#1St. Louis
St. Louis city · 278,144 peopleHistory grade, among the top in the U.S.·Overall D · #227 of 247 in MO
St. Louis, #1 on this list · Photo: Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, NPS from St. Louis, MO, USA · CC BY 2.0Missouri rankings · History
Most historic towns in Missouri
St. Louis ranks first on history among Missouri’s 247 towns of 2,500+; 57 of the 247 grade A− or better on history nationally.
The History grade, a character grade (not part of the overall): the town’s founding era, homes built before 1940 (Census ACS) and its National Register places. How grades work
#1A+
#2Richmond Heights
St. Louis County · 9,093 peopleHistory grade, among the top in the U.S.·Overall B · #96 of 247 in MO
#3Louisiana
Pike County · 3,208 peopleHistory grade, better than 98% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #137 of 247 in MO
All 247 towns
History grade, best first (the letter is national). Towns with the same score share a rank (T = tied; 62 towns here); the overall grade and state rank are beside each.
247 towns ranked. Not here? See why a town may be missing.
#TownGradeOverall
5Ste. GenevieveSte. Genevieve County · 5,065 peopleA+better than 97% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #83 of 247
14St. CharlesSt. Charles County · 72,561 peopleAbetter than 89% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #60 of 247
18Webster GrovesSt. Louis County · 23,450 peopleAbetter than 87% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #8 of 247
26Cape GirardeauCape Girardeau County · 40,977 peopleAbetter than 86% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #203 of 247
28Union TownshipDunklin County · 3,242 peopleA−better than 85% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #226 of 247
30Lemayunincorporated, St. Louis County · 16,228 peopleA−better than 84% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #70 of 247
T32Park HillsSt. Francois County · 8,753 peopleA−better than 83% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #145 of 247
T34FredericktownMadison County · 4,584 peopleA−better than 82% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #188 of 247
T38Kansas CityJackson County · 521,220 peopleA−better than 80% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #200 of 247
40FarmingtonSt. Francois County · 19,226 peopleA−better than 80% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #196 of 247
T48CharlestonMississippi County · 4,731 peopleA−better than 78% of U.S. towns·Overall D− · #246 of 247
T48University CitySt. Louis County · 34,657 peopleA−better than 78% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #168 of 247
50IndependenceJackson County · 121,675 peopleA−better than 78% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #202 of 247
T51Center TownshipVernon County · 9,550 peopleA−better than 77% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #173 of 247
56JacksonCape Girardeau County · 16,033 peopleA−better than 75% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #51 of 247
57Excelsior SpringsClay County · 10,819 peopleA−better than 75% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #133 of 247
63Castor TownshipStoddard County · 4,651 peopleB+better than 72% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #120 of 247
68Bonne TerreSt. Francois County · 6,636 peopleB+better than 69% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #193 of 247
T74Mount VernonLawrence County · 4,835 peopleB+better than 67% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #108 of 247
T74Polk TownshipNodaway County · 13,673 peopleB+better than 67% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #82 of 247
78FlorissantSt. Louis County · 51,124 peopleB+better than 66% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #179 of 247
T81Mount Pleasant TownshipBates County · 5,093 peopleBbetter than 65% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #175 of 247
100ChesterfieldSt. Louis County · 49,309 peopleBbetter than 58% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #27 of 247
T101Afftonunincorporated, St. Louis County · 19,052 peopleBbetter than 57% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #25 of 247
107HigginsvilleLafayette County · 4,770 peopleBbetter than 56% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #30 of 247
108Marceline TownshipLinn County · 2,589 peopleBbetter than 55% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #52 of 247
116Lee's SummitJackson County · 107,514 peopleB−better than 51% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #81 of 247
119Breckenridge HillsSt. Louis County · 4,350 peopleB−better than 49% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #242 of 247
126Oakvilleunincorporated, St. Louis County · 35,333 peopleB−better than 46% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #58 of 247
127Independence TownshipDunklin County · 11,792 peopleB−better than 46% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #199 of 247
128Mountain GroveWright County · 4,754 peopleB−better than 46% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #155 of 247
132Creve CoeurSt. Louis County · 18,480 peopleC+better than 43% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #65 of 247
136CaruthersvillePemiscot County · 5,211 peopleC+better than 41% of U.S. towns·Overall D− · #247 of 247
T139Liberty TownshipStoddard County · 14,741 peopleC+better than 39% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #116 of 247
144Sappingtonunincorporated, St. Louis County · 7,367 peopleC+better than 38% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #20 of 247
146Lake LotawanaJackson County · 2,756 peopleC+better than 38% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #57 of 247
147OwensvilleGasconade County · 2,802 peopleC+better than 38% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #124 of 247
149Byrnes MillJefferson County · 3,183 peopleC+better than 37% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #209 of 247
151Mehlvilleunincorporated, St. Louis County · 29,805 peopleC+better than 37% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #40 of 247
