St. Louis County

St. Louis County is an area in the St. Louis Area of Missouri. Its current boundaries were set in 1877, when St. Louis City split off to become an independent city separate from any county. It is the most populated part of the St. Louis area, though it has fewer sites of interest than the City. It mostly consists of suburban residential areas.

Get in

By plane

Get around

For the most part, public transportation in St. Louis County is not a viable option. Bus routes are slow, sparse, and infrequent. So unless you are willing to do a lot of waiting and walking, you need a car.

However, a few central locations are located near light rail (MetroLink) stops, particularly the Delmar Loop, downtown Clayton, and the Galleria shopping mall. MetroLink is a fast, comfortable, and relatively frequent way of getting around.

Neighborhoods and regions
  • 🌍 Clayton. The county seat of St. Louis County, Clayton has an important downtown business district that is also home to several hotels, many coffeehouses, and upscale dining. It is one of the older suburbs of St. Louis, and has many large early 20th-century homes wonderfully preserved by old-monied families, while the area's nouveau riche help keep the area trendy. It has a great school system and is home to the main campus of Washington University. Clayton begins where Forest Park ends on the west. 
  • Delmar Loop/University City - Located just north of Clayton and beginning at the northwest edge of Forest Park/Washington University is this culturally, ethnically, and economically diverse neighborhood of St. Louis. One of the more liberal areas of the region, it is a popular area for college students and post-graduates to live and interact. "The Loop" (a.k.a. Delmar Blvd) itself is one main street of storefronts, restaurants, hotels, music venues, bookstores, and one of the greatest independent movie theatre- The Tivoli.
  • West County - Includes most areas west of Clayton, especially upper-class neighborhoods like Frontenac, Ladue, Huntleigh, Town and Country, and Creve Coeur. The area has one of the highest concentrations of wealth in the Midwest, and home to two of the most upscale shopping areas in St. Louis Region - Plaza Frontenac and the St. Louis Galleria.
  • North County - Home to Lambert International Airport, the site of historical flights by Charles Lindbergh, and Boeing. This area contains many small subdivisions of post-World War II ranch-style homes, housing ethnically diverse populations. Towns include Ferguson (which experienced rioting in 2014), Florissant (founded in the late 1700s), and Hazelwood.
  • South County - A residential area, which is mostly white but less wealthy than West County. Towns like Affton, Bayless, Brentwood, Webster Groves, Maplewood, Richmond Heights, Crestwood provide a nice small-town atmosphere great for families. It is home to the appropriately named South County Mall.

See

  • 🌍 Delmar Loop. The vibrant Delmar Loop district is shared between St. Louis city and the inner suburb of University City. This culturally, ethnically, and economically diverse neighborhood is a popular area for college students and post-graduates to live and interact. The Loop is one main street of storefronts, restaurants, music venues, bookstores, and a great independent movie theatre. 
  • 🌍 Museum of Transportation, 2933 Barrett Station Road, Kirkwood, ☏ +1 314-965-6212. M-Sa 9AM-4PM, Su 11AM-4PM. Planes, trains, and automobiles! Take a step back into history and explore this unique collection of cars, locomotives, trolleys and airplanes. Train and trolley rides, guided tours, car shows and even boats are on offer here. Good fun for adults and kids alike. Rail and transit collections encompass more than 190 major exhibits, ranging from an 1833 Boston & Providence Railroad passenger coach and the largest successful steam locomotive ever built to a 6,600-hp, two-engine Union Pacific diesel #6944 (β€œCentennial”) built in 1971. $8/adult, additional $5/person for rides and $2/person for Creation Station.. (updated Apr 2016)
  • 🌍 Laumeier Sculpture Park. Accredited by the American Association of Museums, Laumeier Sculpture Park is one of a handful of open-air museums around the world and a unique compliment to the cultural landscape of St. Louis. Free to all and well worth a visit. 
  • 🌍 Downtown Kirkwood. Kirkwood's newly developed downtown area contains many local shops and restaurants. Also located downtown are Kirkwood City Hall and Kirkwood's historic Amtrak station. 
  • 🌍 Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site, 7400 Grant Road, ☏ +1 314-842-3298 ext 245. This is the one time home of President and General Ulysses S. Grant's father-in-law, Frederick Dent. The estate was known as "White Haven" consisting of over several hundred acres, but as the Dents came under hard times, the land was sold off. Eventually, the estate passed into the hands of the President. The property now consists of about 10 acres and preserves the history of the President and the area. Another property known as "Grant's Farm," is actually part of the "White Haven" estate, although Grant's home, known as "Heartscrable" has been relocated to the property. Administered by the National Park Service. Free. 
  • 🌍 Grant's Farm, 10501 Gravois Road (across the street from Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site), ☏ +1 314-843-1700. Anheuser-Busch Companies runs and administers this attraction. Part historical site, part zoo and part fun, this location takes you to the ancestral home of the Busch family. Here you will see animals from common goats to camels and tortoises. The home that Ulysses S. Grant built after resigning his commission in the 1850s has been relocated to the property. Free; parking $15. (updated Feb 2020)

