Why visit St. James
Townapedia lists 1 museum or landmark, 4 parks and trails, 7 places to eat and 2 places to stay in and around town.
Highlights include Saint James Golf Club.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 89°F; January lows average 22°F.
Weather in St. James
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About St. James
St. James or Saint James is a city in Phelps County, Missouri, United States. The population was 3,920 at the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article St. James, Missouri (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks1
Parks, trails and playgrounds4
Restaurants and cafes7
JB Coffee House
Cafe · Coffee Shop
114 North Jefferson Street, St James
Johnnie's Bar and Grill
Restaurant
225 North Jefferson Street, St James
Subway
Fast food · Sandwich · 0.4 mi
205 State Route B, St James
Mo-Th 07:00-21:00; Fr 07:00-22:00; Sa 08:00-21:00; Su 09:00-21:00
Where to stay2
History
The settlement was originally known as Big Prairie because of its location on the natural prairie of that name in the area. In 1859, when a man by the name of John Wood anticipated the extension of the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway, the settlement became known for a short time as Scioto, named after the town of Scioto, Ohio, where many of the town's early settlers originated. In 1860, the town was named St. James to honor Thomas James, who came from Ohio and created the Meramec Iron Works. The town was intended as a shipping point for the Meramec Iron Works, which had been shipping its products by wagon train.
St. James was the part-time home of Lucy Wortham James, a wealthy philanthropist who had a love for the area. She was a descendant of Thomas James, a Chillicothe banker who founded the Maramec Iron Works. The James Foundation, a charitable organization she founded, was responsible for the St. James City Park and the James Memorial Library, as well as Maramec Spring Park. The City of St. James now owns both the park and the public library.
Mayme Ousley, the first woman elected mayor of a town in Missouri, was first elected mayor of St. James in 1921. The city hall was named after her in 2013.
The Maramec Iron Works District, St. James Chapel, and Verkamp Shelter are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
From the History section of St. James, Missouri on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship10
St. James Chapel
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church
Church · Catholic · 0.4 mi
316 East Scioto Street, St. James
Trinity Episcopal Church
Church · Episcopal · 0.5 mi
120 East Scioto Street, Saint James
Shopping2
Gas and EV charging4
Schools, colleges and libraries4
Healthcare3
Map of St. James
37 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 | 5.6 in |
| Feb | 46°F | 26°F | 2.5 in | 4.1 in |
| Mar | 56°F | 35°F | 4.1 in | 2.6 in |
| Apr | 67°F | 45°F | 4.9 in | 0.2 in |
| May | 76°F | 56°F | 5.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 84°F | 65°F | 4.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 89°F | 69°F | 4.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 88°F | 67°F | 4.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 80°F | 59°F | 4.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 69°F | 47°F | 3.3 in | 0.1 in |
| Nov | 56°F | 36°F | 3.9 in | 1.3 in |
| Dec | 45°F | 27°F | 2.8 in | 3.4 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Rolla Missouri S&T Hcn (9 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
Phelps 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)
- 2025-01-01: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2020-03-26: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 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
Rolla National Airport (VIH) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 12 miles away.
- Rolla 9 mi southwest, about 14 min by car
- Cuba 12 mi east, about 20 min by car
- Steelville 14 mi east, about 23 min by car
- Bourbon 22 mi northeast, about 36 min by car
- Owensville 25 mi north, about 40 min by car
- Fort Leonard Wood 33 mi southwest, about 53 min by car
- Linn 35 mi north, about 57 min by car
- Union 45 mi northeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Jefferson City 50 mi northwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Washington 50 mi northeast, about 1 h 15 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, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- St. James, Missouri 3-14-2014, Doug Kerr, CC BY-SA 2.0
- St. James Chapel, Ryreed77, CC BY-SA 4.0
- ISS053-E-263154 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS048-E-960 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS048-E-959 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS062-E-70566 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS062-E-70567 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
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