Metro East

Region in Illinois, United StatesSt. Louis Metro EastRegionInteractive Map of St. Louis–St. Charles–Farmington, MO–IL CSA St. Louis, MO–IL MSA City of St. Louis Greater St. Louis (Missouri) Metro East (Illinois) Other Statistical Areas in the St. Louis CSA Farmington, MO μSA Centralia, IL μSA Country United StatesState IllinoisLargest cityBelleville, ILOther cities - O'Fallon, IL - Granite City, IL - Edwardsville, IL - Alton, IL - East St. Louis, IL Elevation466–1,280 ft (142–390 m)Population (2020) • Total681,678Time zoneUTC−6 (CST) • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)Area codes618, 730, 217, 447 The Metro East is an urban area in Southern Illinois, United States that contains the eastern and northern urban, suburban, and exurban areas on the Mississippi River in Greater St. Louis. It encompasses eight Illinois counties and constitutes the second-most populous metropolitan area in Illinois. A historically significant region, the area included the mound building native culture of Cahokia, and the later French settlements of the Illinois Country. It also includes the fertile lands of the riparian American Bottom. The region has almost 700,000 residents and its most popula