Wentzville, Missouri

Wentzville is a city located in western St. Charles County, Missouri, United States. As of 2010, the city had a total population of 29,020. The city's major employer is General Motors which has a full size van assembly plant located there. As the site of the county fairgrounds, Wentzville hosts the annual St. Charles County Fair, St. Louis Pirate Festival and the Greater St. Louis Renaissance Faire.

History
Wentzville was founded in 1855 as a depot on the Northern Missouri Railroad. It was named after Erasmus Livingston Wentz, a railroad engineer for the line. The land was obtained from William M. Allen, who laid out the town. Wentzville was not incorporated until 1872.

During the American Civil War, the city was the site of a series of skirmishes along the railroad from July 15 to July 17, 1861. Elements of the 2nd and 8th Missouri Infantry Regiments en route to Mexico, Missouri engaged Confederate guerrillas who threatened the railroad.

Wentzville is located at the intersection of I-70, US-61 and I-64. It is known as the "Crossroads of the Nation".

The city is also the namesake of George Thorogood's song "Back to Wentzville" from his album, Bad to the Bone.

Geography
Wentzville is located at 38°48'58" North, 90°51'26" West (38.816010, -90.857198).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 14.4 square miles (37.3 km²), of which 14.4 square miles (37.3 km²) of is land and 0.07% is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 13,931 people, 2,456 households, and 1,846 families residing in the city. The population density is 478.9 people per square mile (184.9/km²). There are 2,724 housing units at an average density of 189.2 per square mile (73.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city is 84.63% White, 12.02% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.55% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.52% from other races, and 2.06% from two or more races. 1.49% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 2,456 households out of which 43.5% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.5% are married couples living together, 17.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 24.8% are non-families. 20.7% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.1% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.76 and the average family size is 3.20.

In the city the population is spread out with 31.8% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 30.7% from 25 to 44, 17.4% from 45 to 64, and 10.8% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 31 years. For every 100 females there are 87.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 82.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $47,232, and the median income for a family is $53,082. Males have a median income of $38,423 versus $25,852 for females. The per capita income for the city is $18,039. 11.6% of the population and 10.1% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 19.1% of those under the age of 18 and 13.3% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Schools
The Wentzville School District covers Wentzville, Lake St. Louis, Foristell and parts of O'Fallon.

The high-school mascot for Wentzville Holt high school is the Indian, and the high-school mascot for Wentzville Timberland high school is the Wolf.

Wentzville is also home to St. Patrick School, a semi-large Catholic school serving kindergarten through eighth grade.

Lindenwood University has a satellite campus located in the building that was formerly known as "Southern Air," a restaurant which, after many years as a popular stop for travelers between St. Louis and Columbia, was last owned by Chuck Berry.

Government
The government of Wentzville consists of a city manager, a mayor, and six aldermen (two for each ward). City manager is a non-elected position, whereas the others are elected. Mayors and aldermen serve two-year terms. The current city manager is Dianna Wright. The current mayor is Paul Lambi. The city is divided into three wards.

Famous residents

 * Chuck Berry - Musician