One of the oldest settlements in the Mississippi Valley, St. Louis was founded by Pierre Laclede as a fur trading post and was named for Louis IX of France. Early French settlers, a large German immigration in the mid-1800s, and a happy mix of other national strains contribute to the city's cosmopolitan flavor. A flourishing French community by the time of the Revolutionary War, St. Louis was attacked by a band of British-led Native Americans, but was successfully defended by its citizens and a French garrison. In 1804, it was the scene of the transfer of Louisiana to the United States, which opened the way to the westward expansion that overran the peaceful town with immigrants and adventurers. The first Mississippi steamboat docked at St. Louis in 1817. Missouri's first constitutional convention was held here in 1820. During the Civil War, though divided in sympathy, the city was a base of Union operations. In 1904, the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, known as the St. Louis World's Fair, brought international fame to the city and added to its cultural resources; its first art museum was established in connection with the fair.

For more than 200 years, St. Louis has been the dominant city in the state. It is the home of St. Louis University (1818), the University of Missouri-St. Louis (1963) and Washington University (1853), which lies at the border of St. Louis and Clayton. Distinguished by wealth, grace, and culture, St. Louis is also a city of solid and diversified industry. It is one of the world's largest markets for wool, lumber, and pharmaceuticals, and a principal grain and hog center. It is also the center for the only industrial area in the country producing six basic metals: iron, lead, zinc, copper, aluminum, and magnesium. St. Louis is an important producer of beer, chemicals, and transportation equipment. Strategically located near the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, the city is one of the country's major railroad terminals and trucking centers. Seven bridges span the Mississippi here.

After the steamboat era, St. Louis grew westward, away from the riverfront, which deteriorated into slums. This original center of the city has now been developed as the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. Municipal and private redevelopment of downtown and riverfront St. Louis also has been outstanding: America's Center, St. Louis's convention complex, is the hub of the 16-square-block Convention Plaza; Busch Stadium brings St. Louis Cardinals fans into the downtown area; and the rehabilitated Union Station offers visitors a unique shopping experience within a restored turn-of-the-century railroad station.