St. Louis

==Geography==
{{Main|Geography of St. Louis}}

===Landmarks===
{{Further|Landmarks of St. Louis}}
{{see also|List of public art in St. Louis}}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Name
!Description
!Photo
|-
|[[Gateway Arch]]
|At {{convert|630|ft|m}}, the Gateway Arch is the world's tallest [[arch]] and tallest human-made [[monument]] in the [[Western Hemisphere]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Lohraff |first=Kevin |year=2009 |title=Hiking Missouri |edition=2nd |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yO83BlN64sIC&pg=PA73 |location=Champaign, IL |publisher=Human Kinetics |isbn=978-0-7360-7588-6 |page=73 |access-date=November 1, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170102210822/https://books.google.com/books?id=yO83BlN64sIC&pg=PA73 |archive-date=January 2, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> Built as a monument to the [[westward expansion of the United States]], it is the centerpiece of [[Gateway Arch National Park]] which was known as Jefferson National Expansion Memorial until 2018.
|[[File:Gateway_Arch_at_Sunset_(cropped).jpg|150x150px]]
|-
|[[Saint Louis Art Museum|St. Louis Art Museum]]
|Built for the [[Louisiana Purchase Exposition|1904 World's Fair]], with a building designed by [[Cass Gilbert]], the museum houses paintings, sculptures, and cultural objects. The museum is located in [[Forest Park (St. Louis)|Forest Park]], and admission is free.
|[[File:St._Louis_Art_Museum.JPG|150x150px]]
|-
|[[Missouri Botanical Garden]]
|Founded in 1859, the Missouri Botanical Garden is one of the oldest botanical institutions in the United States and a [[National Historic Landmark]]. It spans 79 acres in the [[Shaw, St. Louis|Shaw]] neighborhood, including a {{convert|14|acre|ha|abbr=off|adj=on}} [[Japanese garden]] and the Climatron [[geodesic dome]] conservatory.
|[[File:Missouri_Botanical_Garden.jpg|150x150px]]
|-
|[[Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis (St. Louis)|Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis]]
|Dedicated in 1914, it is the mother church of the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Louis|Archdiocese of St. Louis]] and the seat of its [[archbishop]]. The church is known for its large [[mosaic]] installation (which is one of the largest in the Western Hemisphere with 41.5 million pieces), burial crypts, and its outdoor sculpture.
|[[File:Cathedral_Basilica_of_St._Louis.JPG|150x150px]]
|-
|[[City Hall (St. Louis, Missouri)|City Hall]]
|Located in [[Downtown West, St. Louis|Downtown West]], City Hall was designed by [[Harvey Ellis]] in 1892 in the [[Renaissance Revival Architecture|Renaissance Revival]] style. It is reminiscent of the [[Hôtel de Ville, Paris]].
|[[File:St_Louis_MO_City_Hall_20150905-100.jpg|150x150px]]
|-
|[[St. Louis Public Library|Central Library]]
|Completed in 1912, the Central Library building was designed by [[Cass Gilbert]]. It serves as the main location for the [[St. Louis Public Library]].
|[[File:STLCentrallibrary.jpg|150x150px]]
|-
|[[City Museum]]
|City Museum is a play house museum, consisting largely of repurposed architectural and industrial objects, housed in the former International Shoe building in the [[Washington Avenue Loft District]].
|[[File:City_Museum_outdoor_structures.jpg|150x150px]]
|-
|[[Old Courthouse (St. Louis)|Old Courthouse]]
|Built in the 19th century, it served as a federal and state courthouse. The [[Scott v. Sandford]] case (resulting in the Dred Scott decision) was tried at the courthouse in 1846.
|[[File:Old_St_Louis_County_Courthouse_20150905_046-047.jpg|150x150px]]
|-
|[[St. Louis Science Center]]
|Founded in 1963, it includes a [[science museum]] and a [[planetarium]], and is situated in [[Forest Park (St. Louis)|Forest Park]]. Admission is free. It is one of two science centers in the United States which offers free general admission.
|[[File:McDonnellPlanetarium.jpg|frameless|upright=0.65]]
|-
|[[St. Louis Symphony]]
|Founded in 1880, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra is the second oldest symphony orchestra in the United States, preceded by the [[New York Philharmonic]]. Its principal concert venue is [[Powell Symphony Hall]].
|[[File:782px-Powell_Symphony_Hall.jpg|frameless|upright=0.65]]
|-
|[[Union Station (St. Louis)|Union Station]]
|Built in 1888, it was the city's main passenger intercity train terminal. Once the world's largest and busiest train station, it was converted in the 1980s into a hotel, [[shopping mall|shopping center]], and entertainment complex. Today, it also continues to serve local rail ([[MetroLink (St. Louis)|MetroLink]]) transit passengers, with [[Amtrak]] service nearby. On December 25, 2019, the St. Louis Aquarium opened inside Union Station. The St. Louis Wheel, a 200&nbsp;ft 42 gondola ferris wheel, is also located at Union Station.
|[[File:Grand_Hall_at_Union_Station.jpg|150x150px]]
|-
|[[Saint Louis Zoo|St. Louis Zoo]]
|Built for the [[Louisiana Purchase Exposition|1904 World's Fair]], it is recognized as a leading zoo in animal management, research, conservation, and education. It is located in [[Forest Park (St. Louis)|Forest Park]], and admission is free.
|[[File:St. Louis Zoo sign.jpg|150x150px]]
|}

