St. Charles County is located in the central eastern part of the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 405,262, making it Missouri's third-most populous

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

is St. Charles. The county was organized October 1, 1812, and named for Saint

Charles Borromeo Charles Borromeo (; ; 2 October 1538 – 3 November 1584) was an Catholic Church in Italy, Italian Catholic prelate who served as Archdiocese of Milan, Archbishop of Milan from 1564 to 1584. He was made a Cardinal (Catholicism), cardinal in 156 ...

, an Italian cardinal. St. Charles County is part of the

St. Louis St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...

, MO- IL Metropolitan Statistical Area and contains many of the city's northwestern

suburb A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area. They are oftentimes where most of a metropolitan areas jobs are located with some being predominantly residential. They can either be denser or less densely populated ...

s. The wealthiest county in

, St. Charles County is one of the nation's fastest-growing counties. St. Charles County includes a part of the

Augusta AVA The Augusta AVA was established on June 20, 1980 as the first federally approved American Viticultural Area, eight months before the Napa Valley AVA in Northern California. The petition was submitted by Clayton W. Byers and Lucian W. Dressel, ...

, an area of vineyards and wineries designated by the federal government in 1980 as the first

American Viticultural Area An American Viticultural Area (AVA) is a designated wine grape-growing region in the United States, providing an official appellation for the mutual benefit of winery, wineries and consumers. Winemakers frequently want their consumers to know abo ...

. The county's rural outer edge along the south-facing bluffs above the

Missouri River The Missouri River is a river in the Central United States, Central and Mountain states, Mountain West regions of the United States. The nation's longest, it rises in the eastern Centennial Mountains of the Bitterroot Range of the Rocky Moun ...

, is also part of the broader

Missouri Rhineland The Missouri Rhineland () is a German American cultural region of Missouri that extends from west of St. Louis to slightly east of Jefferson City, located mostly in the Missouri River Valley on both sides of the river. The region overlaps wit ...

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

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, 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 U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (5.4%) is water. The highest elevation is northwest of Augusta near Femme Osage Creek headwaters.

Adjacent counties

* Lincoln County (northwest) * Calhoun County, Illinois (north) *

Jersey County, Illinois Jersey County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. At the 2020 census, it had a population of 21,512. The county seat and largest community is Jerseyville, with a population of 8,337 in 2010. The county's smallest incorporated c ...

(northeast) *

Madison County, Illinois Madison County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is a part of the Metro East in southern Illinois. According to the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it had a population of 264,776, making it the eighth-most populous county in ...

(east) * St. Louis County (southeast) * Franklin County (south) * Warren County (west)

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. * Business Loop 70

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

Demographics

2020 census

As of 2020, there were 405,262 people and 150,668 households residing in the county. The population density was . There were 161,144 housing units. The racial makeup of the county was 83.8%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 5.2%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.1% Native American, 2.8% Asian, 0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, 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 th ...

, and 6.5% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

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 Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

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 Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

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

on the south and east and the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

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

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 Lindenwood University is a private university in St. Charles, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1832 by George Champlin Sibley and Mary Easton Sibley as The Lindenwood School for Girls, it is the second-oldest higher-education institution wes ...

– St. Charles * St. Charles Community College – Cottleville

Public libraries

* St. Charles City-County Library District

Government

St. Charles County is governed by a county executive and a county council. The county council consists of seven members, each elected from various districts in the county. The county executive is elected by the entire county. The current executive is Steve Ehlmann. He was preceded by Joe Ortwerth, who was preceded by Gene Schwendemann, the first county executive of St. Charles County under the new form of government. The executive under the old form of county government was termed a "judge." The county had 258,525 registered voters as of March 2016. St. Charles County Ambulance District (SCCAD) is the largest such district in Missouri, serving all of St. Charles County and its population of nearly 370,000.

