About East Saint Louis, IL
East St. Louis is a part of the St. Clair County region/metro area of Illinois located across the Mississippi River from St. Louis. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city has a population of 31,542 and has a land area of 12 square miles. East St. Louis is known for the Gateway Geyser, which is the largest fountain in the United States. East St. Louis is known for its history in the Rust Belt during the 19th and 20th century as well as its history with the mound builders of the Mississippian culture with the archaeological settlement of Cahokia nearby. Unfortunately due to the recent depopulation and deindustrialization the city has become renowned for its poor economy and high crime rate. The city created the Casino Queen riverboat Casino in the 1990s that helped bring in revenue and since 2001, the city has built a number of new buildings including a new library, new city hall, the St. Louis Metrolink light rail. The city also has an agriculture industry with a large number of corn and soybean fields. East St. Louis is also home of the RoCorp chemical plant.
