Editing West Alton, Missouri

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

<!-- Images -->
| image_skyline = West Alton, Mo (7179037438).jpg
| imagesize     = 
| image_caption = Post office in West Alton, May 2012
| image_flag    = 
| image_seal    =

<!-- Maps -->
| image_map    = St._Charles_County_Missouri_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_West_Alton_Highlighted.svg
| mapsize      = 250x200px
| map_caption  = Location of West Alton, Missouri

<!-- 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         = [[City administrator]]
| leader_name          = 
| leader_title1        = [[Mayor]]
| 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   = 96.02
| area_land_km2    = 74.62
| area_water_km2   = 21.40
| area_total_sq_mi = 37.07
| area_land_sq_mi  = 28.81
| area_water_sq_mi = 8.26

<!-- Population -->
| population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_est           = 
|pop_est_as_of            = 
| population_footnotes     = 
| population_total         = 359
| population_density_km2   = 4.81
| population_density_sq_mi = 12.46

<!-- General information -->
| timezone            = [[North American Central Time Zone|Central (CST)]]
| utc_offset          = -6
| timezone_DST        = CDT
| utc_offset_DST      = -5
| elevation_footnotes = 
| elevation_m         = 135
| elevation_ft        = 443
| coordinates      = {{coord|38|52|4|N|90|13|33|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type                = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 63386<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.zipdatamaps.com/63386|title=West Alton MO ZIP Code|publisher=zipdatamaps.com|year=2023|access-date=June 16, 2023}}</ref>
|area_code                       = [[Area code 636|636]]
| blank_name       = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info       = 29-78514<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      = 0756890<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 = 
}}
'''West Alton''' is a city in [[St. Charles County, Missouri|St. Charles County]], [[Missouri]], United States. The population was 359 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]]. It is located at the tip of the peninsula formed by the confluence of the [[Missouri River|Missouri]] and [[Mississippi River|Mississippi]] Rivers and is directly across [[Alton, Illinois]].

==History==
A post office called West Alton has been in operation since 1895.<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> The community was named from its location on the western bank of the Mississippi River opposite [[Alton, Illinois]].<ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_RfAuAAAAYAAJ | title=How Missouri Counties, Towns and Streams Were Named | publisher=The State Historical Society of Missouri | author=Eaton, David Wolfe | year=1918 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_RfAuAAAAYAAJ/page/n128 357]}}</ref>

==Geography==

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|37.06|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|28.81|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|8.25|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> West Alton is located at the intersection of [[U.S. Route 67 in Missouri|U.S. Route 67]] and [[Missouri Route 94]].

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|2000= 573
|2010= 522
|2020= 359
|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>
}}

===2010 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name ="wwwcensusgov">{{cite web|title=U.S. Census website|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2012-07-08}}</ref> of 2010, there were 522 people, 203 households, and 144 families living in the city. The [[population density]] was {{convert|18.1|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 267 housing units at an average density of {{convert|9.3|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the city was 98.7% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.6% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.4% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], and 0.4% 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.

There were 203 households, of which 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.8% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 29.1% were non-families. 23.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 2.97.

The median age in the city was 41.3 years. 21.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.5% were from 25 to 44; 32.9% were from 45 to 64; and 13.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 52.5% male and 47.5% female.

===2000 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 573 people, 211 households, and 147 families living in the city. The [[population density]] was 20.2 people per square mile (7.8/km{{sup|2}}). There were 291 housing units at an average density of 10.3 per square mile (4.0/km{{sup|2}}). The racial makeup of the city was 99.13% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.17% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.17% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.52% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]]. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.52% of the population.

There were 211 households, out of which 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.1% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.9% were non-families. 25.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.26.

In the city the population was spread out, with 28.1% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 30.7% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 9.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 119.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 114.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $36,094, and the median income for a family was $45,556. Males had a median income of $32,431 versus $27,143 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $18,975. About 4.5% of families and 7.7% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 8.8% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Portal|United States}}

{{St. Charles County, Missouri}}

{{authority control}}

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