Jun. 8, 2007 - Florissant*Valley of Flowers

Florissant is a North County municipality that is steeped in history. It presently is having a resurgence, bringing in builders to replace some of the older homes with new ones. Florissant dates back to 1767 when French farmers settled in the area. At that time, they named the town Fleurissant i.e. Flowering/flourishing. Spanish folks took over in 1786 naming the community St. Ferdinand after a Spanish saint. The name was changed once again to Florissant and that happened in 1939. Florissant is very near the Mississippi River and a quick ride to Illinois and all it offers, including a gaming boat, actually on the river!

Florissant is known for it's 20 parks consisting of over 400 acres of green space. There are 2 community centers that provide an aquatics center, theater, skateboard park, and an 18 hole golf course. Florissant has the only full-time, salaried mayor in St. Louis County. As of 2006 there were 50,497 people that live in the area. The median home value was  $75,000.