# Region 10: St. Louis, MO-IL CBSA

# I. Geographic Boundaries, Political Jurisdictions, and Infrastructure

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Map 10.1 St. Louis, MO-IL CBSA Major Highways and Fixed Guideway System

The St. Louis, MO-IL Core Based Statistical Area (CBSA) includes the
city of St. Louis and the eight counties of St. Louis, St. Charles,
Jefferson, Franklin, Warren, Lincoln, Calhoun, and Washington along the
east central border of Missouri and the seven counties of Monroe,
Madison, St. Clair, Jersey, Macoupin, Bond, and Clinton along the
southwest border of Illinois. The CBSA is 8,831square miles and has a
total population of 2,690,690. The MO state population is 5,535,211, and
IL state population is 12,419,293.

The Mississippi River flows south between the Missouri and Illinois
State lines, passing directly through downtown St. Louis. The Missouri
River, a tributary of the Mississippi River, flows along the Missouri
county lines of Warren, St. Charles, Franklin, and St. Louis. The CBSA
has a distinct four season continental climate that is strongly
influenced by cold, Canadian, artic air from the north or hot, humid air
from the Gulf of Mexico.

# 

Major highways serving the CBSA include Interstates 44, 55, 64, 70,170,
255, and 270 and U.S Highways 40, 50, 61, and 67. Metrolink provides
lightrail service in the Central Corridor of St. Louis County and into
St. Clair County Illinois.

# II. Agencies Operating in the St. Louis, MO-IL CBSA

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##   {#section-1 .unnumbered}

## Transit Service Area: Fixed Guideway and Bus Service Area

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Map 10.2 St. Louis, MO-IL CBSA Transit Service Area

**METRO** (Bi-State Development Agency)

Metro is the operator of the region\'s public transportation system for
bus and light rail service. Metro also oversees the operations of the
St. Louis Downtown Airport and surrounding business park, Gateway Arch
Revenue Collections Center, Gateway Arch Transportation System, the
Gateway Arch Riverboats, and the Arch Parking Facility. METRO operates a
bus fleet of approximately 477 buses and 65 light rail cars.

## Number and Proportion of Minority, Below Poverty, and Limited English Proficiency Populations in Relation to the Transit Service Area

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Map 10.3 St. Louis, MO-IL CBSA Minority Population

Total Number of Census Tracts in CBSA 551

Total Population of CBSA 2,698,687

Total Minority Population residing in CBSA 569,975

Regional Average of Minority Population in the CBSA 26%

Number (%) of Census Tracts with above average minority population 166
(30%)

Total Minority Population in the above average census tracts 426,578

Based on U.S. 2000 Census Data, the minority population on average is 26
percent of the total population (569,975) in the St. Louis, MO-IL CBSA.
A total of 166 census tracts (30 percent) have an above average
percentage of minority population. Census tracts located in the city of
St. Louis, MO and across the river in East St. Louis, IL show the
highest concentrations of these above average minority population census
tracts. These areas have a combined total population of approximately
623,132, which is approximately 23 percent of the total CBSA population.
Over half of the census tracts with above average minority populations
are in downtown St. Louis and East St. Louis, IL, and were found to have
a minority population were over 75 percent.

The total CBSA population is 2,698,687. Approximately 709,858, or 26
percent of the entire population, live in the 138 census tracts located
outside the transit service area. As shown in the map above, 95 percent
of the census tracts with an above average minority population are
located within the METRO bus service area. However, a total of six
census tracts located outside the METRO bus service area in the northern
section of St. Louis County and northeast across the river in Madison
County Illinois were found to have above average minority populations
between 27 and 50 percent, which is approximately 7,185 persons.

