Industrial Parks

Quality of Life

Residents of St. Francois County enjoy an excellent quality of life. Good schools, a low crime rate, affordable housing, outstanding recreational and cultural resources, a good transportation system; state-of-the-art health care provided by three full-service hospitals, and a moderate climate make the County a great place to raise a family.

St. Francois County offers a safe environment. The crime rate in St. Francois County ranks among the lower half of all counties in Missouri. The housing market in St. Francois County offers a wide variety of homes, ranging from contemporary designs in modern subdivisions to elegant 19^th century homes on spacious lots. Close-in rural acreage is also available.

County residents have access to an enviable variety of recreational opportunities. Located in the Missouri Ozarks, the sheer beauty of the area is in itself an asset. To the west of the County, Taum Sauk Mountain, the highest point in Missouri, looms above the St. Francois Mountains. Well-equipped area state parks provide literally endless opportunities for outdoor recreation. Hunting, fishing, hiking, swimming, canoeing, off-road driving or horseback riding provide opportunities for close-in day trips in the country. Attractive shopping centers, cinemas and restaurants offer all the ususal urban amenities. Farmington, the County seat, offers residents a new civic center featuring an indoor swimming pool and gym, a fully-equipped water park and soon a new performing arts center. The City also has a newly completed skate park.

Golf enthusiasts will find challenging play at any of the County’s four golf courses. Lead Belt Golf Club, located in Bonne Terre, is a member-owned 9-hole course. The 3,052 yard course features a club house with cart rentals and is open to the public on a greens fee basis. Terre du Lac, a private lake development located four miles west of Bonne Terre on Missouri Highway 47, features a 9-hole 3,132 yard course offering a clubhouse, pro-shop and cart rentals. The St. Francois County Country Club, located north of Farmington, offers a 9-hole course to club members and guests. Eagle Lake Golf Club, located in Farmington, features a 7,110 yard 18-hole public course, pro-shop, restaurant, and cart rentals.

St. Francois County is home to two Missouri State Parks. St. Joe State Park near Park Hills on Missouri Highway 32 is located in the heart of the old Lead Belt, where much of the nations’ lead was mined. With 8,238 rolling acres, St. Joe is Missouri’s second largest state park and offers hiking, biking, horseback riding, picnicking and camping. Monsanto Lake, located in the park, has a swimming beach, and portions of the park are open for off-road vehicles and horseback riding. The Missouri Mines Historic Site and museum, located at the north edge of the park, occupies an old milling complex once occupied by St. Joe Minerals Corporation.

St. Francois State Park is located in northern St. Francois County off U. S. Highway 67. This park, rich with Civil War lore, consists of rugged Pike Run Hills. Visitors can enjoy camping, picnicking, hiking or canoeing on Big River. Designated trails allow horseback riders to explore a portion of the Coonville Creek Wild Areas. Three clear Missouri streams, the St. Francis, Big and Castor Rivers, wind through the hills and valleys of St. Francois County, providing ample opportunity for fishing, swimming, canoeing and family fun.

Well maintained city parks in communities throughout the County offer amenities such as playground equipment, baseball and soccer fields, tennis courts, picnic areas and even sand volleyball for close-in recreation. The Cities of Bonne Terre, Desloge, Farmington and Park Hills feature public swimming pools. Annual fairs and festivals, and a summer Shakespeare Festival and the Big River Chautauqua, add excitement from spring to fall. In addition to offering area residents a full curriculum of undergraduate classes, Mineral Area College offers a variety of stimulating educational, cultural and athletic events throughout the year, including an annual concert by the St. Louis Symphony.

History buffs will find the area a bountiful field. The Shepard House Museum in Bonne Terre has been painstakingly restored to its 1860's appearance with beautiful post-Civil War living quarters. The 1833 Long House, the oldest home in Farmington, looks just as it did when the Cherokee Indians were forced to pass down the street along what has come to be known as the Trail of Tears. Less than an hour’s drive away, the sound of bugles lingers over the Civil War battlefield at Fort Davidson in Iron County where the Battle of Pilot Knob is reenacted every three years. Ste. Genevieve, 30 miles to the east, provides a living history museum in its National Register Historic District. As the oldest white settlement west of the Mississippi River, this city is a “must” for those interested in American history. A ferry across the Mississippi provides easy access to other French settlements in neighboring Illinois.

A gallery of cultural and entertainment attractions are only a little over an hour away in St. Louis. Powell Symphony Hall resounds with the sounds of the Grammy winning St. Louis Symphony, the fabulous Fox Theater offers entertainment from around the world and the world-famous Muny Opera in Forest Park brings a sparkling cast of stars to the city each summer. The Riverport Amphitheater offers a summer fare of world class rock bands. Dine and dance in a host of unique restaurants or enjoy dinner theater in a romantic old mansion.

The St. Louis Zoo, one of the finest in the world, and the St. Louis Art Museum are both located in Forest Park. Other outstanding day-tour spots in the city include Grant’s Farm, the Busch Brewery, the Japanese Gardens and Climatron at the Missouri Botanical Gardens, the St. Louis Science Center, the National Museum of Transportation and Six Flags over Mid America. The St. Louis Cardinals baseball club, the St. Louis Blues hockey team, and the St. Louis Rams football team offer a year-round calendar of professional sporting events.