Arnold, Missouri

Arnold, Missouri
Country	United States
State	Missouri
Settled	1972
Population	20,808 (2010 census)
Area (sq mi)	11.94 mi²
Current mayor	Ron Counts

Arnold is a city on the Mississippi and Meramec rivers in Jefferson County, Missouri. It had a population of 20,808 at the 2010 census, making it the largest city in Jefferson County and one of the larger outer-ring suburbs of the St. Louis metropolitan area.

History

Although the city of Arnold itself is a relatively recent creation, its roots go back to the earliest days of settlement in Jefferson County. During the days of Spanish rule of the Louisiana Territory, the colonial administrators sought to establish better communications between the settlements on the west bank of the Mississippi; to that end, they offered a generous land grant to anyone who would maintain a ferry service across the Meramec River, thus allowing rapid overland movement between St. Louis and Ste. Genevieve. The offer was accepted by a French settler, Jean Baptiste Gamache, who set up his ferry about a mile above the river's mouth, probably in 1776 or shortly afterwards. This later became part of El Camino Real (also known as Royal Road, King's Trace, or Kingshighway), which stretched as far south as New Madrid; after the extension of a telegraph line along this route around 1850, it became known in Jefferson County as Telegraph Road (now Missouri State Highway 231). A depiction of Gamache's original ferry now appears on the city of Arnold's official seal.

Settlement along the south bank of the Meramec was principally the work of French colonists during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, though after the Louisiana Purchase growing numbers of (mostly Anglo-Saxon) American pioneers arrived as well. Beginning in the mid-1830s, large-scale German migration to the area occurred, and continued until after the Civil War. At this time, and even well into the 20th century, this part of Jefferson County was very rural and mostly given over to agriculture, with many residents making a living by supplying fresh produce to the St. Louis market. Among the major farm families were the Flamms, who were of German background and by the 1920s owned several hundred acres of orchards along the Meramec. As more businesses appeared in the vicinity, the area came to be dubbed "Flamm City" in their honor. Later, however, the growing community was renamed for another landowner, Louis Arnold, who had sold much of the property on which a variety of stores and other enterprises developed.

By the time it was finally incorporated as a city in 1972, Arnold had already seen considerable growth as a result of suburban expansion from St. Louis; subsequent patterns of movement occurred outside the community itself, and as a result its population has remained fairly stable ever since. In recent years, it has had to recover several bouts of flooding on the Meramec and Mississippi Rivers: in 1993, 2015, and finally in 2017. Actions taken by the city have also resulted in hearings by the Missouri state court system on two occasions: in 2008 over its use of eminent domain to evict businesses in an area of projected development along Interstate 55 (in which the city was upheld), and then in 2013 over its use of red-light cameras (which was overruled).

Geography

Arnold is located in the northeastern corner of Jefferson County, approximately 15 miles southwest of downtown St. Louis. The Meramec River forms the whole of its northeastern boundary, down to its confluence with the Mississippi, which occurs about four miles southeast of the city center. The city's exact coordinates are 38°25’58”N 90°22’10”W.

Arnold is crossed by several major highways: Interstate 55, U.S. Routes 61-67 (locally known as Jeffco Boulevard), and Missouri State Highway 231 (locally known as Telegraph Road) all cross the Meramec and are important transportation routes to and from St. Louis, while Missouri State Highway 141 is an increasingly significant link with other suburban communities to the northwest in Jefferson and St. Louis Counties.

The city has a total area of 11.94 square miles, and an average elevation of 605 feet.

Demographics

At the 2010 census, Arnold had a total of 20,808 inhabitants, grouped into 8,090 households, with a population density of 1,796.9 people per square mile. This figure represented a slight increase from the 2000 census, when Arnold had a population of 19,965. 96.34% of the inhabitants were White, 0.56% were African-American, 0.23% were Native American, 0.89% were Asian, 0.02% were Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 0.62% were from some other race, and 1.35% were from two or more races. Hispanics of any race were 2.19% of the population.

The median age in Arnold was 39.2 years, with 23.3% of inhabitants under the age of 18, 8.6% between 18 and 24 years old, 26.3% between 25 and 44, 27.4% between 45 and 64, and 14.4% 65 years old or older. The sex ratio was 48.7% male, 51.3% female.

According to the 2018 American Community Survey, Arnold had a median household income of $63,702, and a median family income of $69,989. The unemployment rate was 4.9%. The per capita income was $29,473. About 10.2% of the population lived below the poverty line, including 16.7% of people under the age of 18 and 5.4% of people 65 years old or older.

