Editing Weldon Spring, Missouri

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Weldon Spring, Missouri
|settlement_type          = [[City]]
|nickname                 = 
|motto                    =

<!-- Images -->
|image_skyline            = Welcome Sign, Weldon Springs, Missouri.jpg
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = Welcome sign to Weldon Spring, Missouri in June 2018
|image_flag               = 
|image_seal               =

<!-- Maps -->
|image_map = St._Charles_County_Missouri_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Weldon_Spring_Highlighted.svg
|mapsize                  = 250px
|map_caption              = Location of Weldon Spring, Missouri
|image_map1               = 
|mapsize1                 = 
|map_caption1             =

<!-- Location -->
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[Missouri]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Missouri|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Saint Charles County, Missouri|St. Charles]]
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = 
|leader_name              = 
|leader_title1            = 
|leader_name1             = 
|established_title        = 
|established_date         =

<!-- Area -->
|unit_pref                = Imperial
|area_footnotes           = <ref name="TigerWebMapServer">{{cite web|title=ArcGIS REST Services Directory|url=https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=August 28, 2022}}</ref>
|area_magnitude           = 
|area_total_km2           = 20.14
|area_land_km2            = 19.81
|area_water_km2           = 0.33
|area_total_sq_mi         = 7.78
|area_land_sq_mi          = 7.65
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.13

<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_est           = 
|pop_est_as_of            = 
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_total         = 5326
|population_density_km2   = 268.91
|population_density_sq_mi = 696.48

<!-- General information -->
|timezone                 = [[North American Central Time Zone|Central (CST)]]
|utc_offset               = -6
|timezone_DST             = CDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -5
|elevation_footnotes      = 
|elevation_m              = 165
|elevation_ft             = 541
|coordinates              = {{coord|38|43|0|N|90|38|57|W|region:US-MO|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type         = 
|postal_code              = 
|area_code                = 
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 29-78314<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2008-01-31|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 0756882<ref name="GR3">{{cite web|url=http://geonames.usgs.gov|access-date=2008-01-31|title=US Board on Geographic Names|publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]]|date=2007-10-25}}</ref>
|website                  = 
|footnotes                = 
|pop_est_footnotes = 
}}
'''Weldon Spring''' is a city in [[St. Charles County, Missouri|St. Charles County]], [[Missouri]], [[United States]]. The population was 5,326 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].

==History==
Weldon Spring was [[plat]]ted in 1864.<ref name="History">{{cite web | url=http://shsmo.org/manuscripts/ramsay/ramsay_saint_charles.html | title=St. Charles County Place Names, 1928–1945 | publisher=The State Historical Society of Missouri | access-date=November 27, 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160624072019/http://shsmo.org/manuscripts/ramsay/ramsay_saint_charles.html | archive-date=June 24, 2016 | url-status=dead }}</ref> The community took its name from a spring [[Weldon Springs (Missouri)|of the same name]] near the original town site.<ref name="History" /> A post office called Weldon Spring was established in 1875, and remained in operation until 1957.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.postalhistory.com/postoffices.asp?task=display&state=MO&county=Saint+Charles | title=Post Offices| publisher=Jim Forte Postal History | access-date=27 November 2016}}</ref>

In 1941, the United States Army purchased 17,000 acres of land in the surrounding area. [[Weldon Spring Ordnance Works|The Weldon Spring Ordnance Works]] built the largest explosives factory in the United States on the site.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/14614|title=Nuclear Waste Adventure Trail, Weldon Spring, Missouri|website=RoadsideAmerica.com|language=en|access-date=2017-11-14}}</ref> It was built to produce [[TNT]] and [[2,4-Dinitrotoluene|DNT]] for Allied forces during [[World War II]]. It closed on August 15, 1945, days after the end of the war.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|url=http://www.amusingplanet.com/2013/05/a-pile-of-nuclear-waste-now-tourist.html|title=A Pile of Nuclear Waste Now a Tourist Attraction in Weldon Springs, Missouri|work=Amusing Planet|access-date=2017-11-14}}</ref> Most of the land was then sold.

