Chesterfield, Missouri

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Chesterfield, Missouri
Country	United States
State	Missouri
Settled	1817
Population	49,999 (2020 census)
Area (sq mi)	33.52 mi²
Current mayor	Bob Nation

Chesterfield is a major suburb in the St. Louis metropolitan area, located in the western part of St. Louis County, Missouri. At the 2020 census, it had a population of 49,999, making it the second-largest city in the county and the 14th-largest in the state of Missouri overall. It was formed in 1988 through the consolidation of several older communities in what is known as the Chesterfield Valley.

History[edit]

European settlement of the Chesterfield area began in the late 18th century, when a small number of French pioneers were given land grants by the Spanish colonial government along the Missouri River and several small streams that fed into it, such as Bonhomme and Caulks Creeks. They and the American settlers who followed after the Louisiana Purchase took advantage of the rich soil in the Missouri River floodplain, and by the mid-19th century several small farming communities had sprung up in the region, including Bellefontaine, Bonhomme, Gumbo, Lake, and Monarch. Another such village, the original "Chesterfield," was settled about 1817 by Colonel Justus Post, a native of Middlebury, Vermont. Laid out along Wild Horse Creek Road, with cross streets bearing such names as Mulberry, Locust, and Walnut, it was dominated by Post's brick mansion, regarded as one of the finest in the area. Chesterfield (whose town plat was not recorded until 1838) was apparently named for an English town of the same name in Derbyshire, though precisely how this came about is unclear.^[1]

In the late 1870s, the first railroad reached the Chesterfield Valley, as it was sometimes called; a branch of the Chicago, Rock Island, and Pacific line. This led to another burst of development at "Drew Station," where Olive Street Road crossed the line, and which eventually merged with the older Chesterfield. By the 1920s, a thriving commercial district had appeared, near what is now the intersection of Chesterfield Airport Road and Baxter Road.^[2]

Despite these advances, the towns in the floodplain area remained relatively obscure and rural in nature until the mid-20th century, when rapid suburbanization of west St. Louis County led to a population surge and commercial development. By the 1970s, numerous shopping establishments and other business complexes had appeared, and the desire to take advantage of potential tax revenue and establish suitable local services for the region--now coming to be collectively known as "Chesterfield"--led many community leaders to push for incorporation. After several years of campaigning for voters' support, they succeeded in having the city of Chesterfield established in 1988. At the 1990 census, Chesterfield had a population of about 38,000; since then, it has grown to approach the 50,000 mark.

During the Great Flood of 1993, the levees protecting Chesterfield from high water on the Missouri River came under intense stress. On July 30 that year, the Chesterfield Monarch levee failed, submerging most of the valley under 7-8 feet of water and forcing the closure of Highway 40.^[3] Despite the extensive water damage to many homes and businesses, the city quickly rebuilt, and since then the system of levees protecting Chesterfield has been extended and improved.

Geography[edit]

Chesterfield is located in western St. Louis County, with most of its northern border being formed by the Missouri River. Its central section is about 20 miles west of downtown St. Louis, and it is adjacent to the cities of Ballwin, Clarkson Valley, and Wildwood to the south and Creve Coeur, Maryland Heights, and Town and Country to the east. Its official coordinates are 38°39′12″N 90°33′15″W.

Formed from several previously distinct communities, Chesterfield is the second-largest city by land area in the county (behind neighboring Wildwood), at 33.52 square miles (bodies of water included).^[4] The southern and southeastern parts of the city are characterized by low hills that transition out of the more rugged Ozarks to the southwest; the northern section, by contrast, is part of the Missouri River floodplain. In previous years, the soil here, though rich in content and much prized by farmers, became thick and boggy when wet and was described by locals as "gumbo" for the Cajun stew of that name in Louisiana; a popular name for the area for a long time was "Gumbo Flats." Following extensive levee-building in the 1990s and 2000s, this section of Chesterfield was given over to extensive commercial development, though significant portions of it are still dedicated to agriculture; the more elevated southern portion, by contrast, is much more residential in nature.^[5]

Demographics[edit]

At the 2010 census, Chesterfield had a total of 47,484 inhabitants, grouped into 19,224 households, with a population density of 1,494.1 people per square mile. This figure represented a slight increase from the 2000 census, when Chesterfield had a population of 46,802. 86.51% of the inhabitants were White, 2.65% were African-American, 0.16% were Native American, 8.62% were Asian, 0.03% were Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 0.69% were from some other race, and 1.35% were from two or more races. Hispanics of any race were 2.79% of the population.

