A historically significant region, the area included the mound building native culture ofCahokia, and the later French settlements of theIllinois Country. It also includes the fertile lands of the riparianAmerican Bottom. The region has almost 700,000 residents and its most populated city isBelleville, with 42,404 residents.[1] The area hosts several colleges and universities, withSouthern Illinois University Edwardsville as the largest. Also located in Metro East is theScott Air Force Base.
The Metro East is an Illinois county-based collection of small and mid-sized cities sitting along theAmerican Bottom and the bluffs of theMississippi River. According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the eight counties of the region have a total area of 6,974 km2 (2,692 mi2). 6,787 km2 (2,620 mi2) of it is land and 186 km2 (71 mi2) of it (2.74%) is water.
As of the 2020 census, the most populated cities in the region included the following[2]
As of the 2010 census, there had been a major shift in population from the olderrust belt industrial cities in the Mississippi River bottom, such as East St. Louis and Alton, to the more suburbansatellite cities, such as, Belleville, Edwardsville, and O'Fallon sitting on the bluffs. This is mainly due to continuedwhite flight.[4]
As of thecensus[5] of 2000, there were 599,845 people, 229,888 households, and 160,260 families residing in the eight Metro East counties.
The most common language is English, although various other languages are spoken. German speakers exist in southeastern Madison, and Clinton, and southern and eastern St. Clair Counties. Spanish is spoken in theFairmont City area, and in parts of Clinton County. The largest concentration of African-Americans is inMadison,Venice, westernGranite City,East St. Louis,Washington Park,Belleville,Cahokia,Alorton andAlton.
In 2019, theSt. Clair County Transit District was awarded $96 million in Illinois infrastructure funding to build a 5.2-mile (8.4 km) extension of theRed Line fromShiloh-Scott toMidAmerica St. Louis Airport inMascoutah.[6] This extension will include two 2.6-mile (4.2 km) segments, a double-track and a single-track segment, along with a station at the airport.[7] Construction on the extension began in 2023 with Metro expecting to begin operations in early 2026.[8][9][10]
Additionally,Madison County Transit operates local bus service in that county with routes that serve downtown St. Louis transit centers.[11]
Note: This list is for the entire Metro East area; however, the low-powered stations may not reach the entire five-county Metro East area. WSIU, despite not being based from the St. Louis DMA, is available in Clinton, Washington, and most of St. Clair.
Note: This list is for Jersey County; however, the majority of these stations are not available for most Jersey County residents. These stations are more likely to be available in Greene and Macoupin counties, which border Jersey County.
Note: This list is for St. Clair, and Clinton counties; however, the majority of the stations, with the exception of WSIU and WPXS and possibly KFVS, are not available for a majority of the St. Clair, and/or Clinton County residents. These stations are more likely to be available in Washington County and the Centralia area.
Note: stations listed are licensed and have offices in Metro East counties only. Stations that can be heard in the Metro East but not listed have offices outside the Metro East counties.
Note, the following is a partial list of films shot, often partially, sometimes with significant production, within the Metro East. All data can be rechecked via the Internet Movie Database.
"Uncredited" means a Metro East location was not credited within the database, but was clearly shot on Metro East soil upon watching the film itself.
Robert J. Randisi set one of his Joe Keough mysteries,East of the Arch (2002), in the Metro East communities of East St. Louis and Fairview Heights.[12]
United States
Illinois