A proposal appeared in 1945 suggesting the placement of [[United Nations Headquarters]] in the area.<ref>{{cite web |title=Saint Louis Invites the United Nations {{!}} University of Missouri-St. Louis Digital Library |url=https://dl.mospace.umsystem.edu/umsl/islandora/object/umsl%3A28652 |website=dl.mospace.umsystem.edu |access-date=17 October 2022}}</ref>

In 1955, the United States Atomic Energy Commission built a uranium ore processing plant on the 2,000 remaining acres.<ref name=":1" /> Weldon Spring Uranium Feed Mill Plant produced yellow cake uranium ore. In 1966, the plant closed and remained abandoned for 20 years. The site was contaminated with over 1.5 million cubic yards of asbestos, radioactive uranium and contaminated rubble.<ref name=":0" /> The [[U.S. Department of Energy]] began a decontamination of the site in the late 1980s and completed it in 2001, with a 45-acre rubble mountain over the site.

==Geography==
Weldon Spring is located 27 miles west-northwest of [[St. Louis]].

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|7.64|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|7.51|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|0.13|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is water.<ref name="Gazetteer files">{{cite web|title=US Gazetteer files 2010|url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2012-07-08}}</ref>

===Climate===
{{Weather box
|location = Weldon Spring, Missouri (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1957–present)
|single line = Y
|width = auto
| Jan record high F = 76
| Feb record high F = 85
| Mar record high F = 88
| Apr record high F = 94
| May record high F = 93
| Jun record high F = 106
| Jul record high F = 107
| Aug record high F = 109
| Sep record high F = 102
| Oct record high F = 95
| Nov record high F = 85
| Dec record high F = 76
| year record high F = 109
| Jan high F = 39.3
| Feb high F = 44.8
| Mar high F = 55.2
| Apr high F = 67.0
| May high F = 75.7
| Jun high F = 83.7
| Jul high F = 87.5
| Aug high F = 86.7
| Sep high F = 79.8
| Oct high F = 68.3
| Nov high F = 55.4
| Dec high F = 44.0
| year high F = 65.6
| Jan mean F = 30.3
| Feb mean F = 34.6
| Mar mean F = 44.2
| Apr mean F = 55.4
| May mean F = 65.0
| Jun mean F = 73.5
| Jul mean F = 77.4
| Aug mean F = 76.0
| Sep mean F = 68.4
| Oct mean F = 56.9
| Nov mean F = 45.2
| Dec mean F = 35.0
| year mean F = 55.2
| Jan low F = 21.2
| Feb low F = 24.4
| Mar low F = 33.3
| Apr low F = 43.8
| May low F = 54.2
| Jun low F = 63.3
| Jul low F = 67.3
| Aug low F = 65.4
| Sep low F = 57.0
| Oct low F = 45.6
| Nov low F = 34.9
| Dec low F = 25.9
| year low F = 44.7
| Jan record low F = −23
| Feb record low F = −14
| Mar record low F = −11
| Apr record low F = 18
| May record low F = 26
| Jun record low F = 39
| Jul record low F = 43
| Aug record low F = 36
| Sep record low F = 22
| Oct record low F = 19
| Nov record low F = 0
| Dec record low F = −28
| year record low F = -28
| precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation inch = 2.61
| Feb precipitation inch = 2.43
| Mar precipitation inch = 3.74
| Apr precipitation inch = 4.70
| May precipitation inch = 5.09
| Jun precipitation inch = 4.72
| Jul precipitation inch = 3.92
| Aug precipitation inch = 3.58
| Sep precipitation inch = 3.50
| Oct precipitation inch = 3.37
| Nov precipitation inch = 3.69
| Dec precipitation inch = 3.07
| year precipitation inch = 44.42
| Jan snow inch = 4.1
| Feb snow inch = 3.7
| Mar snow inch = 1.7
| Apr snow inch = 0.2
| May snow inch = 0.0
| Jun snow inch = 0.0
| Jul snow inch = 0.0
| Aug snow inch = 0.0
| Sep snow inch = 0.0
| Oct snow inch = 0.0
| Nov snow inch = 0.8
| Dec snow inch = 3.0
| year snow inch = 13.5
| unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
| Jan precipitation days = 7.7
| Feb precipitation days = 8.2
| Mar precipitation days = 10.0
| Apr precipitation days = 10.2
| May precipitation days = 12.6
| Jun precipitation days = 9.9
| Jul precipitation days = 7.9
| Aug precipitation days = 8.1
| Sep precipitation days = 7.0
| Oct precipitation days = 8.5
| Nov precipitation days = 8.4
| Dec precipitation days = 8.1
| year precipitation days = 106.6
| unit snow days = 0.1 in
| Jan snow days = 3.2
| Feb snow days = 3.6
| Mar snow days = 1.7
| Apr snow days = 0.1
| May snow days = 0.0
| Jun snow days = 0.0
| Jul snow days = 0.0
| Aug snow days = 0.0
| Sep snow days = 0.0
| Oct snow days = 0.0
| Nov snow days = 0.8
| Dec snow days = 2.7
| year snow days = 12.1
|source 1 = [[NOAA]]<ref name = NOAA >
{{cite web
| url = https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=lsx
| title = NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
| access-date = July 24, 2021}}</ref><ref name=NCEI>
{{cite web
| url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USC00238805&format=pdf
| title = Station: Weldon Spring NWS, MO
| work = U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020)
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
| access-date = July 24, 2021}}</ref>
}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1880= 43
|1990= 1470
|2000= 5270
|2010= 5443
|2020= 5326
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}

