Cradled by the Mississippi and Meramec rivers, the aptly named community of Oakville is best known for its sprawling leafy parks that boast stunning waterfront views. The St. Louis suburb is just 17 miles from downtown, but the vibe is a world away. While the 36,000 residents here appreciate the proximity to exciting city attractions, they’re happy to come home to the comforts of well-ranked schools and a safe environment. The south St. Louis County community scores an A-plus grade for its low violent crime rate, while the city of St. Louis receives an F, according to Crime Grade.
“Oakville is a really, family-oriented suburban area. It has one the better school districts and that’s really appealing to people,” says Allen Brake, a Realtor with Keller Williams, who’s been selling homes in the area for 21 years. “It’s a self-sufficient place that you don’t have to leave if you don’t want to. Telegraph Road has just about every store you can think of on it. It’s also really close to Interstate 55, which is one of the least congested highways. It will take you straight to downtown St. Louis and Illinois.”
Oakville sits as an idyllic river enclave south of St Louis.
A 170 foot bluff overlooking the Mississippi River is a big draw to Cliff Cave Park.
1/2
Hit the trails at Cliff Cave County Park
Oakville’s parks allow residents to take full advantage of the area’s proximity to the Mississippi and Meramec rivers. Cliff Cave County Park on Cliff Cave Road has been named the best place to view the Mississippi by the Riverfront Times newspaper. At the sweeping 525-acre park, locals can hike, bike, or ride horses along the miles of wooded and paved trails.
Bee Tree County Park on Finestown Avenue features a 10-acre lake stocked with fish by the Missouri Department of Conservation, making it the perfect spot to spend a worry-free day casting a line. It also hosts the vacant Nims Mansion, a 1929 Tudor Revival estate situated on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Residents in Oakville enjoy sunny walks on paved trails at Cliff Cave Park.
Bee Tree Park is a 192 acre park located along the Mississippi River.
1/2
Oakville offers homes at every price point
Separated from the state of Illinois by the Mississippi River, the majority of Oakville homes were built from the 1970s to the modern day. While home styles vary, ranch houses, Colonial Revivals and contemporary homes with two-car garages are the dominant styles found in neighborhoods sprinkled throughout the community. “There’s some new construction, but most of these homes are existing homes,” Brake says. “It’s an established area, so there’s a lot of mature landscaping and trees in the neighborhoods.”
Oakville offers a wide range of price points. A cozy two-bed condo could be found for around $150,000, while a 5-bedroom estate with 7,500 square feet of living space could fetch more than $1 million. The average home value has increased from $250,000 to $352,000 from 2019 to 2024. “The higher priced homes are on the eastern side and have views of Mississippi, Brake says.
Homes here typically sell after 29 days on the market, well below the national average of 42 days. “We are dealing with low inventory in just about every part of St. Louis, so that contributes to why things move more quickly,” Brake says.
Oakville homes include a variety of older home times.
An older colonial style home with distinct white columns in Oakville.
1/2
Oakville served by well-ranked Mehlville R-IX school district
Oakville student students are zoned to attend the Mehlville R-IX school district, which serves more than 10,000 students and receives a B-plus Niche grade. The district supports one preschool, 11 elementary schools, four middle schools and two high schools. In 2023, it received a $300,000 state grant to improve security across all schools.
For private school options, Oakville is home to three Catholic schools. Queen of All Saints Catholic School and St. Margaret Mary Alacoque School are both elementary schools and St. Francis of Assisi School serves students in prekindergarten through eighth grade.
St. Louis Community College – South County is just west of Oakville on Meramec Bottom Road, offering associate degree and certificate programs in a variety of fields.
Oakville Middle School serves students in the Oakville community.
Enrollment at Oakville High School averages around 1700 students.
1/2
Telegraph Road is Oakville’s shopping and dining hub
Telegraph Road, notorious for its morning and evening rush hour traffic, is Oakville’s main commercial thoroughfare. At shopping centers like Telegraph Plaza, residents can stock up on groceries, grab a bite to eat and get their nails done. The stretch of road is lined with an assortment of amenities, including gas stations, banks, dentist offices, pharmacies, churches, and a library.
During the summer months, locals turn out to support area farmers and artisans at the Oakville Community Market. The event, which features 40 vendors and live music, is held at St. Paul’s United Church of Christ’s campus on Telegraph Road from 8:30 to 12:30 on Saturdays.
Golfers will find Oakville well above par
Avid golfers can spend their free time putting around at The Club at Castle Bluff. The private country club on Fine Road features a 9-hole course, clubhouse and pool. There’s also The First Tee Driving Range, on Lemay Ferry Road, which offers 41 stalls decked out with heaters for wintertime play and golf lessons.
Hop on Telegraph Road to get to major highways
Telegraph Road cuts through the center of Oakville and leads straight to major highways that will take residents to downtown St. Louis and beyond. The St. Louis Lambert International Airport can be reached with a 28-mile trip north on Interstate 270. Downtown St. Louis is 17 miles north via Interstate 55. And Mercy Hospital South is 7 miles northwest of Oakville on Kennerly Road.
While Oakville is car-dependent, Metro Transit has bus stops along Telegraph Road and a few other major streets to help residents get around the community.
Crime
Oakville receives an overall crime score of A-plus, according to Crime Grade. The community ranks in the 96th percentile for safety, meaning only 4% of U.S. cities are safer. On average, 1.4 out of 1,000 Oakville residents experience violent crime each year. Violent crime rates are lowest in the southwestern area of the community and highest in the eastern area.
Kathy is the lead agent for The Renaud Team and is the Listing Specialist. Kathy has been a full-time Realtor licensed since 1997, is a certified RRES (Residential Real Estate Specialist) and is interested in serving your housing needs. She has had the opportunity of serving over 2,500 satisfied clients and has received the very prestigious honor of being named a 5-Star Realtor in Customer Service by St. Louis Homes Magazine since 2006. The multi-tasking and organizational abilities that are natural for Kathy were honed during her 16 years as a stay-at-home mom of six very active home-schooled children.
Helping a family find the perfect housing choice for their needs is a very strong motivator for our Team. Or assisting a family in selling their home with as smooth a transition as possible continues to inspire her. She believes there is no greater professional reward than a satisfied client who is grateful for the service they have received, and she appreciates having the honor of working side-by-side with her own family.
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