155Windsor TownshipHenry County · 3,454 peopleC+better than 35% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #201 of 247
T160Spanish Lakeunincorporated, St. Louis County · 17,873 peopleCbetter than 33% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #225 of 247
162Imperialunincorporated, Jefferson County · 5,488 peopleCbetter than 33% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #114 of 247
T163El Dorado SpringsCedar County · 3,642 peopleCbetter than 32% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #230 of 247
167PortagevilleNew Madrid County · 2,702 peopleCbetter than 31% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #177 of 247
168CottlevilleSt. Charles County · 6,717 peopleCbetter than 31% of U.S. towns·Overall A+ · #4 of 247
170St. PetersSt. Charles County · 61,479 peopleCbetter than 30% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #43 of 247
178Montgomery CityMontgomery County · 2,782 peopleCbetter than 27% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #141 of 247
185Old Jamestownunincorporated, St. Louis County · 20,651 peopleCbetter than 26% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #195 of 247
T186Cotton Hill TownshipDunklin County · 4,700 peopleCbetter than 26% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #232 of 247
189Burdine TownshipTexas County · 3,327 peopleCbetter than 25% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #234 of 247
T191Concordunincorporated, St. Louis County · 18,368 peopleC−better than 24% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #32 of 247
T191East PrairieMississippi County · 2,841 peopleC−better than 24% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #204 of 247
194Glasgow Villageunincorporated, St. Louis County · 5,504 peopleC−better than 23% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #240 of 247
195WentzvilleSt. Charles County · 49,495 peopleC−better than 23% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #54 of 247
196Sherrill TownshipTexas County · 5,574 peopleC−better than 22% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #192 of 247
T199Valley ParkSt. Louis County · 6,767 peopleC−better than 22% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #103 of 247
201Pike TownshipStoddard County · 3,577 peopleC−better than 21% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #117 of 247
202Duck Creek TownshipStoddard County · 3,016 peopleC−better than 20% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #129 of 247
203Sunset HillsSt. Louis County · 9,075 peopleC−better than 20% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #63 of 247
T205Villa Ridgeunincorporated, Franklin County · 2,835 peopleC−better than 18% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #147 of 247
207Holts SummitCallaway County · 4,773 peopleC−better than 18% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #74 of 247
208Gray Summitunincorporated, Franklin County · 2,991 peopleC−better than 17% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #93 of 247
210Carl JunctionJasper County · 8,484 peopleC−better than 17% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #106 of 247
T211Grand River TownshipDeKalb County · 3,258 peopleC−better than 17% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #101 of 247
T211Woodson TerraceSt. Louis County · 3,902 peopleC−better than 17% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #237 of 247
T214Grain ValleyJackson County · 16,908 peopleC−better than 16% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #76 of 247
T214High Ridgeunincorporated, Jefferson County · 3,714 peopleC−better than 16% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #39 of 247
T214Weldon SpringSt. Charles County · 5,301 peopleC−better than 16% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #55 of 247
218HerculaneumJefferson County · 5,402 peopleC−better than 16% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #61 of 247
T224Town and CountrySt. Louis County · 11,619 peopleDbetter than 14% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #28 of 247
227Murphyunincorporated, Jefferson County · 8,285 peopleDbetter than 14% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #99 of 247
231Bellefontaine NeighborsSt. Louis County · 10,368 peopleDbetter than 12% of U.S. towns·Overall D− · #245 of 247
234Whiteman AFBunincorporated, Johnson County · 3,517 peopleDbetter than 8% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #160 of 247
236Fort Leonard Woodunincorporated, Pulaski County · 15,432 peopleDbetter than 7% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #86 of 247
T237Maryland HeightsSt. Louis County · 27,559 peopleDbetter than 6% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #22 of 247
241Barnhartunincorporated, Jefferson County · 5,785 peopleD−better than 3% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #91 of 247
243Terre du Lacunincorporated, St. Francois County · 2,516 peopleD−better than 2% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #88 of 247
T244Clarkson ValleySt. Louis County · 2,540 peopleD−among the lowest in the U.S.·Overall A− · #38 of 247
T244Dardenne PrairieSt. Charles County · 15,032 peopleD−among the lowest in the U.S.·Overall A− · #41 of 247
T246Lake St. LouisSt. Charles County · 19,129 peopleD−among the lowest in the U.S.·Overall A− · #31 of 247
Quick answers
Questions people ask
What is the most historic town in Missouri?
St. Louis (St. Louis city) ranks first on history among 247 towns, with an A+; Richmond Heights and Louisiana follow.
How are these towns ranked?
The History grade, a character grade (not part of the overall): the town’s founding era, homes built before 1940 (Census ACS) and its National Register places. Towns are sorted on the grade’s score; the letter and rank are the same as on each town’s page. How grades work.
Why isn’t my town on this list?
The list covers towns of 2,500+ residents with a history grade (247 in Missouri). Smaller towns have the grade on their page but no rank. Every town is on the Missouri page.
Go deeper
All Missouri rankings →More Missouri lists
Every list ranks the same 2,500+ towns, so a town’s rank means the same thing on each.
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