The median age in Chesterfield was 46.6 years, with 22.3% of inhabitants under the age of 18, 5.7% between 18 and 24 years old, 19.5% between 25 and 44, 32.5% between 45 and 64, and 20.1% 65 years old or older. The sex ratio was 47.8% male, 52.2% female.^[6]

According to the 2018 American Community Survey, Chesterfield had a median household income of $106,250, and a median family income of $137,974. The unemployment rate was 2.2%. The per capita income was $58,935. About 4.7% of the population lived below the poverty line, including 3.9% of those under the age of 18 and 4.3% of those 65 years of age or older.^[7]

The 2020 census indicated that Chesterfield's population had risen to 49,999.

Government[edit]

Chesterfield has a mayor-council form of government. Its mayor is elected for a four-year term and the eight council members (two representing each of the four wards) are elected for two-year terms. In addition, there is a city administrator (appointed) who oversees the day-to-day operations of the local government and manages personnel. The current mayor of Chesterfield is Bob Nation, who was first elected in April 2013; the current city administrator is Mike Geisel, who has served in that post since 2016.^[8]

In the Missouri House of Representatives, Chesterfield is divided between the 70th, 71st, 88th, 89th, 100th, and 101st Districts. These are represented by the following individuals:

• 70th: Paula Brown (D-Hazelwood), first elected 2018
• 71st: LaDonna Applebaum (D-St. Louis), first elected 2018
• 88th: Tracy McCreery (D-St. Louis), first elected 2011
• 89th: Dean Plocher (R-St. Louis), first elected 2015; current Majority Floor Leader
• 100th: Derek Grier (R-Chesterfield), first elected 2016
• 101st: Bruce DeGroot (R-Chesterfield), first elected 2016

Most of Chesterfield is part of the 26th District in the Missouri State Senate, represented since November 2016 by Dave Schatz (R-Sullivan); the easternmost portions fall within the 24th District, represented by Jill Schupp (D-Creve Coeur) since November 2014. The city also belongs to Missouri's 2nd Congressional District, represented by Ann Wagner (R-Ballwin) since 2013.

Economy[edit]

Largely agricultural in its economy before the mid-20th century, the great extent of available land in the Chesterfield area and its moderate proximity to St. Louis have made it a highly prized location not only for retail/commercial development but also for office complexes. A number of nationally recognized corporations have their business headquarters in Chesterfield; these include the Reinsurance Group of America (RGA), Dierbergs (a regional supermarket chain), Kellwood (a clothing manufacturer), Broadstripe (a telecommunications company), and several others. Since the 1990s, economic development has been most pronounced along either side of Interstate 64; most of the aforementioned corporate offices are in this strip, as are Chesterfield Mall, Chesterfield Commons, and other shopping centers.

With this economic base, "white-collar" business professionals make up a large portion of the local workforce. Education and health care are also major employers, as are a variety of service industries. A 2013 report indicated that the largest individual employer in Chesterfield was St. Luke's Hospital (with 3,447 employees), followed by Parkway School District, Bayer Pharmaceuticals, Delmar Gardens Enterprises, and RGA.^[9]

As of January 2021, the St. Louis County Assessor's Office reported a total valuation for the city of $2.27 billion. There were just over 2,000 licensed businesses in the city, generating some $57 million in sales tax revenue.^[10]

Education[edit]

