Welcome To the Metro East

Both Madison and St. Clair Counties in Illinois offer endless opportunities for recreation.

Madison and St. Clair Counties, Illinois are part of the “Metro-East” region in southwestern Illinois, which lies adjacent to St. Louis, Missouri. This two-county area—also referred to as the “Metro East”—encompasses a total area of 1,415 mi.² along the bluffs of the Mississippi River and the American Bottoms. Picturesque, natural landscapes, family-friendly communities with that small town, big-city feel, and major centers for dining, shopping, and commerce: this is but a glimpse at what the Metro East offers both visitors and the nearly 523,000 residents that call it home. Madison and St. Clair Counties contain a mix of both suburban and rural communities that vary in size and opportunities for passive and active recreation, e.g., Alton, Belleville, East St. Louis, Edwardsville, Collinsville, Fairview Heights, Godfrey, O’Fallon, Scott Air Force Base, and others.

From its charming small towns and bustling mid-sized cities to its native prairielands, towering old growth forests, and ecologically rich wetlands, incredible opportunities for recreation, shopping, and dining are easily within reach across the two-county area. Beyond the Metro East’s more than 300+ public parks and 220+ miles of existing bike trails—an impressive feat on its own—the region is also home to several unique, must-see destinations like the Cahokia Mounds World Heritage Site, Malcolm W. Martin Memorial Park, Lewis and Clark (Camp River Dubois) State Historic Site, and the NASCAR Cup Series racetrack, World Wide Technology Raceway. It is also site of a state university, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, which is nestled among the bluffs outside of Edwardsville, IL and surrounded by natural beauty …there’s even a 35-acre garden and 380-acre nature preserve for hiking and other forms of passive recreation! And being a subset of the St. Louis metropolitan area, visitors and residents of the Metro East can enjoy convenient, seamless access to popular destinations on either side of the river, including locations like Downtown St. Louis, the St. Louis Zoo, and Gateway Arch National Park.

The region also enjoys a robust public transit system with connections to and from communities across the Metro East, as well as the City of St. Louis. With public transit options like buses and light rail and the growing bicycle-pedestrian network of greenways, converted railways, and interconnected paths and trail spurs that interlink our neighborhoods, businesses, parks, and communities, getting around the Metro East is a breeze!

Whether you are visiting the area for the first time or a longtime resident looking to plan your weekend itinerary, Metro East Recreation is your new hub for all things public recreation in Madison and St. Clair Counties, Illinois.

The 2-county region boasts more than 28,000 acres of park and green space, as well as 300 miles of trails, including 220 miles of bike trails, 56 miles of natural surface hiking trails, and 81 miles of walking paths that intersect the parks, nature preserves, and other public green spaces around the region. With such an expansive footprint, this network of parks and trails offers cyclists, runners, hikers, dog-walkers, paddlers, and everyone in-between a convenient and enjoyable way to experience the endless opportunities for recreation in the Metro East!