St. Louis (/seɪnt ˈluË Éªs/ or /sÉ™nt ˈluË Éªs/) is the
second-largest city in Missouri, and sits on the western bank of the
Mississippi River, which forms the state line between Illinois and
Missouri. The Missouri River merges with the Mississippi River 15
river miles north of Downtown St. Louis, forming the fourth-longest
river system in the world. In 2019, the estimated population was
300,576, and of the bi-state metropolitan area, 2,804,724. Greater St.
Louis is the largest metropolitan area in Missouri, second-largest in
Illinois, seventh-largest in the Great Lakes Megalopolis, and the
22nd-largest in the United States.St. Louis (/seɪnt ˈluË Éªs/ or
/sÉ™nt ˈluË Éªs/) is the second-largest city in Missouri, and sits on
the western bank of the Mississippi River, which forms the state line
between Illinois and Missouri. The Missouri River merges with the
Mississippi River 15 river miles north of Downtown St. Louis, forming
the fourth-longest river system in the world. In 2019, the estimated
population was 300,576, and of the bi-state metropolitan area,
2,804,724. Greater St. Louis is the largest metropolitan area in
Missouri, second-largest in Illinois, seventh-largest in the Great
Lakes Megalopolis, and the 22nd-largest in the United States.Before
European settlement, the area was a regional center of Native American
Mississippian culture. The city of St. Louis was founded in February
14th of 1764 by French fur traders Gilbert Antoine de St. Maxent,
Pierre Laclède and Auguste Chouteau, and named after Louis IX of
France. In 1764, following France's defeat in the Seven Years' War,
the area was ceded to Spain. In 1800, it was retroceded to France,
which sold it three years later to the United States as part of the
Louisiana Purchase. In the 19th century, St. Louis became a major port
on the Mississippi River; in 1870, it was the fourth-largest city in
the country. It separated from St. Louis County in 1877, becoming an
independent city and limiting its own political boundaries. St. Louis
had a brief run as a world-class city in the early 20th century. In
1904, it hosted the Louisiana Purchase Exposition and the Summer
Olympics.A "Gamma" global city with a metropolitan GDP of more than
$160 billion in 2017, metropolitan St. Louis has a diverse economy
with strengths in the service, manufacturing, trade, transportation,
and tourism industries. It is home to nine of the ten Fortune 500
companies based in Missouri. Major companies headquartered or with
significant operations in the city include Ameren Corporation, Peabody
Energy, Nestlé Purina PetCare, Anheuser-Busch, Wells Fargo Advisors,
Stifel Financial, Spire, Inc., MilliporeSigma, FleishmanHillard,
Square, Inc., U.S. Bank, Anthem BlueCross and Blue Shield, Federal
Reserve Bank of St. Louis, U.S. Department of Agriculture, National
Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, Centene Corporation, and Express
Scripts. St. Louis Top Movies & Young Movies