O'Fallon ( ) is a city located along
Interstates 64 and
70 between
Lake St. Louis and
St. Peters in
St. Charles County, Missouri, United States. It is part of the
St. Louis metropolitan statistical area. As of the
2020 census, O'Fallon had a population of 91,316, making it the largest suburb of St. Louis, as well as the largest municipality in St. Charles County and the seventh-largest in Missouri. O'Fallon's
namesake
A namesake is a person, geographic location, or other entity bearing the name of another.
History
The word is first attested around 1635, and probably comes from the phrase "for one's name's sake",
which originates in English Bible translations ...
in
St. Clair County, Illinois, is also part of the St. Louis metropolitan statistical area. The two O'Fallons are one of the few pairs of same-named municipalities to be part of the same MSA.
History
O'Fallon was founded in 1856 by Nicholas Krekel. The community was named by Krekel's older brother, Judge Arnold Krekel, after
John O'Fallon
John O'Fallon (November 17, 1791 – December 17, 1865) was a businessman, philanthropist, and military officer, a nephew of the explorer William Clark. During the 19th century he rose to become the wealthiest person in St. Louis, Missouri. The ...
, the president of the North Missouri Railroad. A post office called O'Fallon has been in operation since 1859 with its first postmaster being Nicholas Krekel. The
St. Mary's Institute of O'Fallon
St. Mary's Institute of O'Fallon, also known as the Motherhouse for the Congregation of the Sisters of the Adoration of the Most Precious Blood, is a historic convent, school, and national historic district located at O'Fallon, St. Charles Coun ...
was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 2007.
In 2006, ''Money ''magazine named O'Fallon 39th in its "Best 100 Places to Live". The magazine also ranked O'Fallon 68th out of 100 in 2008, 26th out of 100 in 2010, and 42nd out of 100 in 2017.
Geography
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 , of which are land and is covered by water.
Demographics
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, 79,329 people, 28,234 households, and 21,436 families were 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 . The 29,376 housing units averaged . The
racial makeup
A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...
of the city was 89.9% White, 4.0% African American, 0.2% Native American, 3.2% Asian, 0.9% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 2.7% of the population.
Of the 28,234 households, 44.7% had children under 18 living with them, 61.6% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 24.1% were not families. About 19.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.2% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.80, and the average family size was 3.23.
The median age in the city was 34.3 years. The age distribution of the city was 30% under 18; 7.1% between 18 and 24; 30.8% from 25 to 44; 23.1% from 45 to 64; and 8.9% at 65 or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.8% male and 51.2% female.
Economy
Mastercard has a major presence in O'Fallon.
Venture Stores
Venture Stores, Inc. was a chain of retail stores aimed at the discount department-store market. John Geisse, formerly of Target Stores, and May Department Stores' executive vice president, Dave Babcock, founded the chain in 1968. Venture Store ...
was headquartered and maintained a distribution center in O'Fallon, until its dissolution. The buildings are now occupied by True Manufacturing.
Air Evac Lifeteam
Air Evac EMS, Inc., operating as Air Evac Lifeteam and sometimes called simply Air Evac, is an American helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) or air ambulance provider headquartered in O'Fallon, Missouri. It is the largest subsidiary of ...
, a medical helicopter service for the rural areas of
the Ozarks
The Ozarks, also known as the Ozark Mountains, Ozark Highlands or Ozark Plateau, is a physiographic region in the U.S. states of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and the extreme southeastern corner of Kansas. The Ozarks cover a significant portio ...
, moved its headquarters to O'Fallon in 2015.
Sports
O'Fallon was the home of the
River City Rascals
The River City Rascals were a professional baseball team based in O'Fallon, Missouri, in the United States. The Rascals were a member of the West Division of the Frontier League, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball. From the 1999 ...
independent
Independent or Independents may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups
* Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s
* Independ ...
Frontier League
The Frontier League is a professional independent baseball league with teams in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States and Eastern Canada. Formed in 1993, it is the oldest currently running independent league in the United States. The le ...
baseball team. The Rascals played at
CarShield Field
CarShield Field, formerly T.R. Hughes Ballpark, is a stadium in O'Fallon, Missouri. It is primarily used for baseball, and was the home field of the River City Rascals Frontier League baseball team, until the team ceased operations at the end of ...
in O'Fallon, which was built in 1999. It is located on Tom Ginnever Boulevard and T.R. Hughes Boulevard near downtown. The organization ceased operations after the 2019 season. The
O'Fallon Hoots and the CarShield Collegiate League now play at the stadium.
Parks and recreation
* Civic Park, a park, it features Alligator's Creek Aquatic Center, a bandstand and amphitheater.
* Dames Park is a sports park with three football fields and a fitness course.
*
Fort Zumwalt Park
Fort Zumwalt Park is a park in O'Fallon, Missouri, that features the rebuilt homestead fort of Jacob Zumwalt.
The park's total area is with Lake Whetsel, a picnic pavilion, a shelter house, and a children's playground with equipment. The lake ...
is a park featuring a fishing lake, a disc golf course, playgrounds, and historic Fort Zumwalt.
* Knaust Park is a park with a playground and walking path.
* O'Fallon Sports Park is a soccer complex with 12 fields, playgrounds, and concessions. It is also home to the Renaud Spirit Center.
* Ozzie Smith Sports Complex is a baseball/softball complex with seven diamonds, adjacent to CarShield Field.
* Westhoff Park is a park featuring baseball diamonds, sand volleyball courts, horseshoe pits, basketball courts, tennis and handball courts, and a skate park.
Climate
O'Fallon has a
humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...
''Cfa''). Summers are hot and humid, while winters are moderately cold.