Law enforcement

The St. Charles County Sheriff's Department (SCCSD) is responsible for court services and security, prisoner transport, civil process, and

bailiff A bailiff is a manager, overseer or custodian – a legal officer to whom some degree of authority or jurisdiction is given. There are different kinds, and their offices and scope of duties vary. Another official sometimes referred to as a '' ...

s. Until the end of 2014, SCCSD was the primary law enforcement agency serving unincorporated areas of St. Charles County. On January 1, 2015, the St. Charles County Police Department was established and assumed that responsibility. It should not be confused with the St. Charles City Police Department. The St. Charles County Regional

SWAT A SWAT (''Special Weapons and Tactics'') team is a generic term for a police tactical unit within the United States, though the term has also been used by other nations. SWAT units are generally trained, equipped, and deployed to res ...

Team is made up of officers from each county law enforcement agency. The SCCPD Aviation Unit is part of a multi-jurisdictional unit known as the Metro Air Support Unit, with the Metropolitan Police Department, City of St. Louis; St. Louis County Police Department; and St. Charles County Police Department. As of 2024, the fleet included five helicopters, and twelve pilots or pilots in training. In May 2022, Ryan Keuhner, who was then an SCCSD deputy, shot and killed his neighbor's 3-year-old rescue dog with a pellet gun. The shooting was reportedly unprovoked and Keuhner was off duty at the time. Video of the dog's owner confronting Keuhner was uploaded online, and later gained national coverage. Keuhner resigned in June 2022 and was charged with a class A

misdemeanor A misdemeanor (American English, spelled misdemeanour elsewhere) is any "lesser" criminal act in some common law legal systems. Misdemeanors are generally punished less severely than more serious felonies, but theoretically more so than admi ...

for animal abuse.

Library resolution

In 2023, the county council issued a resolution aimed at library policies and staff online activities. The resolution followed protests and comments at council meetings from residents who complained about a staff member wearing gender non-conforming clothes. Within the resolution, the council asked the library CEO to remove an article they shared on their personal

LinkedIn LinkedIn () is an American business and employment-oriented Social networking service, social network. It was launched on May 5, 2003 by Reid Hoffman and Eric Ly. Since December 2016, LinkedIn has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Microsoft. ...

profile related to conservative campaigns targeting public libraries and

freedom of speech Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The rights, right to freedom of expression has been r ...

Politics

Local

The Republican Party predominantly controls politics at the local level in St. Charles County. Republicans hold all the elected positions in the county.

State

St. Charles County is divided among eleven legislative districts in the Missouri State House of Representatives, all of which are held by Republicans. *District 63 – Tricia Byrnes (R- Wentzville, since 2023). Consists of most of Wentzville. *District 64 – Tony Lovasco (R- O'Fallon, since 2019). Consists of Flint Hill, Josephville, St. Paul, and parts of Foristell, O'Fallon, and Wentzville. *District 65 – Wendy Hausman (R- St. Peters, since 2023). Consists of West Alton, Portage Des Sioux, and parts of Cottleville, St. Charles, and St. Peters. *District 69 – Adam Schnelting (R- St. Charles, since 2019). Consists of parts of St. Peters and Weldon Spring. *District 102 – Richard West (R- Wentzville, since 2019). Consists of Augusta, Defiance, New Melle, Weldon Springs Heights, and parts of Cottleville, O'Fallon, St. Peters, and Weldon Spring. *District 103 – Dave Hinman (R- O'Fallon, since 2023). Consists of part of O'Fallon. *District 104 – Phil Christofanelli (R- St. Charles, since 2019). Consists of part of St. Charles and St. Peters. *District 105 – Adam Schwadron (R- St. Charles, since 2021). Consists of part of St. Charles. *District 106 – Travis Wilson (R- St. Charles, since 2023). Consists of part of St. Charles. *District 107 – Mark Matthiesen (R- O'Fallon, since 2023). Consists of parts of Dardenne Prairie and O'Fallon. *District 108 – Justin Hicks (R- Lake St. Louis, since 2023). Consists of Lake St. Louis and parts of Dardenne Prairie and O'Fallon. St. Charles County is divided into three districts in the Missouri State Senate, each of which are represented by Republicans. *District 2 – Nick Schroer (R- Defiance, since 2023). Consists of the communities of Augusta, Cottleville, Dardenne Prairie, Defiance, Josephville, Lake St. Louis, New Melle, O'Fallon, St. Paul, Weldon Spring, and Weldon Spring Heights. *District 10 - Travis Fitzwater (R- New Bloomfield, since 2023). Consists of the communities of Flint Hill, Foristell, and Wentzville. *District 23 – Bill Eigel (R- Weldon Spring, since 2017). Consists of Portage Des Sioux, St. Charles, St. Peters, and West Alton.

