The City of Clayton, Missouri is recognized throughout the St. Louis metropolitan area for an outstanding quality of life, which has become its trademark. Clayton combines a bustling downtown with quiet, secure residential neighborhoods. It is a chic suburban community with urban flair. Just west of the City of St. Louis, Clayton is the hub of metropolitan St. Louis and the seat of St. Louis County. Clayton's central location and convenient access to several interstates and major arteries place it within minutes of just about anywhere in the region. While 81% of Clayton's land is dedicated to residential or park use, the City's Central Business District combines 7,000,000 square feet of prestigious office space with the vitality of 1,000,000 square feet of retail space.
This safe suburban community with a sophisticated cityscape provides the best of all worlds. With a mix of stately single-family homes, condominiums and multiple-family apartments, Clayton's exceptional residential neighborhoods offer a choice of living styles and price ranges, and most are within walking distance of business districts, offices, restaurants, galleries and specialty boutiques and shops.
Clayton's bustling downtown is the region's premier business district and home to Forbes and Fortune 500 headquarters and branch offices. Clayton maintains one of the highest commercial occupancy rates in the region.
Enriching the City's quality of life is its award-winning public school system. The City's public school district is one of the nation's best, with 95% of its high school graduates going on to college. Clayton is also home to several stellar private institutions, including Washington University, Fontbonne University and Concordia Seminary.
Clayton's community services set the standard for the region. The Parks & Recreation Department not only maintains the City's many well-manicured parks, it also conducts a multitude of athletic activities on lighted baseball, softball, sand volleyball and soccer fields. The Center of Clayton, the City's 124,000 square-foot community recreation center, offers sports, fitness, swimming, recreational, educational and lifestyle enhancing programs.
The St. Louis area's finest attractions are within a 15 minute drive of Clayton: the Gateway Arch, Busch Stadium (home of the baseball Cardinals), the Edward Jones Dome (home to the St. Louis Rams), the St. Louis Art Museum, Muny Opera, St. Louis Science Center, the Saint Louis Zoo, Powell Symphony Hall, Fox Theatre, Scottrade Center and the Missouri Botanical Garden. The newly renovated Forest Park is just to the east of Clayton. Lambert International Airport is only 12 minutes away.