Cape Girardeau is a city located in Cape Girardeau and Scott counties in the state of Missouri, United States. It serves as the economic center of southeastern Missouri and is the home of Southeast Missouri State University. The city is situated approximately 100 miles southeast of St. Louis and 150 miles north of Memphis, Tennessee.
According to the 2020 census, Cape Girardeau had a population of 39,540, making it the 17th-largest city in Missouri. It functions as a principal city of the Cape Girardeau–Jackson metropolitan area, which has a total population of 97,517 residents.