St. Charles (French: "Saint-Charles") is a city in, and the county seat of St. Charles County, Missouri. It lies just to the northwest of St. Louis, Missouri, on the Missouri River, and played for a time a significant role in the United States' westward expansion.

It is the second oldest city west of the Mississippi, founded in 1765 as Les Petites Côtes, "The Little Hills", by Louis Blanchette, a French Canadian fur trader and was the last "civilized" stop for the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The city served as the first Missouri capital, from 1821 to 1826. It is the site for the Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne shrine. It is also the home base for the St. Louis National Weather Service Forecast Office, serving central, east-central and northeastern Missouri as well as west-central and southwest Illinois.

St. Charles can be accessed from Interstate 70 using the Cave Springs, Zumbehl Road, First Capitol Drive, and Fifth Street exits, or Highway 94.

Schools
The City of St. Charles school district has seven elementary schools, two middle schools, two high schools, and the Lewis & Clark Tech Building located on Zumbehl Road. St. Charles High School (sometimes called SCHS or simply "High") was the first built of the two and later St. Charles West was added in the late '70's in response to the city's growing population. The school has recently undergone renovation to improve both the exterior and interior of the building.

St. Charles is also home to a variety of private schools including Immanuel Lutheran (Pre-K to 8), Zion Lutheran (Pre-K to 8), St. Charles Borromeo, St. Cletus, Academy of the Sacred Heart, Duchesne High School formerly named St. Peter High school, and Saints Joachim and Ann.

There are other schools like, the Francis Howell School District and the Orchard Farm School District that serve St. Charles as well. Many students who live on the southern edge of St. Charles City attend Francis Howell North High School and Henderson Elementary as well as Barnwell Middle and Becky David Elementary.

Lindenwood University is located on Kingshighway, seconds from St. Charles High. Founded by Major George Sibley and his wife Mary in 1827, it was the first higher ed. institution west of the Mississippi. Originally a women's school named Lindenwood College (until 1995) it was known as a fine liberal arts institution. The University currently features a large variety of majors and extracurricular programs. The school is perhaps most noted for its strengths in the performing arts and education. Lindenwood is also home to 89.1 The Wood (KCLC), a commercial-free student-driven radio station. In recent years, graduates in broadcast communication fields especially have enjoyed success locally and nationally.

The Orchard Farm School District serves St. Charles but is outside of the city like Francis Howell. This school district to the North has an elementary school, middle school, and high school.

Recreation and New Developments
St. Charles lies at one end of the Katy Trail, a 225 mile long state park enjoyed by bikers and walkers. Since the late 1970s, there has...