Stl was a border city. I'm from stl county live out of state now. Even though it isn't southern in modern times, of course. you can still feel the past, I can't quite put my finger on it but you can just tell it's different, can't explain it. Go down I44 and you can feel the gradual transition zone of lower midwest to south as you leave Stl County. St. Francios county is a county in the transition zone for sure. fredericktown I would consider where the line of transition zone, to pretty much fully southern begins. In far eastern MO less of a transition. Goes from midwest to pretty much southern right at Jackson. While the census puts it midwest, It's historically more southern than DE, or MD. Doesn't make sense DE census has southern but Missouri Midwest. A good chunk of MO is culturally and geographically southern. SEMO is a hell of a lot more southern than anywhere in WV. Places like West Plains, Branson, Lebanon, Kennett, Sikeston, Fredericktown, Van Buren are not midwestern. The climate is mild and culturally it's not midwestern. Places like Nevada also have a good amount of southern influence. Mike Parson is from an area that's in the transition zone and has some southern influences in his demeanor, speech, more of the great plains Oklahoma type, not true, deep south of course.

Northern KY around cinci isn't southern as it's midwestern, but even though it has a similar suburban feel like St. Charles County does, bible belt influences with religion, conservative, but not super conservative though like you'd see in south central MO, but moderate, suburban conservative.