Do

Parks and nature

Buy

Shopping malls
  • 🌍 Plaza Frontenac, 1701 S Lindbergh. Exclusive shopping in an upscale mall. Featuring stores such as Louis Vuitton, Neiman Marcus, Sak's Fifth Avenue, J. Crew, Banana Republic, Tiffany & Co, Talbot's, and Williams and Sonoma. A small, six-screen independent movie theatre shows the latest non-blockbuster releases. 
  • 🌍 Saint Louis Galleria. A mall in the suburb of Richmond Heights, near the Clayton business district. 
  • 🌍 South County Center. Suburban shopping mall. 
  • 🌍 West County Mall. Suburbs, featuring the only Nordstrom department store in the region until 2010 when a new Nordstrom opened at the St. Louis Galleria. 

Stores

Eat

Clayton
  • BARcelona, 34 N Central, ☏ +1 314-863-9909. One of the best places in St. Louis for tapas, this place is great for large parties and hanging out with friends. One of the louder places in the city, expect a long wait - but it's worth it. 
  • City Coffeehouse and CrΓ¨perie, 36 N. Brentwood Blvd, ☏ +1 314-862-2489. Always busy and crowded for a reason. Best crΓ¨pes in the city - and about two dozen of them. A Clayton landmark. 
  • Benito's Gelato, 14 North Central Ave, ☏ +1 314-863-3366. A friendly staff and a colorful and chilled-out atmosphere only make the handmade gelato taste better. Try the blood orange and dark chocolate combination: yum. 
  • Pomme, 40 N Central, ☏ +1 314-727-4141. A very small, very intimate French restaurant. On the pricy side, this is a great place to have a romantic, elegant, amazingly delicious dinner in Clayton. 
  • Kaldi's Coffee, 700 Demun Ave, ☏ +1 314-727-9955. ". St. Louis's finest coffee roaster. Delicious vegetarian food, traditional espresso drinks, hand-brewed drip coffee, and a relaxed atmosphere. 

Eureka

University City

The Loop features excellent dining, and has everything from sidewalk cafes to upscale restaurants. This is a great street to walk and find something that appeals to your palate. Many ethnic restaurants, including Lebanese and Thai, are on the Loop.

