Population: 21,910
(2000) 36.3% growth in the 90's
Area: 5.3 square miles
Housing Profile:
Beautiful homes, apartments and condominiums, many less than 25 years
old, grace the tree lined streets. O'Fallon is a growing community, having
issued more building permits in recent years than most of the nearby communities
combined. New construction of ranch and two story homes accelerates yearly,
and inventories from which to choose are among the highest in metro east.
High market activity, a great location and highly respected schools make
it a preferred target for many Scott AFB personnel as well as St. Louis
based executives.
Named after Col. John O'Fallon, this city has close ties to Scott Air
Force Base, a couple of miles away.
O'fallon
also enjoys quick access to Interstate 64, the whole interstate system
and the St. Louis metropolitan area. O'Fallon is a great place to raise
a family, according to its citizens. There are five public elementary
schools, St. Clare Catholic grade school, two junior high schools and
a high school.
O'Fallon Township High School is recognized as one of the finest in the
area. The school band has received numerous awards for excellence and
has participated in several nationally prestigious parades. (see special
section on O'Fallon Schools..) The high school district is much larger
than the town, and includes a few addresses from Lebanon, Collinsville
and even Belleville.
The city has two parks. Playground facilities include a swimming pool,
tennis and basketball courts and baseball diamonds. For the nature lover,
there is a park, left in its natural habitat, with 50 acres of walking
trails.
See
in-depth O'Fallon study
Shiloh
Population: 7,643 (2000) 187% growth in the 90's
Shiloh is considered
the sister city to O'Fallon, and is in the same high school district.
So they are almost considered to be one housing market, sharing growth
and character. Shiloh is the single closest community to Scott Air Force
Base. Much of the town is built along the crest of a terminal glacial
moraine, an unusual geographical event making it, (along with the name)
an attractive and distinctive community. It has a separate respected grade
school district and limited commercial development of its own.
Edwardsville
Population: 21,491 (2000) 47.4% growth in the 90's
Area:9 square miles
Housing Profile:
Good cross section of housing in all price ranges. Many single family
homes, condos and apartments. High growth rates in recent years means
that much of its housing is new or newer, but some lovely older homes
are available in old downtown.
Edwardsville and adjacent Glen Carbon are considered another prime living
area, where housing options, livability and resaleability are the greatest.
Edwardsville has maintained a lively mixture of business, light industry
and farming since its official designation as a town in 1816, before Illinois
became a state. Its history is interesting and significant.
Noted as the third oldest city in Illinois, the city is named for its
founder, Ninian Edwards, who served as territorial governor of Madison
County in the early 1800's. Today, Edwardsville is the seat of Madison
County government.
This city is situated high above the Mississippi River on a gently rolling
plain - just a 20 minute drive from downtown St. Louis or 30 minutes from
Lambert Airport via interstates I-55, I-70, I-270 and I-255. It has a
nice dual accessibility to St. Louis with downtown and north county about
the same distance away.
Measured by the usual standards of national test scores and the percentage
of graduates who go on to college, the city's 10 public and eight private
schools are excellent. The Edwardsville unit school district is huge and
includes Hamel, Moro, Midway, Fort Russell and Pin Oak Townships in addition
to Edwardsville Township. It has a brand new high school. Many graduates
opt to attend Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, a 2,600 acre
campus that is home to 11,000 students, providing employment for about
4000, many of whom live in Edwardsville and Glen Carbon. See special section
on schools, (link coming soon).
Edwardsville also offers many recreational activities, including 11 parks,
17 tennis courts, three public golf courses, both an ice skating and roller
skating rink and five private swimming pools. It has a lovely country
club, "Sunset Hills", where members from both Missouri and Illinois
enjoy a pool, an 18 hole course and great dining.
More and more retail facilities and restaurants are locating in the vicinity.
See Edwardsvillehomes.com for in-depth study.
Glen
Carbon
Population: 10,425 (2000) 34.8% growth in 90's
Area: 6.53 square miles
Housing Profile:
Glen Carbon offers secluded subdivisions nestled among wooded areas, new
subdivisions on rolling land, and older homes on tree lined streets. It
has the highest average home value in Metro east, aided by the fact that
a great proportion of the homes are new and many are upscale. It's considered
a sister city to Edwardsville and in the same school district.
The availability of suitable land for development and planning all make
Glen Carbon a community with great potential for continued growth.
A community spirit, parks, mini-homecomings, local shopping, and nearby
medical facilities make Glen Carbon a great place to reside.
The population shift is moving toward Glen Carbon. Office buildings and
professional centers are conveniently located, creating additional services,
as well as jobs, in the local community.
Belleville
Population: 41,410 (2000) growth of 3.2% in the 90's.