===Architecture===
{{main|Architecture of St. Louis}}
{{see also|List of tallest buildings in St. Louis}}
[[File:Wainwright building st louis USA.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Wainwright Building]] (1891), an important [[Early skyscrapers|early skyscraper]] designed by [[Louis Sullivan]]]]
[[File:Lafayette Square St-Louis.jpg|thumb|Many houses in [[Lafayette Square, St. Louis|Lafayette Square]] are built with a blending of Greek Revival, Federal and Italianate styles.]]

The architecture of St. Louis exhibits a variety of commercial, residential, and monumental [[architecture]]. St. Louis is known for the [[Gateway Arch]], the tallest [[monument]] constructed in the United States at {{convert|630|ft|m}}.<ref name="huffingtonpost.com">{{cite news |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/21/st-louis-reasons-to-love_n_4993763.html |work=Huffington Post |first=Marcos |last=Saldivar |title=26 Reasons St. Louis Is America's Hidden Gem |access-date=March 24, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140324041004/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/21/st-louis-reasons-to-love_n_4993763.html |archive-date=March 24, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref> The Arch pays homage to [[Thomas Jefferson]] and St. Louis's position as the gateway to the West. Architectural influences reflected in the area include [[French Colonial]], [[Architecture of Germany|German]], [[Architecture of the United States|early American]], and [[Modern architecture|modern architectural]] styles.

Several examples of religious structures are extant from the pre-Civil War period, and most reflect the common residential styles of the time. Among the earliest is the [[Basilica of St. Louis, King of France]] (referred to as the ''Old Cathedral''). The Basilica was built between 1831 and 1834 in the Federal style. Other religious buildings from the period include SS. Cyril and Methodius Church (1857) in the Romanesque Revival style and [[Christ Church Cathedral (St. Louis, Missouri)|Christ Church Cathedral]] (completed in 1867, designed in 1859) in the Gothic Revival style.

A few civic buildings were constructed during the early 19th century. The original St. Louis courthouse was built in 1826 and featured a Federal style stone facade with a rounded portico. However, this courthouse was replaced during renovation and expansion of the building in the 1850s. The [[Old Courthouse (St. Louis, Missouri)|Old St. Louis County Courthouse]] (known as the ''Old Courthouse'') was completed in 1864 and was notable for having a [[cast iron]] dome and for being the tallest structure in Missouri until 1894. Finally, a customs house was constructed in the Greek Revival style in 1852, but was demolished and replaced in 1873 by the [[United States Customhouse and Post Office (St. Louis, Missouri)|U.S. Customhouse and Post Office]].

