Best Web Design in Cape Girardeau, MO (2026)

Web Design for Cape Girardeau, Missouri

A Mississippi River port perched on the bluffs midway between St. Louis and Memphis, Cape Girardeau, 'the City of Roses,' traces its name to a 1730s French trading post and its street grid to Louis Lorimier's 1793 Spanish land grant. Once the largest river port between St. Louis and Memphis, it is now home to Southeast Missouri State University, nearly a mile of painted floodwall murals, and the boyhood roots of broadcaster Rush Limbaugh. The city guards the river behind a floodwall that doubles as a public canvas.

AppWT works with Cape Girardeau, MO businesses from Livonia, Michigan, mostly online and travelling as needed.

About Cape Girardeau

Also known as. Cape. The City of Roses. Where the River Turns a Thousand Tales.

History. Named for Jean Baptiste de Girardot, a French officer who established a trading post on a rocky river cape around 1733. Permanently settled in 1793 when Spanish authorities granted French-Canadian fur trader Louis Lorimier trading privileges at the site. Incorporated as a town in 1808 following the Louisiana Purchase and reincorporated as a city in 1843. The Battle of Cape Girardeau, a Civil War skirmish, was fought on April 26, 1863, near the Union earthwork Fort D. A major tornado struck on May 21, 1949, killing 22 people and hospitalizing dozens more.

Local economy. St. Francis Medical Center is the largest single employer, with roughly 3,000 workers, making health care the dominant industry. Mercy Hospital Southeast adds a second major hospital and thousands more health-care jobs. Procter & Gamble operates a large plant in the area employing around 1,200 people. Southeast Missouri State University and regional retail (including West Park Mall and the riverfront) make Cape the economic center of southeastern Missouri; Century Casino, opened in 2012 on the former International Shoe Factory site, adds tourism revenue.

Culture and community. Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh and his brother David grew up in Cape Girardeau, where a self-guided hometown tour retraces Rush's roots and a federal courthouse bears the family name. The floodwall's Missouri Wall of Fame mural honors 47 famous Missourians, from Mark Twain to Jesse James to Harry Truman. The SEMO District Fair, rooted in an 1855 agricultural society, brings a kickoff parade, carnival, and shows to Arena Park each fall. Local dining favorites include Broussard's Cajun Cuisine, Katy O'Ferrell's Irish pub, and Port Cape Girardeau's giant onion rings. Singer Billy Swan, whose 1974 song 'I Can Help' hit No. 1, and NASA astronaut Linda Godwin are among the city's notable natives.

What makes Cape Girardeau distinct. The original rocky 'cape' that gave the city its name was blasted away during railroad construction; a surviving fragment remains at Cape Rock Park. The first English-language school west of the Mississippi River was established near here at Mount Tabor in 1799. Director David Fincher filmed scenes for the 2014 film 'Gone Girl' in Cape Girardeau. Cape Girardeau was historically the largest port on the Mississippi River between St. Louis and Memphis.

Cape Girardeau Landmarks and Local Life

• The Mississippi River Tales floodwall mural - nearly 18,000 square feet across 24 panels depicting the city's history
• Fort D Historic Site - one of four Civil War forts built to defend the city and the only one still standing
• The Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge - a cable-stayed span over the Mississippi opened in December 2003
• Southeast Missouri State University - the region's flagship public university
• Trail of Tears State Park just north of the city - marking where Cherokee groups crossed the Mississippi during the forced 1838-1839 removal