Eureka is a city located in St. Louis County, Missouri, between Saint Louis and Gray Summit along Interstate 44. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 7,676.
It is two miles west of the former site of Times Beach, the site of dioxin contamination discovered in the 1980s; the area was cleaned up and became Route 66 State Park.
Since 1970, Eureka is best known in the region as the home of the amusement park formerly known as Six Flags Over Mid-America and now called Six Flags Saint Louis.
Local news coverage for the town and some of its neighbors is provided by the Tri County Journal and the Washington Missourian.
History
The village of Eureka was platted in 1858 along the route of the Missouri Pacific Railroad. By 1890, the village consisted of about 100 homes.
In 1898, Eureka became home to the St. Louis Children's Industrial Farm, established to give children from St. Louis tenement neighborhoods a chance to experience life in a rural setting. It later became known as Camp Wyman, now a part of Wyman Center , and as of 2004 is one of the oldest camps in the United States.
Eureka was incorporated as a fourth-class city on April 7, 1954.
The nearby railroad town of Allenton, older than Eureka, was annexed by Eureka in 1985. Allenton and other parts of Eureka have become part of a $500 million redevelopment plan proposed by a partnership including The Jones Company and American Heritage Homes. The redevelopment proposal would include land and homes purchased by Eureka as part of a previously proposed redevelopment plan.
Geography
Eureka is located at 38°30'10" North, 90°38'42" West (38.502736, -90.645075).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 26.2 km² (10.1 mi²). 26.0 km² (10.1 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.59% water.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there are 7,676 people in the city, organized into 2,487 households and 2,064 families. Its population density is 294.9/km² (763.7/mi²). There are 2,622 housing units at an average density of 100.7/km² (260.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 97.38% White, 0.82% Asian, 0.57% Black or African American, 0.20% Native American, no Pacific Islanders, 0.26% from other races, and 0.77% from two or more races. 1.22% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 2,487 households out of which half have children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.6% are married couples living together, 8.2% have a female householder with no husband present, and 17.0% are non-families. 13.8% of all households are made up of individuals and 4.3% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.98 and the average family size is 3.30.
In the city the population is spread out with 31.9% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 34.4% from 25 to 44, 19.5% from 45 to 64, and 8.5% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 34 years. For every 100 females there are 94.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 89.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $74,301, and the median income for a family is $80,625. Males have a median income of $51,799 versus $33,269 for females. The per-capita income for the city is $27,553. 2.2% of the population and 1.3% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 3.1% of those under the age of 18 and 5.9% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
External links
Last updated: 05-07-2005 15:46:37
Last updated: 05-13-2005 07:56:04
