St. Peters is a lively city in St. Charles County, Missouri, United States. In 2020, about 57,732 people lived there. This makes it one of the largest cities in Missouri. It's located just northwest of St. Louis.

A major highway, Interstate 70, runs right through the city. This makes it easy to travel to and from St. Peters. The city has been recognized as a great place to live by Money magazine several times. It was even ranked as the best place to live in Missouri in 2008. St. Peters is also home to Mid Rivers Mall, the biggest shopping center in the county.

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A Look Back: St. Peters' History

Long before Europeans arrived, the area of St. Peters was home to ancient people. These people were called Mississippian mound builders. They built large mounds of earth. In 1954, during the building of I-70, the remains of one of their villages were found. A street nearby was later named Mound Drive because of these mounds.

One of the first written records about European settlers is from 1791. It was a Spanish census that mentioned a land grant. St. Peters got its name from a Jesuit mission that was set up there. In 1895, music was very important to the community. The city had a famous cornet band.

For most of the 1900s, St. Peters was a small farming town. In 1970, only 486 people lived there. But things changed very quickly! By 1980, the population had jumped to 15,700. In just ten years, St. Peters went from a small rural town to a busy suburban community. The city kept growing fast. By 1990, it had 40,660 people. In 2010, the population was about 52,575.

St. Peters celebrated its 50th year as a city in 2009. It marked its 100th year as a town in 2010. It became a town in 1910 and a city in 1959. In 2022, St. Peters experienced very heavy rain. The National Weather Service reported an unofficial record of 12.3 inches (310 mm) of rain on July 26, 2022.

Where is St. Peters?

St. Peters is located at 38°46′44″N 90°36′11″W / 38.77889°N 90.60306°W / 38.77889; -90.60306. The city covers a total area of about 22.37 square miles (57.94 km2). Almost all of this area is land.

St. Peters' Climate

St. Peters has a climate with warm summers and cold winters.

Climate data for St. Peters, Missouri (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1893–present)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	82 (28)	83 (28)	93 (34)	94 (34)	101 (38)	106 (41)	115 (46)	112 (44)	106 (41)	97 (36)	87 (31)	77 (25)	115 (46)
Mean maximum °F (°C)	64.4 (18.0)	69.9 (21.1)	78.1 (25.6)	84.6 (29.2)	89.1 (31.7)	93.0 (33.9)	96.1 (35.6)	96.3 (35.7)	91.6 (33.1)	86.4 (30.2)	74.9 (23.8)	66.7 (19.3)	97.9 (36.6)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	39.3 (4.1)	44.9 (7.2)	55.5 (13.1)	67.3 (19.6)	76.3 (24.6)	84.4 (29.1)	88.1 (31.2)	87.2 (30.7)	80.8 (27.1)	68.5 (20.3)	54.9 (12.7)	43.6 (6.4)	65.9 (18.8)
Daily mean °F (°C)	30.2 (−1.0)	34.8 (1.6)	44.4 (6.9)	55.3 (12.9)	64.9 (18.3)	73.9 (23.3)	77.8 (25.4)	76.3 (24.6)	68.9 (20.5)	56.9 (13.8)	44.9 (7.2)	35.0 (1.7)	55.3 (12.9)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	21.2 (−6.0)	24.8 (−4.0)	33.3 (0.7)	43.3 (6.3)	53.5 (11.9)	63.3 (17.4)	67.5 (19.7)	65.4 (18.6)	57.1 (13.9)	45.2 (7.3)	35.0 (1.7)	26.5 (−3.1)	44.7 (7.1)
Mean minimum °F (°C)	3.2 (−16.0)	8.4 (−13.1)	16.9 (−8.4)	30.0 (−1.1)	40.1 (4.5)	52.3 (11.3)	57.1 (13.9)	56.1 (13.4)	43.9 (6.6)	30.7 (−0.7)	20.1 (−6.6)	10.0 (−12.2)	0.2 (−17.7)
Record low °F (°C)	−25 (−32)	−24 (−31)	−7 (−22)	0 (−18)	30 (−1)	41 (5)	47 (8)	43 (6)	31 (−1)	19 (−7)	−4 (−20)	−19 (−28)	−25 (−32)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	2.44 (62)	2.37 (60)	3.46 (88)	4.74 (120)	4.80 (122)	4.26 (108)	4.23 (107)	3.76 (96)	3.07 (78)	3.11 (79)	3.54 (90)	2.56 (65)	42.34 (1,075)
Average snowfall inches (cm)	4.7 (12)	5.0 (13)	1.5 (3.8)	0.1 (0.25)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.8 (2.0)	2.7 (6.9)	14.8 (38)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in)	7.6	8.4	11.0	11.2	12.7	10.1	8.8	8.2	8.1	7.7	8.8	8.6	111.2
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in)	2.8	3.3	1.3	0.1	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.4	2.3	10.2
Source: NOAA

Who Lives in St. Peters?

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1880	334	—
1910	269	—
1920	358	33.1%
1930	248	−30.7%
1940	305	23.0%
1950	377	23.6%
1960	404	7.2%
1970	486	20.3%
1980	15,700	3,130.5%
1990	45,779	191.6%
2000	51,381	12.2%
2010	52,575	2.3%
2020	57,732	9.8%
U.S. Decennial Census

Population in 2020

The 2020 United States census counted 57,732 people living in St. Peters. There were 22,766 households, which are groups of people living together. Most people in St. Peters are white (83.38%). Other groups include black or African-American (5.62%), Asian (2.57%), and people of two or more races (6.71%). About 2.8% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

About 28.7% of households had children under 18. Many households (54.8%) were married couples. The average household had 2.5 people. The average family had 3.1 people.

