Wildwood, Missouri
Wildwood is a city in the far western portion of St. Louis County, Missouri. It had a population of 35,517 at the 2010 census, making it one of the larger municipalities in the county.
History
Organizationally speaking, Wildwood is among the "youngest" cities in Missouri, though it has a long history of settlement. American pioneers may have settled in the area as early as the 1790s, taking advantage of land grants by the Spanish colonial authorities, though few records from this period survive. The oldest of the local communities, Glencoe, can trace its origins back to 1803, with most of the others coming into existence during the mid- to late 19th century.[1]
By the mid-20th century, eleven distinct communities could be identified in the hills of western St. Louis County, between Eureka and the Missouri River: Centaur, Fox Creek, Glencoe, Grover, Hollow, Kelpe, Melrose, Monarch, Orrville, Pond, and Westland Acres. For a long time mostly rural in character, the surge in local population as suburbanization increased drove community leaders to discuss a merger. In 1995, the eleven towns chose to consolidate, selecting as their new name "Wildwood."[2]
Since incorporation, the city has striven to strike a balance between urban and rural features, maintaining large tracts of woodlands and other natural preserves while also working to improve public works and other services.[3]
Geography
By land area, Wildwood is one of the largest municipalities in the state of Missouri, and the largest in St. Louis County by a significant margin. This is due to the consolidation of multiple smaller communities, as well as the land in-between. Its boundaries are formed on the north by the Missouri River and the city of Chesterfield, on the west by the border with Franklin County, and on the south and east by the cities of Eureka, Ellisville, and Clarkson Valley, as well as some rural unincorporated areas. The city's official coordinates are 38°34′54″N 90°38′58″W.
Most of Wildwood's terrain is fairly rugged in nature, being within the northeastern edge of the Ozarks; the exception to this is a section of fairly level ground in the east around the old Grover settlement, where many of the larger businesses are located, as well as some of the narrow valleys separating the ridges. Much of the city is given over to large wilderness preserves, most notably Rockwoods Reservation and Edmund A. Babler State Park. Wildwood has a total area of 67.08 square miles, and an average elevation of 755 feet.[4]