Area: 13.2 square miles
Housing Profile:
Many fine homes of architectural role located in its historic district.
To give home buyers a choice, the town also has a solid mix of duplex
townhomes, two-bedroom bungalows and 1950s California ranch homes. New
construction is limited, although new developments are being added on
the south and east.
Belleville, one of the oldest communities in the St. Louis metropolitan
area, was founded in 1814, George Blair laid out the town and named it
after his wife, Belle. This city is the county seat of St. Clair County
with the Veteran's Memorial Fountain at the public square its most famed
attraction.
Easily accessible to five interstate highways, Belleville is just a 15
minute drive to downtown St. Louis or 40 minutes to Lambert - St. Louis
International Airport. Belleville combines the small city lifestyle with
the benefits of a neighboring metropolis.
The city is noted for it fine schools emphasizing basic skills and positive
learning experiences. Belleville East and West High Schools and Altoff
Catholic High School provide quality education along with two junior high
and nine elementary schools. Belleville Area College is just outside the
city limits.
Belleville has seven city parks, five golf courses and one public swimming
pool. The city is justly proud of its Philharmonic Society, founded in
1866, second only to the New York Philharmonic in length of continuous
activity. Community concerts and outstanding religious pageantry at the
nation's largest outdoor shrine, the National Shrine of Our Lady of the
Snows, complement the wide choice of recreational opportunities.
Mascoutah
Population: 4,977 (2000) about 5% growth in the 90's
Area: 3.5 square miles
Housing Profile: Largely single-family, both ranch style and two-story,
plus some apartments.
Mascoutah, a community that lies four miles from Scott Air Force Base,
is more directly influenced by the base than any other nearby town.
Mascoutah School District provides education to more than half of the
children of Scott personnel. Three elementary schools, a parochial school,
a junior high and a high school provide quality education where students
consistently score higher than average on the college ACT and SAT entrance
exams.
This community has two parks, with such facilities as a swimming pool,
baseball diamonds, tennis courts and numerous pavilions.
Fairview
Heights
Population: 15,034 (2000) 4.8% growth in the 90's
Area: 9.5 square miles
Housing Profile: Noted more for commercial activity than housing, the
area nevertheless offers modest 1-story homes in some numbers, at attractive
prices. New developments are limited, but significant on the south.
Fairview Heights in less than seven years has experienced phenomenal business
growth that makes pride of ownership an important part of this community.
Known as a shopping mecca, Fairview Heights boasts five major shopping
centers and 500 retailers. Additionally, a carefully planned professional
park located just north of Interstate 64 provides new options for corporate
relocations. Fairview Heights is a newer community, close to Scott Air
Force Base and downtown St. Louis, that attracts residents because no
city property tax is assessed. The city is known for its fine parks and
recreational activities.
Troy
Population: 11,524 (2000) 41% growth in the 90's
Area: 14.3 square miles
Housing Profile:
Country living with acreage; quaint older homes, and modern, suburban
living. Troy is experiencing high growth and offers many housing options
and a great location.
The best kept secret in the entire St. Louis area. That's Troy, a community
at the crossroads of I-55, I-70 and I-270 that offers a small town atmosphere
within minutes of downtown St. Louis. It's also increasingly targeted
by Scott AFB personnel; this 15 minute commute offers small town living
and great citizenship.
Founded in 1814, Troy is one of the oldest communities in Madison County.
The settlement was known originally as "Columbia" but was renamed
Troy after being purchased for $10.
All levels of education, pre-school through college, are available. Troy
enjoys a brand new high school within the city limits. Within commuting
distance are 25 universities. Tri Township Park offers a lake, playground,
baseball diamonds, soccer fields, tennis and volleyball courts.
Highland
Population: 10,686 (2000) 12% growth in the 90's
Area: 3.2 square miles
Housing Profile: Highland offers streets lined with historic older homes,
newer homes on rolling land in the countryside within minutes of town,
and new subdivisions just outside downtown.
Highland, located just 30 miles east of St. Louis combines the best of
small-town living with modern commerce and industry. The community is
known for encouraging the development of business.
Highland is one of the oldest and largest Swiss settlements in the United
States. The architecture of downtown displays the Swiss Chalet theme.
Education, recreation, and parks are all around Highland, a progressive
community that respects its heritage.
Besides some historic homes, Highland also has newer homes.
Alton
Population: 30,496 (2000) 7.3% growth in the 90's
Area: 14.3 square miles
Housing Profile:
Victorian homes here. Although the majority of housing was built before
1940, the city offers limited new construction, in a mixture of styles.
Setting high on the river bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River is
Alton, a city that is known for its turn-of -the-century homes and antique
shopping district.
