Transportation in St. Louis

transportation in the Greater St. Louis region

Transportation in Greater St. Louis, Missouri includes road, rail, ship, and air transportation modes connecting the bi state St. Louis metropolitan area with surrounding communities throughout the Midwest, national transportation networks, and international locations. The Greater St. Louis region also supports a multi modal transportation network that includes bus, paratransit, and light rail service in addition to shared use paths, bike lanes and greenways.

The city of St. Louis has several major arterial roadways and boulevards. Important north south routes include Broadway, Tucker Boulevard (which turns into Gravois Avenue and runs southwest to the city limits), Jefferson Avenue, Grand Boulevard, Vandeventer Avenue, Kingshighway Boulevard, and finally Skinker Boulevard. The latter two run on the east and west edges of Forest Park, respectively. Several of the city's primary arterials also continue into the St. Louis County suburbs. Some of those routes include West Florissant Avenue, Natural Bridge Avenue, and Dr. Martin Luther King Drive (which turns into St. Charles Rock Road), all of which carry traffic from downtown to the North County suburbs. Others are Clayton Road, Manchester Avenue, Chippewa Street (which turns into Watson Road), and South Broadway (eventually turning into Telegraph Road), all of which carry traffic from the city to the West and South County suburbs. Other major corridors between the city and county include Market Street Forest Park and Olive Boulevard. Market Street begins at the Arch Grounds and continues west, eventually turning into Forest Park Avenue in Midtown. After crossing Kingshighway in the Central West End, the name changes to Forest Park Parkway and the road takes on characteristics more similar to a divided highway until it reaches its terminus at Interstate 170 near downtown Clayton. Olive Boulevard, which is unrelated to downtown's Olive Street, begins at Skinker Boulevard on the city county line and runs due west through the suburbs of University City, Olivette, Creve Coeur, and Chesterfield where it turns south and changes to Clarkson Road at Interstate 64. From here it continues through Clarkson Valley before ending at Manchester Road in Ellisville, Missouri. Other county arterials include major north south routes like Big Bend Boulevard, Hanley Road, Laclede Station Road, Lindbergh Boulevard, and Ballas Road. Page Boulevard begins as a city street near midtown St. Louis continuing west and changing to Page Avenue at the city county line. From here it travels through the suburbs of Wellston, Pagedale, Hanley Hills, Vinita Park, Overland, and Maryland Heights, Missouri. After its intersection with Lindbergh Boulevard, Page takes on the characteristics of a wide highway with stoplights at Westport Center Drive and Schuetz Road. West of Schuetz near Interstate 270 Page Avenue becomes Highway 364 and runs as a controlled access highway through the communities of St. Charles, St. Peters, Cottleville, O'Fallon, and Lake St. Louis, Missouri, where it ends at Interstate 64. Other major routes in St. Charles County include 1st Capitol Drive, 5th Street, Muegge Road, Mid Rivers Mall Drive, Mexico Road, and routes K and N.

Primary routes in the Metro East (Illinois) suburbs include Missouri Avenue, Kingshighway, St. Clair Avenue, Mississippi Avenue, Illinois Street, and Green Mount Road in St. Clair County. Major routes in Madison County include Edwardsville Road, Nameoki Road, Troy Road, University Drive, and Lewis and Clark Boulevard. The Great River Road enters the region on Illinois Route 3 in the south and generally travels through the American Bottom. Eventually it joins Lewis and Clark Boulevard and then Berm Highway towards Alton, Illinois. North of Alton the Great River Road aligns with Illinois Route 100 and runs alongside the Mississippi River to Grafton before exiting the region.

