Gateway Arch National Park
The Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri, is a monument that was built in the 1960s to honor the westward expansion of the United States. The Arch is a 630-foot tall stainless steel structure that stands on the west bank of the Mississippi River in downtown St. Louis. It is the tallest arch in the world and the tallest man-made monument in the United States.
The idea for the Arch was first proposed in the 1930s, but it wasn’t until the 1950s that a design competition was held to choose the final design. The winning design was submitted by Eero Saarinen, a Finnish-American architect. Construction on the Arch began in 1963 and was completed in October 1965.
The Arch is a significant cultural and historical resource because it is a symbol of the westward expansion of the United States and the pioneering spirit of the American people. It is also a reminder of the important role that St. Louis played in the westward expansion, as it was a major gateway for people, goods, and ideas traveling westward.
The Arch was designated a National Park in 2018 amid some controversy. However, what cannot be disputed is that the Gateway Arch is an iconic symbol of the US and one that everyone should make an effort to go visit.
VISIT Gateway Arch National Park:
Park Details
Gateway Arch National Park was established on December 21, 1935, and has a total area of 91 acres (0 square miles, or 0 square kilometers).
| Address | Fourth Street between Market and Chestnut streets, St. Louis, MO, 63102 |
|---|---|
| Phone | 314-655-1600 |
| Hours | 5:00am -11:00pm year round |
| Entrance Fee | $3 to enter per person; $12-$15 tickets to top |
| Learn More | Official Website |
When to Visit: Weather vs. Peak Visitation
Gateway Arch National Park is the 50th most visited park in the country.
We crunched 30 years of historical weather and/or park service data to find the best months to visit Gateway Arch National Park. We looked for the optimal temperatures, the least amount of snow and rain, and stayed away from peak visitation months if we could help it. All this data then helped us paint a picture as to what the absolute best time to visit Gateway Arch National Park is.
Our data shows the best months to visit Gateway Arch National Park are September, October, May & June.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Park Visits | 25,026 | 21,258 | 65,025 | 61,664 | 77,153 | 117,599 | 363,556 | 118,126 | 78,848 | 84,326 | 68,249 | 64,253 |
| Precipitation | 60 | 69 | 84 | 98 | 95 | 60 | 55 | 49 | 61 | 67 | 87 | 68 |
| Avg Temp | 41 | 46 | 57 | 68 | 77 | 87 | 91 | 91 | 82 | 70 | 56 | 44 |
| Max Temp | 60 | 66 | 75 | 83 | 90 | 96 | 101 | 101 | 95 | 86 | 74 | 62 |
| Avg Temp | 25 | 29 | 36 | 45 | 56 | 65 | 67 | 65 | 57 | 47 | 37 | 28 |
| Min Temp | 5 | 12 | 18 | 28 | 38 | 49 | 54 | 51 | 38 | 29 | 20 | 10 |
Gateway Arch National Park Road Trips
Many family vacations consist of stringing one or more national parks together during a week-long trip. Creating these types of trips is our specialty! Here are the road trips we've created where Gateway Arch National Park is visited.
| Trip Name | Trip Miles | Trip Days |
|---|---|---|
| Route 66 National Park Road Trip | 2,300 | 13 |
| Gateway Arch, Ozarks to Hot Springs | 719 | 7 |
Other Nearby National Park Sites
From national monuments, to historic sites to seashores and more, here are the other parks closest to Gateway Arch National Park.
| Name | Distance |
|---|---|
| Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site | 10 mi |
| Lincoln Home National Historic Site | 86 mi |
| Ozark National Scenic Riverways | 115 mi |
| George Rogers Clark National Historical Park | 143 mi |
| Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial | 176 mi |
| Fort Donelson National Battlefield | 195 mi |
| Wilson's Creek National Battlefield | 205 mi |
| Buffalo National River | 209 mi |
| Herbert Hoover National Historic Site | 219 mi |
| Harry S Truman National Historic Site | 235 mi |
Nearby Campsites & RV Parks
If you are looking to pitch a tent or park an RV at a campsite near Gateway Arch National Park, here is a list of the closest campsites in the surrounding area. They all have slightly different amenitites, so its best to check them all out instead of just chosing the first on the list.
| Name | Details | Miles Away |
|---|---|---|
| Horseshoe Lake Recreation Area | East St. Louis, IL more | 8 miles |
| Scott AFB Military | Belleville, IL more | 19 miles |
| Babler Memorial State Park | Wildwood, MO more | 27 miles |
| Pere Marquette State Park | Grafton, IL more | 31 miles |
| Klondike County Park | St Charles, MO more | 35 miles |
| Robertsville State Park | MO more | 37 miles |
| Beaver Dam State Park | Plainview, IL more | 42 miles |
| Dam West - Lake Carlyle | Carlyle, IL more | 44 miles |
| Washington State Park | De Soto, MO more | 46 miles |
| Eldon Hazlet State Park | Carlyle, IL more | 46 miles |
Nearest Ski Resorts
For those of you who are the diehard outdoors type, visiting a national park on a ski trip can be quite the adventure. Here are the ski resorts within 100 miles of Gateway Arch National Park:
None Found.
Nearest Airports
When visiting a National park, many people are faced with either a very long drive across country, or a much shorter flight. For those of you looking to fly into Gateway Arch National Park, we've listed the closest airports in the area.
Large Airports
A large airport has scheduled major airline service with millions of passengers per year. This type of airport always accepts international flights. Here are the closest large airports to Gateway Arch National Park.
| Name | Code | City | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis Lambert International Airport | STL | St Louis, MO | 13 mi |
| Indianapolis International Airport | IND | Indianapolis, IN | 221 mi |
| Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport | SDF | Louisville, KY | 243 mi |
| Kansas City International Airport | MCI | Kansas City, MO | 248 mi |
| Memphis International Airport | MEM | Memphis, TN | 248 mi |
| Midway International Airport | MDW | Chicago, IL | 253 mi |
| Nashville International Airport | BNA | Nashville, TN | 258 mi |
Medium Airports
A medium-sized airport has scheduled regional airline service. This type of airport may or may not accept international flights. Here are the closest medium-sized airports to Gateway Arch National Park.
| Name | Code | City | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scott AFB/Midamerica Airport | BLV | Belleville, IL | 20 mi |
| Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport | SPI | Springfield, IL | 88 mi |
| Cape Girardeau Regional Airport | CGI | Cape Girardeau, MO | 102 mi |
| Quincy Regional Baldwin Field | UIN | Quincy, IL | 106 mi |
| Decatur Airport | DEC | Decatur, IL | 109 mi |
| Columbia Regional Airport | COU | Columbia, MO | 110 mi |
| Waynesville-St. Robert Regional Forney field | TBN | Fort Leonard Wood, MO | 122 mi |
Credits: Campground data provided by USCampgrounds.info. Map shapes from CartographyVectors. Weather data from NOAA. Airport data from OurAirports.com. Images from Unsplash, Flickr and Parks&Trips. All data has also been updated and augmented by Parks&Trips.