Metro-East is a region in Illinois that comprises the eastern suburbs of St. Louis, Missouri, United States. It encompasses five Illinois counties in the St. Louis Metropolitan Statistical Area.[1] The region's largest city is Belleville. The Metro-East is the second largest urban area in Illinois after Chicago.
MetroLink in Belleville IL
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the five 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.
Demographics
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 599,845 people, 229,888 households, and 160,260 families residing in the five Metro-East counties.
The official language is English, although various other languages are spoken. German speakers exist in southeastern Madison, Clinton, southern and eastern St. Clair Counties, and most of Monroe County. Spanish is spoken in the Fairmont City area, and in parts of Clinton County. The largest concentration of African-Americans is in Madison, Venice, western Granite City, East St. Louis, Washington Park,disambiguation needed Belleville, and Alton. Secondary languages tend to be cultural or reminiscent of ancestry, and not related to the general business of the area.
List of counties
St. Louis MSA, the 5 counties in Illinois are known as Metro-East.
Map of Illinois highlighting Metro-East.
List of cities, towns, and villages
Notes:
- ^ means part of city in another county(ies)
- Bold indicates County Seat
Clinton County
Jersey County
Madison County
Monroe County
St. Clair County
Colleges and Universities
Highways
State Highways
U.S. Routes
Interstate Highways
Major Employers
Professional sports teams
Tourist attractions
Residents, historic figures, and contributors
- Jason Boyd, Edwardsville, AAA pitcher
- Jimmy Connors, East St. Louis and Belleville, world-famous tennis player
- Buddy Ebsen, Belleville, Television Actor
- Brian Daubach, Belleville, MLB 1B/DH/Outfielder, currently playing for the St. Louis Cardinals
- Miles Davis, East St. Louis and Alton, world-famous jazz artist
- Jay Farrar, Belleville, musician
- Norm Greenberg, Belleville, Metro-East television personality
- Scott Wolf, Belleville, Actor
- Louis Jolliet, explorer of the Mississippi River
- Jackie Joyner-Kersee East St. Louis, athlete
- Mark Little, Edwardsville, AAA outfielder
- Père Jacques Marquette, French discoverer
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- Jeff Tweedy, Belleville, lead singer of the band Wilco
- Uncle Tupelo, Belleville, alternative country band
- Robert Pershing Wadlow, Alton, World's Tallest Man
- William Holden, O'Fallon, Hollywood actor
- Michael Stipe, Collinsville, lead singer of the band REM
- Josephine Baker, East St. Louis, performer and activist
- Senator Richard J. Durbin, East St. Louis, U.S. senator
- Senator Paul Simon, Troy, U.S. senator
- T. J. Mathews, Columbia, former MLB pitcher
- Neal Cotts, Lebanon, Pitcher currently playing for the Chicago Cubs
- Shadrach Bond, Monroe County, first Governor of Illinois
- Philip Francois Renault early French exploiter of area, in 1623 granted land in southern Monroe County
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Media in the Metro-East
St. Louis Area TV Stations
- Note: This list is for the entire Metro-East area, however, the low-powered stations may not reach the entire 5-county Metro-East area. WSIU, despite not being based from the St. Louis DMA, is available in Monroe, Clinton, Washington, and most of St. Clair.
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Broadcast television in the St. Louis market (Nielsen DMA #21) |
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Missouri broadcast television markets: Cape Girardeau/Paducah, KY • Columbia • Hannibal/Quincy, IL • Jonesboro, AR • Joplin • Kansas City • Kirksville/Ottumwa, IA • Memphis, TN • Omaha, NE • St. Louis • Springfield • St. Joseph
Illinois Broadcast television markets: Champaign-Urbana-Springfield • Chicago • Evansville, IN • Paducah, KY • Peoria-Bloomington • Quad Cities • Quincy • Rockford • St, Louis, MO • Terre Haute, IN |
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Champaign-Urbana/Decatur/Springfield Area TV Stations
- 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.
Paducah/Cape Girardeau/Harrisburg Area TV Stations
- Note: This list is for Monroe, 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, Clinton, and/or Monroe County residents. These stations are more likely to be available in Washington County and the Centralia area.
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Broadcast television in the Paducah (KY) / Cape Girardeau (MO) / Harrisburg (IL) market (Nielsen DMA #79) |
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| Kentucky Broadcast television markets: Ashland/Huntington, WV • Bowling Green • Cincinnati, OH • Evansville, IN • Knoxville, TN • Lexington, Louisville • Nashville, TN • Paducah • Tri-Cities, TN/VA
Illinois Broadcast television markets: Champaign-Urbana-Springfield • Chicago • Evansville, IN • Paducah, KY • Peoria-Bloomington • Quad Cities • Quincy • Rockford • St, Louis, MO • Terre Haute, IN
Missouri broadcast television markets: Cape Girardeau/Paducah, KY • Columbia • Hannibal/Quincy, IL • Jonesboro, AR • Joplin • Kansas City • Kirksville/Ottumwa, IA • Memphis, TN • Omaha, NE • St. Louis • Springfield • St. Joseph |
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Daily Newspapers
- Note: daily newspaper coverage depends on county.
Radio Stations
- 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.
- WSIE 88.7 FM (Edwardsville), jazz/public radio
- WLCA 89.9 FM (Godfrey), alternative/college radio
- WRXX 95.3 FM (Centralia), pop
- WFUN 95.5 FM (Bethalto), hip-hop
- WDLJ 97.5 FM (Carlyle), classic rock
- KATZ 100.3 FM (Alton), urban
- WJAF 103.7 FM (Centralia)
- WNSV 104.7 FM (Nashville), Hot AC
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- WTPC 105.3 FM (Elsah), college radio
- WAOX 105.3 FM (Staunton), Hot AC
- WILY 1210 AM (Centralia), oldies
- WJBM 1480 AM (Jerseyville), talk
- WESL 1490 AM (East St. Louis), urban
- WXOZ 1510 AM (Highland,Belleville)
- WBGZ 1570 AM (Alton), news/talk
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See also: Radio stations in Illinois
Metro-East in fiction
Laurell K. Hamilton has used the Metro-East as a setting in several books from the Anita Blake and Merry Gentry series. In the Merry Gentry series, faries of the Unseelie Court have made their home in Monk's Mound.
Area Codes
- Area code 217: extreme northeast part of Metro East, in Madison County (around New Douglas).
- Area code 618: majority of the Metro-East is in this area code.
References
- ^ State of Illinois. Metro-East. "The Illinois Section of the St. Louis Metropolitan Statistical Area, better known as the Metro East, is comprised of five counties: Clinton, Jersey (In 1965, the Metro East Area did not include Jersey County), Madison, Monroe and St. Clair."
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
External links
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Greater St. Louis |
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Largest cities
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Largest towns
and villages
(over 10,000 in 2000) |
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| Missouri Counties |
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| Illinois Counties |
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| :See also: Missouri |
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