Cape Girardeau, Missouri, United States

🇺🇸 Cape Girardeau is a city in Cape Girardeau and Scott Counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. The city is one of two principal cities of the Cape Girardeau-Jackson, MO-IL Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses Alexander County, Illinois, Bollinger County, Missouri and Cape Girardeau County, Missouri and has a population of 97,517. The sliver of the city located in Scott County is part of the Sikeston Micropolitan Statistical Area, and the entire city forms the core of the Cape Girardeau-Sikeston Combined Statistical Area. The city is the economic centre of rural Southeast Missouri and also an emerging college town as the home of Southeast Missouri State University. It is located approximately 100 miles south-east of St. Louis and 150 miles north of Memphis.

History The city is named after Jean Baptiste de Girardot, who established a temporary trading post in the area around 1733. He was a French soldier stationed at Kaskaskia between 1704 and 1720 in the French colony of La Louisiane. The "Cape" in the city name referred to a rock promontory overlooking the Mississippi River; it was later destroyed by railroad construction. As early as 1765, a bend in the Mississippi River, about 60 miles (97 km) south of the French village of Ste. Genevieve, had been referred to as Cape Girardot or Girardeau (both pronounced the same in French).

The settlement of Girardeau is said to date from 1793 when the Spanish government, which had acquired Louisiana in 1764 following the French defeat in the Seven Years' War, granted Louis Lorimier, a French-Canadian, the right to establish a trading post. This gave him trading privileges and a large tract of land surrounding his post. Lorimier was made commandant of the district and prospered from the returns on his land sales and trade with indigenous peoples, such as the Ozark Bluff Dwellers and the Mississippian people.

Also in 1793, Baron Carondelet granted land near Cape Girardeau to the Black Bob Band of the Hathawekela Shawnee, who had migrated from across the Mississippi River. The Band became known as the Cape Girardeau Shawnee. They successfully resisted removal to Indian Territory with the rest of the Shawnee tribe until 1833.

In 1799, American settlers founded the first English school west of the Mississippi River in Cape Girardeau at a landmark called Mount Tabor, named by the settlers for the Biblical Mount Tabor.

The town of Cape Girardeau was incorporated in 1808, prior to Missouri statehood. It was reincorporated as a city in 1843. The advent of the steamboat in 1835 and related river trade stimulated the development of Cape Girardeau as the biggest port on the Mississippi River between St. Louis, Missouri and Memphis, Tennessee.

During the Civil War, the city was the site of the Battle of Cape Girardeau on April 26, 1863. The Union and Confederate armies engaged in a minor four-hour skirmish, each sustaining casualties generally believed to be in the low double-digits.

For years travelers had to use ferries to cross the Mississippi River from Cape Girardeau. In September 1928 a bridge was completed between Missouri and Illinois. Built to accommodate cars, it was 20 feet (6.1 m) wide under standards of the time.

The Old Federal Courthouse, located at Broadway and Fountain Streets and built in the late 1940s, was the subject of a U.S. Supreme Court case when it was being developed. In United States v. Carmack, 329 U.S. 230 (1946), the Court upheld the federal government's authority under the Condemnation Act of 1888 to seize land owned by a state or locality.

In December 2003, the "Old Bridge" was succeeded by a new four-lane cable-stayed bridge crossing the Mississippi River at Cape Girardeau. Its official name is "The Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge"., honoring former U.S. Rep. Bill Emerson (R-Mo.) The two towers of the bridge reach a height of approximately 91 metres (299 ft). The "Old Bridge" was demolished after the Emerson Bridge opened.

The City of Cape Girardeau was recognised in January 2008 by First Lady Laura Bush as a Preserve America Community for its work in surveying and protecting historic buildings.

The city is known to some as "The City of Roses" because of a 9-mile (14 km) stretch of highway that was once lined with dozens of rose bushes. Although there used to be many prominent rose gardens around the community, few of these gardens have been maintained. The city is also known as "Cape Girardeau: Where the River Turns a Thousand Tales", due to the history of the town and the Mississippi River.

Historic landmarks Numerous murals commemorate the city's history. The largest is the Mississippi River Tales Mural, located on the city's downtown floodwall. Covering nearly 18,000 square feet (1,700 m²), it spans the length of the downtown shopping district and features 24 panels. Behind the floodwall lies the Riverfront Park of Cape Girardeau Missouri, where riverboats dock and visitors can view the Mississippi River.

There are 39 historic sites in Cape Girardeau that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Of these, eight are historic districts, such as Cape Girardeau Commercial Historic District, which was listed in 2000 and includes multiple contributing properties. The growth of the town can be documented through Sanborn maps, over 80 of which are available online. Other landmarks include the Fort D Historic Site and the Confederate War Memorial.

Among the city's older cemeteries are Apple Creek Cemetery, Salem Cemetery, and Old Lorimier Cemetery.

Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 28.49 square miles (73.79 km²), of which 28.43 square miles (73.63 km²) is land and 0.06 square miles (0.16 km²) is water. The "cape" that the city is named after no longer exists. A rock which remains from the previously existing cape can be seen on a promontory which overlooks the Mississippi River in Cape Rock Park.

