| Chesterfield, Missouri | |
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| Coordinates: | |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| State | Missouri |
| County | St. Louis |
| Area | |
| - Total | 32.7 sq mi (84.8 km²) |
| - Land | 31.5 sq mi (81.6 km²) |
| - Water | 1.2 sq mi (3.2 km²) |
| Elevation | 479 ft (146 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Total | 46,802 |
| - Density | 1,485.4/sq mi (573.5/km²) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| - Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| FIPS code | 29-13600GR2 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0755881GR3 |
Chesterfield is the largest city in west St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The population was 46,635 as of 2006[1] It is a western suburb of St. Louis.
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Geography
Chesterfield is located at (38.653402, -90.554255)GR1. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 32.7 square miles (84.8 km²), of which, 31.5 square miles (81.6 km²) of it is land and 1.2 square miles (3.2 km²) of it (3.73%) is water. Portions of Chesterfield are located in the floodplain of the Missouri River, now known as Chesterfield Valley, formerly Gumbo Flats. This area was submerged during the Great Flood of 1993; higher levees built since then have led to extensive commercial development in the valley. Chesterfield Valley is the location of Spirit of St. Louis Airport, used for corporate aviation, as well as the longest outdoor strip mall in America [1]. The remainder of Chesterfield is located on the bluffs above the floodplain, and includes residential and retail development.
Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 46,802 people, 18,060 households, and 13,111 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,485.4 people per square mile (573.5/km²). There were 18,738 housing units at an average density of 594.7/sq mi (229.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 91.30% White, 1.86% African American, 0.12% Native American, 5.56% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.39% from other races, and 0.74% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.55% of the population. There were 18,060 households out of which 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.5% were married couples living together, 5.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.4% were non-families. 23.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.03. In the city the population was spread out with 24.6% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 29.7% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 91.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $83,802, and the median income for a family was $102,987. Males had a median income of $74,934 versus $39,217 for females. The per capita income for the city was $43,288. About 1.8% of families and 2.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.8% of those under age 18 and 1.7% of those age 65 or over.
History
The present day city of Chesterfield is made up of several smaller historical communities, including:
- Bellefontaine (French for, "beautiful spring"),or as the locals called it, "Hilltown", dates to about 1837 with the arrival of August Hill. The first post office was established as Bellemonte ("beautiful mountain") in 1851. Eighteen years later, in 1869, the town and post office name were both changed to Bellefontaine. Rinkel's Market was a familiar landmark for years, at the intersection of present day Olive Blvd. and Chesterfield Parkway (where Uno Pizzeria is now).
- The town of Lake started out as "Hog Hollow", in about 1850. The post office was established as Hog Hollow, in 1871; but a year later the town's name was changed, to what some thought was the more suitable name of Lake. Zierenberg's General Merchandise and Saloon (built around 1880), was a well known landmark, at the 18- mile marker on Olive Street Road. The original structure was destroyed by fire in 1918. It was replaced by the still existing structure, on the same site (Olive Blvd. and Hog Hollow Road).
- Gumbo is located in the valley at the present intersection of Chesterfield Airport Road and Long Road. A notable landmark (until it was razed in 1998), was the old Twenty Five Mile House - so named because of its distance from downtown St.Louis. Gumbo's name derived from its soil, which though very rich and silty, when wet became gumbo mud. A substance very similar to gravel was made from Gumbo mud and used for streets and sidewalks in Forest Park during the 1904 World's Fair. Gumbo's post office operated from 1882 to 1907.
- Monarch (earlier called Atherton, then Eatherton), was one of the settlements that sprang up along the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific rail line, when it came through the valley in the late 1870s. William Sutton's General Store stood on the northwest corner of Eatherton and Centaur Roads. Their post office operated from 1895 to 1907, when the mail was transferred to Chesterfield. A well known residence in Monarch was named "The Shadows"; it still survives, with a commanding view from its bluff site.
- Bonhomme had a colorful life. The name is French for, "good man". This small community, at the extreme western end of Olive Street Road, was close to the Howell's Ferry landing. It had a blacksmith shop, grist mill, store, post office and Fenn's saw mill; but it was all washed away in the late 1800s by the Missouri River. Bonhomme was a popular name in St.Louis County; with Bonhomme streets, roads, creeks, churches and townships still so-named. However, this Bonhomme is the only one that ever had its own post office.
Notable Residents
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This article or section is missing citations or needs footnotes. Using inline citations helps guard against copyright violations and factual inaccuracies. (December 2007) |
- Kurt Warner, NFL Quarterback for Arizona Cardinals, 1999, 2001 NFL MVP, 1999 Super Bowl MVP
- Trista Rehn, Star of ABC's "The Bachelorette."
- Greg Raymer, Professional Poker Player, Winner of 2004 World Series of Poker Main Event
- Ryan Howard, Professional Baseball Player; Philadelphia Phillies, 2006 NL MVP, 2005 NL Rookie of the Year
- Ken Rosenthal, Co-Founder of Panera Bread, still known in St. Louis metropolitan area as St. Louis Bread Co.
- Jim Talent, Former U.S. Senator (R)
Law Enforcement
The City of Chesterfield is served by the three-time Internationally Accredited Chesterfield Police Department. The Chesterfield Police Department is responsible for police services to the city twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. This is accomplished with a staff of ninety-five full time and fourteen reserve personnel working from the main police headquarters located at 690 Chesterfield Parkway West. In addition, six "Sub-stations" are maintained at strategic locations throughout the City. Recently the Chesterfield Police Department purchased two Segway Personal Transporter machines which help them better patrol Chesterfield Commons (The Valley) and CBL Chesterfield Mall.
Religion
- The motherhouse of the Canons Regular of the New Jerusalem is in Chesterfield.
Attractions
Faust Park contains playground, historical village, walking trail, carousel, and the Sachs Butterfly House, which opened in 1998.
- A bust of Patrick M Schumacker, who was born in the area and graduated from the Saint Louis Priory School (1998), was erected in 2005 as a tribute to his contributions to Motion Picture Entertainment. The monument will be complimented with a swan pond and small green for picnicking.