Government

Since its incorporation in 1972, Arnold has had a mayor-council form of government, consisting of a mayor and an eight-man council, two representing each of the city's four wards. The mayor is typically elected for a four-year term, while council members are elected in alternating years for two-year terms. These officials are supported by a city administrator and various departments and municipal commissions, covering such matters as public works, historic preservation, and community development. The current mayor of Arnold is Ron Counts, who has served continuously in that position since 2009 and who was most recently re-elected in April 2021.

Economy

Due to its being in large part a "bedroom community" for those who work in the St. Louis area, Arnold has a fairly high degree of prosperity compared to other parts of Jefferson County, with low unemployment and a per capita income close to $30,000. Combined with a low cost of living, this led to Arnold being ranked as the country's 12th most-affordable city to live in by Money Magazine in 2008.

The city itself is home to a mix of manufacturing, professional, and service businesses. One of the most significant is Metal Container Corp, a subsidiary of the Anheuser-Busch brewing company, which produces many of the cans and bottles it uses, and is in fact America's largest can manufacturing plant. The largest single employer in Arnold is the Fox C-6 School District (with 1,800 employees), followed by Convergys (a software and information management corporation), Wal-Mart, and finally Metal Container Corp.

Education

Public Schools

Arnold is part of the Fox C-6 School District, which was formed in 1948 through the consolidation of several smaller schools. Since 1955 it has been a K-12 institution. With a total of over 11,000 students in 18 schools, Fox is one of the largest public school districts in Missouri, and it also includes Seckman Schools, which serve the Imperial area just to the south. Arnold and the immediate vicinity are home to nine schools.

Elementary Schools

• Fox Elementary School (K-05)
• Lone Dell Elementary School (K-05)
• Meramec Heights Elementary School (K-05)
• Richard A. Simpson Elementary School (K-05)
• Rockport Heights Elementary School (K-05)
• Sherwood Elementary School (K-05)

Middle Schools

• Fox Middle School (06-08)
• Ridgewood Middle School (06-08)

High School

• Fox High School (09-12)

The Fox C-6 mascot is the Warriors, and the school colors are red, black, and white. (These apply to Fox and not to Seckman schools.)

The district has won numerous state and national honors for the quality of its education and other achievements, including National District of Character, Missouri Gold Star School, and National Blue Ribbon School. On three occasions, Fox High School has hosted national political figures: Vice-President Dan Quayle in 1988, President Bill Clinton in 1993, and President Barack Obama in 2009.

Private Schools

Three private schools operate in Arnold:

• Holy Child Elementary and Middle School is operated by the Roman Catholic Church, covering grades K-08 and associated with the city's Immaculate Conception Catholic Church. It has an enrollment of about 225 students.

• St. John's Lutheran School is operated by the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, covering grades K-08 and associated with the city's St. John's Lutheran Church. It has an enrollment of about 200 students.

• Victory Christian Academy is an evangelical-leaning Christian school, covering grades K-08 but currently expanding to include a high school as well. It is partnered with Encounter Church and Canaan Baptist Church.

Higher Education

Jefferson College, whose main campus is at Hillsboro, operates an extensive satellite campus in Arnold, which is also partnered with Missouri Baptist University and Central Methodist University.

Missouri Baptist University and Metro Business College also have regional branches of their own in Arnold, the latter offering various associate degrees.

Community Life

The city has a number of recreational facilities, including the Arnold Recreation Center, a 23-acre complex with a gymnasium and outdoor water park; the site is shared by the local extension of Jefferson College and by the Jefferson County Library.

The municipal government additionally operates nine distinct parks, of which the most significant are the Arnold City Park, located off Jeffco Boulevard, and Ferd B. Lang Park (named for the city's first mayor), both offering playgrounds, walking trails, outdoor volleyball courts, pavilions for public and private events, and other facilities.

A popular seasonal attraction is the Arnold Farmers' Market, which is held at the Jaycees' Pavilion every Saturday from May until October.

Media

Arnold has one radio station, KGNA (89.9 FM), owned by the Missouri River Christian Broadcasting corporation. It features Christian programming.

Notable People

• General Frank J. Grass (born 1951), chief of the National Guard Bureau 2012-16; born and raised in the Arnold area
• Dana Loesch (born 1978), conservative political commentator and talk radio host; graduate of Fox High School
• Brothers Kenny (born 1963) and Rusty (born 1956) Wallace, born and raised in the Arnold area