Chesterfield is divided between two public school districts. The Rockwood R-VI School District serves the western half of the city, along with several other communities in western St. Louis County. Students in the city attend Chesterfield, Kehrs Mill, and Wild Horse Elementary Schools (grades K-5); Crestview Middle School (grades 6-8); and Marquette High School (grades 9-12).^[11] The eastern half of the city is part of the Parkway C-2 School District (or Parkway Schools), which also includes several other communities in the west-central part of the county. Local students attend Claymont, Highcroft Ridge, Green Trails, River Bend, and Shenandoah Valley Elementary Schools (grades K-5); Parkway Central and Parkway West Middle Schools (grades 6-8); and Parkway Central and Parkway West High Schools (grades 9-12).^[12]

In addition, the community includes five private schools: Chesterfield Day School, Chesterfield Montessori School, Ascension School, Incarnate Word School, and Barat Academy.

There is one institute of higher education in Chesterfield; Logan University, a private college founded in 1935, which specializes in chiropractic training.^[13]

Community Life[edit]

Chesterfield has an extensive system of public parks and recreation facilities. The most important of these are Central Park, River's Edge Park, Eberwein Park, and the Chesterfield Valley Athletic Complex. The Athletic Complex, located along the north side of Interstate 64, includes several dozen playing fields, mostly devoted to baseball and softball, as well as two entertainment plazas. Meanwhile, Central Park, located just off Chesterfield Parkway, is especially popular for its amphitheater, which has the capacity to seat 4,000 guests and in the past decade has hosted a variety of musical acts, including Dwight Yoakum, Chris Janson, Sammy Kershaw, Kenny Loggins, Gladys Knight, and others.^[14]

Community events in Chesterfield throughout the year include free art exhibits at City Hall each week, a 4th of July fireworks celebration at the Athletic Complex with live entertainment and a 5k/10k run, and summer festivals at the city's aquatic center.

Chesterfield has been designated a "Tree City USA" every year since 1998, with a special "Tree City Growth Award" every year since 2001. Local leaders hold an annual tree-planting ceremony every Arbor Day.

Transportation[edit]

Road

The most important highway in Chesterfield is Interstate 64/U.S. Routes 40-61, which enters the city from the west after crossing the Missouri River and continues more or less eastward toward Town and Country and ultimately St. Louis. It crosses Chesterfield Valley most of the way and provides direct access to the Boone's Crossing, Chesterfield Commons, and Chesterfield Mall shopping centers. Other important roads include Missouri State Highway 141, which connects the eastern part of the city with Maryland Heights to the north and Manchester to the south, and Missouri State Highway 340 (also known as Olive Boulevard for much of its length), which runs from southwest to northeast and links the city with Ellisville and Creve Coeur.

Rail

The old section of track belonging to the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, dating back to the late 19th century, is now operated by the Central Midland Railway, which serves various industrial facilities in the Chesterfield Valley. It also provides access to the Union Pacific Railroad lines in St. Louis.^[15]

Air

Chesterfield is home to the Spirit of St. Louis Airport, which is located near the western end of the city in the Missouri River floodplain. Named for the Spirit of St. Louis airplane flown by Charles Lindbergh, it has been in operation since 1964 and possesses two public-use runways, handling mostly business aircraft.^[16]

Points of Interest[edit]

Chesterfield has four sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Probably the most prominent of these is Thornhill, a Federal-style mansion dating to the mid-1810s that was the home of Frederick Bates, Missouri's second governor (1824-25), and which is now located within Faust Park. Another is the Farmer's State Bank of Chesterfield, completed circa 1914, with a unique pressed-metal facade; it is believed to be the city's oldest standing commercial structure and the only surviving rural bank building in St. Louis County.

Notable People[edit]

• Michael Avenatti (born 1971), disgraced lawyer and Trump critic and convicted felon; attended Parkway Central High School
• Daniel Connolly (born 1982), former NFL guard and center for the New England Patriots
• Clayton Keller (born 1998), NHL forward for the Arizona Coyotes, born in Chesterfield
• Max Scherzer (born 1984), MLB pitcher for the Washington Nationals and later the New York Mets, born and raised in Chesterfield
• Scott Van Slyke (born 1986), former MLB outfielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers, born in Chesterfield

References[edit]