St. Louis’ new geospatial identity is emerging, and people across the country are noticing

St. Louis is again playing host for the GEOINT Symposium, drawing thousands to the city’s downtown this week for the largest annual gathering of geospatial intelligence professionals in the country.

This year’s event, less than two years after the city last hosted it, comes at a critical time for the region as many of the investments into the industry begin to bear fruit.

“St. Louis is the place to be if you want to position yourself at the future of GEOINT,” said Vice Adm. Frank Whitworth, the current National Geospatial Intelligence Agency director, during his keynote address.

The Gateway City has a long history with the NGA dating to the early 1800s, adding another chapter when its next facility opens in north St. Louis by early 2026, Whitworth said. He also announced a change to that facility’s name to NGA-St. Louis from NGA West.

“There’s a pride there,” he said. “It’s important for people to connect with where they are as well as who they’re with. This is the first place where we’re going to try this on for size.”

The name change may be minor, but it underscores an emerging identity for the St. Louis region as a leader in the geospatial industry.