The City of St. Joseph is the county seat of Buchanan County and the sixth largest city in Missouri with a total area of 115.3 km² (44.5 mi²). St Joseph was established as a trading post in 1826 on the Missouri River by Joseph Robidoux.
 St. Joseph is located right in the heart of America and just over 200 miles from the population center of the United States. An important north-south interstate highway Interstate 29 runs through St. Joseph. It provides a corridor from Canada to Mexico. Northern Missouri's primary east-west thoroughfare, US Highway 36, intersects with I-29 in St. Joseph.

Elevation: 885 feet

Land area: 43.8 square miles

Latitude: 39.76 N

Longitude: 94.84 W

Population:  72,661 as on 2005

Local festivals:

• Southside Fall Festival & Rodeo

Attractions:

• Jesse James Home
• Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art, Pony Express Museum
• National Military Heritage Museum
• St. Joseph Museum,
• Glore Psychiatric Museum