as well as the Saint Louis Zoo. Sports teams like the St Louis Cardinals and St Louis Blues can also be seen at Busch Stadium and the Scottrade Center.