Federal

Missouri is represented in the

U.S. Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and House have the authority under Article One of the ...

Josh Hawley Joshua David Hawley (born December 31, 1979) is an American politician and attorney serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from Missouri, a seat he has held since 2019. A member ...

and

Eric Schmitt Eric Stephen Schmitt (born June 20, 1975) is an American politician and attorney serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, junior United States Senate, United States senator from Missouri since 2023. A member of the Republican Party ...

, whose most recent election results from the county are included here. Part of St. Charles County is included in Missouri's 2nd Congressional District and is currently represented by Ann Wagner in the

U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

. Most of St. Charles County is included in Missouri's 3rd Congressional District and is currently represented by Blaine Luetkemeyer (R- St. Elizabeth) in the

Federal politics

St. Charles County has long been a Republican stronghold despite being an urban county, likely due to being the wealthiest county in Missouri. Despite this, it did vote for Medicaid expansion in 2020, legal recreational marijuana in 2022, and legal abortion in 2024. It was also one of the few counties in Missouri to shift towards the Democrats from 2020 to 2024.

2016 Missouri presidential primary results

Republican

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

won the most votes in St. Charles County, with 41.50 percent. U.S. Senator

Ted Cruz Rafael Edward Cruz (; born December 22, 1970) is an American politician and attorney serving as the junior United States senator from Texas since 2013. A member of the Republican Party, Cruz was the solicitor general of Texas from 2003 ...

(R-Texas) came in second with 38.87 percent, Governor John Kasich (R-Ohio) placed third with 10.70 percent, and U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-Florida) was fourth with 7.10 percent. Democratic U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) won the primary with 54.32 percent to former United States Secretary of State, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's 44.80 percent.

2012 Missouri presidential primary results

Republican Former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum (R-Pennsylvania) won the most votes in St. Charles County, with 56.29 percent. Former Governor Mitt Romney (R-Massachusetts) came in second with 25.43 percent, and former U.S. Representative Ron Paul (R-Texas) was third with 12.69 percent. Democratic With incumbent President Barack Obama facing no serious opposition, few St. Charles County voters voted in the Democratic primary; Obama won 87.83 percent.

2008 Missouri presidential primary results

Republican Former Governor Mitt Romney (R-Massachusetts) won the most votes in St. Charles County, with 37.72 percent. U.S. Senator John McCain (R-Arizona) came in second with 34.95 percent, former Governor Mike Huckabee (R-Arkansas) placed third with 21.83 percent, and U.S. Representative Ron Paul (R-Texas) was fourth with 3.83 percent. Democratic Former U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton (D-New York (state), New York) received a total of 23,611 votes, more than any candidate from either party in St. Charles County during the 2008 presidential primary.

Communities

Cities

Villages

*Josephville, Missouri, Josephville *Weldon Spring Heights, Missouri, Weldon Spring Heights

Census-designated place

* Defiance

Other unincorporated places

Islands

* Apple Island (Missouri), Apple Island * Dresser Island * Ellis Island (Missouri), Ellis Island * Howell Island Conservation Area, Howell Island * Two Branch Island

Subregions

Westplex

Westplex is an area within St. Charles County in east-central

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, Missouri, Cottleville, Dardenne Prairie, Missouri, Dardenne Prairie, O'Fallon, Lake St. Louis, and Wentzville.

References

External links

St. Charles County Government WebsiteSt. Charles City-County Library DistrictSt. Charles County Ambulance DistrictGreater St. Charles County Chamber of CommerceSt. Charles County Jail Information

from University of Missouri Division of Special Collections, Archives, and Rare Books {{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Charles County, Missouri St. Charles County, Missouri, 1812 establishments in Missouri Territory Missouri counties on the Mississippi River Missouri Rhineland Populated places established in 1812 Regions of Greater St. Louis