Beverly Theater · Photo: Gavreh · CC BY-SA 3.0Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park in University City
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 195 acres are parks and preserves, 5.6 per 1,000 residents. 5% of University City’s land is conserved, about 173 acres.
Ahead of 66% of U.S. towns · #60 of 247 in Missouri. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is University City?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does University City have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, University City is ahead of 66% of U.S. towns, #60 of 247 in Missouri. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; park acres per resident pull it down.
Few Missouri towns conserve much land (a typical one, 2%; the U.S., 4%), so University City’s 5% is ahead of 79% of Missouri towns, while its trails per square mile lead 57% of them.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Heman Park, with 0.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Flynn Park
Fogerty Park
All 15 parks & preserves
173 conserved acres
5% of University City’s land. Who manages University City’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heman Park Local Park | Town or city | 67 | Open |
| Ruth Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 25 | Open |
| Fogerty Park Local Park | Town or city | 13 | Open |
| Millar Park Local Park | Town or city | 13 | Open |
| Kaufman Park Local Park | Town or city | 8 | Open |
| Flynn Park Local Park | Town or city | 7 | Open |
| Mona Terrace Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 5 | Open |
| Mooney Park Local Park | Town or city | 5 | Open |
| Metcalfe Park Local Park | Town or city | 5 | Open |
| Greensfelder Park Local Park | Town or city | 5 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
29 places to go in University City
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Plus 24 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
1 named trail and 1 lakes & rivers
10 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
16 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 14 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
4 more on the History page.
The walking year in University City
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.7 | 10.7 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.3 | 14.9 | 14.6 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 10.0 | 9.5 |
| High (°F) | 40 | 46 | 56 | 68 | 77 | 85 | 88 | 87 | 80 | 69 | 55 | 44 |
| Rain (in) | 2.5 | 2.1 | 3.4 | 4.6 | 4.9 | 4.5 | 3.8 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.1 | 3.3 | 2.7 |
February is the driest month (2.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 88 °F). 4.9 inches fall in May, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 88 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in University City →
University City and its neighbors
University City has the second most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University City | 5% | 0.4 | 6 | 99%+ | B+ |
| Pagedale | 3% | under 0.1 | 10 | 99%+ | B− |
| Clayton | 6% | 0.6 | 7 | 99%+ | B+ |
| Vinita Park | 3% | under 0.1 | 9 | 99%+ | B− |
| Ladue | 1% | 0.7 | 10 | 57% | B− |
| Wellston | 1% | 0.1 | 5 | 99%+ | C+ |
| Olivette | 5% | 0.3 | 11 | 99% | B+ |
| Overland | 3% | 0.4 | 5 | 98% | B |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in University City
Where can I hike in University City?
The longest trail networks: Heman Park, 0.3 miles; Flynn Park, 0.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of University City is conserved land?
5% of its land, against a typical 2% for a Missouri town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on University City’s trails?
Heman Park and Flynn Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in University City?
10 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.4 of painted or protected lanes, 2.9 of off-road paths and 6.2 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near University City?
15,944 acres of parks and open public land lie inside University City or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 195 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does University City have?
Ahead of 66% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #60 of 247 in Missouri. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from University City neighbors.
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →