Washington, Missouri is located approximately 50 miles west of downtown St. Louis, Missouri. It sits at the junction of state highways 100 and 47 with one of the few bridges over the Missouri River. It is an hour’s drive from downtown St. Louis via Interstate 44 or 70, and even less from the communities of St. Louis County. There is daily Amtrak service from St. Louis and from Kansas City, which stops at the restored 1923 railroad depot. Washington was one of the first American cities west of the Mississippi River. Washington is located on the Missouri River at the point where the River reaches its most Southern point. While not officially founded until May 29, 1839, there were settlers living at this location when Lewis and Clark started their trip to the west in 1804. By the time Lewis and Clark came back down the Missouri River in 1806, several families had established residency at this location. Originally the town was mostly populated by Southerners who moved here along with their slaves. Mixed in with the Southerners were individuals from the northeastern states. By the 1840s and 1850s, numerous Germans had immigrated into the area and their descendents live here to this day. Several businesses started in the mid-1800s are still run by those descendents. Early newspapers were published in both English and German. Today, Washington is a thriving city with a growing population. A center for shopping and medical services for the surrounding area, it is a wonderful city of parks, churches, public and parochial schools, commerce, and industry. Washington is the largest community between St. Louis County and Jefferson City. Washington is located in the middle of Missouri Wine Country. It has one of the busiest riverfronts for recreational boating between St. Louis and Kansas City. It is the location for the third largest Fair in the state of Missouri. The city has four National Register Historic Districts. Washington is a town of friendly people who support the community through volunteer efforts including a volunteer fire department that was established in 1852 and today is the match for any fire department in the country. It is a town where people look you in the eye and say hello.