Because much of the city's commercial and industrial development was centered along the riverfront, many pre-Civil War buildings were demolished during construction of the Gateway Arch. The city's remaining architectural heritage of the era includes a multi-block district of cobblestone streets and brick and cast-iron warehouses called [[Laclede's Landing]]. Now popular for its restaurants and nightclubs, the district is located north of Gateway Arch along the riverfront. Other industrial buildings from the era include some portions of the [[Anheuser–Busch#St. Louis headquarters and brewery|Anheuser-Busch Brewery]], which date to the 1860s.

St. Louis saw a vast expansion in variety and number of religious buildings during the late 19th century and early 20th century. The largest and most ornate of these is the [[Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis]], designed by [[Thomas P. Barnett]] and constructed between 1907 and 1914 in the [[Neo-Byzantine]] style. The St. Louis Cathedral, as it is known, has one of the largest mosaic collections in the world. Another landmark in religious architecture of St. Louis is the [[St. Stanislaus Kostka Church (St. Louis, Missouri)|St. Stanislaus Kostka]], which is an example of the [[Polish Cathedral style]]. Among the other major designs of the period were [[St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, St. Louis|St. Alphonsus Liguori]] (known as ''The Rock Church'') (1867) in the Gothic Revival and [[Second Presbyterian Church (St. Louis, Missouri)|Second Presbyterian Church of St. Louis]] (1900) in [[Richardsonian Romanesque]].

By the [[United States Census, 1900|1900 census]], St. Louis was the fourth largest city in the country. In 1904, the city hosted a [[world's fair]] at [[Forest Park (St. Louis, Missouri)|Forest Park]] called the [[Louisiana Purchase Exposition]]. Its architectural legacy is somewhat scattered. Among the fair-related cultural institutions in the park are the [[Saint Louis Art Museum|St. Louis Art Museum]] designed by [[Cass Gilbert]], part of the remaining lagoon at the foot of Art Hill, and the Flight Cage at the [[St. Louis Zoo]]. The [[Missouri History Museum]] was built afterward, with the profit from the fair. But 1904 left other assets to the city, like [[Theodore Link]]'s 1894 [[St. Louis Union Station]], and an improved Forest Park.

[[One US Bank Plaza]], the local headquarters for [[US Bancorp]], was constructed in 1976 in the [[structural expressionist]] style. Several notable [[Postmodern architecture|postmodern]] commercial skyscrapers were built downtown in the 1970s and 1980s, including the [[909 Chestnut Street|former AT&T building at 909 Chestnut Street]] (1986), and [[One Metropolitan Square]] (1989), which is the tallest building in St. Louis.

During the 1990s, St. Louis saw the construction of the largest United States courthouse by area, the [[Thomas F. Eagleton United States Courthouse]](2000). The Eagleton Courthouse is home to the [[United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri]] and the [[United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit]]. The most recent high-rise buildings in St. Louis include two residential towers: [[One Hundred Above the Park|One Hundred]] in the Central West End neighborhood and [[Ballpark Village (St. Louis)|One Cardinal Way]] in the Downtown neighborhood.

===Neighborhoods===
{{Further|Neighborhoods of St. Louis}}
[[File:LafayetteSquareHouses.jpg|thumb|[[Second Empire style]] houses in [[Lafayette Square, St. Louis|Lafayette Square]]]]
[[File:Blueberry_Hill_patio.jpg|thumb|The [[Delmar Loop]] is a neighborhood close to [[Washington University in St. Louis|Washington University]], on the border of the city and [[St. Louis County, Missouri|St. Louis County]].|alt=]]

The city is divided into 79 government-designated neighborhoods.<ref>[http://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/public-safety/neighborhood-stabilization-office/neighborhoods/index.cfm Neighborhoods of the City of St. Louis] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120512222340/http://stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/public-safety/neighborhood-stabilization-office/neighborhoods/index.cfm |date=May 12, 2012}}, StLouis-mo.gov</ref> The neighborhood divisions have no legal standing, although some neighborhood associations administer grants or hold veto power over historic-district development.

