Ladue is an inner-ring suburb of

St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

, located in

St. Louis County, Missouri St. Louis County is located in the eastern-central portion of Missouri. It is bounded by the City of St. Louis and the Mississippi River to the east, the Missouri River to the north, and the Meramec River to the south. At the 2020 census, th ...

. As of the 2020 census, the city had a

population Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction using a ...

of 8,989. Ladue has the highest median household income of any city in Missouri with a population over 1,000.

Geography

Ladue is located at (38.636889, -90.381722). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the city has a total area of , all land.

Tilles Park Tilles Park is an urban park, owned and operated by St. Louis County, Missouri, in the western St. Louis suburb of Ladue. The park's full original name is the Rosalie Tilles Memorial Park, in dedication to the mother of park founder Cap Tilles ...

is a large park within Ladue.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 8,989 people and 3,159 households living in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 86.7%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 1.2%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.1% Native American, 5.7%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.3% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 5.9% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 2.4% of the population.

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2010, there were 8,521 people, 3,169 households, and 2,538 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was . There were 3,377 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.1%

, 1.0%

, 0.1% Native American, 3.1%

, 0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 0.3% from

, and 1.4% from two or more races.

of any race were 1.4% of the population. There were 3,169 households, of which 36.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 72.6% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 1.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 19.9% were non-families. 18.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.06. The median age in the city was 46.4 years. 27.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 16.1% were from 25 to 44; 33.7% were from 45 to 64, and 18.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.5% male and 51.5% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 8,645 people, 3,414 households, and 2,598 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 3,557 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.83%

, 0.88%

, 0.10% Native American, 1.49%

, 0.12%

, 0.13% from

, and 0.45% from two or more races.

of any race were 0.78% of the population. Ladue is Missouri's best-educated city, proportionately, with 74.5% of adult residents (25 and older) holding an associate degree or higher, and 71.8% of adults possessing a bachelor's degree or higher (2000 Census). There were 3,414 households, out of which 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.6% were

living together, 4.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.9% were non-families. 22.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 2.94. In the city the population was spread out, with 24.5% under the age of 18, 3.5% from 18 to 24, 16.9% from 25 to 44, 32.2% from 45 to 64, and 22.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.4 males. The median income for a household in the city was $141,720, and the median income for a family was $179,328. Males had a median income of $100,000 versus $51,678 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $89,623. About 1.4% of families and 2.1% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 2.0% of those under age 18 and 2.4% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The

Ladue School District The Ladue School District is a public school district in Ladue, Missouri, with four elementary, one middle, and one high school, with a special Fifth Grade Center. The district serves 4,180 total students, and employs 280 full-time classroom teach ...

serves all of Ladue and part of Frontenac, Olivette, Town and Country, and Creve Coeur. The Ladue School District is home to the elementary schools Conway, Old Bonhomme, Reed, and Spoede.

Ladue Horton Watkins High School Ladue Horton Watkins High School is a public high school in Ladue, Missouri, United States, that is administered by the Ladue School District. Its namesake, Horton Watkins, was vice president of the International Shoe Company and died in 1949. The ...

is the only high school in the district and is located in Ladue. As of the 2015–2016 academic year, Ladue High School had an enrollment of 1,301 students. Ladue is home to two of St. Louis' private high schools, the

John Burroughs School John Burroughs School (JBS) is a private, non-sectarian college-preparatory school with 631 students in grades 7– 12. Its 49-acre () campus is located in Ladue, Missouri (US), a suburb of St. Louis. Founded in 1923, it is named for U.S. natur ...

and Mary Institute and St. Louis Country Day School (MICDS). As well as Community School for grades PK-6. The Headquarters Branch of the

St. Louis County Library St. Louis County Library (SLCL) is a library system that serves residents of St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. It is the busiest public library in Missouri, circulating more than 12 million items in 2011. It consists of 20 branches, incl ...

is located in Ladue on Lindbergh Boulevard (

US 67 U.S. Route 67 is a major north–south U.S. highway which extends for 1,560 miles (2,511 km) in the Central United States. The southern terminus of the route is at the United States-Mexico border in Presidio, Texas, where it continues so ...

