St. Louis at a glance
| Metro area | St. Louis, MO-IL |
|---|---|
| Area codes | 314 and 557 (St. Louis city and county), 636 (St. Charles and outer Missouri counties), 618 and 730 (the Metro East in Illinois) |
| Business districts | Downtown and Washington Avenue, the Central West End, the Hill, South City, St. Charles, the Metro East in Illinois |
| Time zone | Central Time |
St. Louis, MO-IL is one of the 25 largest U.S. metro areas in the Census Bureau's population estimates.
Small business in the St. Louis area
St. Louis small businesses include restaurants on the Hill and in South City, brick-home contractors, roofers and HVAC companies, healthcare offices near the big medical centers, and logistics and manufacturing suppliers. The metro crosses the Mississippi into Illinois, where recording rules are stricter than Missouri's.
Where Ava helps St. Louis businesses
- Two-state service areas. Trades serving both Missouri and the Metro East can have Ava confirm the city and capture job details.
- Brick-home repairs. Tuckpointing, roofing and plumbing companies can have Ava take job requests while crews work.
- Restaurants on the Hill. Restaurants can send rush-hour calls to Ava for reservation and carryout requests.
An example call
Gateway Tuckpointing (example) · Ava, AI receptionist
Our chimney's losing mortar in South City
I'm the company's AI assistant, and this call may be recorded. I'll set up an estimate. What's the address?
Recording calls in the St. Louis area
Missouri uses one-party consent for phone calls (Mo. Rev. Stat. § 542.402), but Illinois generally requires all-party consent to record private conversations (720 ILCS 5/14-2). A recording notice in Ava's greeting covers both. Read more on the state pages for Missouri, Illinois.
Ava always says she's an AI. If your setup records calls, the script we draft adds a short recording notice to her greeting, and you approve the wording.
Sources
- Justia 50-state recording survey (reviewed Sept. 2024)
- 720 ILCS 5/14-2 (Illinois General Assembly)
- 18 U.S.C. § 2511
- Census Bureau metro population estimates
General information, not legal advice. Checked November 3, 2026; laws change.