About 22.4% of the people were under 18 years old. The median age in the city was 39.9 years. This means half the people were younger than 39.9 and half were older.

Fun and Recreation

St. Peters has many great places for fun and activities!

The Rec-Plex

The St. Peters Rec-Plex is a huge recreation center. It's about 236,000 square feet (21,900 m2)! It's a place for families to have fun and for athletes to train. The Rec-Plex was even chosen to host the 2004 Olympic Diving Trials. It's known as one of the best diving places in the USA. In 2007, the Rec-Plex was made even bigger with an $18.5 million expansion.

Healthcare in St. Peters

St. Peters is home to Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital. This hospital helps many people in St. Charles County and nearby areas. It has 175 rooms and is a satellite location for the Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center.

Library and Recycling

The Spencer Road Branch library is in St. Peters. It's the biggest and busiest library in the St. Charles City-County Library District.

The city also has a special place called "Recycle City." It opened in 1997. You can bring many different types of materials there to be recycled. These materials are then sold to companies that use recycled goods. In 2007, Recycle City recycled over 12.5 million pounds (5.7 million kg) of materials!

Amazing Parks in St. Peters

St. Peters has the largest park system in St. Charles County. There are over 1,000 acres (400 ha) of parks and trails! You can find walking trails, playgrounds, picnic areas, sports fields, fishing ponds, and beautiful landscapes.

Brookmount Park – A 5-acre (2.0 ha) park with a walking trail and a playground for young children.
Brown Road Park – This 23-acre (9.3 ha) park has baseball fields, a football field, a picnic area, a BMX track, and a playground.
City Centre Park – A large 78-acre (32 ha) park near City Hall. It has baseball fields, a soccer/football field, trails for biking and hiking, and a playground for all children. There's also an outdoor stage for music and shows.
Community Park – An 11-acre (4.5 ha) park with soccer fields and baseball diamonds.
Country Creek Trail – A 6-acre (2.4 ha) park that runs along Spencer Creek.
Covenant Park – A 7.5-acre (3.0 ha) park with a baseball field, basketball court, tennis courts, a playground, and picnic areas.
Dardenne Park – A 3-acre (1.2 ha) park next to Dardenne Creek. It has a new playground, a paved trail, and access to a golf course.
Glen Travis Park – A 12.5-acre (5.1 ha) natural area where you can see wildlife.
St. Peters Golf & Recreation Center – A 145-acre (59 ha) park with tennis courts, a 13-acre (5.3 ha) fishing lake, a swimming pool, and an 18-hole golf course.
370 Lakeside Park – This huge 300-acre (120 ha) park opened in 2011. It has a 140-acre (57 ha) lake for fishing and boating. You can also find picnic areas, walking trails, playgrounds, an RV park, and a dog park. The "Celebrate St. Peters" festival happens here every September.
Laurel Park – A 47-acre (19 ha) park with a playground, sports fields, sand volleyball courts, a basketball court, and horseshoe pits. It also has an outdoor swimming pool and two lakes.
Lone Wolff Park – An 8.5-acre (3.4 ha) quiet park with a small picnic area and a horse arena.
Oak Creek – The smallest neighborhood park at 2.5 acres (1.0 ha). It has a playground and picnic tables.
Old Town Park – St. Peters' first park, over 100 years old! This 8-acre (3.2 ha) park has baseball fields, horseshoe pits, picnic areas, and a playground. It hosts the annual "St. Peters Olde Tyme Picnic."
Rabbit Run Park – A 110-acre (45 ha) park with baseball fields, football/soccer fields, a gazebo, and a picnic area.
Shady Springs Park – A 14-acre (5.7 ha) park with baseball fields, a soccer field, a large playground, and a fitness trail through a wooded area.
Spencer Creek Park – A 40-acre (16 ha) park with a baseball field, basketball court, football/soccer field, tennis courts, a playground, and trails.
Sports Center Park – A 21-acre (8.5 ha) park with baseball fields, soccer/football fields, and a walking trail. It's also home to the Sports Center Gymnasium for indoor sports.
Trailwoods Park – A 3-acre (1.2 ha) park perfect for walking or watching wildlife. It has a trail around a small lake with ducks and fish.
Woodlands Sports Park – A 93-acre (38 ha) park with 5 baseball fields, eight soccer fields, a playground, and two fishing lakes. Many large sports tournaments are held here.

Learning in St. Peters

St. Peters has several public high schools within its city limits. These include Fort Zumwalt South High School, Francis Howell North High School, and Fort Zumwalt East High School. Some students from St. Peters also attend high schools in nearby towns. These include Francis Howell Central High School in Cottleville, and Fort Zumwalt North and Fort Zumwalt West High School in O'Fallon.

The city also has several public elementary schools. These are Fairmount, Hawthorn, Lewis & Clark, Mid Rivers, Progress South, St. Peters, and Warren Elementary Schools. For middle school, there are DuBray and Fort Zumwalt South Middle Schools. St. Peters is also home to a private school, Lutheran High School of St Charles County.

St. Peters, Missouri facts for kids