CITY OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI
Named after Louis IX, Saint and King of France, the City of St. Louis was founded by fur trader Pierre Laclede in 1764 having received a land grant from King Louis XV.  The City is the heart of the region's urban core. Incorporated in 1823, the city covers 61.9 square miles and had a 2000 population of 348,189. As of the November, 2000 general election there were 244,995 registered voters comprising 94.8% of the voting age
population. There were 147,076 households in the city with an average size of 2.30 persons and the median age of residents is 33.7 years. Median household income was $27,156 annually with 21.0 percent of city families and 24.6% of the total population with incomes below poverty level. 68.9% of workers drove to work alone in the city and about 10.7% take public transportation. The City of St. Louis voted to separate itself from St. Louis
County in 1876 and is the only city in Missouri not within a county. Consequently, the city government performs both municipal and county functions. The city is governed by a Mayor and 28 member Board of Aldermen. All financial decisions must be approved by the three member Board of Estimate and Apportionment comprised of the Mayor, President of the Board of Aldermen, and the city Comptroller. The city owns and operates the
region's premier airport, Lambert International , located in St. Louis County. The city is home to many of the most popular cultural institutions and attractions in the region including the St. Louis Art Museum, History Museum, Zoo, and Science Center all
located in one of the largest urban parks in the nation, Forest Park, designed by Frederick Law Olmstead. The Saint Louis Symphony, The Missouri Botanical Garden, The City Museum, The President riverboat casino, the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team, the St. Louis Rams football team, the St. Louis Blues hockey team, and the St. Louis Ambush soccer team all make their home within the city limits. The region's largest broadcast and print media outlets are also located in the city. The central business district for the entire region is downtown St. Louis located just west of the Mississippi River and the Gateway Arch. The convention center located downtown, "America's Center", including the 70
,000 seat TWA Dome, allows the St. Louis region to host to some of the largest conventions and special events in the nation. This will be complemented by a new baseball stadium scheduled to be completed in 2006. | 