Among the primary Interstates, Interstate 70 travels west to east through Warren, St. Charles, and St. Louis counties and the city of St. Louis, leaving Missouri over the Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge into St. Clair County, Illinois. Interstate 55 travels south to north through Jefferson and St. Louis counties and the city of St. Louis, briefly merging with Interstate 44, then crossing the Poplar Street Bridge. Interstate 64's western terminus is in Wentzville, Missouri, at its interchange with I 70 and U. S. Route 61. From here it shares an alignment with U. S. Route 40 as it crosses into St. Louis County on the Daniel Boone Bridge and then continues through the city and crosses the Poplar Street Bridge with I 55. After entering East St. Louis, Illinois, I 64 splits off towards eastern St. Clair County and I 70 and I 55 share an alignment until they reach Troy, Illinois. From here I 55 continues north toward Chicago while I 70 continues east toward Indianapolis. I 44 enters the St. Louis region in Sullivan, Missouri, and runs eastward through Franklin and St. Louis counties, briefly merging with I 55 in the city of St. Louis, and terminating at I 70. The "beltway" serving Greater St. Louis is the combination of Interstate 270 and Interstate 255, the former a mostly western bypass of St. Louis City. I 270 crosses into Illinois at the northern edge of the city on the New Chain of Rocks Bridge and continues through Madison County, Illinois, until ending at the I 55 and I 70 interchange near Troy. In southern St. Louis County, I 270 ends at the I 55 interchange near Mehlville, Missouri, where the roadway becomes I 255 and continues east across the Mississippi River on the Jefferson Barracks Bridge into Monroe County, Illinois. Here it turns north, traveling through St. Clair County until ending at I 270 in Madison County. Known locally as the "Inner Belt Expressway," Interstate 170 runs entirely within St. Louis County, traveling southerly from I 270 in Hazelwood to I 64 in Richmond Heights. Other secondary highways in the area include Highway 141 (originally designed as a western "outer belt" to I 270) and highways 364 and 370 which serve suburban St. Charles County. U. S. Route 50 enters Greater St. Louis near Gerald, eastward through Franklin County; at Union, it meets I 44, both continuing to Sunset Hills in St. Louis County. US 50, eastward, merges with US 61 and U. S. Route 67 (Lindbergh Boulevard). The US 50/US 61/US 67 concurrency continues to the I 55/I 255/I 270 interchange, where they follow I 255 across the Mississippi River. US 50 continues east through Monroe County into St. Clair County, traveling concurrently with I 64 into O'Fallon, where US 50 splits, continuing through Clinton County. US 61 enters the region from the south, paralleling I 55 in Jefferson County, continuing to Festus where it travels concurrently with US 67. US 61/US 67 continues into St. Louis County until reaching the I 55/I 255/I 270 interchange, where US 61/US 67 follows Lindbergh Boulevard. US 61 continues north into Frontenac, where it joins westbound I 64. US 61 continues west through St. Louis County and into St. Charles County, then leaves I 64 in Wentzville and continues north into Lincoln County and beyond. US 67 enters the region northbound in Farmington, Missouri, where it continues into Festus, traveling concurrently with US 61 and paralleling I 55. US 67 splits from US 61 in Frontenac with US 67 continuing north on Lindbergh Boulevard. At Missouri Route 367, US 67 turns north, crosses the Missouri River on the Clark Bridge into Illinois and passes through Madison and Jersey counties before leaving the region. The Greater St. Louis region is also served by several state highways that are listed in the table below. + Interstates and State Highways serving Greater St. LouisInterstatesUS HighwaysMissouri State RoutesIllinois State Routes

Local bus service in the greater St. Louis region is provided by MetroBus and Madison County Transit. MetroBus has 46 routes connecting destinations in the city of St. Louis and St. Louis County in addition to 13 routes connecting destinations in St. Clair County, Illinois. Madison County Transit has 26 routes connecting destinations across Madison County, Illinois. In addition, Madison County Transit runs express buses to the Civic Center and Emerson Park transit centers where passengers can connect with MetroLink trains.

Fixed rail public transportation in the St. Louis region consists of two light rail lines serving the same stations in the central city and then branching to different destinations outside the city. Both lines enter the city on its western edge north of Forest Park or on the Eads Bridge in downtown St. Louis from Illinois. The whole system operates in an independent right of way, with at grade, elevated, and subway track in the region. All stations are independent entry and all platforms feature level boarding with trains. Rail service is provided by Metro Transit, an enterprise of the Bi State Development Agency, and is funded by sales taxes levied in the city and St. Louis and St. Clair counties. A 5.2 mile (8 km) extension of the Red Line from Shiloh Scott to MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in Mascoutah broke ground in 2023 and is expected to be operational by 2026. In Missouri, Metro and local leaders are planning a line that would run between North and South St. Louis with a potential extension into North St. Louis County.

The Loop Trolley is a 2.2 mile (3.5 km), 10 station heritage streetcar line that runs from City Hall in University City to the Missouri History Museum in St. Louis' Forest Park. The line travels along Delmar Bouleverd through the popular Delmar Loop district and DeBaliviere Avenue between Delmar and Forest Park. The trolley has stops at both the Forest Park DeBaliviere and Delmar Loop MetroLink stations. On February 18, 2022, Metro Transit's board voted to take over operation of the Loop Trolley after several financial setbacks and closures. Metro reopened the Loop Trolley for operation on August 4, 2022. On August 21, 2022, the East West Gateway Council of Governments voted to award Metro a $1.26 million grant to continue to operate the trolley on a seasonal schedule for the next several years.

The Gateway Transportation Center functions as the region's primary transportation hub, linking the city's light rail system, local bus system, passenger rail service, and national bus service in one central station. Passenger rail service is provided by Amtrak with trains to Chicago via the Lincoln Service, to Kansas City via the Missouri River Runner, and to San Antonio via the Texas Eagle. National bus service in the city is provided by Greyhound Lines, Amtrak Thruway, and Megabus.

Taxicab service in the region is provided by private companies regulated by the Metropolitan Taxicab Commission. Rates vary by vehicle type, size, passengers and distance, and by regulation all taxicab fares must be calculated using a taximeter and be payable in cash or credit card. Solicitation by a driver is prohibited, although a taxicab may be hailed on the street or at a stand. The St. Louis region is also served by rideshare companies like Lyft, Uber, Lime, and Bird.

