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Overland, Missouri
Downtown Overland
Downtown Overland
Location of Overland, Missouri
Location of Overland, Missouri
Country United States
State Missouri
County St. Louis
Area
 • Total 4.41 sq mi (11.41 km2)
 • Land 4.39 sq mi (11.37 km2)
 • Water 0.02 sq mi (0.04 km2)
Elevation
643 ft (196 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total 16,062
 • Estimate 
(2019)
15,551
 • Density 3,543.18/sq mi (1,368.13/km2)
Time zone UTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
FIPS code 29-55550
GNIS feature ID 0756489
Website www.overlandmo.org

Overland is a city in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The population was 16,062 at the 2010 census.

Geography

Overland is located at 38°41′57″N 90°22′4″W / 38.69917°N 90.36778°W / 38.69917; -90.36778 (38.699051, -90.367797).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.38 square miles (11.34 km2), of which, 4.36 square miles (11.29 km2) is land and 0.02 square miles (0.05 km2) is water.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1940 2,934
1950 11,566 294.2%
1960 22,763 96.8%
1970 24,819 9.0%
1980 19,620 −20.9%
1990 17,987 −8.3%
2000 16,838 −6.4%
2010 16,062 −4.6%
2020 15,955 −0.7%
U.S. Decennial Census
LkShrwd SEshore
Lake Sherwood in Overland

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 15,955 people living in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 55.9% White, 22.7% African American, 0.8% Native American, 3.2% Asian, 8.7% from other races, and 8.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 13.1% of the population.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 16,062 people, 6,717 households, and 4,136 families living in the city. The population density was 3,683.9 inhabitants per square mile (1,422.4/km2). There were 7,356 housing units at an average density of 1,687.2 per square mile (651.4/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 73.3% White, 16.4% African American, 0.3% Native American, 3.2% Asian, 3.9% from other races, and 3.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.4% of the population.

There were 6,717 households, of which 30.2% had children under the age of eighteen living with them, 37.5% were married couples living together, 17.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.4% were non-families. 30.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.96.

The median age in the city was 37.9 years. 22.4% of residents were under the age of eighteen; 8.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28% were from 25 to 44; 28.3% were from 45 to 64; and 12.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.0% male and 51.0% female.

History

12MileInn
Marker commemorating the Twelve Mile Inn, an early rest stop at the "Overland Park"

The area south of the King's Road to Saint Charles was first settled in the early 1820s, when travelers westward from St. Louis would stop overnight at what became known as "The Overland Park". Daniel Boone, noted frontiersman, constructed a single room cabin here, near the current location of Lake Sherwood and Wyland Elementary School. A historic marker on Wabaday Avenue shows the exact spot.

In time, businesses were established and a one-room subscription school, the Buck School, was built in 1846. In 1867, the Ritenour School District was organized. In 1919, the town's name was shortened to "Overland", to avoid postal confusion with the city of Overland Park, Kansas.

The town was incorporated as a fourth class city in 1939 with a mayoral-city council government. In the 1990s, the city voters approved a change to a third class city. In 2007, the city voted to move to a mayor-council-administrator form of government. Under this structure, the mayor serves as the chief elected official. The city council serves as the legislative body, and is empowered to pass ordinances and resolutions it deems necessary to the operation of the city. The city administrator is a full-time employee of the city, and executes the day-to-day tasks of operations.

Notable locations

OverlandTrail
Marker commemorating the beginning of the Overland Trail

The historic "Overland Park" wagon train stop is located near the intersection of Midland Boulevard and Lackland Road. A monument marks this site.

An early Overland settler and prominent St. Louis businessman, Dennis Lackland, built the Lackland House in 1844 on the road later named for him. The nearby McElhinney Log House, built in the 1850s, is maintained by the Overland Historical Society.

The Ritenour School, built in 1867 on Woodson Road, was remodeled and expanded over the years and is currently the Ritenour School District's administration building.

LkShrwd SEshore
Lake Sherwood, view from southeastern shore

Lake Sherwood (originally Lake Laughlin or Loch Lin), which is near the original Overland Park, was developed as a private residence in 1877 and is now a gated community. The lake is spring-fed, and the dam spills into headwaters for the River des Peres. Construction of the earthen dam was completed in 1894. Its height is 21 feet (6.4 m), capacity is 135 acre-feet (167,000 m3), and normal storage is 80 acre-feet (99,000 m3). It drains an area of 121 square miles (310 km2). At normal levels, the lake has a surface area of 12 acres (49,000 m2). The lake is owned by the Lake Sherwood homeowners' association and is used for recreational purposes.

The Gocke-Vance House, on Poe Avenue, was built in 1910 by Edward Gocke. This fireproof house was built from plans drawn by Frank Lloyd Wright.

GockeVance
Gocke-Vance House, built in 1910 from plans drawn by Frank Lloyd Wright

Overland boasts several large parks. The Garnett Estate, built in 1907 on Ashby Road, is now owned and maintained by the city as Wild Acres Park; it is a secluded area, offering walking paths and a small fishing lake. Mort Jacobs Park is a rolling acreage of tall trees and hiking paths. Norman Myers Park (formerly Taylor Field) is a large athletic field with a one-third-mile running track and adjacent picnic areas. It is home to Overland's annual Lion's Fair. Other smaller parks dot the city, providing family outing opportunities.

LklndHse
Dennis Lackland House, built in 1844 and the oldest dwelling still in use as a private residence in Overland

The Frank Munsch Community Center was built to provide Overland residents with year-round access to exercise facilities, whirlpool, sauna, basketball and racquetball courts. City residents over the age of 18 and accompanied minors are permitted to use the center.

The American Legion Thoman-Booth Post 338 hosts a weekly fish fry, every Friday from March through September at Legion Park. This event attracts thousands of visitors from all over the St. Louis area, and has become a traditional gathering place for Overland residents.

Economy

Build-A-Bear Workshop was headquartered until 2020 in Overland, and concentrate manufacturing operations for Dr Pepper Snapple Group are located in Overland. Overland is less than five miles from the St. Louis Boeing plant, Monsanto and Emerson Electric, where many Overland residents are employed. Overland supports a healthy and prosperous retail district.

Overland was the location of the National Personnel Records Center, which houses discharged and retired service records of all branches of the United States armed forces. The city was also the location of the Army Human Resources Command (HRC), prior to the facility's closing as a result of the military's 2005 Base Realignment and Closure process. The former Army HRC building is now called the Charles F. Prevedel Federal Building and is home to offices of the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Agriculture.

Education

The Ritenour School District serves the city. Ritenour High School serves the city.

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Overland (Misuri) para niños

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