From Gumbo Flats to Chesterfield
Chesterfield is a young city with an old river story. It incorporated in 1988, and the 2020 census counted 49,999 residents, making it Missouri’s 14th most populous city. Its best-known ground is the Chesterfield Valley, the Missouri River bottomland once called Gumbo Flats for its muddy soil.
On July 30, 1993, the Monarch levee failed with the river more than 19 feet above flood stage. About 4,000 acres went under 6 to 15 feet of water. The levee was rebuilt to a 500-year standard, and the valley filled in with retail and offices.
Side yards and narrow spaces
Side yards are a strong place to start in Chesterfield. They tend to be narrow strips between the house and a fence or the neighbor’s wall, often shaded for part of the day, and too tight to mow well. Grass thins, the dog wears a path, and spring rain turns it to mud. The turf path in our photo is that kind of job.
We dig out the old soil and sod, compact a crushed-rock base, and slope it away from the foundation so roof runoff drains off. A lighter turf like Tropical Flow 50 keeps the cost down on long, narrow runs.
No mowing, no height limit to watch
FOX 2 reported in 2024 that Chesterfield requires grass to stay under 10 inches. That’s easy to meet on a front lawn and harder on a hillside, a back corner or a strip behind a fence. Turf stays the same height year-round, so those spots stop being a weekly chore.
Water and sewer in Chesterfield
Missouri American Water lists Chesterfield among the St. Louis County communities it serves, and MSD provides sewer service across roughly 90% of the county. A turf lawn doesn’t need sprinklers, so the summer irrigation share of your water use goes away.
Getting to you
Chesterfield is about 19 miles from our O’Fallon location, across the Missouri River on I-64. That’s close enough for an in-person site visit and a crew on site early in the day. Call (314) 550-9244 to set a time.
