Washington, MO

Washington is a Franklin County city on the south bank of the Missouri River. Families and followers of Daniel Boone settled across the river beginning in 1799, and the city still feels tied to that river-frontier history. German heritage, wineries, manufacturing, schools, and a compact downtown all add to the local texture. Washington feels like one of Missouri's more substantial small river cities, with brick buildings, bluffs, festivals, and St. Louis close enough for day trips but not daily dominance.