Driving Around Cape Girardeau, Missouri in 4k Video

Filmed on Saturday, September 7 2024, I drive around Cape Girardeau, MO to see what's going on. After having driven all over the Midwest and into the South, I can declare that Cape Girardeau is where the Midwest ends and the South begins. The city is named after Jean Baptiste de Girardot, who established a temporary trading post in the area around 1733. The "Cape" in the city name referred to a rock formation overlooking the Mississippi River. The town of Cape Girardeau was incorporated in 1808, prior to Missouri statehood. It was reincorporated as a city in 1843. The advent of the steamboat in 1835 and related river trade stimulated the development of Cape Girardeau as the biggest port on the Mississippi River between St. Louis and Memphis. For years travelers had to use ferries to cross the Mississippi River from Cape Girardeau. In September 1928 a bridge was completed between Missouri and Illinois. In December 2003, the "Old Bridge" was succeeded by a new four-lane cable-stayed bridge. Its official name is "The Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge.", honoring former U.S. Rep. Bill Emerson. The "Old Bridge" was demolished after the Emerson Bridge opened. Cape Girardeau is home to Southeast Missouri State University, enrolling nearly 10,000 students each year. The largest employers in Cape Girardeau are the St. Francis Medical Center and Mercy Hospital. Due to its location, Cape Girardeau hospitals serve a geographical area of more than 650,000 people from Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Illinois, and Arkansas. Radio personality Rush Limbaugh hails from Cape Girardeau. #drivingtour #missouri #capegirardeau