History

The historical anecdotes contained in this section were derived from the 2011 book "Ladue Found", written by Charlene Bry, former editor and owner of "The Ladue News." Ladue began as a farming community St. Louis County suburb. After St. Louis City ejected St. Louis County in 1876, Ladue was known as ranges 4 and 5 of "Township 45," with Clayton being the political hub. Original Township 45 farming families included the Dennys, Dwyers, Conways, McCutcheons, McKnights (all Irish), Litzsinger, von Schraders, Spoedes, Luedloffs, Muellers, Seigers Per 1868 Pitzman map of St. Louis, as well as 1878 and 1909 maps of St. Louis County (all German), LaDues (French), Warsons, Lays, Barnes, Prices, and Watsons (all English). Once automobiles replaced horse and wagon as the primary mode of transportation, farmers in the area began selling portions of their land to city workers who wished to live outside of the urban setting. Three small villages (Village of LaDue, Village of Deer Creek, and the Village of McKnight) merged in 1936 to become what is now known as Ladue. Ladue was named from Ladue Road, the main thoroughfare in the area that led from St. Louis City to wealthy entrepreneur Peter Albert LaDue's large property at the current intersection of Warson Road and Ladue Road (including St. Louis Country Club). Peter Albert LaDue was born in Kinderhook, New York, in 1821, a descendant of Pierre LaDoux, who arrived from France in the 1600s. He arrived in Saint Louis about 1848 and later became a prominent attorney, alderman, and banker and land speculator.

Controversies

In the early 1990s, the city tried to force a woman to take down a yard sign stating "Say No to the War in the Persian Gulf, Call Congress Now" as it violated a city law. The ACLU sued, arguing that the right to place the sign was protected by the

1st Amendment The First Amendment (Amendment I) to the United States Constitution prevents the government from making laws that regulate an establishment of religion, or that prohibit the free exercise of religion, or abridge the freedom of speech, th ...

. The ensuing legal battle went to the

United States Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...

which unanimously ruled, in ''

City of Ladue v. Gilleo ''City of Ladue v. Gilleo'', 512 U.S. 43 (1994), was a free speech decision of the Supreme Court of the United States. It was a legal case, case challenging the legality of a city ordinance restricting the placement of signs in the yards of reside ...

'', that the right to place the sign was protected by the

Constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of Legal entity, entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed. When ...

. In 1986, the City of Ladue won a case against E. Terrence Jones and

Joan Kelly Horn Joan Kelly Horn (born October 18, 1936) is an American politician from Missouri. She served one term in the United States House of Representatives representing Missouri's 2nd congressional district. She is a member of the Democratic Party. She ...

, a couple who had lived together for four years and who each brought children from a previous relationship. Ladue officials had requested that they marry or leave their home. The

Missouri Court of Appeals The Missouri Court of Appeals is the intermediate appellate court for the state of Missouri. The court handles most of the appeals from the Missouri Circuit Courts. The court is divided into three geographic districts: Eastern (based in St. ...

sided with the city, stating in ''City of Ladue v. Horn'' that "A man and woman living together, sharing pleasures and certain responsibilities, does not per se constitute a family in even the conceptual sense. ..There is no doubt that there is a governmental interest in marriage and in preserving the integrity of the biological or legal family. There is no concomitant governmental interest in keeping together a group of unrelated persons, no matter how closely they simulate a family. Further, there is no state policy which commands that groups of people may live under the same roof in any section of a municipality they choose." Under Chapter 213 of the Missouri Human Rights Act (§213.040.1), passed after the ''Ladue v. Horn'' case, housing discrimination on the basis of familial status is now an unlawful practice. In 2010, the former chief of police, Larry White, sued the City of Ladue for wrongful termination. The suit was dismissed by the Circuit Court of St. Louis County in 2012 and the dismissal upheld by the Missouri Court of Appeals in 2013. Despite comprising only 0.88% of the local population, black drivers in Ladue comprised 575 (of 4107 total, or 14%) stops in 2014. The resulting "disparity index" indicates a black driver was 15.98 times more likely than the average driver to be stopped by the Ladue Police Department in 2014, but the police department contends the statistics are skewed by the local racial composition.

Notable people

Chuck Berry Charles Edward Anderson Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist who pioneered rock and roll. Nicknamed the " Father of Rock and Roll", he refined and developed rhythm and blues into th ...

, musician *

Joe Buck Joseph Francis Buck (born April 25, 1969) is an American sportscaster. The son of sportscaster Jack Buck, he worked for Fox Sports from its 1994 inception through 2022, including roles as lead play-by-play announcer for the network's Nation ...

