Originally incorporated as the Village of Hazelwood on Sept. 7, 1949, the City of Hazelwood is part of the Florissant Valley. It has a rich heritage that dates back to Indian settlements in 4,000 B.C. Both French and Spanish explorers settled in the area in late 1600s and 1700s.
In 1949 a group of farmers won an annexation battle to prevent Hazelwood from being incorporated into the City of Florissant. This was due to the increase of industry and businesses flooding into Hazelwood.
Hazelwood has grown to be one of the largest cities in St. Louis County. There are about 27,000 residents and more than 1,000 businesses, including 12 Fortune 500 companies, six Fortune 1,000 companies and 10 corporate headquarters.
The City of Hazelwood is a Home Rule Charter City, governed by a council and manager form of government, with an elected mayor and eight council members representing eight wards.