New Town, Missouri facts for kids
- This article is about the community in St. Charles County, for the town located in St. Charles City, see: Newtown, Missouri.
Quick facts for kids
New Town at St. Charles, Missouri
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Lakeside houses in New Town
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| Country | United States |
| State | Missouri |
| County | St. Charles |
| Elevation | 439.6 ft (134 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| Area code(s) | 636 |
| Website | http://www.newtownatstcharles.com/ |
New Town at St. Charles is a special kind of neighborhood being built in St. Charles, Missouri. It's called a planned community because everything is designed carefully before it's built. The people who created New Town wanted to make a place where people could walk easily to shops, parks, and their friends' houses.
This idea is part of something called New Urbanism. It's a way of designing towns that are friendly for walking and biking, not just for cars. New Urbanism aims to create neighborhoods where homes, stores, and workplaces are all close together. This helps people connect more and reduces the need to drive everywhere. When it's finished, New Town will cover about 755 acres (3.06 km²) and have up to 5,700 homes. It's expected to be one of the biggest communities built with New Urbanism ideas in the United States.
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Nature and Environment in New Town
New Town is located in the northeastern part of St. Charles County. It's about 18 miles (29 km) from where the Missouri and Mississippi rivers meet. The community was built on a slightly higher area, surrounded by low farmlands and wetlands.
Local Wildlife
The area around New Town is home to many different animals. You might see ducks, cranes, geese, snakes, deer, fish, hawks, and even eagles. Two popular nature trails, The Great Rivers Greenway District and Katy Trail State Park, are very close to New Town. They give residents a great chance to see local wildlife and enjoy nature.
Building for Floods
In 1993, a very big flood happened in the Midwest. Much of St. Charles County was underwater. However, the future site of New Town stayed mostly dry because it was on higher ground. Even so, the developers of New Town built a series of lakes and canals. These help with drainage and prevent future flooding. They also used the dirt from digging these lakes to make the land even higher.
The Story of New Town
The idea for New Town came about in February 2003. Greg Whittaker from Whittaker Builders, Inc., along with the design firm Duany Plater-Zyberk & Company, worked with the City of St. Charles. They held a public meeting called a charrette to plan the community.
Community Design
The plan for New Town included many different types of homes. It also featured lots of parks and green spaces, an organic farm, and six different neighborhood centers. Construction started in 2004, and the first families moved into their new homes in April 2005.
Getting Around New Town
New Town is located near Missouri Route 370. This is a major road that connects New Town to other nearby cities like St. Peters and St. Charles.
Future Transportation Plans
There are plans for a special streetcar line called the St. Charles Streetcar. New Town is expected to be one of the stops on this line. The streetcar route will be about 8 miles (13 km) long. It will connect New Town to the historic downtown area of St. Charles city, the St. Charles Convention Center, and the Family Arena, which is a place for sports and shows.