Several neighborhoods are lumped together in categories such as North City, South City, and the Central West End.

===Topography===
[[File:St Louis Rivers.png|thumb|left|Rivers in the St. Louis area]]

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], St. Louis has a total area of {{convert|66|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|62|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|4.1|sqmi}} (6.2%) is water.<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_29.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=November 20, 2014|date=August 22, 2012|title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021170230/http://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_29.txt|archive-date=October 21, 2013|df=mdy-all}}</ref> The city is built on [[Hill|bluffs]] and terraces that rise 100–200 feet above the western banks of the Mississippi River, in the [[Midwestern United States]] just south of the [[Missouri River|Missouri]]-Mississippi [[confluence]]. Much of the area is a fertile and gently rolling prairie that features low hills and broad, shallow valleys. Both the Mississippi River and the Missouri River have cut large valleys with wide flood plains.

[[Limestone]] and [[Dolomite (rock)|dolomite]] of the [[Mississippian age|Mississippian]] [[geologic time scale|epoch]] underlie the area, and parts of the city are [[karst]] in nature. This is particularly true of the area south of downtown, which has numerous sinkholes and caves. Most of the caves in the city have been sealed, but many springs are visible along the riverfront. Coal, brick [[clay]], and [[millerite]] ore were once mined in the city. The predominant surface rock, known as ''St. Louis limestone'', is used as [[dimension stone]] and rubble for construction.

Near the southern boundary of the city of St. Louis (separating it from [[St. Louis County, Missouri|St. Louis County]]) is the [[River des Peres]], practically the only river or stream within the city limits that is not entirely underground.<ref>[http://www.rftstl.com/2000-12-06/news/a-sewer-runs-through-it/ St. Louis – News – A Sewer Runs Through It<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070311021411/http://www.rftstl.com/2000-12-06/news/a-sewer-runs-through-it/ |date=March 11, 2007}}.</ref> Most of River des Peres was confined to a channel or put underground in the 1920s and early 1930s. The lower section of the river was the site of some of the worst flooding of the [[Great Flood of 1993]].

The city's eastern boundary is the Mississippi River, which separates Missouri from Illinois. The Missouri River forms the northern line of St. Louis County, except for a few areas where the river has changed its course. The [[Meramec River]] forms most of its southern line.

=== Climate ===
{{Further|Geography of St. Louis#Climate}}

[[File:The Captains' Return statue and Eads Bridge.JPG|thumb|The Captains' Return statue inundated by the Mississippi River, 2010.]]

The urban area of St. Louis has a [[humid subtropical climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''Cfa''); however, its [[Greater St. Louis|metropolitan region]] even to the south may present a hot-summer [[humid continental climate]] (''Dfa''), which shows the effect of the [[urban heat island]] in the city. The city experiences hot, humid summers and chilly to cold winters. It is subject to both cold Arctic air and hot, humid tropical air from the [[Gulf of Mexico]]. The average annual temperature recorded at nearby [[Lambert–St. Louis International Airport]], is {{convert|57.4|°F|1}}. {{convert|100|and|0|°F|0}} temperatures can be seen on an average 3 and 1 days per year, respectively. Precipitation averages {{convert|41.70|in|mm|sigfig=2}}, but has ranged from {{convert|20.59|in|mm|abbr=on}} in 1953 to {{convert|61.24|in|mm|abbr=on}} in 2015. The highest recorded temperature in St. Louis was {{cvt|115|°F}} on July 14, 1954, and the lowest was {{cvt|-22|°F}} on January 5, 1884.

