Location
St. Louis, Gateway to the West, enjoys the convenience of lying at the nation's center.  The city itself is 5,340 square miles and adjoins, but is independent of St. Louis County, St. Charles County, Jefferson County, and Franklin County, plus five counties in Illinois including St. Clair, Madison, Monroe, Clinton, and Jersey.

Population
St. Louis is the eighteenth largest city in the nation and is home to approximately 2,950,000 people. The City of St. Louis has approximately 348,189 residents, while St. Louis County has approximately 2,603,607 residents.

Climate
St. Louisians enjoy the versatility of a four-season climate.  Summer temperatures rise above 90 degrees about 35 - 40 days a year and above 100 degrees no more than 5 days a year.  Humidity may be oppressive on days when winds are south to southwest.  Winters are brisk with temperatures ranging 0 to 55 degrees.  The average annual rainfall is less than 34 inches, with an average annual snowfall of an inch or more 5 to 10 days in most years.

Economy
St. Louis is the sixth largest Fortune 500 headquarters city in the nation.  Some of its major commercial enterprises include Anheuser-Busch, Emerson Electric, Boeing, Monsanto and Ralston Purina.