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Bridgeton is located
in St. Louis County, a suburb located 13 mi Northwest of downtown
St. Louis, West of Lambert-St. Louis Airport; off Interstate 70
near the Mississippi River and the Illinois state line. Bridgeton
is part of the St. Losuis, Missouri-Illinois metro area, and has
a population of 15,550.
Bridgeton is one of the oldest communities
in the state of Missouri. The original 15 blocks were platted in
1794, shortly after our nation was founded. We also hold the oldest
continuous state charter, which was granted in 1843.
Our City's modern history begins
much later. In 1950, Bridgeton had a population of 276, less than
its population in 1794. In 1950, under its governing body, a Board
of Trustees, Bridgeton exercised a special provision in the state's
Legislative Charter and unilaterally extended Bridgeton's boundaries
through annexations. A series of annexations through the 1950's
expanded the city's boundaries from 196 acres to some 17 square
miles. In 1966 the City of Bridgeton last revised its Charter and
established the current form and operation of Municipal government.
Bridgeton was one of the first communities
in St. Louis County to hire a professional planner and develop a
comprehensive plan for the city. In 1992, Bridgeton started a complete
review of its Comprehensive Plan utilizing broad-based citizen involvement
through workshops, committees, and a community opinion questionnaire.
Through the years, Bridgeton's population
and economy blossomed. As new subdivisions were developed and new
businesses opened and thrived, Municipal services continued to be
added, improved and expanded. Parks and community programs were
developed to serve all of the City's residents and visitors. Bridgeton
became a way of life.
Over the last couple of decades,
the City has been challenged with proposals to expand the Lambert
International Airport westward. The first proposal was presented
in 1989 with a plan known as F4. This proposal was discredited
and withdrawn. Another plan surfaced in 1995 called "W-1W"and
came into being.
Bridgeton remains a strong and viable
economic engine for the St. Louis metropolitan area, and it will
continue to attract new residents, businesses and jobs. Bridgeton
is forever.
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