Sainte Genevieve County, Missouri

Sainte Genevieve County is a county in Missouri, United States, on the west bank of the Mississippi River in the southeastern part of the state. It had a population of 18,479 at the 2020 census and covers 499 square miles (1,290 km2) of land centred near 37°53′36″N 90°12′12″W.

Sainte Genevieve, often written Ste. Genevieve, is the county seat and largest city; its postal code is 63670. The county has 3 incorporated cities and towns plus more than 20 unincorporated communities. It sits in the Central time zone; its FIPS code is 29186.

Towns & Villages in Sainte Genevieve County

Sainte Genevieve County has 3 incorporated places and around two dozen unincorporated communities and hamlets. “CDP” marks a Census-designated place with its own population count; “Unincorp.” marks a community with no municipal government.

Copper Mine, Grayhawk, Little Rock Landing, Marlo, Millers, Rocky Ridge and River aux Vases are small crossroads and river-landing communities rather than post towns, but are genuine place names and kept in the list above. A duplicate Goose Creek Lake line and a bare “Mill” entry (a milling-site descriptor, not a settlement name) in the old scrape were dropped as junk; Lake Forest Estates, Quarry Town, Rocky Ridge Ranch, and Saint Jude Acres are modern subdivision names with no independent identity beyond Rocky Ridge and are omitted for the same reason.

ZIP Codes

• 63670 — Sainte Genevieve (also serves most of the county’s unincorporated east and centre)
• 63627 — Bloomsdale (also serves the county’s northern communities)
• 63673 — Saint Mary

Only three standard delivery ZIP codes serve the entire county; nearly every unincorporated community uses one of the three post offices above rather than having its own code.

Geography

Sainte Genevieve County lies on the west bank of the Mississippi River in Missouri’s Ozark Foothills, where rolling upland gives way to river-bottom farmland along the floodplain. The Mississippi forms the county’s entire eastern and northeastern border; the River aux Vases and Establishment Creek are the main interior streams. Land use is a mix of row-crop bottomland, pasture, and limestone-quarry country around the town of Weingarten. It borders Jefferson County to the northwest, Perry County to the southeast, St. Francois County to the southwest, and, across the Mississippi River, Monroe County, Illinois to the northeast and Randolph County, Illinois to the east.

Demographics

Sainte Genevieve County had 18,479 residents at the 2020 census. Sainte Genevieve (4,342) and Bloomsdale (468) are the two largest communities. The county’s median household income runs below the Missouri median of $68,545, reflecting its rural, agriculture- and industry-based economy. Population density is about 37 people per square mile.

Economy & Local Life

Agriculture, limestone quarrying, and light manufacturing anchor the county economy; Mississippi Lime Company has operated a major quarry and plant near Sainte Genevieve for more than a century. The historic town of Sainte Genevieve, founded by French colonists before Missouri belonged to the United States, draws tourism built around its French Colonial architecture, several museums, and the annual Jour de Fête festival held each August.

History

Sainte Genevieve County was organized on October 1, 1812, one of Missouri’s original counties under territorial government. It takes its name from the Spanish-era district once centred here, itself named for Saint Genevieve, patron saint of Paris, France. The county seat, Sainte Genevieve, is regarded as the oldest permanent European settlement west of the Mississippi River outside Spanish New Mexico, founded by French colonists in the 1730s–40s. Pockets of the county remain among the last places where Missouri French, or Paw Paw French, is still spoken.

Getting There

Interstate 55 crosses the county’s western edge, with U.S. Route 61 and Missouri Routes 32 and 144 serving as the main local highways.

• Farmington — 20 miles west
• Festus — 25 miles north
• Perryville — 20 miles south
• St. Louis — 60 miles north

The nearest commercial airport is St. Louis Lambert International Airport.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Sainte Genevieve County?
It is in southeastern Missouri, on the west bank of the Mississippi River, roughly 60 miles south of St. Louis.

What is the population of Sainte Genevieve County?
18,479 people at the 2020 census.

How big is Sainte Genevieve County?
499 square miles (1,290 km2) of land.

What is the county seat of Sainte Genevieve County?
Sainte Genevieve is the county seat.

How many towns are in Sainte Genevieve County?
Three incorporated places — Sainte Genevieve, Bloomsdale, and Saint Mary — plus around two dozen unincorporated communities.

What ZIP codes are in Sainte Genevieve County?
63670 (Sainte Genevieve), 63627 (Bloomsdale), and 63673 (Saint Mary).

Why is Sainte Genevieve historically significant?
It is considered the oldest permanent European settlement west of the Mississippi River outside Spanish New Mexico, and part of the county still speaks a dialect known as Paw Paw French.

More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Missouri.