St. Joseph, Missouri
St. Joseph, Missouri | |
|---|---|
Downtown St. Joseph, the Missouri River, and the Pony Express Bridge viewed from King Hill | |
| Nickname(s): St. Joe; The City Worthwhile | |
| Motto(s): "Where the Pony Express started and Jesse James ended." | |
Location of St. Joseph in Missouri | |
US Census map | |
Location within Missouri Location within the United States | |
| Coordinates: 39°45′29″N 94°50′12″W / 39.75806°N 94.83667°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Missouri |
| County | Buchanan Andrew |
| Incorporated | 1843 |
| Named after | Joseph Robidoux IV and Saint Joseph |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | John Josendale |
| Area | |
• Total | 44.82 sq mi (116.09 km2) |
| • Land | 44.04 sq mi (114.05 km2) |
| • Water | 0.79 sq mi (2.04 km2) |
| Elevation | 889 ft (271 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 72,473 |
• Estimate (2024) | 71,098 |
| • Density | 1,645.77/sq mi (635.43/km2) |
| Demonym | St. Josephian |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| ZIP Code | 64501-64508 |
| Area codes | 816, 975 |
| FIPS code | 29-64550 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2396498 |
| Website | Official website |
St. Joseph is a city in and county seat of Buchanan County, Missouri, United States. A small portion of the city extends north into Andrew County. Located on the Missouri River, it is the principal city of the St. Joseph Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Buchanan, Andrew, and DeKalb counties in Missouri and Doniphan County, Kansas. As of the 2020 census, St. Joseph had a total population of 72,473, making it the 8th most populous city in the state, and the 3rd most populous in Northwest Missouri. St. Joseph is located roughly thirty miles north of the Kansas City, Missouri, city limits and approximately 125 miles (201 km) south of Omaha, Nebraska.
The city was named after the town's founder Joseph Robidoux and the biblical Saint Joseph. St. Joseph is home to Missouri Western State University. In the nineteenth century, it was the death place of American outlaw Jesse James. It was also the starting point of the Pony Express serving the West. Today, St. Joseph is home to Missouri Western State University, which enrolls over 3,800 students.