St. Charles County, Missouri

St. Charles County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2010 census, the population was 360,485, making it the third most populated county in Missouri.^[1] Saint Charles County is part of the St. Louis Metro Area. Its county seat is Saint Charles, which is the county's second largest city.^[2] The largest city in St. Charles County is O'Fallon, with St. Peters and Wentzville the county's third and fourth largest cities. It contains many of the northern suburbs of St. Louis as well as more exurban areas. The county was organized in 1812 and named for the Italian cardinal Saint Charles Borromeo.^[3]

The wealthiest county in Missouri,^[4] St. Charles County is one of the fastest growing counties in the nation, with a population of 360,485 in 2010.^[5] It also includes an important area of vineyards and wineries whose distinction has been recognized. On its rural outer edge along the south-facing bluffs above the Missouri River is an area of numerous wineries, so that SH 94 is sometimes called the Missouri Weinstrasse. The area includes the Augusta AVA, designated in 1980 as the first American Viticultural Area by the federal government.

History

The County of Saint Charles was originally called the District of St. Charles and had no definite limits until 1816 to 1818 when neighboring counties were formed.^[6] The borders of Saint Charles are the same today as they were in 1818.

Geography

The county has a total area of 592 square miles (1,534 km²), of which, 560 square miles (1,451 km²) of it is land and 32 square miles (83 km²) of it (5.39%) is water.

Adjacent counties

• Lincoln County (northwest)
• Calhoun County, Illinois (north)
• Jersey County, Illinois (northeast)
• Madison County, Illinois (east)
• St. Louis County (southeast)
• Franklin County (south)
• Warren County (west)

Major highways

• I-64- Major freeway in the west portion of the county. Originally U.S. Route 40, the highway was upgraded to Interstate standards in the late 2000s. The highway was resigned as Interstate 64 from the Daniel Boone Bridge to Interstate 70 in Wentzville in 2009.
• I-70- The major east-west thoroughfare in the county. It is mostly a six-lane freeway throughout most of the county but there are sections in St. Charles and St. Peters where the Interstate widens to 11 lanes of traffic.
• US-40
• US-61
• US-67
• Rte-79
• Rte-94
• Rte-364- A eight-lane freeway currently under construction in the southern and central portions of the county. The freeway begins at Interstate 270 in west St. Louis County and currently ends at Missouri Route 94 just to the west of Harvester Road. The Freeway will eventually be extended westward to Interstate 64 in Lake St. Louis.
• Rte-370- A six-lane freeway that connects Interstate 70 in St. Charles County and Interstate 270 in St. Louis County.

Major municipalities

• St. Charles - 65,794
• St. Peters - 52,575
• O'Fallon - 79,329
• Lake St. Louis - 14,545
• Wentzville - 29,070

National protected area

• Two Rivers National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Demographics

As of 2000, there were 283,883 people, 101,663 households, and 77,060 families residing in the county. The population density was 507 people per square mile (196/km²). There were 105,514 housing units at an average density of 73 persons/km² (188 persons/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 94.67% White, 2.69% African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.85% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.46% from other races, and 1.07% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.47% of the population.

There were 101,663 households out of which 40.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.20% were married couples living together, 9.20% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 24.20% were non-families. 19.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.76 and the average family size was 3.18.

In the county the population was spread out with 29.00% under the age of 18, 8.20% from 18 to 24, 32.60% from 25 to 44, 21.60% from 45 to 64, and 8.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 97.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $57,258, and the median income for a family was $64,415. Males had a median income of $44,528 versus $29,405 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,592. 4.00% of the population and 2.80% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 4.90% are under the age of 18 and 5.10% are 65 or older.

St. Charles County, with a population of 360,485, has been one of the fastest-growing counties in the country for decades, with 55 percent growth in the 1980s, 33 percent in the 1990s, and another 27 percent in the 2000s. The county features a cross-section of industry, as well as extensive retail and some agriculture. With the Missouri River on the south and the Mississippi River on the north and east, the county is bisected east to west by Interstate 70. St. Charles County has two small airports, St. Charles County Smartt Airport and St. Charles Airport, and two ferries that cross the Mississippi River.

