Festus, Missouri
Festus is a city of 13,201 people in Jefferson County, Missouri, founded in 1887.
Why visit Festus
Townapedia lists 2 museums and landmarks, 5 parks and trails, 38 places to eat, 4 places to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Festus 8 Cinema.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 88°F; January lows average 22°F.
Weather in Festus
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Festus
Festus is a city situated in Jefferson County, Missouri, United States, and is also a suburb of St. Louis. As of the 2020 census, its population was 12,706.
From the Wikipedia article Festus, Missouri (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Museums and landmarks2
Crystal City Historical Society
Museum · 1.8 mi
126 Mississippi Avenue, Crystal City
Parks, trails and playgrounds5
Sunset Park
Park · 0.5 mi
Park with a small trail. Has a pavilion for bands and events. Has baseball fields basketball courts and a tennis court
Restaurants and cafes38
Lams Garden
Restaurant · Chinese · 1.3 mi
510 Bailey Road, Festus
Mo-Th 11:00-21:00, Fr-Sa 11:00-21:30, Su closed
26 more on the map.
History
Festus originated as an outgrowth of older neighbor Crystal City. It was established in 1878 by an individual named W. J. Adams, and was known as "Tanglefoot", supposedly because of situations involving drinkers from the local glass factory, who would drunkenly get their feet tangled in brush on their way home. The city was later called Limitville, but eventually "Festus" was chosen, purported to be in honor of St. Louis banker Festus J. Wade. Others claim the town's name was picked at random by a preacher who sat there, opened the Bible, and pointed to the name "Festus" in the Book of Acts. The City of Festus was incorporated in 1888 and grew to be one of the largest towns in the county. A post office called Festus has been in operation since 1883.
One of the founders of Festus was John Brierton, the great-granduncle of John Bruton, the Taoiseach (head of government) of the Republic of Ireland, who visited the city of Festus and his family's grave in De Soto, Missouri, in 1995.
From the History section of Festus, Missouri on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay4
La Quinta Inn & Suites Festus - St. Louis South
Motel and hotel · 0.5 mi
1001 Veterans Boulevard, Festus
Churches and places of worship2
Shopping5
Gas and EV charging6
Schools, colleges and libraries28
Healthcare4
Map of Festus
96 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41°F | 22°F | 2.7 in | 2.1 in |
| Feb | 46°F | 25°F | 2.5 in | 2.7 in |
| Mar | 56°F | 34°F | 4.0 in | 1.1 in |
| Apr | 68°F | 44°F | 4.9 in | 0.2 in |
| May | 76°F | 54°F | 4.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 85°F | 63°F | 4.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 88°F | 67°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 87°F | 65°F | 3.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 81°F | 57°F | 3.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 70°F | 46°F | 2.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 56°F | 35°F | 3.5 in | 0.6 in |
| Dec | 45°F | 26°F | 2.8 in | 2.5 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Festus (1 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Jefferson County has had 21 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2025-05-21: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Wildfires (Severe Storm)
- 2020-03-26: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2019-07-09: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2017-06-02: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds And Flooding (Flood)
- 2016-01-21: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Flood)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Saint Louis Downtown - Parks Airport (CPS) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 28 miles away.
- Arnold 14 mi north, about 23 min by car
- Waterloo 16 mi northeast, about 26 min by car
- Columbia 20 mi northeast, about 31 min by car
- Concord 20 mi north, about 33 min by car
- Affton 23 mi north, about 37 min by car
- Eureka 23 mi northwest, about 37 min by car
- Crestwood 23 mi north, about 38 min by car
- Ballwin 27 mi north, about 44 min by car
- Cahokia Heights 28 mi northeast, about 45 min by car
- St. Louis 30 mi north, about 48 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Balloon Glow Festus Missouri 10-01-2011, JWolff-STL, CC BY 2.0
- Festus, Missouri, TCP04, CC BY 4.0
- ISS043-E-285480 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS048-E-20464 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS043-E-285479 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS007-E-7992 - View of Arkansas, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS007-E-7991 - View of Arkansas, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS036-E-36640 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS048-E-20465 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- Mississippi Avenue - Crystal City, MO, Paul Sableman, CC BY 2.0
- Crystal City High School, Paul Sableman, CC BY 2.0
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