Most of Lake St. Louis was built recently: 0.0% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 2000. Below: maps from 1941 on and the census since 1980.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Lake St. Louis is among the newest of U.S. towns. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
D−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Lake St. Louis’ overall grade.
Missouri towns list about as much on the Register as the country (a typical Missouri town has 2.4 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Lake St. Louis’ 0.0 sits below most of its state (23% of Missouri towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1961.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would still be D−. The pre-1940 share (±0.2 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Lake St. Louis’ past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
In January 1961, Ellis Ellerman and Ira Nathan began planning a private resort community, a popular concept in the 1960s in the St. Louis region. The vision was for a weekend resort with a lake large enough for recreation and a location close to St. Louis. Ellerman and Nathan hired engineers to begin the initial planning of the lake and community, and Nathan named the project "Lake St. Louis" in 1961.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Lake St. Louis. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1941Troy sheet · 1:62,500
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Lake St. Louis.
People over time
Lake St. Louis, census by census
Grew from 3,843 people in 1980 to 16,707 in 2020, 4 times over.
5 censuses, 1980–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Lake St. Louis’ Wikipedia page.
Places that used to be
Old corners
Old hamlets and crossroads still carry their names on the map.
Hamlets and corners on the map
Lake Saint Louis
Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Stories next door
History across the town line
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
In 1961, according to Wikidata. the census of 1980 counted 3,843 people here.
How does Lake St. Louis rank for history?
Lake St. Louis is among the newest of U.S. towns. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in Lake St. Louis?
0.0% of Lake St. Louis’ homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 8.4% for a Missouri town; the median home was built in 2000.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