Education

Public schools

• Wentzville R-IV School District – Wentzville
  • Early Childhood Center – PreK – Wentzville
  • Peine Ridge Elementary School – K-5 – Wentzville
  • Prairie View Elementary School – K-5 – O'Fallon
  • Green Tree Elementary School – K-5 – Lake St. Louis
  • Crossroads Elementary School – K-5 – O'Fallon
  • Boone Trail Elementary School – K-5 – Wentzville
  • Duello Elementary School – K-5 – Lake St. Louis
  • Heritage Primary School – K-2 – Wentzville
  • Heritage Intermediate School – 3-5 – Wentzville
  • Frontier Middle School – 6-8 – O'Fallon
  • Wentzville South Middle School – 6-8 – Wentzville
  • Wentzville Middle School – 6-8 – Wentzville
  • Timberland High School – 9-12 – Wentzville
  • Emil E. Holt High School – 9-12 – Wentzville

• Fort Zumwalt R-II School District – O'Fallon
  • Ostmann Elementary School – K-5 – O'Fallon
  • Emge Elementary School – K-5 – O'Fallon
  • Westhoff Elementary School – K-5 – O'Fallon
  • Pheasant Point Elementary School – K-5 – O'Fallon
  • Mid Rivers Elementary School – K-5 – St. Peters
  • Rock Creek Elementary School – K-5 – O'Fallon
  • Twin Chimneys Elementary School – K-5 – O'Fallon
  • Dardenne Elementary School – K-5 – O'Fallon
  • Hawthorn Elementary School – K-5 – St. Peters
  • Progress South Elementary School – K-5 – St. Peters
  • St. Peters Elementary School – K-2 – St. Peters
  • Mount Hope Elementary School – K-5 – O'Fallon
  • Joseph L. Mudd Elementary School – K-2 – O'Fallon
  • Lewis & Clark Elementary School – 3-5 – St. Peters
  • Forest Park Elementary School – 3-5 – O'Fallon
  • Ft. Zumwalt West Middle School – 6-8 – O'Fallon
  • Ft. Zumwalt South Middle School – 6-8 – St. Peters
  • Dr. Bernard J. DuBray Middle School – 6-8 – St. Peters
  • Ft. Zumwalt North Middle School – 6-8 – O'Fallon
  • Ft. Zumwalt West High School – 9-12 – O'Fallon
  • Ft. Zumwalt East High School – 9-12 – St. Peters
  • Ft. Zumwalt South High School – 9-12 – St. Peters
  • Ft. Zumwalt North High School – 9-12 – O'Fallon
  • Ft. Zumwalt Hope High School – 9-12 – O'Fallon

• Francis Howell R-III School District – St. Peters
  • Early Childhood Family Education Center – PreK – 4810 Meadows Pkwy, Weldon Spring
  • Early Childhood Family Education Center – PreK – 2555 Hackmann Rd., St. Peters
  • Early Childhood Family Education Center – PreK – 4535 Central School Rd., St. Peters
  • Warren Elementary School – K–5 – St. Peters
  • Independence Elementary School – K-5 – Weldon Spring
  • John Weldon Elementary School – K-5 – Dardenne Prairie
  • Harvest Ridge Elementary School – K-5 – St. Charles
  • Henderson Elementary School – K-5 – St. Peters
  • Fairmount Elementary School – K-5 – St. Peters
  • Daniel Boone Elementary School – K-5 – New Melle
  • Central Elementary School – K-5 – St. Peters
  • Castlio Elementary School – K-5 – St. Peters
  • Becky-David Elementary School – K-5 – St. Peters
  • Bryan Middle School – 6-8 – Weldon Spring
  • Saeger Middle School – 6-8 – Cottleville
  • Francis Howell Middle School – 6-8 – Weldon Spring
  • Hollenbeck Middle School – 6-8 – St. Peters
  • Barnwell Middle School – 6-8 – St. Peters
  • Francis Howell Central High School – 9-12 – Cottleville
  • Francis Howell North High School – 9-12 – St. Peters
  • Francis Howell High School – 9-12 – Weldon Spring Heights

• St. Charles R-VI School District – St. Charles
  • George M. Null Elementary School – K-4 – St. Charles
  • Monroe Elementary School – K-4 – St. Charles
  • Lincoln Elementary School – K-4 – St. Charles
  • Harris Elementary School – K-4 – St. Charles
  • Coverdell Elementary School – K-4 – St. Charles
  • Jefferson Middle School – 5-6 – St. Charles
  • Hardin Middle School – 7-8 – St. Charles
  • St. Charles West High School – 9-12 – St. Charles
  • St. Charles High School – 9-12 – St. Charles