Economy According to the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce, there are more than 100 employers in Cape Girardeau who employ at least 100 workers. The top employers in the city include: 1 Southeast Health; 2 St. Francis Medical Center; 3 Procter & Gamble; 4 Southeast Missouri State University; 5 Cape Girardeau Public Schools; 6 Drury Hotels; 7 Jackson R-II School District; 8 Robinson Construction; 9 Isle of Capri Casino; 10 Mondi.

Health St. Francis HealthCare System serves the Cape Girardeau area. This system contains six different centers. St. Francis offers immediate care in Cape Girardeau and Perryville. Landmark Hospital is a 30-bed facility that treats patients with catastrophic or chronic medical conditions. St. Francis also has joint partnership with the Physician Alliance Surgery Center, which performs ear, nose, throat, and general surgery. The Black River Medical Center offers three beds and an emergency room. The main medical centre is a 308-bed facility in Cape Girardeau that serves over 650,000 people. Patients come from Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Illinois, and Arkansas. Some of the services offered at the main campus are the Neurosciences Institute, Orthopedic Institute, Family BirthPlace, Heart Hospital, Emergency and Trauma Center, Cancer Institute, and Fitness Plus.

Southeast Health is a health care system with its main facility, Southeast Missouri Hospital, located in Cape Girardeau. This healthcare system serves patients from south-east Missouri, western Kentucky, southern Illinois, and northern Arkansas. Southeast Health also has a cancer centre, heart centre, fitness centre, breast care and diagnostic centre, campus health clinic, diabetes centre, pharmacy, and hospice. Additional hospice services, including respite for caregivers and grief & bereavement services can be found at Crown Hospice, which serves the Cape Girardeau and Poplar Bluff areas.

Government: Municipal Cape Girardeau is a home rule city that utilizes the council-manager form of government. The Cape Girardeau City Council is the elected governing body. The city council consists of the mayor and six city council members. The mayor is directly elected at-large (citywide) for a four-year term and the city council members are elected from six wards for staggered four-year terms.

Education There are over 20 different schools in Cape Girardeau. These range from pre-kindergarten to higher education. Public and private and parochial school systems are present within the city.

The majority of Cape Girardeau (in Cape Girardeau County) is in Cape Girardeau Public Schools. • Alma Schrader Elementary – 1360 Randol Ave • Blanchard Elementary – 1829 N Sprigg St • Clippard Elementary – 2880 Hopper Road • Franklin Elementary – 1550 Themis St • Jefferson Elementary – 520 S Minnesota Ave • Central Middle School – 1900 Thilenius St • Central Junior High School – 205 Caruthers St • Central Senior High School – 1000 S Silver Springs Road • Career and Technology Center – 1080 S Silver Springs Road • Alternative Education Center – 330 N Spring St

A portion in Cape Girardeau County is in the Jackson R-II School District.

Most of Cape Girardeau in Scott County is in the Scott City R-I School District, while a very small section is in Kelso C-7 School District.

Private schools • Notre Dame High School – 265 Notre Dame Dr • Trinity Lutheran School – 55 N Pacific St • Eagle Ridge Christian School – 4210 State Highway K • Prodigy Leadership Academy – 232 Sierra Ridge Road • St Mark Lutheran Preschool – 1900 Cape La Croix Road • St. Mary's Cathedral School – 210 S Sprigg St • St. Vincent De Paul Grade School – 1912 Ritter St • Lynwood Christian Academy – 2935 Lynwood Hills Dr

Colleges • Cape Girardeau Partnership for Higher Education – 1080 S Silver Springs Road • Metro Business College – 1732 N Kingshighway St • Southeast Missouri State University – 1 University Plaza • Southeast Hospital College of Nursing & Health Sciences – 2001 William St • Eclipse School-Cosmetology – 52 S Plaza Way • Trend Setters-Cosmetology Inc – 835 S Kingshighway

Public library The city has one public library: the Municipal Library District of the City of Cape Girardeau.

Media: Print The main print outlet is the regional daily newspaper The Southeast Missourian, which is owned by Rust Communications.

Transport The City of Cape Girardeau has established a Transportation Trust Fund that implements a.5% local sales tax. All of that money is used on transportation improvement projects. General projects are also included to keep the city's streets in good condition.

On June 15, 2000, the Cape Girardeau County Commission passed Resolution 00-06, which formed the Cape Girardeau County Transportation Commission. The CGCTA now offers transportation to the citizens of Cape Girardeau County, which ultimately benefits the citizens of the city of Cape Girardeau. The services that the CGCTA offer are primarily buses and taxis.

In 2011, Cape Girardeau launched the Ride the City campaign. This dedicated 16 miles of bicycle lanes in city streets. There are lanes that are used only by bicycles and lanes where motor vehicles and bicycles can share space.

Public transit Buses are offered to the citizens by the Cape Transit Authority and have several stops throughout the city. A general admission is $2, senior citizens are $1, and children ages 6 and under are free. Special pick-ups can be made to those who are disabled and live within three-fourths of mile from a designated stop. The Cape Girardeau County Transit Authority handles the city's bus and taxi service. Greyhound buses are also available for long-distance transit. Cape Girardeau is home to local rideshare service, carGO technologies that provides rides from anywhere in Cape Girardeau to surrounding cities such as, Jackson and Scott City.

Transport: Air The City of Cape Girardeau owns the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport. This is a full-service airport that offers flights to and from O'Hare Airport in Chicago, Illinois.