East St. Louis, Illinois
East St. Louis, Illinois | |
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East St. Louis and the Gateway Geyser in 2012 | |
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Flag Seal | |
Location of East St. Louis in St. Clair County, Illinois | |
East St. Louis East St. Louis | |
| Coordinates: 38°36′56″N 90°07′27″W / 38.61556°N 90.12417°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Illinois |
| County | St. Clair |
| Township | East St. Louis (coterminous) |
| Founded | June 6, 1820 |
| Incorporated | February 16, 1865 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council–manager |
| Area | |
• Total | 14.30 sq mi (37.03 km2) |
| • Land | 13.92 sq mi (36.05 km2) |
| • Water | 0.38 sq mi (0.98 km2) |
| Elevation | 413 ft (126 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 18,469 |
• Estimate (2023) | 17,642 |
| • Density | 1,326.9/sq mi (512.33/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| ZIP Codes | 62201–62207 |
| Area code | 618 |
| FIPS code | 17-163-22268 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2394607 |
| Website | cesl.us |
East St. Louis or East Saint Louis, also known as ESTL, is a city in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. It is across the Mississippi River from downtown St. Louis, Missouri, and the Gateway Arch National Park. East St. Louis is in the Metro East region of Southern Illinois. East St. Louis was Illinois's fourth-largest city in 1950, when its population peaked at 82,366. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 18,469, less than one-quarter of the 1950 census and a decline of almost one-third since 2010.
In 1994, the Gateway Geyser was added to the city's waterfront, facing the St. Louis Arch. On the grounds of Malcolm W. Martin Memorial Park, it was the world's second-tallest fountain. Designed to complement the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, it shot water to a height of 630 feet (190 m), the same height as the Arch. The geyser was closed in 2023 due to costs of refurbishment and to prepare the park for being handed over to the National Park Service as an extension of the Gateway memorial.