My map of Midwest/South in Missouri! (St. Louis, Ste. Genevieve: designs, association)

[SPonteKC]

I consider Little Egypt (and, to a lesser extent, southern Indiana) to be pretty southern and its pretty close to the Illinois side exurbs of St Louis.

[GunnerTHB]

Originally Posted by s.davis

I consider Little Egypt (and, to a lesser extent, southern Indiana) to be pretty southern and its pretty close to the Illinois side exurbs of St Louis.

I wouldn't agree with all of Little Egypt, but definitely Alexander & Pulaski Counties fit the bill. Rural counties of over 30% African American ancestry are almost non-existent in the "Midwest". The locals have southern dialects as well. I'm friends with several people from Union & Alexander Counties in Illinois.

Maybe south of the I-24/I-57 intersection.

[GunnerTHB]

Originally Posted by Smtchll

I agree. Driving up from Memphis, you feel like you leave the South once you get past Cape Girardeau, but then it feels like you're back in the South when you get into Jefferson County for some reason. Then back to the Midwest when you get to Stl County. I can't really explain why, but Jefferson County looks and feels Southern, like somewhere in East Tennessee. Same hillbilly feel. I know it doesn't make a place Southern, but I think someone from East TN would feel right at home.

I agree with this. JeffCo isn't Southern, but it definitely has a topography that isn't "common" with the Midwest.

[Smtchll]

Originally Posted by kshe95girl

Its the topographical features of JeffCo that you are seeing.
If you will notice, I-55 swings quite close to the river in JeffCo, hence all the cutting through the river bluffs, and then it swings away from the river in SG and Perry counties etc, missing the river bluffs.
The same river bluffs are there from StL to Cape, you're just not seeing them due to the route of I-55.

yeah makes sense. From I-55, SG & Perry seem hilly, but a lot more open and "Midwestern-looking." But once you get into Jefferson, there's big hills (almost mountains) all around you. It reminds me of East or Middle Tennessee, and not to mention the "hoosier" stereotypes about Jefferson County that probably make it seem more hillbilly to me.

But are they just river bluffs? I thought I was driving through the outer-reaches of the Ozarks??

[GunnerTHB]

Originally Posted by MODixie

I'd say its 80-85 percent Midwestern but it does have some characteristics that dont make it entirely 100 percent midwestern like Ste Gen.

Such as?

[kshe95girl]

Originally Posted by Smtchll

yeah makes sense. From I-55, SG & Perry seem hilly, but a lot more open and "Midwestern-looking." But once you get into Jefferson, there's big hills (almost mountains) all around you. It reminds me of East or Middle Tennessee, and not to mention the "hoosier" stereotypes about Jefferson County that probably make it seem more hillbilly to me.

But are they just river bluffs? I thought I was driving through the outer-reaches of the Ozarks??

Those are the river bluffs on I-55, you actually have to get to the western parts of JeffCo, SG and Perry counties to really see any kind of Ozark features.
To see the river bluffs south of JeffCo, get off of 55 at SG and drive south on 61 to Perryville, you will be driving in the bottoms and the bluffs, you'll get a much better sense of topography that way.
Also, just driving east from 61 to Pere Marquette Park in Sainte Genevieve will give you a sense of the bluffs.
Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed
JeffCo, SG, and Perry counties are all hilly, btw.

[GunnerTHB]

Originally Posted by kshe95girl

Those are the river bluffs on I-55, you actually have to get to the western parts of JeffCo, SG and Perry counties to really see any kind of Ozark features.
To see the river bluffs south of JeffCo, get off of 55 at SG and drive south on 61 to Perryville, you will be driving in the bottoms and the bluffs, you'll get a much better sense of topography that way.
Also, just driving east from 61 to Pere Marquette Park in Sainte Genevieve will give you a sense of the bluffs.
Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed
JeffCo, SG, and Perry counties are all hilly, btw.

Much of Cape County is hilly too, although not quite as hilly as Perry or Ste. Genevieve Counties. I had someone try to tell me that I lived in the Ozarks one time....I corrected them.

[kshe95girl]

Originally Posted by GunnerTHB

Much of Cape County is hilly too, although not quite as hilly as Perry or Ste. Genevieve Counties. I had someone try to tell me that I lived in the Ozarks one time....I corrected them.

Absolutely!
I remember taking my daughter to SG for the first time, that she can remember, anyway.
It was dark when we got there, we were staying out by Weingarten, with some spectacular views of the hills out there.
She woke me up and asked me since when did MO have mountains, lol!
Gotta love a kid raised in the flatlands of FL!

[GunnerTHB]

Originally Posted by kshe95girl

Absolutely!
I remember taking my daughter to SG for the first time, that she can remember, anyway.
It was dark when we got there, we were staying out by Weingarten, with some spectacular views of the hills out there.
She woke me up and asked me since when did MO have mountains, lol!
Gotta love a kid raised in the flatlands of FL!

Ah yes I've drove through on Route 32 many times between Farmington and I-55, very hilly indeed. That's my preferred route between Rolla & Cape. The only similar topography in Cape County is within a mile of the river. Once you reach Cape, the bluffs get smaller and by the time you reach Commerce, they're gone. (Maybe even before then). I've hunted about halfway between Illmo & Commerce but that's about it so I'm not 100% sure about that.

[Smtchll]

Originally Posted by kshe95girl

Those are the river bluffs on I-55, you actually have to get to the western parts of JeffCo, SG and Perry counties to really see any kind of Ozark features.
To see the river bluffs south of JeffCo, get off of 55 at SG and drive south on 61 to Perryville, you will be driving in the bottoms and the bluffs, you'll get a much better sense of topography that way.
Also, just driving east from 61 to Pere Marquette Park in Sainte Genevieve will give you a sense of the bluffs.
Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed
JeffCo, SG, and Perry counties are all hilly, btw.

Yeah, I've taken 61 to get to Ste. Genevieve before, but it was at night so I couldn't see much. Gotta go through there during the daytime. That whole area is just beautiful. It's really flat here in Memphis, so I love getting to the hilly part of MO.