, Fox Sports broadcaster *

August Busch III August Anheuser Busch III (born June 16, 1937) is a great-grandson of Anheuser-Busch founder Adolphus Busch and was the company's Chairman until November 30, 2006. August Busch III is informally known as "Auggie" and as "The Third" or "Three Stic ...

, former Chairman of

Anheuser-Busch Anheuser-Busch Companies, LLC is an American brewing company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. Since 2008, it has been wholly owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (AB InBev), now the world's largest brewing company, which owns multiple glo ...

"Ladue Found"; Charlene Bry, Virginia Publishing Company, 2011 *

William H. T. Bush William Henry Trotter Bush, CStJ (July 14, 1938 – February 27, 2018) was an American banker and businessman. A scion of the Bush family, he was the youngest son of US Senator Prescott Sheldon Bush and Dorothy Walker Bush, the youngest br ...

, brother of President

George H. W. Bush George Herbert Walker BushSince around 2000, he has been usually called George H. W. Bush, Bush Senior, Bush 41 or Bush the Elder to distinguish him from his eldest son, George W. Bush, who served as the 43rd president from 2001 to 2009; pr ...

Maxine Clark Maxine may refer to: People Maxine is a feminine given name. * Maxine Andrews (1916–1995), member of The Andrews Sisters singing trio * Maxine Audley (1923–1992), English actress * Maxine Brown (country singer) (1932-2019), American country ...

, founder and CEO of

Build-A-Bear Workshop Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. is an American retailer headquartered in Saint Louis, Missouri that sells teddy bears and other stuffed animals and characters. Customers go through an interactive process in which the stuffed animal of their choice ...

John Danforth John Claggett Danforth (born September 5, 1936) is an American politician, attorney and diplomat who began his career in 1968 as the Attorney General of Missouri and served three terms as United States Senator from Missouri. In 2004, he served br ...

, U.S. Senator from Missouri *

William Henry Danforth William Henry Danforth II (April 10, 1926 – September 16, 2020) was a physician, professor of medicine, academic administrator, and philanthropist. He was chancellor of Washington University in St. Louis from 1971 until 1995. He was the grandson ...

, MD, Former Chancellor of

Washington University in St. Louis Washington University in St. Louis (WashU or WUSTL) is a private research university with its main campus in St. Louis County, and Clayton, Missouri. Founded in 1853, the university is named after George Washington. Washington University is r ...

* William DeWitt, Jr., chairman of the

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals hav ...

*George Preston Dorris (1874-1968), founder of

Dorris Motors Corporation The Dorris Motor Car Company was founded by George Preston Dorris in 1906. Born in Nashville, Tennessee, Dorris had built an experimental gasoline car circa 1896–1897 in his family's bicycle shop. He relocated to St. Louis, Missouri, where he ...

and

St. Louis Motor Company St. Louis Motor Carriage Company was a manufacturer of automobiles at 1211–13 North Vandeventer Avenue in St. Louis, Missouri, founded by George Preston Dorris (later credited with developing and patenting the float-carburetor) and John L. Fre ...

, two early 20th-century automobile manufacturers *

Jim Edmonds James Patrick Edmonds (born June 27, 1970) is an American former professional baseball center fielder and a broadcaster for Bally Sports Midwest. He played for the California/Anaheim Angels, St. Louis Cardinals, San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs, ...

, former MLB player for the Cardinals lives in Ladue *

Ezekiel Elliott Ezekiel Elijah Elliott (born July 22, 1995) is an American football running back for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ohio State, where he earned second-team All-America honors in 2015. Elli ...

, running back for the Dallas Cowboys * David Farr, Chairman & CEO of

Emerson Electric Company Emerson Electric Co. is an American multinational corporation headquartered in Ferguson, Missouri. The ''Fortune'' 500 company manufactures products and provides engineering services for industrial, commercial, and consumer markets.

* Charles F. Knight, former Chairman of

Emerson Electric Co. Emerson Electric Co. is an American multinational corporation headquartered in Ferguson, Missouri. The ''Fortune'' 500 company manufactures products and provides engineering services for industrial, commercial, and consumer markets.

Albert Bond Lambert Albert Bond Lambert (December 6, 1875 – November 12, 1946) was an American golfer who competed in the 1900 Summer Olympics and in the 1904 Summer Olympics. He was also a prominent St. Louis aviator and benefactor of aviation. Early life He ...

, Olympic golfer and founder of

Lambert-St. Louis International Airport St. Louis Lambert International Airport is the primary commercial airport serving metropolitan St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Commonly referred to as Lambert Field or simply Lambert, it is the largest and busiest airport in the state of ...