===2000 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 5,270 people, 1,880 households, and 1,462 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|666.0|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 1,926 housing units at an average density of {{convert|243.4|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 96.00% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 1.82% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.15% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 1.08% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.04% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.30% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.61% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.10% of the population.

There were 1,880 households, out of which 35.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.1% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 3.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.2% were non-families. 20.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.09.

In the city the population was spread out, with 26.6% under the age of 18, 4.2% from 18 to 24, 24.1% from 25 to 44, 29.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 89.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $87,998, and the median income for a family was $102,516. Males had a median income of $66,522 versus $40,339 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $40,810. About 2.6% of families and 4.4% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 2.7% of those under age 18 and 12.5% of those age 65 or over.

===2010 census===
According to 2010 [[census]], there were 5,443 people, 2,050 households, and 1,580 families residing in the city. The [[population density]] was {{convert|724.8|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 2,151 housing units at an average density of {{convert|286.4|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the city was 95.5% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 1.4% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.1% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 1.9% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.3% from [[Race (U.S. Census)|other races]], and 0.8% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.0% of the population.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|title=U.S. Census website|publisher=United States Census Bureau|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]|language=en|access-date=2017-11-13}}</ref>

There were 2,050 households, of which 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.9% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 4.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 22.9% were non-families. 20.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.01.

The median age in the city was 48.7 years. 22.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 14.8% were from 25 to 44; 36.7% were from 45 to 64; and 20.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.6% male and 52.4% female.

==Education==
{{unreferenced section|date=October 2018}}
Weldon Spring belongs to the [[Francis Howell School District]] and houses two public schools. The Independence Elementary School and Mary Emily Bryan Middle School are located in the city. The only private/parochial school within city limits is the Messiah Lutheran School. Other area options include: Catholic Parish Schools such as St. Joseph's of Cottleville; also, many parents choose to educate their children in Catholic primary schools (Academy of the Sacred Heart, Visitation Academy, Priory, and St. Peters School are the biggest ones) and Catholic secondary education ([[Cor Jesu Academy]], [[Nerinx Hall High School|Nerinx Hall]], [[Ursuline Academy (Oakland, Missouri)|Ursuline Academy]], [[Visitation Academy of St. Louis|Visitation Academy]], [[Villa Duchesne and Oak Hill School]], [[Incarnate Word Academy (Bel-Nor, Missouri)|Incarnate Word Academy]], Chaminade Academy, [[Christian Brothers College High School|Christian Brothers College (CBC) High School]], [[De Smet Jesuit High School]], [[St. Louis University High School]] (SLUH), and Duchesne Academy are the most popular{{Citation needed|date=November 2021}}).

==References==
<references />

==External links==
* [http://www.weldonspring.org/ Weldon Spring Home Page]

{{St. Charles County, Missouri}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in St. Charles County, Missouri]]
[[Category:Cities in Missouri]]
[[Category:Missouri populated places on the Missouri River]]