St. Charles County, Missouri facts for kids

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"St. Charles County" redirects here. For the similarly-named Louisiana parish, see St. Charles Parish, Louisiana.

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St. Charles County

U.S. county

St. Charles County Courthouse in St. Charles

Flag

Location within the U.S. state of Missouri

Missouri's location within the U.S.

Country

United States

State

Missouri

Founded

October 1, 1812

Largest city

Area

• Total

593 sq mi (1,540 km²)

• Land

560 sq mi (1,500 km²)

• Water

32 sq mi (80 km²) 5.4%

Population

(2020)

• Total

405,262

• Density

683.4/sq mi (263.87/km²)

Time zone

UTC−6 (Central)

• Summer (DST)

UTC−5 (CDT)

Congressional districts

2nd, 3rd

St. Charles County is located in the central eastern part of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the population was 405,262, making it Missouri's third-most populous county. Its county seat is St. Charles. The county was organized October 1, 1812, and named for Saint Charles Borromeo, an Italian cardinal.

St. Charles County is part of the St. Louis, MO-IL Metropolitan Statistical Area and contains many of the city's northwestern suburbs. The wealthiest county in Missouri, St. Charles County is one of the nation's fastest-growing counties.

St. Charles County includes a part of the Augusta AVA, an area of vineyards and wineries designated by the federal government in 1980 as the first American Viticultural Area. The county's rural outer edge along the south-facing bluffs above the Missouri River, is also part of the broader Missouri Rhineland.

History

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

Geography

St. Charles County is the only known habitat of the threatened decurrent false aster in Missouri.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 593 square miles (1,540 km²), of which 560 square miles (1,500 km²) is land and 32 square miles (83 km²) (5.4%) is water.

The highest elevation is 901 feet (275 m) northwest of Augusta near Femme Osage Creek headwaters.

Adjacent counties

Major highways

I-64 – Major freeway in the western portion of the county. Originally U.S. Route 40, the highway was upgraded to Interstate standards in the late 2000s. The highway was re-signed 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 in the county, but there are sections in St. Charles and St. Peters where the Interstate widens to 11 lanes of traffic.
Interstate 70 Business
US-40
US-61
US-67
Rte-79
Rte-94
Rte-364 – A freeway in the southern and central portions of the county that begins at Interstate 270 in western St. Louis County and ends at 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.

National protected area

Two Rivers National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Climate

Weather chart for Saint Charles County

2.6

3.2

3.7

8.5

4.4

4.9

1.9

4.2

3.6

1.8

temperatures in °F
precipitation totals in inches

Metric conversion

J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
66 2 -4	81 7 -1	94 13 2	216 24 10	112 25 14	124 32 19	48 31 21	107 30 20	102 28 14	91 22 7	46 14 5	76 4 -4
temperatures in °C • precipitation totals in mm

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1810	3,505	—
1820	3,970	13.3%
1830	4,320	8.8%
1840	7,911	83.1%
1850	11,454	44.8%
1860	16,523	44.3%
1870	21,304	28.9%
1880	23,065	8.3%
1890	22,977	−0.4%
1900	24,474	6.5%
1910	24,695	0.9%
1920	22,828	−7.6%
1930	24,354	6.7%
1940	25,562	5.0%
1950	29,834	16.7%
1960	52,970	77.5%
1970	92,954	75.5%
1980	144,107	55.0%
1990	212,907	47.7%
2000	283,883	33.3%
2010	360,485	27.0%
2020	405,262	12.4%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2020

**St. Charles County, Missouri – Racial and ethnic composition**
*Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.*
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2000	Pop 2010	Pop 2020	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	266,158	321,078	335,879	93.76%	89.07%	82.88%
Black or African American alone (NH)	7,573	14,827	20,672	2.67%	4.11%	5.10%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	596	692	623	0.21%	0.19%	0.15%
Asian alone (NH)	2,397	7,789	11,068	0.84%	2.16%	2.73%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	61	153	199	0.02%	0.04%	0.05%
Other race alone (NH)	224	427	1,377	0.08%	0.12%	0.34%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	2,698	5,536	19,433	0.95%	1.54%	4.80%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	4,176	9,983	16,011	1.47%	2.77%	3.95%
Total	283,883	360,485	405,262	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

2020 census

As of 2020, there were 405,262 people and 150,668 households residing in the county. The population density was 643 inhabitants per square mile (248/km²). There were 161,144 housing units. The racial makeup of the county was 83.8% White, 5.2% African American, 0.1% Native American, 2.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, and 6.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino made up 4.0% 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 in age, 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 $71,458, 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 has had one of the fastest-growing populations in the state for many decades, with 55% growth in the 1970s, 48% in the 1980s, 33% in the 1990s, and another 27% in the 2000s. The county sits at a cross-section of industry, as well as extensive retail and some agriculture. With the Missouri River on the south and east and the Mississippi River on the north, the county is bisected east to west by Interstate 70. After St. Charles Airport closed in 2010, the county has one remaining small airport, St. Charles County Smartt Airport. Two ferries cross the Mississippi River from St. Charles County.

