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The Transplant’s Guide to Living in Dardenne Prairie, MO

Located right in the middle of St. Charles County, Dardenne Prairie is a lesser-known suburb of St. Louis with the same style as the neighboring towns of O’Fallon and Wentzville.

Known for its small-town feel yet proximity to suburban amenities, Dardenne Prairie offers endless family fun, outdoor recreation, entertainment, and more options.

Dardenne Prairie: Small Town Spot Where Families Score Big

Inverness: A New Type of Master-Planned Community

The new Inverness neighborhood is one of the biggest additions to Dardenne Prairie’s housing stock.

Inverness is a 266-home housing development on 106 acres in a prime location next to Feise and Bryan Roads.

New homes in inverness dardenne Prairie MO

Currently in Phase 3 of development, the Inverness neighborhood features homes clustered around outdoor community spaces. Inverness includes:

  • Four tranquil lakes
  • Landscaped roundabouts
  • Pocket parks connected by walking trails

Inverness backs up to Lake Forest Country Club, and new homeowners receive a 1-year free social membership to the club! Lake Forest has a great social scene, and beautiful golf courses, and it’s where lots of people who live in Lake St. Louis come to hang out on weekends.

The winding streets make Inverness a unique neighborhood compared to some of the more boxy master-planned communities in Dardenne Prairie.

A signature element of Inverness’ site plan is variable building setbacks, allowing the facades of each home to shine while enhancing the neighborhood’s open and inviting curb appeal. This somewhat reduces the cookie-cutter feel that new neighborhoods have.

Together these design elements create a stunning brand new community with modern homes.

New construction homes in Inverness, Dardenne Prairie MO

The three well-known homebuilders in Inverness are:

  1. Lombardo
  2. McKelvey
  3. Fischer

Prairie Encore: Dardenne Prairie’s Latest Commercial Development

Prairie Encore Development in Dardenne Prairie, MO

In addition to the growing housing developments, construction on a new commercial development on Bryan Road is underway. Prairie Encore is right below Inverness, and it’s the next big commercial project in the city of Dardenne Prairie.

Currently, it’s agricultural land, but soon it will be a mixed-use shopping center.

Prairie Encore will include:

  • Scooter’s coffee drive-thru
  • Macadoodles Wine Cellar
  • A convenience store
  • Multi-family apartment building

Dardenne Prairie: Lowest Taxes in the Area

If you like low taxes, you’ll love living in Dardenne Prairie.

Dardenne Prairie boasts one of the lowest tax rates in St. Charles County: 4.792% sales tax and 0.589% property tax.

This keeps more money in residents’ wallets while still funding top-rated schools, infrastructure, and city services.

The area provides easy access to groceries, gas stations, boutique shopping, and chain retailers—all without the high tax rates of neighboring counties.

Recreation and Entertainment in Dardenne Prairie

Outdoor recreational activities thrive thanks to numerous parks throughout Dardenne Prairie. Families make memories of walking and biking on scenic trails that connect neighborhoods to parks and beyond.

Some of the best parks in Dardenne Prairie include City Hall Park’s splash pad, amphitheater, and playgrounds. There are also Barathaven Park’s trails, lake, soccer fields, and a cricket pitch.

Additionally, the Dardenne Prairie Athletic Complex provides space for softball and baseball on the park’s three ballfields as well as popular pickleball courts. Nearby, kids delight in Kinetic Park, home to the largest outdoor skatepark in Missouri as well as a 30-foot indoor rock climbing wall. Grown-ups can relax over drinks and meals at local favorites like Town Square Pub N Grub.

Dardenne Town Square

For those looking for a bit of retail therapy and yummy food, Dardenne Town Square is a vibrant retail development easily accessible from anywhere in St. Charles County.

Dardenne Prairie Town Square

The retail complex includes four large stores, including a Shop N’ Save grocery store, Target, JCPenney, and Movie Theatre. Additionally, the town square houses a variety of smaller retail spaces and 10 outlets filled by popular chains like Petco, Red Robin, and Starbucks, among others.

Dardenne Town Square has plenty of variety for everyone, and its convenient location to neighborhoods and highways means you can finish your shopping quickly.

Dardenne Prairie is a small, lesser-known area, just like Winghaven. But it has so much to offer if you’re moving to the area.

Moving to Dardenne Prairie, MO

With its natural beauty, new neighborhoods like Inverness, amenities galore, and low tax rates, Dardenne Prairie truly offers the best of everything for St. Louis residents.

The area exudes small-town charm while providing quick access to St. Louis’ world-class attractions. Dardenne Prairie is the perfect spot to call home.

If you are interested in exploring the new neighborhoods in Dardenne Prairie, reach out to us! We help new clients in Dardenne Prairie all the time and love sharing our knowledge of the St. Louis real estate market. We’d love to work with you.

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Mindy Bushman

Mindy Bushman spent 12 years as a property manager in commercial real estate after graduating from Northwest Missouri State University. As a licensed real estate agent, Mindy serves buyers and sellers in St. Charles, St. Louis, Warren, and Lincoln counties. Mindy has always been in customer service and loves working and connecting with people. She guides her clients through every step of the real estate process. The cutting-edge technology and world-class marketing support of Gateway Realty Group bolster her marketing proficiency. A full-scale marketing strategy, combined with Mindy's highly effective negotiation skills, gives her clients a competitive edge and a top return on their investment. Known for her warm and inviting demeanor, Mindy holds the utmost professional standards with her clients.