[7] A Mississippian site, dated to around the year 1000, containing the remains of what have been identified as a market and ceremonial center, is also located in modern Chesterfield.

[7] The present-day city of Chesterfield is made up of several smaller historical communities, including: On January 24, 1967, a violent F4 tornado ripped a 21-mile (34 km) path of destruction across St. Louis County.

The tornado developed near the Chesterfield Manor nursing home and then moved through River Bend Estates and across northeast St. Louis County.

[8] The name "Chesterfield" was given by landowner Justus Post who arrived in Missouri in 1815 and began amassing an estate in the location of the present-day city.

Although Post eventually left Missouri and moved to Illinois, his chosen placename of "Chesterfield" stuck.

[9] For many years, "Chesterfield" was an all-inclusive place-name for a vast, unincorporated sub-region of western St. Louis County (called "West County" by metro area residents) containing the unincorporated historical communities listed above, plus areas now incorporated as cities of their own (e.g., Ballwin).

As the population grew, Chesterfield Mall and other retail and commercial real estate developments sprang up; however, many residents were concerned about the lack of quality public services, and that the municipal sales tax benefited the county instead of the community.

Headed by its president, John A. Nuetzel (himself a former president of the River Bend Association, a zoning watchdog group), the members "passed the hat" at neighborhood meetings, engaged legal help, drew up metes and bounds, and forced several failed public votes for incorporation.

After a number of years, in 1988, The City of Chesterfield was finally established by its residents and their families, and has thrived as perhaps West County's premier residential, business, retail, and transportation center.

[citation needed] On July 30, 1993, the levee that protected Gumbo Flats (now known as the Chesterfield Valley) from the Missouri River failed.

[10] At the Chesterfield Village Research Center the first work on genetically-modified organisms took place, with the first genetically modified potato being grown on 2 June 1987.

This area was submerged during the Great Flood of 1993; higher levees built since then have led to extensive commercial development in the valley.

Chesterfield Valley is the location of Spirit of St. Louis Airport, used for corporate aviation, as well as the longest outdoor strip mall in America.

Reinsurance Group of America, Dierbergs, Kellwood, Amdocs, Aegion and Broadstripe have their headquarters in Chesterfield.

[20] Faust Park contains a playground, historical village, walking trail, carousel, and The Butterfly House,[21] which opened in 1998.

[28] Public transportation is provided by Metro and connects Chesterfield to many other portions of Greater St. Louis by numerous bus routes.

CMR operates the far eastern segment of the former Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway's St. Louis to Kansas City main line that was constructed in 1870.