Webster Groves, Missouri | |
|---|---|
 Big Bend Boulevard in Webster Groves, August 2017 | |
 Location of Webster Groves, Missouri | |
| Coordinates:38°35′12″N90°21′16″W / 38.58667°N 90.35444°W /38.58667; -90.35444 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Missouri |
| County | St. Louis |
| Area | |
• Total | 5.91 sq mi (15.31 km2) |
| • Land | 5.91 sq mi (15.31 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 564 ft (172 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 24,010 |
| • Density | 4,060.5/sq mi (1,567.77/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| ZIP Code | 63119 |
| Area code | 314 |
| FIPS code | 29-78154[3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 2397242[2] |
| Website | www |
Webster Groves is an inner-ringsuburb ofSt. Louis inSt. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The population was 24,010 at the2020 census. The city is home to the main campus ofWebster University.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.90 square miles (15.28 km2), all land.[4]
Webster Groves is bounded to the east byShrewsbury, on the north byMaplewood,Brentwood andRock Hill, to the west byGlendale,Oakland, andCrestwood, and on the south byAffton andMarlborough.
Webster Groves is approximately 2 miles (3 km) west of theSt. Louis city limits, and 10 miles (16 km) southwest ofdowntown St. Louis, in an area known to fur trappers andMissouri,Osage andDakota indigenous people, until 1802, as theDry Ridge.[citation needed] In the early 19th century, this region, once a part of theLouisiana Territory, was changing from Spanish to French ownership, and a system of land grants was inaugurated to promote immigration. During the early period of Spanish rule, officials gave land to settlers as a check against the English.[citation needed]
As part of this program, in 1802, Grégoire Sarpy was granted 6,002 acres (2,429 ha) byCharles de Hault Delassus, thelast Spanish lieutenant governor of theIllinois Country. The land grant covered the major area now known as Webster Groves.
Webster Groves' location on thePacific Railroad line led to its development as a suburb. In 1892 the developers of Webster Park, an early housing subdivision, promoted the new community as the "Queen of the Suburbs", offering residents superb housing options in a country-like atmosphere, as well as a swift commute to downtown St. Louis jobs.[5] The first public school in the community was Douglass Elementary School, founded as aseparate but equal school for African-American children in the post-Civil War black community in North Webster. In the 1920s, the school grew intoDouglass High School, the only high school inSt. Louis County for black students. The school operated until 1956, when theU.S. Supreme Court required desegregation.
As a suburban municipality, Webster Groves has its origins as five separate communities along adjacent railroad lines. Webster, Old Orchard, Webster Park, Tuxedo Park, and Selma merged in 1896 to implement public services and develop a unified city government.[5] Since then, Webster Groves' tree-lined streets and abundance of single family homes have continued to attract people to the area as a "great place to live, work and play", not solely for the wealthy commuter suburb that early developers envisioned but for families that cut across all socioeconomic lines. The geographic and economic diversity of Webster Groves is evident in its variety of neighborhoods.
In the 1960s, Webster Groves was featured in16 In Webster Groves, a televised documentary that writerJonathan Franzen, a native of Webster Groves, described in his memoirThe Discomfort Zone as an "early experiment in hour-long prime-time sociology". According to Franzen, it depictedWebster Groves High School, which he attended only a few years after the documentary's broadcast, as being "ruled by a tiny elite of 'soshies' who made life gray and marginal for the great majority of students who weren't 'football captains,' 'cheerleaders' or 'dance queens'"; the school was depicted as having a "student body obsessed with grades, cars and money." Franzen thought "the Webster Groves depicted in it bears minimal resemblance to the friendly, unpretentious town I knew when I was growing up."[6]
Webster Groves was the setting for the1974–75NBC television seriesLucas Tanner.
In the wake of the 1999Columbine High School massacre, Webster Groves High School was again profiled, this time inTime, which described Webster Groves as a "pretty town of old elms and deep porches" and a "mix of $90,000 cottages and $750,000 homes, young marrieds and old-line families and transient middle managers assigned to a stint in the St. Louis office who are looking for a comfortable place to settle and keep their kids on the track toward prosperity."[7]
The Webster Groves High School Statesmen maintain one of the oldest high school football rivalries west of theMississippi River with the Pioneers ofKirkwood High School. The two teams typically play each other in theMissouri Turkey Day Game eachThanksgiving, if their playoff schedules permit it; they also have faced each other in the state playoff tournaments several times in recent years.