Education

Public schools

School districts include:

Fort Zumwalt R-II School District
Francis Howell R-III School District
Orchard Farm R-V School District
St. Charles R-VI School District
Washington School District
Wentzville R-IV School District

High schools (all grades 9–12):

Fort Zumwalt District

Fort Zumwalt East High School – St. Peters
Fort Zumwalt North High School – O'Fallon
Fort Zumwalt South High School – St. Peters
Fort Zumwalt West High School – O'Fallon

Francis Howell District

Francis Howell Central High School – Cottleville
Francis Howell North High School – St. Peters
Francis Howell High School – Weldon Spring Heights

Orchard Farm District

Orchard Farm High School – St. Charles

St. Charles District

St. Charles High School – St. Charles
St. Charles West High School – St. Charles

Wentzville District

Liberty High School – Lake St. Louis
Emil E. Holt High School – Wentzville
Timberland High School – Wentzville

Private schools

Academy of the Sacred Heart – St. Charles – (PK-08) – Roman Catholic
All Saints School – St. Peters – (K-08) – Roman Catholic
Assumption Catholic Grade School – O'Fallon – (K-08) – Roman Catholic
Christian High School– O'Fallon and St. Peters– (PK-12) – Non-denominational Christian
Duchesne High School– St. Charles– (09-12)– Roman Catholic
First Baptist Christian Academy – O'Fallon – (PK-07) – Non-denominational Christian
Foristell Baptist Academy – Foristell – (K-09) – Baptist
Hope Montessori Academy – Lake St. Louis – (PK-K) – Nonsectarian
Immaculate Conception Catholic School – Dardenne Prairie – (K-08) – Roman Catholic
Immanuel Lutheran School – St. Charles – (PK-08) – Lutheran
Immanuel Lutheran School – Wentzville – (PK-08) – Lutheran
Liberty Classical School – O'Fallon – (07-12) – Non-denominational Christian
Lutheran High School of St. Charles County – St. Peters – (09-12) – Lutheran
Messiah Lutheran School – Weldon Spring – (PK-08) – Lutheran
Mid Rivers Seventh-day Adventist School – St. Peters – (03-08) – Seventh-day Adventist
St. Charles Borromeo – St. Charles – (K-08) – Roman Catholic
St. Cletus School – St. Charles – (K-08) – Roman Catholic
St. Dominic High School – O'Fallon – (09-12) – Roman Catholic
St. Elizabeth St. Robert Regional School – St. Charles – (PK-08) – Roman Catholic
St. Joseph School – Cottleville – (K-08) – Roman Catholic
St. Joseph School – Wentzville – (PK-08) – Roman Catholic
St. Patrick Elementary School – Wentzville – (K-08) – Roman Catholic
St. Paul Elementary School – St. Paul – (PK-08) – Roman Catholic
St. Peter Catholic School – St. Charles – (PK-08) – Roman Catholic
St. Theodore School – Wentzville – (K-08) – Roman Catholic
Sts. Joachim & Ann School – St. Charles – (PK-08) – Roman Catholic
Trinity Lutheran School – St. Charles – (01-08) – Lutheran
Willott Road Christian Academy – St. Peters – (NS-09) – Baptist
Zion Lutheran School – St. Charles – (PK-08) – Lutheran

Alternative schools

Boonslick State School – St. Peters – Special Education
Fort Zumwalt Hope High School – O'Fallon – Other/Alternative School – (09-12)
Francis Howell Union High School – St. Charles – Other/Alternative School – (09-12)
Heritage Landing – St. Peters – Other/Alternative School – (06-12)
The Lead School – O'Fallon – Other/Alternative School – (K-12)
Lewis & Clark Career Center – St. Charles – Vocational/Technical School – (09-12)
Quest Day Treatment Center – St. Charles – Other/Alternative School – (06-12)
Success Campus – St. Charles – Other/Alternative School – (09-12)

Higher education

Lindenwood University – St. Charles
St. Charles Community College – Cottleville

Public libraries

St. Charles City-County Library District

Communities

Cities

Villages

Census-designated place

Defiance

Other unincorporated places

Islands

Apple Island
Dresser Island
Ellis Island
Howell Island
Two Branch Island

Subregions

Westplex

Westplex is an area within St. Charles County in east-central Missouri to the west of St. Louis County.

The Westplex is part of St. Charles County that used to be called "The Golden Triangle". The "triangle" was formed by I-70 to the north, Missouri Route 94 to the southeast, and I-64 to the southwest. Since almost all of the growth in St. Charles County was within this triangle it was dubbed the "Golden" area of St. Charles county, hence, Golden Triangle. Today the Westplex is made up of St. Charles, St. Peters, Weldon Spring, Cottleville, Dardenne Prairie, O'Fallon, Lake St. Louis, and Wentzville.