Sunset Hills, Missouri

Sunset Hills, Missouri
Country	United States
State	Missouri
Settled	1957
Population	8,496 (2010 census)
Area (sq mi)	9.14 mi²
Current mayor	Patricia Fribis

Sunset Hills is a city in South St. Louis County, Missouri. It had a population of 8,496 at the 2010 census.

History

The future area of Sunset Hills was long occupied by various Indian tribes, attracted not only by the strip of fertile land along the Meramec River but also by nearby mineral springs, long an important source of salt. As late as the War of 1812, members of several different tribes, most notably the Osage, still lived in the region, and violent interactions with incoming white settlers were not uncommon.

As early as the 1770s, French-Canadian settlers were beginning to lay claim to this part of the lower Meramec valley, using land grants awarded to them by the Spanish colonial government. These included Gabriel Cerre, a son-in-law of Auguste Chouteau (prominent fur trader and co-founder of St. Louis). By the beginning of the 19th century, English-speaking American pioneers were moving in as well, likewise drawn by the fertile land and salt springs. Among the most important of these were the Sappington family, who arrived from Kentucky in 1805 and thereafter would become prominent citizens in the St. Louis area. Most activity centered around Gravois Road (today Missouri State Highway 30), which led from St. Louis southwest to the Meramec, where several lucrative ferry operations existed.

From the mid-19th through the early 20th centuries, the region steadily boomed. The population continued to increase (driven by an influx of German immigrants in the years before the Civil War), and though remaining largely agricultural, it benefited from its proximity to St. Louis. A number of truck farms and small businesses sprang up, and by 1900 the hills overlooking the Meramec had become popular as a resort area. The prominent Busch family built several stately vacation homes along what is now Interstate 270. Several informal communities had now appeared, bearing such names as Georgetown, South Kirkwood, and West Mateese.

By the 1920s, the land was starting to be converted into residential subdivisions, a trend spurred by the opening of U.S. Route 66 just to the north, and the general movement toward suburbanization. This trend did not really accelerate, though, until after World War II, with small developments like Sunset Manor, Fox Meadows, and Sunset Terrace appearing. Local leaders had begun organizing to control the rate of growth in the area, but did not move toward organization as a city until 1957, when word leaked of plans by neighboring Kirkwood to annex some of the land. On June 5, members of the community succeeded in being incorporated as the city of Sunset Hills. The name is said to have come from the lovely sunsets that were often visible, though the existence of so many subdivisions bearing the name "Sunset" may be responsible.

Since incorporation, the city has grown steadily, adding typical municipal services such as police and a public works department. It expanded dramatically during the 1990s thanks to annexations of its own; since then, Sunset Hills has maintained a population of 8,000 or so.

Geography

Sunset Hills is located in the southern part of St. Louis County, about 13 miles southwest of downtown St. Louis. It is roughly bisected from northwest to southeast by Interstate 270, while Interstate 44 skirts its northern edge. The city lies directly across the Meramec River from Fenton, while sharing a boundary with Kirkwood to the north. Its exact coordinates are 38°32′08″N 90°24′14″W.

The western boundary of Sunset Hills is formed by the Meramec River, whose flat, low-lying floodplain covers the southwestern quarter of the city. East of this lie steeply sloping uplands composed of limestone, upon which the rest of the community lies. Caves and deposits of fossils are numerous in this region, and a considerable portion of the city's area continues to be heavily forested. Sunset Hills has a total area of 9.14 square miles, and an average elevation of 607 feet.

Demographics

At the 2010 census, Sunset Hills had a total of 8,496 inhabitants, grouped into 3,424 households, with a population density of 933.6 people per square mile. This figure represented a slight increase from the 2000 census, when Sunset Hills had a population of 8,267. 94.07% of the inhabitants were White, 1.52% were African-American, 0.20% were Native American, 2.34% were Asian, 0.02% were Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 0.44% were from some other race, and 1.41% were from two or more races. Hispanics of any race were 1.64% of the population.

The median age in Sunset Hills was 50.3 years, with 20.7% of inhabitants under the age of 18, 5.5% between 18 and 24 years old, 15.7% between 25 and 44, 31.6% between 45 and 64, and 26.5% 65 years old or older. The sex ratio was 47.5% male, 52.5% female.

According to the 2018 American Community Survey, Sunset Hills had a median household income of $98,450, and a median family income of $123,614. The unemployment rate was 2.9%. The per capita income was $57,468. About 3.4% of the population lived below the poverty line, including 4.9% of those under the age of 18 and 3.6% of those 65 years of age or older.

Government

Sunset Hills has a mayor-council form of government, its elected officials consisting of a mayor and an eight-member board of aldermen, two of which are elected (in alternating years) from each of the city's four wards. All officials are chosen for two-year terms. The current mayor of Sunset Hills is Patricia Fribis, last elected in April 2022.

The city falls within the 96th District for the Missouri House of Representatives, currently represented by David Gregory (R-St. Louis), who was first elected in November 2016. Regarding the State Senate, the northeastern corner is part of the 1st District, represented by Doug Beck (D-St. Louis), first elected in November 2020; the rest of the city belongs to the 15th District, represented by Andrew Koenig (R-Manchester), who has served there since November 2016. All of Sunset Hills is part of Missouri's 2nd Congressional District, represented since 2013 by Ann Wagner (R-Ballwin).

Economy

Until Sunset Hills' development as a suburban community in the mid-20th century, the area was devoted mostly to various forms of agriculture, such as dairy, fruit, and truck farming. During its existence as a city, it has been largely residential in character, not an economic hub in its own right; however, numerous service businesses and corporate offices have been set up along Interstate 270 and other major highways. Retail trade, education, and health care are among the major employers, though various forms of construction and light manufacturing are also significant.

In 2010, Sunset Hills became the corporate headquarters for the national restaurant chain Panera Bread (formerly the Saint Louis Bread Company, and still known by that name in the St. Louis area).

Education

Sunset Hills is divided between the Kirkwood R-VII School District, which serves a small portion of the northern half of the city, and the Lindbergh School District, which covers the rest of the city. Institutions actually within the city include Early Childhood Education West, and Truman Middle School, both part of Lindbergh Schools.

There are two private schools: Thomas Jefferson School, a boarding/prep school teaching about 90 students in grades 7-12 with an emphasis on the classics (John Biggs, former CEO of the financial services corporation TIAA-CREF, was among its graduates); and Casa Dia Montessori, teaching kindergarten and preschool.

The city is also home to South Technical Vocational School, located on Watson Road, which enrolls several hundred students in grades 11 and 12 (drawn from across south St. Louis County).

Community Life

The city includes several large public parks and recreation centers, of which the largest is Watson Trail Park, with multiple picnic sites and playgrounds, a small lake, an aquatic facility (only open during the summer) and a 9-hole disc golf course. Others include Minnie Ha Ha Park, with scenic hiking trails overlooking the Meramec River, and Kitun Park (named for the city's first mayor, Alexander Kitun), devoted to dog-walking. Sunset Hills also boasts several athletic fields for baseball, softball, and soccer, as well as a golf driving range.

The Sunset Hills Community Center, on South Lindbergh Boulevard, contains a gymnasium and fitness center, as well as meeting rooms used for official civic functions as well as recreational events such as bingo and periodic exhibitions.

City-wide events in Sunset Hills include a Fishing Derby in June and August, several mass garage sales throughout the year (usually held in conjunction with nearby Crestwood), and a "Turkey Trot" celebration held on the morning of Thanksgiving Day.