Rufus Easton founded the city in 1837, naming it after his son Alton.
The Illini Indians, however, were among the first settlers of this land.
Indian folklore lives on, as evidenced by the etching of the life-size
Piasa..the"bird that devoured men" on the bluffs of Alton.
Legend has it that the Piasa preferred human flesh and at feeding time
would swoop down upon the Indians, carrying away a tasty morsel. One day
the Illini Chief decided to trick the bird. While the other Indians hid,
the chief sat out, exposing himself as bait. When the Piasa came, the
other Indians surrounded the bird, killing it.
Alton is also a progressive city. A 300 ship marina has been built at
the former lock and Dam 26. The newly constructed Clark Bridge provides
a direct link to Missouri via highway 67.
Alton is home to the Southern Illinois University Dental School. The city
is within 30 miles of six colleges. Thirteen public and eight private
elementary schools plus one public and one private high school offer quality
education.
Collinsville
Population: 24,707 (2000) 10.1% growth rate in 90's.
Area: 10.5 square miles
Housing Profile:
Garden apartments, condominiums, and pleasant hill top homes. Twelve century-old
homes are on the historic register. New construction of single family
ranch homes is ongoing on the south, north and east.
Its motto, "wide open spaces, close to city places," speaks
for itself. Collinsville, quickly accessible to four interstate highways,
is only minutes from downtown St. Louis….the most proximal good Illinois
residential community relating to downtown St. Louis.
Collinsville's history began over 150 years ago. The settlement was named
for the Collins brothers, who came from Litchfield, Connecticut, in 1817
to start a saw mill, tannery, wagon shop and distillery.
Today, the city is best known for the Cahokia Mounds historic site which
is on the World Heritage List, and Fairmont Park Race Track which provides
year-round horse racing.
It boasts state championship teams in basketball, baseball and soccer.
Other recreational activities include a golf course, two swimming pools,
Woodlawn Park and a modern open-air amphitheater for concerts and shows.
Quality education is provided by a new high school, area vocational school
and two parochial schools. A new high school complex exists on the south
edge of town. Quite a bit of countryside is included in the Collinsville
unit school district. Southern Illinois University is only five miles
north of the city.
Maryville
Population: 4,651 (2000) 80.6% growth in the 90's
Starting from a smaller base than most, Maryville's growth has been incredible,
fueled by several newer mid-priced developments. The land is prime, within
the mid section of Metro East and along with Collinsville, the closest-to-downtown
Illinois towns.
Anderson Hospital, serving the midsection of SW Illinois, is located in
Maryville, along with major facilities for Illinois Power, Charter Cable,
and Ameritech….all attracted by the central location.
Maryville is within the Collinsville Unit School District, although it
has its own grade school within that system.
Lebanon
Population: 3,353 (2000)
Area: 1.7 square miles
Housing Profile:
Many older mid-Victorian Style homes, plus variety of newer ones.
Settled in 1814 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1978, Lebanon is noted for its older, mid-Victorian style homes and
shops. Newer homes are limited in availability.
Lebanon is conveniently located to Scott Air Force Base and downtown St.
Louis. Many residents work at the base, which is seven miles northeast.
Downtown is only 30 minutes away with I-64 or I-70.
The town is known as the site of McKendree College, the oldest in Illinois,
founded in 1828. Lebanon is equally proud of its grade schools, ultra-modern
high school and its students' national testing scores.
A 55 acre park with 3 acre fishing lake, a community theatre group, 18
hole golf course with swimming pool, and many antique shops are a few
of the recreational activities here.
Columbia
Population: 7,922 (2000) growth rate of 43.4% in the 90's.
Area: 2.6 square miles
Housing Profile:
Many older homes were built with handmade bricks from Columbia's historic
brickyards, endowing Columbia with an old-world aura. But now the city
enjoys growth in all good locations, with many new upscale homes.
Columbia, now a growing city due east of St. Louis, began as two forts
that provided shelter for the English Whiteside and Piggot families who
settled there during the 1820's.
Columbia was an attractive place for immigrants to settle, especially
the Germans who came to the area in 1833, because the land reminded them
of their homes on the Rhine River. Today the German heritage remains intact.
Most of the older homes are close to the sidewalk allowing for large backyards
for gardening.
Columbia provides attractive living to St. Louis based employers where
access from the south, across Jefferson Barracks Bridge, is attractive.
It's been labeled as a "Yuppie Mecca".
Waterloo
O'Fallon
O'fallon
also enjoys quick access to Interstate 64, the whole interstate system
and the St. Louis metropolitan area. O'Fallon is a great place to raise
a family, according to its citizens. There are five public elementary
schools, St. Clare Catholic grade school, two junior high schools and
a high school. 