• Orchard Farm R-V School District – St. Charles
  • Orchard Farm Elementary School – K-5 – St. Charles
  • Discovory Elementary - PreK-2 - Elm Point
  • Orchard Farm Middle School – 6-8 – St. Charles
  • Orchard Farm High School – 9-12 – St. Charles

Private schools

• Immaculate Conception Catholic School – Dardenne Prairie – K-8 – Roman Catholic
• Foristell Baptist Academy - Foristell – K-9 – Baptist
• Hope Montessori Academy – Lake St. Louis – PreK-K – Nonsectarian
• Assumption Catholic Grade School – O'Fallon – K-8 – Roman Catholic
• First Baptist Christian – O'Fallon – PreK-6 – Baptist
• Living Word Christian Schools – O'Fallon – PreK-12 – Nondenominational Christian
• Academy of the Sacred Heart – St. Charles – PreK-8 – Roman Catholic
• Campbell Montessori School – St. Charles – NS-6 - Nonsectarian
• Immanuel Lutheran School – St. Charles – PreK-8 – Lutheran
• St. Charles Borromeo School – St. Charles – K-8 – Roman Catholic
• St. Cletus School – St. Charles – K-8 – Roman Catholic
• St. Elizabeth St. Robert Regional School – St. Charles – PreK-8 – Roman Catholic
• St. Joseph School – Cottleville – K-8 – Roman Catholic
• St. Peter Catholic School – St. Charles – PreK-8 – Roman Catholic
• Sts. Joachim & Ann School – St. Charles – PreK-8 – Roman Catholic
• Trinity Lutheran School – St. Charles – 1-8 – Lutheran
• Zion Lutheran School - St. Charles - PreK-8 – Lutheran
• St. Paul Elementary School – St. Paul – PreK-8 – Roman Catholic
• All Saints School – St. Peters – K-8 – Roman Catholic
• Church on the Rock Christian – St. Peters – PreK-12 – Nondenominational Christian
• Mid Rivers Seventh-day Adventist School – St. Peters – 3-8 – Seventh-day Adventist
• Watergate Christian Academy – St. Peters – PreK-8 – Nondenominational Christian
• Willott Road Christian Academy – St. Peters – NS-9 – Baptist
• Messiah Lutheran School – Weldon Spring – PreK-8 – Lutheran
• Immanuel Lutheran School – Wentzville – PreK-8 - Lutheran
• St. Joseph School – Wentzville – 1-8 – Roman Catholic
• St. Patrick Elementary School – Wentzville – K-8 – Roman Catholic
• St. Theodore School – Wentzville – K-8 – Roman Catholic
• Liberty Classical School – O'Fallon – 7-12 – Nondenominational Christian
• Lutheran High School of St. Charles County – St. Peters – 9-12 – Lutheran
• St. Dominic High School – O'Fallon – 9-12 – Roman Catholic
• Duchesne High School – St. Charles – 9-12 – Roman Catholic

Alternative schools

• Boonslick State School – St. Peters – Special Education
• Francis Howell Union High School – St. Charles – Other/Alternative School – 9-12
• Heritage Landing – St. Peters – Other/Alternative School – 6-12
• Lewis & Clark Career Center – St. Charles – Vocational/Technical School – 9-12
• Quest Day Treatment Center – St. Charles – Other/Alternative School – 6-12

Higher education

• Lindenwood University- St. Charles
• St. Charles Community College- Cottleville

Law and government

St. Charles County is governed by a county executive and a county council. The county council consists of seven members each elected from districts. The county executive is elected by the entire county. The current executive is Steve Ehlmann. He was preceded by Joe Oertwerth, who was the first county executive of St. Charles County, under the new form of government. The executive under the old form of county government was termed a "judge". There are 244,155 registered voters.^[7]

Cities and towns

St. Charles County has 21 municipalities:

See also

• List of counties in Missouri
• Missouri census statistical areas
• National Register of Historic Places in St. Charles County, Missouri

References

External links

• St. Charles County Government Website
• St. Charles City-County Library District
• St. Charles Chamber of Commerce
• Digitized 1930 Plat Book of St. Charles County from University of Missouri Division of Special Collections, Archives, and Rare Books