Why is st. louis so dangerous

Saint-Louis dangerous, what are the neighborhoods to avoid in Saint Louis? These are the questions you ask yourself to prepare for your next stay in Missouri's 2nd largest city.

As in many cities in North America, South America or Europe, nowadays it is more prudent to find out in advance about the neighborhoods to avoid when choosing where to stay.

It is the objective of this article which can guide you in the choice of neighborhoods for your next stay in Saint Louis. In addition, to better identify the good places and the dangerous areas, you will have a map with the main districts of Saint Louis.

This article was written by investigating the web, forums, blogs, local press and taking into account rankings and statistics. It is therefore a simple synthesis of data without any judgment or discrimination.

Saint-Louis dangerous city (USA statistics)

YES : According to rankings and newspaper articles, in 2022 Saint-Louis is one of the dangerous cities in the United States. That's what the ranking says worldpopulationreview where Saint-Louis appears as the 5ème most dangerous city in the usa.

Thetelegraph.com and Fox2now.com mention that, according to a 2021 report by realestate.usnews.com, Saint Louis is ranked 4th most dangerous city in the United States :

« St. Louis ranked fourth most dangerous place to live in America« 

« The city of St. Louis was ranked No. 4 in the US News & World Report's “Most Dangerous Places in the US« 

Another classification which confirms that Saint-Louis is a dangerous city is the Numbeo 2022 ranking of the most criminal cities the United States. In this ranking, the index of 70.24 positions Saint Louis 5th most criminal city in the USA.

In comparison with other American cities, Saint-Louis would be more criminal than Houston, Chicago, Philadelphia ou Atlanta.

Saint-Louis dangerous city (world statistics)

YES : According to some rankings and press articles.

For example, the classification Ranking of the most dangerous cities in the world in 2022 of Statistica.com reveals that Saint-Louis would be the 14th most dangerous city in the world.

And, according to the classification worldwide Numbeo.com, Saint-Louis is in 32nd position at the top of the table of the most criminal cities in the world. She's more dangerous than Mexico City, Bogota , Buenos Aires and ou Catania.

Is Saint-Louis safe for tourists?

Tourists can visit Saint-Louis but must be careful and avoid certain areas and neighborhoods (see below).

In 2022, the French Government recommends that travelers particularly avoid the northern district between the airport and the city center. See more information on France Diplomacy

Neighborhoods in St. Louis Missouri

The city of Saint-Louis is made up of 79 districts of which you will find the full list on Wikipedia. These districts are themselves divided into sub-districts. As a result, it is difficult to situate them well.

Neighborhoods of Saint-Louis map

To better locate the dangerous neighborhoods of Saint-Louis and the best areas to stay, here is a Google Maps map of the main neighborhoods:

The 10 most dangerous neighborhoods in Saint-Louis

According to many blogs, forums and statistics like areavibes ou crimegrade, here are the 10 most dangerous neighborhoods of Saint-Louis (links with Google Maps location):

Neighborhoods to avoid in Saint-Louis

By cross-checking a lot of information and data from the web, here are the other neighborhoods to avoid for tourists:

• Tower Grove South
• dutchtown
• Downtown
• Carondelet
• College Hill

Safe neighborhoods to stay in Saint-Louis

The safest areas of Saint-Louis would be located in the South area of ​​the city (South City), more particularly in the Southwestern part of South City.

Some of the safest neighborhoods in Saint-Louis include:

• Princeton Heights
• Clifton Heights
• St. Louis Hills
• Southampton
• Northampton
• Lindenwood Park

Where to stay in Saint-Louis for tourism

For tourists who want to visit Saint-Louis or to spend a few holidays there, the best areas to stay are:

• Midtown
• Grand Center
• Central West End
• Forest Park
• Drunkard
• The Loop (Delmar Loop)

Where to stay to visit Saint-Louis?

When you come to Saint Louis for sightseeing, you obviously want to find a hotel close to the main attractions. But be aware that in Saint Louis, you can go a little further from the city center because with the Metro you can quickly reach all the tourist sites.

Is Downtown St. Louis safe for tourists?

The city center, which is the tourist area, is one of the neighborhoods with a high rate of crimes and misdemeanors. However, there are two central districts in Saint Louis: Downtown and Downtown West and insecurity is not present everywhere. It is simply located in certain streets or areas.

However, Downtown Saint-Louis is the best area for tourists who want to visit emblematic sites such as the monumental Gateway Arch, the historic Basilica of Saint Louis (King of France) and the old courthouse. This is the perfect place to admire the boats going up and down the Mississippi. In addition, this is the area where there are the most hotels.

As a result, tourists who wish to stay in the city center will have to exercise caution and avoid certain deserted or isolated or poorly lit streets at night.

Where to stay in Downtown Saint-Louis?

Not easy to choose a good hotel in a safe place among the many hotels in downtown Saint-Louis.

The one I can recommend is right next to Gateway Arch, across from Gateway Arch National Park and the Mississippi: Hyatt Regency Saint Louis at The Arch

Grand Center safe and pleasant neighborhood for tourists

Grand Center is located between downtown St. Louis and Forest Park. Its location is very convenient as it is quite close to the center and in the heart of entertainment, restaurants, bars, entertainment and cultural attractions. 

By staying at Grand Center, you can also visit the International Photography Hall of Fame Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Saint Louis University Art Museum, the Pulitzer Arts Foundation or take a walk at the SLU Dog Park & ​​​​Sculpture Garden.

The entertainments are numerous there like for example the Fox Theater, Kranzberg Arts Center, the Powell Hall.

Where to stay in Grand Center Saint-Louis?

Here is a very original hotel located in the safe area of ​​Grand Center. It is located 300 meters from the Fox Theater, next to the Sheldon Concert Hall and Art Galleries, the Contemporary Art Museum and very close to many other tourist attractions in Saint-Louis.

This hotel that I recommend is the Angad Arts Hotel with its crazy rooftop: