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Voykit pocket guide · United States
St. Louis County
St. Louis County, Missouri
Base in Clayton or the Delmar Loop for 2 nights with a car; skip the county if you have no car — buses are slow and sparse.
St. Louis County is the suburban half of the St. Louis area: 1877 boundaries, about a million residents, and far fewer sights than the city next door. It holds the airport, the big malls, the county seat at Clayton, and a run of parks along the Meramec River. Two nights works if you have a car and want the museums, the Loop and the green belt; without a car, stay in the city and day-trip out on MetroLink.
- Country
- United States
- Local name
- St. Louis County, Missouri
- Best months
- Apr–May, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (heat and humidity), late Dec–Feb (ice and cold)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $70–110 excl. bed · Mid $120–200 excl. bed · High $220+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | $3–6 |
| Deli sandwich or BBQ plate | $10–20 |
| Draught beer at a bar | $6–9 |
| Museum of Transportation adult entry | $8 |
| Grant's Farm parking | $15 |
| Six Flags St. Louis gate price | $53 |
| MetroLink ride | $2.50–4 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- STL · Lambert St. Louis International
- In north county, about 14 mi northwest of downtown; MetroLink light rail runs from the terminal to the city.
- SUS · Spirit of St. Louis
- Charter and cargo only; not a scheduled gateway.
Typical fares
- STL airport → Clayton, MetroLink
- about $4 for a 2-hour transfer ticket
- STL airport → Clayton, taxi
- $35–50
- Rental car, one day
- from about $60 plus fuel and parking
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Language, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
You need a car. County buses are slow, sparse and infrequent, so plan on driving unless your day sits on the MetroLink line — the Delmar Loop, downtown Clayton and the Galleria are the useful stops. MetroLink is fast and frequent between the airport, Clayton and the city. A 2-hour MetroLink transfer ticket from the airport costs $4.
See and do
Known for
- Delmar Loop in University City
- Museum of Transportation in Kirkwood
- Laumeier Sculpture Park
- Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site
- Castlewood and Route 66 state parks
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| St. Louis city (Forest Park, Gateway Arch) | MetroLink from Clayton or the Loop, or 15–20 min by car | About 30–45 min |
| St. Charles, Missouri | I-70 northwest by car, about 30 min from the airport | About 45 min |
| Ferguson | I-270 or MetroLink to the North Hanley area, then a short drive | About 30 min |
Sleep
- Clayton
- County seat and business district; hotels, coffeehouses and upscale dining, walkable core, MetroLink nearby. Best all-round base.
- Delmar Loop / University City
- Storefronts, music venues, bookstores and restaurants on one street; MetroLink stops at the Loop. Best for food and evenings.
- West County (Frontenac, Ladue, Chesterfield)
- Two upscale malls and highway access; needs a car for everything.
- Kirkwood
- Small-town downtown with shops and an Amtrak station; good for families and the Museum of Transportation.
Language
English everywhere, with strong regional accents; Spanish is the second language in the Southwest, Texas, Florida, California and New York. Some words differ from British English: restroom (toilet), check (bill), gas (petrol), trunk (boot), first floor (ground floor).
- Measurements are imperial: miles, Fahrenheit, gallons, pounds. 100 km ≈ 62 miles; 30 °C ≈ 86 °F.
- Small talk with strangers is normal and friendly; it is not a sales tactic.
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- Uber cannot pick up at STL airport, though it can drop off; use the taxi rank or MetroLink instead.
- Six Flags St. Louis and Hidden Valley are seasonal; check opening dates before you build a day around them.
- Some listed restaurants and small attractions close or change hands; confirm hours the day before.
- Summer heat and humidity are real; carry water on the river-bluff trails.
St. Louis County is mostly suburban and calm; the usual US city cautions apply. Lock the car, keep valuables out of sight, and check which part of north county you are in after dark.
One and two days
No timed day plan for St. Louis County yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Delmar Loop in University City
- Museum of Transportation in Kirkwood
- Laumeier Sculpture Park
- Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site
- Castlewood and Route 66 state parks
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- St. Louis County official site: stlouiscountymo.gov/
- Wikivoyage: St. Louis County, revision 5310341 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5310341
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
St. Louis CountySt. Louis County, Missouri
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
No embassies in St. Louis County; consulates and embassies sit in Washington, DC and Chicago. Check your own country's list.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/st-louis-county). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.