St. Louis

St. Louis is Missouri's second-largest city, behind Kansas City. It is located in the east-central section of the U.S. state on the western shore of the Mississippi River. The city was originally founded by two French fur traders who supposedly named it after King Louis IX of France. It was taken over by Spain following the Seven Years' War, but was eventually ceded back to France. It was acquired by the U.S. in the Louisiana Purchase of 1803.

St. Louis has been an independent city since separating from St. Louis County in 1877. It is not under the political control of any county. City population was estimated at over 315,000 in 2015. The St. Louis metropolitan area is the largest in Missouri and 19th-largest in the U.S. with a population of more than 2.9 million people. Residents of the city are called St. Louisans. The city has the world's highest population of Bosnians outside their home country.

St. Louis is an inland port and a major hub for transportation of goods. Its economy depends significantly on manufacturing. Foremost industries here include steelmaking, metal fabrication, food processing, chemicals, and automobiles. The city is home to two Fortune 500 companies and there are seven others within its metropolitan area. It is also a major hub for medicine and biotechnology.

A popular attraction in St. Louis is the 630-foot high Gateway Arch in Downtown. The stainless steel arch symbolizes the city as the "Gateway to the West."