| Webster Groves, Missouri | |
|---|---|
| — City — | |
| Location of Webster Groves, Missouri | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Missouri |
| County | St. Louis |
| Named for | Daniel Webster |
| Area | |
| • Total | 5.9 sq mi (15.3 km2) |
| • Land | 5.9 sq mi (15.3 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 558 ft (170 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 22,995 |
| • Density | 3,892.6/sq mi (1,502.9/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| FIPS code | 29-78154[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0756880[2] |
Webster Groves is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis, located in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The population was 22,995 at the 2010 census.[3] The city is named after New England politician Daniel Webster.
Webster Groves is one of the more affluent communities in Missouri, ranking 41st in per-capita income. In 2008, Webster Groves ranked ninth in Family Circle Magazine's list of the "Ten Best Cities for Families" in America.[4]
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Webster Groves is located at (38.587702, -90.354366)[5].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.9 square miles (15 km2), all of it land.
Webster Groves is bounded on the east by Shrewsbury; on the north by Maplewood, Brentwood and Rock Hill; on the west by Glendale, Oakland, and Crestwood; and on the south by Affton and Marlborough.
Webster Groves is approximately 2 miles (3 km) west of the St. Louis city limits, and 10 miles (16 km) southwest of downtown St. Louis, in an area known to fur trappers and Missouri, Osage and Dakota Indians, until 1802, as the "Dry Ridge." In the early 19th century, this region, once a part of the Louisiana Territory, was changing from Spanish to French ownership, and a system of land grants was inaugurated to promote immigration. During the early period of Spanish rule, officials gave land to settlers as a check against the English.
As part of this program, in 1802 Gregorie Sarpy was granted 6,002 acres (2,429 ha) by Charles de Hault Delassus, the last Spanish lieutenant governor of the Illinois Country. The land grant covered the major area now known as Webster Groves.
Webster Groves' location on the Pacific Railroad line led to its development as a suburb. In the late 19th century, overcrowding, congestion, and unhealthy conditions in St. Louis prompted urban residents to leave the city for quieter, safer surroundings. In 1892 the developers of Webster Park, an early housing subdivision, promoted the new community as the "Queen of the Suburbs," offering residents superb housing options in a country-like atmosphere, as well as a swift commute to downtown St. Louis jobs.[6]
As a suburban municipality, Webster Groves has its origins as five separate communities along adjacent railroad lines. Webster, Old Orchard, Webster Park, Tuxedo Park, and Selma merged in 1896 to implement public services and develop a unified city government.[6] Since then, Webster Groves' tree-lined streets and abundance of single family homes have continued to attract people to the area as a "great place to live, work and play," not solely for the wealthy commuter suburb that early developers envisioned but for families that cut across all socioeconomic lines. The geographic and economic diversity of Webster Groves is evident in its variety of neighborhoods.
In the 1960s, Webster Groves was featured in 16 In Webster Groves, a televised documentary that writer Jonathan Franzen, a native of Webster Groves, described in his memoir The Discomfort Zone as an "early experiment in hour-long prime-time sociology". According to Franzen, it depicted Webster Groves High School, which he attended only a few years after the documentary's broadcast, as being "ruled by a tiny elite of 'soshies' who made life gray and marginal for the great majority of students who weren’t 'football captains,' 'cheerleaders' or 'dance queens'"; the school was depicted as having a "student body obsessed with grades, cars and money." Franzen thought "the Webster Groves depicted in it bears minimal resemblance to the friendly, unpretentious town I knew when I was growing up."[7]
Webster Groves was the setting for the 1974-5 NBC television series Lucas Tanner.
In the wake of the 1999 Columbine High School massacre, Webster Groves High School was again profiled, this time in Time, which described Webster Groves as a "pretty town of old elms and deep porches" and a "mix of $90,000 cottages and $750,000 homes, young marrieds and old-line families and transient middle managers assigned to a stint in the St. Louis office who are looking for a comfortable place to settle and keep their kids on the track toward prosperity."[8]
The Webster Groves High School Statesmen maintain the oldest high school football rivalry west of the Mississippi River with the Pioneers of Kirkwood High School.
As of 2010, Gerry Welch is the mayor of Webster Groves. The Webster Groves City Council consists of council members Debi Salberg, Kathy Hart, Greg Mueller, Ken Burns, Toni Hunt, and Anne Tolan.[9]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 2000 | 23,230 | — |
| 2010 | 22,995 | −1.0% |
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 23,230 people, 9,498 households, and 6,145 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,937.5 people per square mile (1,520.2/km²). There were 9,903 housing units at an average density of 1,678.6 per square mile (648.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 90.87% White, 6.38% African American, 1.21% Asian, 0.17% Native American, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.31% from other races, and 1.05% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.25% of the population.
There were 9,498 households out of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.9% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.3% were non-families. 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.9% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 17.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 84.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $60,524, and the median income for a family was $73,998. Males had a median income of $57,801 versus $38,506 for females. The per capita income for the city was $31,327. 4.8% of the population and 2.0% of families were below the poverty line. 5.0% of those under the age of 18 and 3.5% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
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Webster Groves is home to:
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Registered historic districts in Webster Groves include:
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Notable people who have lived in Webster Groves include:
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