  • Salt + Smoke, 6525 Delmar Blvd, ☏ +1 314-727-0200. Sit down barbeque with patio seating, excellent for people watching on the loop. They have an emphasis on whisky and a wide array of cocktails. (updated Oct 2018)
  • Seoul Taco, 6665 Delmar Blvd. Korean-Mexican fusion restaurant that started as a food truck. (updated Oct 2018)
  • Blueberry Hill, 6504 Delmar Blvd, ☏ +1 314-727-4444. A true landmark restaurant and bar, open till 3AM. Chuck Berry frequently on the calendar to play. Absolutely filled with pop-culture memorabilia spanning decades, including lunchboxes, concert posters, toys, sports trading cards, and other Americana. This place is definitely not one to miss. 
  • Fitz's Rootbeer, 6605 Delmar Blvd. American bar and grill, Family friendly, watch the bottle factory go to work as you dine. 
  • The Melting Pot, 6683 Delmar Blvd, ☏ +1 314-725-4141. Fondue. Reservations are essentially required here. 
  • Mission Taco Joint. Hip gourmet street-taco specialist with a San Francisco theme & menu of creative cocktails. (updated Oct 2018)
  • Pi, 6144 Delmar Blvd, ☏ +1 314-727-6633. The crowds don't lie - this is terrific pizza. 
  • Gokul Indian Restaurant, 6101 Delmar Blvd., ☏ +1 314-721-1888. Kosher sit-down restaurant serving Indian/vegetarian/vegan fare. (updated Jan 2019)

Other
  • Bellaluna Ristorante, 451 S Kirkwood Rd, Kirkwood, ☏ +1 314-909-0455. Fine Italian cuisine. 
  • 🌍 Gus’s World Famous Hot & Spicy Fried Chicken (Gus's fried Chicken), 7434 Manchester Rd, Maplewood, ☏ +1 314-899-9899. Su–Th 11AM–9PM, F Sa 11AM–10PM. Fried chicken. (updated Jan 2016)
  • Imo's Pizza. Multiple locations. St. Louis style thin crust pizza. Locals favorite. 
  • Kobe Steak House of Japan, ☏ +1 314 434-2600. Japanese steak house. 
  • Kohn's Kosher Meat and Deli, 10405 Old Olive Street Rd., Creve Coeur, ☏ +1 314-569-0727. Full-service kosher delicatessen, bakery and butcher doubling as a small grocery store. (updated Jan 2019)
  • Pointer's Delivery, 1023 S. Big Bend Blvd, Richmond Heights, ☏ +1 314-644-2000. The Pointersaurus, the world's largest regularly delivered pizza, measures in at 28" in diameter. Pointer's has been featured on the Food Network and the Travel Channel. 
  • Robust Winebar. Excellent wine bar with good food and tapas in Webster Groves. 
  • Woofie's, 1919 Woodson Rd, Overland, ☏ +1 314-426-6291. A St. Louis landmark featuring Chicago-style hotdogs. 
  • 🌍 Balkan Treat Box, 8103 Big Bend Blvd, ☏ +1 314-733-5700. Tu-Sa 11AM - 3PM. Specializing in Balkan staples such as pide, lahmacun, dΓΆner & Δ‡evapi. (updated Aug 2022)

Drink

Sleep

Hotels tend to be clustered near the Clayton business district, or near the airport.

For each of these entries, the municipality in which the hotel is found (example: Clayton) is written after the address.

Budget

Mid-range

Splurge

Stay safe

The southern and western parts of St. Louis County are mostly well-off suburbs which are as safe as anywhere around. However, some of the northern suburbs, particularly those adjacent to north St. Louis City, have high poverty and crime rates. In University City, the area north of Olive Boulevard is best avoided, particularly at night. Further north, the suburbs of Wellston and Pagedale are very dangerous and should never be visited on foot. However, there is little reason for visitors to go to any of these areas.

Ferguson

In 2014, the suburb of Ferguson was subject to sporadic but considerably dangerous rioting, protesting, and other violence over the Michael Brown death. However, as of 2016 things are quiet again.

Kirkwood

Although most of Kirkwood is quite safe, the Meacham Park neighborhood (the area between I-44, Kirkwood Road and Big Bend Road) should be avoided after dark. Meacham Park has had a number of shootings. This small neighborhood is one of the few dangerous areas in the south or west of the county.

Go next
Routes through St. Louis County
Springfield, MO ←  W  E  β†’ St. Louis
Jefferson City ←  W  E  β†’ St. Louis via
Springfield, MO ←  W  E  β†’ St. Louis β†’ Springfield, IL


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