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Map 10.4 St. Louis, MO-IL CBSA Below Poverty Population

Total Number of Census Tracts in CBSA 551

Total Population of CBSA 2,698,687

Total Below Poverty Population residing in CBSA 264,721

Regional Average of Below Poverty Population in the CBSA 12%

Number (%) of Census Tracts with above average Below Poverty pop. 181
(33%)

Total Below Poverty Population in the above average census tracts
157,720

The 2000 U.S. Census Data shows a total of 264,721 (approximately 12
percent) of the St. Louis, MO-IL CBSA population is below poverty level.
The largest concentration of census tracts with above average below
poverty populations is located in the city of St. Louis, MO and in East
St. Louis, IL. Fifteen of the census tracts in this area, which contain
a total population of approximately 40,000, have a below poverty
population of between 47 percent and 67 percent of the population in
these tracts is below poverty level.

The total St. Louis, MO-IL CBSA population is 2,698,687. Approximately
709,858, or 26 percent of the entire population, live in the 138 census
tracts located outside the transit service area. The majority of census
tracts containing an above average below poverty level population are
located in the METRO transit service area; however, 23 small clusters of
census tracts with a total of 16,480 below poverty persons were found in
counties north and south of the city transit service area. All
five-census tracts in Washington County, Missouri have an above average
percentage of below poverty persons. The county, which is outside the
transit service area, has a total of 4,586 below poverty persons.

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Map 10.5 St. Louis, MO-IL CBSA Limited English Proficient Population

Total Number of Census Tracts in CBSA 551

Total Population of CBSA 2,698,687

Total Population 5 years and older of CBSA 2,519,595

Total LEP Population\* residing in CBSA 49,291

Regional Average of LEP Population\* in the CBSA 2%

Number ( %) of Census Tracts with above average LEP population\* 153
(28%)

Total LEP Population\* in the above average census tracts 30,475

\* LEP includes those 5 years of age and older

The limited English proficient (LEP) population in the St. Louis, MO-IL
CBSA is two percent. A total of 153 census tracts, or 28 percent, have
an above average population of persons with LEP. As the above map shows,
most census tracts with an above average LEP population fall between two
percent and 34 percent. One census tract located east of the city of St.
Louis had an LEP population of 161 persons, approximately 35 percent of
the total population five and older in the census tract.

The majority of census tracts (99 percent) with an above average LEP
population are located within the METRO transit service area; however,
three census tracts with a combine LEP population of 249, less than one
percent of the total CBSA LEP population, were located in the counties
outside the transit service area.

## Number and Proportion of Zero Car Households: Greater than Regional Average 

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Map 10.6 St. Louis, MO-IL CBSA Zero Car Households

Total Number of Census Tracts in CBSA 551

Total Households in the CBSA 1,048,279

Total Zero Car Households in CBSA 93,745

Regional Average of Zero Car Households in the CBSA 11%

Number (%) of Census Tracts with above average Zero Car Households 167
(30%)

Total Zero Car Households in the above average census tracts 55,110

The St. Louis CBSA has a total of 1,048,279 households. A total of
93,745 are households without vehicles (approximately 11 percent).
Thirty percent of the census tracts (167) located in the CBSA have an
above average percentage of households without vehicles. The cities of
St. Louis, MO and East St. Louis, IL have a combined total of 158,254
households. Over 38 percent of households located in these two cities
(over 60,000) are households without vehicles.

Approximately 263,577 households, or 25 percent of the households
present in the CBSA, are located in the 138 census tracts that are not
serviced by transit. The majority of census tracts with above average
zero car households are within the METRO transit service area; however,
11 census tracts outside the service area in the counties of Madison,
Franklin, Jefferson, and Washington, have a combined total of over
20,000 households without vehicles.

## Number and Proportion of Minority Population with overlay of Below Poverty Population

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Map 10.7 St. Louis, MO-IL CBSA Minority Population with an overlay of
the Below Poverty Population

The distribution of the minority population in the St. Louis, MO-IL with
an overlay of the average and above populations of below poverty level
individuals shows that 142 census tracts (26%) located in the St. Louis
CBSA have above average percentages of both statistics. A total of 136
of these census tracts are located in or within close proximity of the
cities of St. Louis, MO and East St. Louis, IL. The other six are
located north of the cities in Madison County. These six census tracts
account for a total of 7,185 minority and 4,000 below the poverty level
persons.

