state ▁ 5 5 , ▁Inter state ▁ 5 7 , ▁and ▁U . S . ▁Route ▁ 6 0 , ▁S ik eston ▁is ▁close ▁to ▁the ▁half way ▁point ▁between ▁St . ▁Louis ▁and ▁M emph is ▁and ▁three ▁hours ▁from ▁Nash ville . ▁The ▁city ▁is ▁named ▁after ▁John ▁S ikes , ▁who ▁founded ▁it ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 0 . ▁It ▁is ▁the ▁principal ▁city ▁of ▁the ▁S ik eston ▁Mic ropol itan ▁Statist ical ▁Area , ▁which ▁consists ▁of ▁all ▁of ▁Scott ▁County , ▁and ▁has ▁a ▁total ▁population ▁of ▁ 4 1 , 1 4 3 . ▁ ▁As ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁census , ▁the ▁city ▁population ▁was ▁ 1 6 , 3 1 8 , ▁making ▁it ▁the ▁fourth - most ▁popul ous ▁city ▁in ▁Missouri ' s ▁ 8 th ▁Cong r essional ▁district ▁( map ) ▁behind ▁Cape ▁Gir arde au , ▁Rol la , ▁and ▁Pop lar ▁Bl uff ▁and ▁just ▁ahead ▁of ▁Farm ington . ▁Before ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁census , ▁it ▁had ▁been ▁the ▁second - most ▁popul ous ▁city ▁in ▁the ▁district . ▁ ▁Geography ▁S ik eston ▁is ▁located ▁at ▁ ▁( 3 6 . 8 7 9 5 7 0 , ▁- 8 9 . 5 8 5 1 7 2 ). ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Census ▁Bureau , ▁the ▁city ▁has ▁a ▁total ▁area ▁of ▁, ▁of ▁which ▁ ▁is ▁land ▁and ▁ ▁is ▁water . ▁The