The St. Louis metropolitan area is home to several ferry services that carry passengers across rivers between Missouri and Illinois. The seasonal Grafton Ferry travels across the Mississippi River between St. Charles, Missouri, and Grafton, Illinois, cutting travel times between the two communities by roughly 30 minutes. The Calhoun Ferry Company operates two ferry services on the Mississippi River. One is a year round service between St. Charles and Calhoun County called the Golden Eagle Ferry. The other operates between Winfield, Missouri, and Batchtown, Illinois, when demand is high enough to require it. The Illinois Department of Transportation also operates two free, year round ferries in the St. Louis area. The first is the Brussels Ferry that crosses the Illinois River just west of its confluence with the Mississippi near Grafton, while the second one crosses the Illinois River near Kampsville.

The St. Louis area is served by several systems of off street shared use paths, on street bicycle lanes, and greenways providing residents alternative modes of transportation.

Bike St. Louis is a plan sponsored by the city of St. Louis to make local neighborhoods more friendly for those who bicycle for transportation, fitness, or fun. Since its launch in 2000, more than 135 miles of cycling routes have been added to city streets.

The Katy Trail is the country's longest recreational rail trail. It runs 240 mile (386 km), largely along the northern bank of the Missouri River, in the right of way of the former Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad. Open year round from sunrise to sunset, it serves hikers, joggers, and cyclists. Its hard, flat surface is of "limestone pug" (crushed limestone). It enters the St. Louis region near Washington, primarily running along the Missouri River passing through historic downtown St. Charles before terminating at Machens Road, 3 miles (4.8 km) from Portage Des Sioux. The Katy Trail connects to the local Great Rivers Greenway network at many points, including major bridges (Daniel Boone, Discovery, and Veterans Memorial) which provide access into St. Louis County. Plans are underway to add another 144 mile (232 km) unused section of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific to Rock Island Trail State Park, which, with the Katy, would create a 450 mile (724 km) cross state trail network.

Greater St. Louis is severed by over a dozen airports, although the vast majority of its air traffic is generated at St. Louis Lambert International Airport.

St. Louis Lambert International Airport, owned and operated by the city of St. Louis, is 14 miles (23 km) northwest of downtown along I 70 between I 170 and I 270 in St. Louis County. It is the largest and busiest airport in the state. In 2023, it served nearly 15 million passengers with more than 270 daily departures to 80 nonstop domestic and international locations. Named for Albert Bond Lambert, an Olympic medalist and prominent St. Louis aviator, the airport rose to international prominence in the 20th century thanks to its association with Charles Lindbergh, its groundbreaking air traffic control (ATC), its status as the primary hub of Trans World Airlines (TWA), and its iconic terminal. The airport's largest airline is Southwest Airlines with nearly 63% of the market share followed by American Airlines with 11%.

An enterprise of the Bi State Development Agency, the Regional Freightway was founded in 2014 to enhance the St. Louis region’s standing as an international freight hub. The Freightway works to optimize the region’s freight network and strengthen modal flexibility, support workforce development initiatives that build our talent supply chain, and raise awareness about the global connectivity the St. Louis region offers.

On August 23, 2022, the Missouri and Illinois departments of transportation awarded contracts worth $531.6 million to replace the "New" Chain of Rocks Bridge and interchange at Riverview Drive. Construction began in early 2023 with an opening expected in 2026. The replacement bridge will include space for six 12 foot lanes and four 10 foot shoulders.

In 2023, Metro began a system wide rehabilitation program that will last up to two years. That spring, Metro began rehabilitating the downtown subway tunnels, including the Laclede's Landing, Convention Center, and 8th & Pine subway stations. Elsewhere, curve tracks, catenary wire, system conduit, staircases, and retaining walls are to be upgraded or replaced. Three stations are to receive platform rehabilitations: Jackie Joyner Kersee Center, Rock Road, and Wellston. This extension will include two 2.6 mile (4 km) segments, a double track and a single track segment, along with a station at the airport. Construction on the extension began in 2023 with Metro expecting to begin operations in early 2026.

MetroLink's proposed North South light rail line would lack the rapid transit like characteristics of the Red and Blue lines, resembling instead other U. S. on street light rail lines, such as those in Houston or Phoenix. The new line would be connected to the Red and Blue lines with infill transfer stations. The expansion has been named the Green Line and is envisioned in two sequential phases:

Jefferson Alignment. This 5.6 mile (9 km) expansion would serve about 10 stations between Chippewa Street in South St. Louis and Grand Boulevard in North St. Louis running primarily on Jefferson Avenue. It would provide a fixed rail upgrade to Metro's #11 (Chippewa) and #4 (Natural Bridge) bus routes. In September 2023, Bi State Development's board approved a 4 year, $18.9 million contract with the joint venture Northside Southside Transit Partners to provide consulting services for the design phase of the project. In February 2024, the East West Gateway Council of Governments approved the updated locally preferred alternative along Jefferson. The 2023 design study estimates 5,000 daily boardings, $8 9 million in annual operating costs, and $1.1 billion in capital costs. In February 2023, Metro announced four routes for consideration by area residents.

In early 2022, airport officials released an updated master plan that would consolidate both existing terminals at the current Terminal 1 site. The proposal would gradually demolish concourses A, B, and C and build a new linear concourse with 62 gates in their place, while retaining the iconic domed terminal building. Following the consolidation, Terminal 2 would be repurposed.