City of Festus Development
The City of Festus is located in Jefferson County approximately 30 miles south of downtown St. Louis. The City covers approximately 3.5 square miles. The City is included in the St. Louis Metropolitan Area. Interstate 55 (I-55) intersects the City, physically dividing Festus into east and west sections. This highway provides excellent access to the St. Louis Metropolitan Area as well as other parts of Missouri. The City is also traversed by Missouri Highway 61/67 which runs north and south.
Charter air service is available at the Festus Airport. Regularly scheduled air passenger and freight service is available at the Lamber St. Louis International Airport located approximately 50 miles north of the City. The Union Pacific and Burlington Northern Railroads provide rail service to the City.
The Census Bureau estimates the 2005 population of Festus was 10,905 which was a 12.9% increase from the 2000 population of 9,660. Commercial growth has been concurrent with residential growth. Most growth has been along Highway A or Truman Boulevard. The northern area of Truman Boulevard has become the area's primary commercial location.
The City's principal economic activities are retailing and service enterprises. In recent years there has been significant growth in the city along the I-55 corridor. Some of the recent significant commercial development has been in the Gannon Center where Home Depot constructed a store and strip store building. Lowe's constructed a store at the southwest quadrant of Highway A and I-55 near a Commerce Bank. There are also four hotels and several food establishments that have been constructed.
While development remains fairly brisk in the Festus area, the Main Street business district is fully developed and fairly stable. The Main Street area is likely to remain primarily occupied by service type businesses and specialty retail outlets, such as antique stores.
Communications and Media
There are several Communications and Media services are provided in the City of Festus. Telecommunication services are provided by AT&T. The City receives all St. Louis radio and television stations. Local newspapers include the St. Louis Post Dispatch, News Democrat which is biweekly, and Leader Publications which is a weekly newspaper. The City receives cable television services from Charter Communications, Inc. There is a public library in the City with over 25,000 volumes.
Fire and Police Protection
The City provides Fire and Police protection to the citizens. There are 33 volunteer firefighters and 24 full-time police officers serving the city. The Police Department offers the D.A.R.E. drug prevention program as a community service.
Recreation
The City has plentiful parks to offer recreational activities. The City owns and operates six parks which covers approximately 218 acres. Facilities are available for tennis, baseball, soccer, basketball, softball, horseshoing, racquetball, skateboarding, and picnicking. The largest park, covering 178 acres, includes two lakes stocked for fishing.
Medical
The City of Festus is only one-mile from Jefferson Regional Medical Center, the only hospital in Jefferson County. The hospital is a full-service, acute care facility.