Named San Carlos by the Spanish and Les Petites Cotes by the French, St. Charles has preserved its rich, culturally-diverse, 200-year-old heritage not only through its architecture and appearance, but also in its observance of certain customs. From appearances of town criers on Wednesdays and Fridays in December heralding each evening's activities, to carolers in 18th and 19th century garb roaming amongst candle luminaries lining the brick main street, to Los Posadas, the festival's main attraction and parade, Saint Charles celebrates the charming Christmas traditions of its past. St. Charles also hosts the Festival of the Little Hills in August. Other festivals in the area include the State Fair in Sedalia, the Big Muddy Folk Festival in Boonville and Hartsburg's Pumpkin Festival.

Founded in 1769 by French Canadian fur trader Louis Blanchette, St. Charles grew into a thriving riverfront-trading center for a young America. Thousands passed through on their journeys westward, replenishing supplies before departing into new territory. It is the origin of the Boone's Lick Trail and was called home by Daniel Boone.

Today, the city serves as the county seat of the state's fastest-growing county and is the second largest city in the St. Louis metropolitan area. Though preserving its rich heritage is important to this historical city, emphasis is placed on progressing toward new growth and development, making St. Charles an industrious, vibrant community in one of the most dynamic regions of the country.

St. Charles recently approved a $53 million convention center and hotel complex. Two other hotels opened recently and the Station Casinos -- St. Charles has a $150 million expansion underway that includes an 185,000-square-foot entertainment center and a Home Depot power center. Twelve to 15 new businesses open in St. Charles on a monthly basis.

The new expressway, Highway 370, opened a development corridor of more than 1,200 acres of sites and access to four business parks: Elm Point Business Park (260 acres), 370 Corporate Center (43 acres), Fountain Lakes Commerce Center (435 acres) and Truman Crossing Business Park (45 acres). More infrastructure improvements are on the way.

St. Charles offers a wealth of recreational opportunities. The city is dotted throughout with smaller neighborhood parks that are geared for the children and residents of various subdivisions. Some of these parks are fitted with complete playground facilities like Westwinds Park and Circle Drive Park. Others are in a serene setting with park benches and lovely trees like Berthold Square on Main Street (next to Lewis & Clark Restaurant), or Frenchtown Park, located in the north end of the city.

The St. Charles City Parks and Recreation Department includes many areas of special interest including the Jaycee Stage in Frontier Park; the beautiful Gazebo in Kister Park in downtown St. Charles; and the Braille Trail, a ¼-mile figure eight trail dedicated to the blind. The Parks Department also maintains the Blanchette Landing, a 20-acre area containing a public boat ramp. This is located in the north end of the city, at 2nd and Olive Street.

The Parks and Recreation Department oversees 18 public parks that include four public swimming pools, 14 tennis courts and numerous athletic fields and basketball courts. There are two public golf courses in the city as well as two private country clubs.

In addition to water-related activities on the river, another popular recreational attraction is The Katy Trail, built on 233 miles of the former Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad line. The trail was developed soon after the rail line was closed in 1986. More than 100 years since the railroad first wound its way through the state, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources converted the Katy into one of the longest Rails-to-Trails projects in the United States. The Katy begins near the cobblestone streets of the Historic Main Street District in St. Charles. South of St. Charles, the Katy Trail winds through the Weldon Spring Conservation Area, a recreational region that offers hiking and biking trails through much of its 7,230 acres.

Education is an important part of the St. Charles community. The school district includes 16 elementary schools, seven middle schools and six high schools. Colleges in the area include the ever-expanding Lindenwood University, located right in the heart of old-town St. Charles. Once a small teachers' college for women, it has now evolved to university status, serving over 10,000 students. Other colleges in the area include Sanford Brown Business College, the University of Missouri St. Louis, Webster University, Fontbonne College, Washington University, St. Louis University and Maryville University. Other facilities include Lewis and Clark Voc-Tech, St. Charles County Community College, Missouri Technical College and St. Louis Community College.

Saint Charles is rich in history, brimming with American frontier adventure and proud of its French and German cultural heritage. The Spanish government controlled the Mississippi Valley between 1762-1800, and for a dozen years "The Little Hills" became "San Carlos Borromeo." In 1804, on the banks of the mighty Missouri River, Lewis and Clark met here to begin their westward expedition...and shortly there after, the city became known as "St. Charles."

Meanwhile, Daniel Boone and his family built a homestead in nearby Defiance. His Booneslick Road later became the eastern starting-point of the Santa Fe Trail and the Oregon Trail. Jean Baptiste Pointe Du Sable, the "Black Frenchman" who founded Chicago, lived the last 10 years of his life in Frenchtown and died in 1818.

Throughout the 19th Century, German settlers developed a wine region and brought their food, fellowship and commerce to a booming pioneer town. During the 20th Century, residents worked to preserve homes, stores and streets from every period.