Cape Girardeau
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Cape Girardeau

Cape Girardeau

Mississippi River city on a limestone bluff, with a mural-lined floodwall and university-town energy.

Cape Girardeau sits on a limestone bluff above a bend in the Mississippi River in the southeastern corner of Missouri. Known locally as "the Cape," it's the largest city in the region and home to Southeast Missouri State University, which gives it more life than most towns this size. The historic downtown along Broadway runs close to the river with a floodwall painted in murals depicting local and regional history.

The area carries real historical weight. The Trail of Tears passed through here in the 1830s — Trail of Tears State Park north of town marks one of the Cherokee crossing points on the Mississippi — and the region saw significant Civil War activity, including the earthwork fortifications of Fort A on the bluffs above town. The 1854 Court of Common Pleas and the Warehouse Row Historic District give the downtown genuine architectural distinction.

Guide

Eating Out

Cape Girardeau's restaurant scene is concentrated in the historic downtown along Broadway and the adjacent streets. The Southeast Missouri State University population supports a better range of independent restaurants than the city's size alone would suggest. Broussard's Cajun Cuisine on Broadway is a local institution for Louisiana-style cooking — reflecting the region's historical ties to the French colonial Mississippi corridor. Port Cape Girardeau, in a restored building near the riverfront, is the go-to for dinner with a view.

Guide

Things to Do

Cape Girardeau's appeal is concentrated in its historic downtown and its relationship with the Mississippi River. The floodwall murals, the bluffs, and a compact collection of museums and historic buildings form a half-day circuit. The Trail of Tears National Historic Trail passes through town, and the Cape Girardeau Court of Common Pleas building — one of the oldest courthouses on the Mississippi — anchors a downtown with genuine historic depth.