As of 2018, Gerry Welch was the mayor of Webster Groves. The Webster Groves City Council consisted of council members Matt Armstrong, Frank Janoski, Bud Bellomo, Laura Arnold, Pamela Bliss, and David Franklin.[8]
The City Council works with 19 boards and commissions (16 active, three inactive). Citizens and businesspeople in the area volunteer for these boards and commissions to advise the City Council on community issues. A full list of these boards and commissions with links to pages describing the purpose and application procedures can be found on the official website of Webster Groves.[9]
The Municipal Court is conducted on the second Wednesday of the month at 5:30 pm and the fourth Wednesday of the month at 6:00 pm in the City Council Chambers at the City Hall. The Prosecuting Attorney is Deborah LeMoine and the Municipal Judge is James Whitney.[10]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1890 | 1,783 | — | |
| 1900 | 1,895 | 6.3% | |
| 1910 | 7,080 | 273.6% | |
| 1920 | 9,474 | 33.8% | |
| 1930 | 16,487 | 74.0% | |
| 1940 | 18,394 | 11.6% | |
| 1950 | 23,390 | 27.2% | |
| 1960 | 28,990 | 23.9% | |
| 1970 | 27,457 | −5.3% | |
| 1980 | 23,097 | −15.9% | |
| 1990 | 22,987 | −0.5% | |
| 2000 | 23,230 | 1.1% | |
| 2010 | 22,995 | −1.0% | |
| 2020 | 24,010 | 4.4% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[11] | |||
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000[12] | Pop 2010[13] | Pop 2020[14] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 20,927 | 20,384 | 20,677 | 90.09% | 88.65% | 86.12% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 1,472 | 1,514 | 1,146 | 6.34% | 6.58% | 4.77% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 28 | 39 | 20 | 0.12% | 0.17% | 0.08% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 278 | 343 | 391 | 1.20% | 1.49% | 1.63% |
| Native Hawaiian orPacific Islander alone (NH) | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0.01% | 0.01% | 0.01% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 10 | 25 | 87 | 0.04% | 0.11% | 0.36% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 221 | 322 | 953 | 0.95% | 1.40% | 3.97% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 291 | 365 | 733 | 1.25% | 1.59% | 3.05% |
| Total | 23,230 | 22,995 | 24,010 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
The2020 United States census[15] counted 24,010 people, 9,239 households, and 5,858 families in Webster Groves. The population density was 4,062.6 inhabitants per square mile (1,568.6/km2). There were 9,738 housing units at an average density of 1,647.7 per square mile (636.2/km2). The racial makeup was 86.94% (20,874)white, 4.84% (1,161)black or African-American, 0.14% (34)Native American orAlaska Native, 1.65% (397)Asian, 0.01% (3)Pacific Islander, 0.76% (183) fromother races, and 5.66% (1,358) from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race was 2.7% (618) of the population.
Of the 9,239 households, 28.6% had children under the age of 18; 56.2% were married couples living together; 28.6% had a female householder with no husband present. Of all households, 31.2% consisted of individuals and 16.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.4 and the average family size was 3.0.
21.9% of the population was under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 24.6% from 25 to 44, 23.8% from 45 to 64, and 17.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.7 years. For every 100 females, the population had 79.4 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 77.3 males.
The 2016-2020 5-yearAmerican Community Survey[16] estimates show that the median household income was $94,479 (with a margin of error of +/- $9,681) and the median family income was $133,010 (+/- $12,359). Males had a median income of $70,625 (+/- $5,023) versus $46,405 (+/- $9,714) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $58,823 (+/- $5,413). Approximately, 2.3% of families and 3.9% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 3.4% of those under the age of 18 and 3.6% of those ages 65 or over.
As of thecensus[17] of 2010, there were 22,995 people, 9,156 households, and 6,024 families living in the city. The population density was 3,897.5 inhabitants per square mile (1,504.8/km2). There were 9,756 housing units at an average density of 1,653.6 per square mile (638.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 89.9%White, 6.6%African American, 0.2%Native American, 1.5%Asian, 0.3% fromother races, and 1.5% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 1.6% of the population.
There were 9,156 households, of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.3% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.2% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.04.
The median age in the city was 40.8 years. 24.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.6% were from 25 to 44; 29.2% were from 45 to 64; and 15.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.1% male and 52.9% female.
As of thecensus[3] of 2000, there were 23,230 people, 9,498 households, and 6,145 families living in the city. The population density was 3,937.5 inhabitants per square mile (1,520.3/km2). There were 9,903 housing units at an average density of 1,678.6 per square mile (648.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 90.87%White, 6.38%African American, 1.21%Asian, 0.17%Native American, 0.01%Pacific Islander, 0.31% fromother races, and 1.05% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 1.25% of the population.
There were 9,498 households, out of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.9% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.3% were non-families. 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 24.9% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 17.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.4 males.
As of 2000 the median income for a household was $60,524, and the median income for a family was $73,998. Males had a median income of $57,801 versus $38,506 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $31,327. 4.8% of the population and 2.0% of families were below thepoverty line. 5.0% of those under the age of 18 and 3.5% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
TheWebster Groves School District serves the city.Webster Groves High School is in the city.
Webster University is in the city.[18] Across from Webster University isEden Theological Seminary, a theological seminary of theUnited Church of Christ.
Private schools in Webster Groves:
TheSt. Louis Japanese School, aweekend supplementary Japanese school, holds its classes at the Sverdrup Business/Technology Complex at Webster University.[20]
Webster Groves has apublic library, the City Of Webster Groves Municipal Library.[21]
Notable people who have lived in Webster Groves include:
(Dates in parentheses indicate lifespan, not years of residence.)
General references:
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