St. Louis County Real Estate

St. Louis County borders the city of St. Louis directly to its west and represents a major part of the Greater St. Louis Area. The 2010 Census put the county population at 998,954, which is approximately three times the size of its adjoining namesake city. Originally organized in 1812, St. Louis County was originally a French colonial district before being acquired by the United States as part of the Louisiana Purchase and is named after the French King Louis IX. In 1877, the City of St. Louis separated itself from the county, creating an independent city. The original county seat was in various buildings in downtown St. Louis by the Gateway Arch; today, the county seat sits in Clayton, Missouri.   

St. Louis County is often divided up into four sections: West, Mid, North and South. The West section tends to be more affluent; Mid County is made up of the central and eastern portion of St. Louis County. St. Louis County and includes many middle class suburban areas such as the county seat, Clayton. North County is one of the most diverse parts of St. Louis County and is home to Lambert-St. Louis International Airport. Several corporate giants such as Boeing's Defense, Space & Security unit and Emerson Electric Company call the North County portion of St. Louis County home. The area is known for its strong public transportation – in fact, it was the first area in Greater St. Louis to be served by Metro Link, the area’s rail system.

But St. Louis County has more than just big business and a solid rail system to offer prospective home buyers. In addition to its strong public school system, the county also has an abundance of private and parochial schools, including the largest number of Catholic affiliated secondary institutions in the continental U.S. The county also boasts wonderful shopping in areas such as Florissant and Hazelwood. The great outdoors is a huge influence on life in St. Louis County. Faust Park was created in 1968 and boasts nearly 200 acres of hiking, biking, boating and camping fun in the heart of Chesterfield. Bella Fontaine was originally dedicated in 1960 as an 11.8 acre site; in 1972, St. Louis County acquired an additional 167 acres that now constitute the main area of the park site. The park offers plenty of activities from tennis to fishing, hiking to camping, and in 1990, county proudly dedicated a high-quality softball complex with six fields, four of which are lighted for nighttime play.