Government
O'Fallon operates under a charter form of government. In 2010, the current four wards were redistricted, and a new, fifth ward was created. The current mayor is William "Bill" Hennessy. As of April 2021, the city council members are Dave Hinman, Deana Smith, Tom Herweck, Lisa Thompson, Dale Kling, Nathan Bibb, Jeff Kuehn, Jim Ottomeyer, Debbie Cook and Katie Gatewood.
In January 2022, city councilwoman Katie Gatewood made regional headlines by being the first elected official in O'Fallon to be impeached and removed from office. She was accused of impeding the duties of the police chief and lying to the Council about the identity of a whistleblower.
Education and libraries
O'Fallon is served mostly by the
Fort Zumwalt School District, and the westernmost part is served by the
Wentzville R-IV School District
Wentzville R-IV School District is a school district headquartered in Wentzville, Missouri, United States. In addition to almost all of Wentzville, the district serves all of Lake St. Louis, the St. Charles County portion of Foristell; and por ...
. The south to southeastern part of the city is served by the
Francis Howell R-III School District
The Francis Howell School District has provided education in St. Charles County, Missouri since 1830. Through mergers, it became the Consolidated School District No. 2 of St. Charles County in 1913, and the Francis Howell Reorganized School Distri ...
.
St. Dominic High School is a private
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
school located in O'Fallon;
Christian High School is a nondenominational Christian secondary school also located in O'Fallon. Satellite campuses of
Webster University
Webster University is a private university with its main campus in Webster Groves, Missouri. It has multiple branch locations across the United States and countries across Europe, Asia, and Africa. It offers undergraduate and graduate program ...
and
Lindenwood University
Lindenwood University is a private university in St. Charles, Missouri. Founded in 1827 by George Champlin Sibley and Mary Easton Sibley as The Lindenwood School for Girls, it is the second-oldest higher-education institution west of the Mis ...
are located in O'Fallon.
O'Fallon is served by the
St. Charles City-County Library system, which has three branches in the area, two standard (Deer Run and Middendorf-Kredell) and one "express" location (Library Express at Winghaven).
Infrastructure
While the City is within the jurisdiction of multiple agencies, fire protection is mostly provided by the O'Fallon Fire Protection District, which in 2007 became the first internationally accredited fire agency in Missouri. The award was made by the Center for Public Safety Excellence's Commission on Fire Accreditation International, which has approved accreditation status for only 120 fire agencies worldwide.
The western portion of the city is served by the Wentzville Fire Protection District.
[http://wentzvillefire.org wentzvillefire.org]
The eastern portion of the city is served by Central County Fire Rescue.
The southern portion of the city is served by the Cottleville Fire Protection District
The far southwestern portion of the city is served by the New Melle Fire District
An extremely small portion of the city is served by the Lake Saint Louis Fire District
Notable people
*
Napheesa Collier
Napheesa Collier (born September 23, 1996) is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Lynx of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). After playing college basketball for the University of Connecticut Huskies, Co ...
(September 23, 1996),
Minnesota Lynx forward, 2019
WNBA Rookie of the Year
The Women's National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year Award is an annual Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) award given since the 1998 WNBA season, to the top rookie of the regular season. The winner is selected by a panel ...
*
Harry Gilmer
Harry Vincent Gilmer Jr. (April 14, 1926 – August 20, 2016) was an American football halfback and quarterback in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins and Detroit Lions. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fam ...
(April 14, 1926 – August 20, 2016), All-American college and Pro Bowl football player and former head coach of the
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
*
Nathan Heald
Nathan Heald ( New Ipswich, New Hampshire September 24, 1775 – O'Fallon, Missouri April 27, 1832) was an officer in the U.S. Army, during the War of 1812. He was in command of Fort Dearborn in Chicago during the Battle of Fort Dearborn.
Heald ...
(September 24, 1775 – April 27, 1832),
U.S. Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...
officer during the
War of 1812
The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...
, in command of
Fort Dearborn
Fort Dearborn was a United States fort built in 1803 beside the Chicago River, in what is now Chicago, Illinois. It was constructed by troops under Captain John Whistler and named in honor of Henry Dearborn, then United States Secretary of War. ...
in Chicago
*
Megan Taylor Meier (November 6, 1992 — October 17, 2006), teenager who committed suicide
*
Josh Sargent
Joshua Thomas Sargent (born February 20, 2000) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a forward or winger for EFL Championship club Norwich City and the United States national team. In May 2017, at the age of 17, he became t ...
(February 20, 2000), forward for
Norwich City
Norwich City Football Club (also known as The Canaries or The Yellows) is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. The club competes in the EFL Championship following their relegation from the Premier League in the 20 ...
and
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team (USMNT) represents the United States in men's international soccer competitions. The team is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and is a member of FIFA and CONCACAF.
The U.S. team ha ...
*
Tim Ream
Timothy Michael Ream (born October 5, 1987) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a center-back or left-back for club Fulham and the United States national team.
Youth and college soccer
Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Ream was ...
(October 5, 1987), defender for
Fulham FC
Fulham Football Club is an English professional football club based in Fulham, London, which compete in the . They have played home games at Craven Cottage since 1896, other than a two-year period spent at Loftus Road whilst Craven Cottage unde ...
and
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team (USMNT) represents the United States in men's international soccer competitions. The team is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and is a member of FIFA and CONCACAF.
The U.S. team ha ...
*
Pamela Hupp - Murderer
References
External links
City of O'FallonO'Fallon Fire Protection District* Historic maps of O'Fallon in th
Sanborn Maps of Missouri Collectionat the
University of Missouri
The University of Missouri (Mizzou, MU, or Missouri) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbia, Missouri. It is Missouri's largest university and the flagship of the four-campus Universit ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:O'fallon, Missouri
Cities in St. Charles County, Missouri
Populated places established in 1856
Cities in Missouri
1856 establishments in Missouri