Living in St. Charles

More than 60,000 people live in St. Charles.Recreation and New Developments
SchoolsSt. Charles lies at one end of the Katy Trail, a 225 mile
The City of St. Charles school district has sevenlong state park enjoyed by bikers and walkers. Since
elementary schools, two middle schools, two highthe late 1970s, there has been very healthy new home
schools, and the Lewis & Clark Tech Building locatedconstruction, commercial growth and explosive
on Zumbehl Road. St. Charles High School (sometimespopulation growth in the St. Charles area. In describing
called SCHS or simply "High") was the first built of thethe area, someone coined the phrase the Golden
two and later St. Charles West was added in the lateTriangle in the Eighties, referring to the tremendous
'70's in response to the city's growing population. Thegrowth in real estate development in the St. Charles
school has recently undergone renovation to improveCounty region bordered by Highways 70, 40 and 94.
both the exterior and interior of the building.St. Charles City has an historic shopping district and
St. Charles is also home to a variety of private schoolsmost standard living features (with the exception of a
including Immanuel Lutheran (Pre-K to 8), Zion Lutheranpublic golf course) that are usually found in a
(Pre-K to 8), St. Charles Borromeo, St. Cletus,community of St. Charles' size. The City also has
Academy of the Sacred Heart, Duchesne High Schoolmany current events and features related to the
formerly named St. Peter High school, and SaintsLewis and Clark Expedition which arguably started in
Joachim and Ann.St. Charles.
There are other schools like, the Francis Howell SchoolA new community development called the New Town
District and the Orchard Farm School District thatat St. Charles is currently under construction in northern
serve St. Charles as well. Many students who live onSt. Charles. New Town is the best example in the St.
the southern edge of St. Charles City attend FrancisLouis area of the new movement in residential
Howell North High School and Henderson Elementarydevelopment and community planning, New
as well as Barnwell Middle and Becky DavidUrbanism.The Orchard Farm School District plans to
Elementary.build a new elementary school near New Town. An
Lindenwood University is located on Kingshighway,11,000 seat arena called the Family Arena was built in
seconds from St. Charles High. Founded by Majorthe early 1990s and is used by minor league sports
George Sibley and his wife Mary in 1827, it was thefranchises and hosts events like concerts, shows,
first higher ed. institution west of the Mississippi.circuses, graduations and special college sporting
Originally a women's school named Lindenwoodcontests.
College (until 1995) it was known as a fine liberal artsAnother prominent feature of St. Charles in the new
institution. The University currently features a largedevelopment category is the St. Charles Convention
variety of majors and extracurricular programs. TheCenter. It hosts conferences, business meetings, trade
school is perhaps most noted for its strengths in theshows, Chamber of Commerce expos, and a variety
performing arts and education. Lindenwood is alsoof public sales and association shows. Located along
home to 89.1 The Wood (KCLC), a commercial-freeInterstate 70, it displays event information on an
student-driven radio station. In recent years, graduateselectronic message board that is clearly visible to all
in broadcast communication fields especially havepassing by.
enjoyed success locally and nationally.A new feature (opened Nov. 2006) of the St. Charles
The Orchard Farm School District serves St. CharlesParks and Recreation System is a dog park on the
but is outside of the city like Francis Howell. This schoolnorth side of town as a part of DuSable Park-Bales
district to the North has an elementary school, middleArea. This off-leash dog area has two sections- one
school, and high school.for smaller dogs, one for larger.