## Number and Proportion of Minority Population with overlays of Below Poverty Population and Zero Car Households

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Map 10.8 St. Louis, MO-IL CBSA Proportion of Minority Population with
overlays of Below Poverty Population and Zero Car Households

The St. Louis CBSA has a total of 124 census tracts (23 percent) with
above average percentages of minority, below poverty level, and zero car
household statistics. A total of 119 of these census tracts are located
in or within close proximity to the cities of St. Louis, MO and East St.
Louis, IL. The other five are located north of the cities in Madison
County, IL. The highest above average percentages of below poverty and
zero car households are in the city census tracts where the minority
population is over 50 percent. These census tracts are within the METRO
transit service area; however, the cluster of five census tracts north
of the cities is outside the METRO transit service area. These tracts
have a total minority population of 8,516, a below poverty population of
3,273, and 1,064 households without vehicles.

## Correlation among Minority, Below Poverty, LEP Populations, and Zero Car Households

  ----------------- ------------- -------------- ----------- --------------
  * *               *Minority*    *Below         *LEP*       *Zero Car HH*
                                  Poverty*                   

  Minority          1.00                                     

  Below Poverty     0.71          1.00                       

  LEP               0.10          0.18           1.00        

  Zero Car HH       0.60          0.79           0.30        1.00
  ----------------- ------------- -------------- ----------- --------------

There is a strong positive correlation between the minority population
and the below poverty population (0.71) and to a lesser degree, a
positive correlation between the minority population and zero car
households (0.60) located in the St. Louis, MO-IL CBSA. Likewise, at
nearly 0.80 there is a strong positive correlation between the below
poverty population and zero car households. The limited English
proficiency population has no correlation to the minority and below
poverty populations, nor zero car households located in this CBSA.

## Natural Disasters

![](media/image16.wmf)The following table outlines the natural disasters
that occurred in the St. Louis, MO-IL CBSA between 1986-2006.

### Table 10.3 St. Louis, MO-IL CBSA Natural Disasters

Since the time of record keeping in the 1800s, the St. Louis, MO-IL CBSA
has dealt with high water, severe windstorms, harsh winter storms, heat
waves and earthquakes. While the St. Louis, MO-IL CBSA has had only a
few of the above natural disasters occur in the last twenty years, the
East-West Council of Governments Hazard Mitigation Planning maintains
that the CBSA is at risk of tornadoes and severe thunderstorms; river
flooding (including flash flooding); severe winter weather (snow, ice,
extreme cold); drought, heat wave; earthquakes; wildfires; and dam
failures. On a scale ranging from Moderate to High, to Very High Risk,
the United States Geological Survey rates the states that comprise this
region (MO, IL) as having High Risks of earthquakes.

## Man-made Disasters

The St. Louis, MO-IL CBSA has had one man-made disaster in the last 20
years, a gas explosion at the Praxair Distribution plan in St. Louis, MO
on June 25, 2005. The human and financial impacts were not available.

The region is home to many manufacturing sites and rail and road
freight, which expose the CBSA to a number of different industrial
accidents that could impact the region.

There is one nuclear power plants within the CBSA that is located 100
miles west of St. Louis that could pose a potential threat in the event
of a radiological release. 2005 data from the U.S. Department of
Transportation on Hazardous Material Safety shows the states included in
this region (MO, IL) accounted for 9% of the hazardous materials
incidents and 3% of related deaths for the year.

As with any other major metropolitan center with diverse industries and
major population centers, the threat of terrorism against any of these
industries, facilities and centers is real. Therefore, in addition to
accidents resulting in a disaster caused by radiological or chemical
release, disasters resulting from sabotage and direct attack could also
occur.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ranks the St. Louis CBSA as
one of the country's 29 Tier II (high risk) urban areas that has
critical transit, ferry, and port infrastructure. Missouri has also been
designated by the DHS as a Tier II Buffer Zone, which means the state
has high-risk/high-consequence facilities (e.g. chemical facilities,
financial institutions, nuclear and electric power plants, dams,
stadiums, etc.).