James Smith McDonnell James Smith "Mac" McDonnell (April 9, 1899 – August 22, 1980) was an American aviator, engineer, and businessman. He was an aviation pioneer and founder of McDonnell Aircraft Corporation, later McDonnell Douglas, and the James S. McDonnel ...

, founder of

McDonnell Douglas McDonnell Douglas was a major American aerospace manufacturing corporation and defense contractor, formed by the merger of McDonnell Aircraft and the Douglas Aircraft Company in 1967. Between then and its own merger with Boeing in 1997, it produ ...

(now

Boeing The Boeing Company () is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, telecommunications equipment, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product ...

) *

Gene McNary Gene McNary (born September 14, 1935) is an American politician. He has served as the Commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, Executive Director of the Missouri Gaming Commission, and County Executive of St. Louis County. H ...

, former St Louis County Executive & former commissioner of the U.S.

Immigration and Naturalization Service The United States Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) was an agency of the U.S. Department of Labor from 1933 to 1940 and the U.S. Department of Justice from 1940 to 2003. Referred to by some as former INS and by others as legacy INS, ...

Stan Musial Stanley Frank Musial (; born Stanislaw Franciszek Musial; November 21, 1920 – January 19, 2013), nicknamed "Stan the Man", was an American baseball outfielder and first baseman. Widely considered to be one of the greatest and most consis ...

Hall of Fame
Major League Baseball player *

Gyo Obata Gyo Obata (小圃暁, February 28, 1923 – March 8, 2022) was an American architect, the son of painter Chiura Obata and his wife, Haruko Obata, a floral designer. In 1955, he co-founded the global architectural firm HOK (formerly Hellmuth, O ...

, founder of HOK Architecture *

William B. Robertson Major William Bryan Robertson (October 8, 1893 – August 1, 1943) was an American aviator and aviation executive who was the co-founder of Lambert Field, Lambert-St. Louis Flying Field as well as the owner and President of Robertson ...

, owner of

Robertson Aircraft Corporation Robertson Aircraft Corporation was a post-World War I American aviation service company based at the Lambert-St. Louis Flying Field near St. Louis, Missouri, that flew passengers and U.S. Air Mail, gave flying lessons, and performed exhibition f ...

Phyllis Schlafly Phyllis Stewart Schlafly (; born Phyllis McAlpin Stewart; August 15, 1924 – September 5, 2016) was an American attorney, conservative activist, author, and anti-feminist spokesperson for the national conservative movement. She held paleocons ...

, conservative activist and founder of

Eagle Forum Eagle Forum is a conservative interest group in the United States founded by Phyllis Schlafly in 1972 and is the parent organization that also includes the Eagle Forum Education and Legal Defense Fund and the Eagle Forum PAC. The Eagle Forum has ...

* Lt. Roz Schulte (1984-2009), National Intelligence Medal of Valor recipient and first female U.S. Air Force Academy graduate killed by enemy combatants in the U.S. War on Terrorism in Afghanistan *

Andrew C. Taylor Andrew C. Taylor is a U.S. businessman. He was born in 1947. He is the executive chairman of Enterprise Holdings. Taylor is the son of Jack C. Taylor, who founded Enterprise Rent-A-Car in 1957. Early life and career Taylor first began working ...

, CEO and Chairman of Enterprise Rent-A-Car and

Enterprise Holdings Enterprise Holdings is an American private holding company headquartered in Clayton, Missouri in Greater St. Louis. It is the parent company of car rental agencies Enterprise Rent-A-Car, National Car Rental, Alamo Rent a Car and also operates s ...

George Herbert Walker George Herbert "Bert" Walker Sr. (June 11, 1875 – June 24, 1953) was an American banker and businessman. He was the maternal grandfather of President George H. W. Bush and a great-grandfather of President George W. Bush, both of whom were nam ...

, founder of G. H. Walker & Co. *

George Howard Williams George Howard Williams (December 1, 1871November 25, 1963) was an American politician and attorney from Missouri. A Republican, he served as U.S. Senator from Missouri from 1925 to 1926, completing the term of Selden P. Spencer following the lat ...

, former U.S. Senator *

Jay Williamson Justin Arch "Jay" Williamson IV (born February 7, 1967) is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour and the Nationwide Tour. Williamson was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He attended Trinity College and was a member of the Di ...

, PGA golfer

References

{{authority control Cities in St. Louis County, Missouri Cities in Missouri