Edwardsville is a small suburban city located about 25 miles northeast of Saint Louis. While the close proximity to Saint Louis makes Edwardsville a popular choice for commuters (with the great schools and low crime rate boosting the appeal for families), the city hosts a thriving commercial sector of its own, including everything from big box retailers to the cozy and historic Downtown district along Main Street. The community is known around the region as the home of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, whose sprawling and heavily wooded campus serves around 15,000 students and employs hundreds of locals as faculty and staff members.