St. Louis experiences [[thunderstorm]]s 48 days a year on average.<ref name="weatherbase">{{cite web |url=http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weatherall.php3?s=43427&refer=&units=us |title=Historical Weather for St. Louis, Missouri |access-date=October 15, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120916194311/http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weatherall.php3?s=43427&refer=&units=us |archive-date=September 16, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref> Especially in the spring, these storms can often be severe, with high winds, large [[hail]] and tornadoes. Lying within the hotbed of [[Tornado Alley]], St. Louis is one of the most frequently tornado-struck metropolitan areas in the U.S. and has an extensive history of [[St. Louis tornado history|damaging tornadoes]]. Severe flooding, such as the [[Great Flood of 1993]], may occur in spring and summer; the (often rapid) melting of thick snow cover upstream on the Missouri or Mississippi Rivers can contribute to springtime flooding.

<div style="width:100%;">{{St. Louis weatherbox}}</div>

===Flora and fauna===
[[File:Tower Grove Park Scene 1.jpg|thumb|[[Tower Grove Park]] in spring]]
[[File:Missouri_Botanical_Garden_-_Seiwa-en.JPG|thumb|The [[Missouri Botanical Garden]]]]

Before the founding of the city, the area was mostly prairie and open forest. Native Americans maintained this environment, good for hunting, by burning underbrush. Trees are mainly [[oak]], [[maple]], and [[hickory]], similar to the forests of the nearby [[The Ozarks|Ozarks]]; common understory trees include [[eastern redbud]], [[serviceberry]], and [[flowering dogwood]]. [[Riparian]] areas are forested with mainly [[American sycamore]].

Most of the residential areas of the city are planted with large native shade trees. The largest native forest area is found in Forest Park. In autumn, the changing color of the trees is notable. Most species here are typical of the eastern woodland, although numerous decorative non-native species are found. The most notable invasive species is [[Japanese honeysuckle]], which officials are trying to manage because of its damage to native trees. It is removed from some parks.

Large mammals found in the city include urbanized [[coyote]]s and [[white-tailed deer]]. [[Eastern gray squirrel]], [[cottontail rabbit]], and other rodents are abundant, as well as the nocturnal [[Virginia opossum]]. Large bird species are abundant in parks and include [[Canada goose]], [[mallard duck]], as well as [[shorebird]]s, including the [[great egret]] and [[great blue heron]]. [[Gull]]s are common along the Mississippi River; these species follow [[barge]] traffic.

Winter populations of [[bald eagle]]s are found along the Mississippi River around the [[Chain of Rocks Bridge]]. The city is on the [[Mississippi Flyway]], used by migrating birds, and has a large variety of small bird species, common to the eastern U.S. The [[Eurasian tree sparrow]], an introduced species, is limited in North America to the counties surrounding St. Louis. The city has special sites for birdwatching of migratory species, including [[Tower Grove Park]].

Frogs are found in the springtime, especially after extensive wet periods. Common species include the [[American toad]] and species of chorus frogs called [[spring peeper]]s, which are found in nearly every pond. Some years have outbreaks of [[cicada]]s or [[ladybug]]s. Mosquitoes, [[no-see-ums]], and houseflies are common insect nuisances, especially in July and August; because of this, windows are almost always fitted with screens. Invasive populations of [[Western honey bee|honeybees]] have declined in recent years. Numerous native species of pollinator insects have recovered to fill their ecological niche, and [[armadillos]] are seen throughout the St. Louis area.<ref>[http://herald-review.com/news/local/armadillos-finding-st-louis-and-surrounding-area-nice-place-to/article_3b52d19c-433c-53f0-a823-3da7776924ab.html "Warmer weather attracting Armadillos"] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20131030095930/http://herald-review.com/news/local/armadillos-finding-st-louis-and-surrounding-area-nice-place-to/article_3b52d19c-433c-53f0-a823-3da7776924ab.html |date=October 30, 2013}}, accessed October 28, 2013</ref>