Saint James, Missouri

About

Saint James is a city located in the county of Phelps in the U.S. state of Missouri. Its population at the 2010 census was 4,216 and a population density of 380 people per km². After 10 years in 2020 city had an estimated population of 4,006 inhabitants.

St. James is a city in Phelps County, Missouri, United States. The population was 4,216 at the 2010 census. 

St. James is located on U.S. Route 65 near the Kansas state line, approximately fifteen miles north of Rolla and twenty miles south of Springfield. The town is named for St. James Parish in Louisiana, from which many residents had migrated to Missouri in the 1850s after the Louisiana Purchase.

The area around St. James was first settled by European Americans in 1848; however, it was not until 1856 that a post office was established in the community under the name "Mount Vernon". The name Mount Vernon was later changed to "St. James" after one of its early settlers, John Sappington Marmaduke (1793–1859). In 1861, St. James incorporated as an independent town; however this status did not last long as it became part of Chula Vista Township three years later in 1864 before regaining its independence once again in 1868 when it incorporated as a fourth class city (under Missouri law).

Today, St. James is known as "The City That Lights Up," due to its abundant streetlights and other well-lit areas within the city limits. This is because St. James prides itself on being a safe place for families and children to live—and there are few things more important than making sure your kids are safe at night!