The St. Louis Cardinals farm system consists of six Minor League Baseball affiliates across the United States and in the Dominican Republic. Three teams are owned by the major league club, while three others—the Memphis Redbirds, Springfield Cardinals, and Peoria Chiefs—are independently owned.
The Cardinals have been affiliated with the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds of the International League since 1998, making it the longest-running active affiliation in the organization among teams not owned by the Cardinals. The longest affiliation in team history was the 37-year relationship with the Texas League's Houston Buffaloes from 1919 to 1942 and 1946 to 1958. Their newest affiliate is the High-A Peoria Chiefs of the Midwest League, which became a Cardinals affiliate in 2013.
Geographically, St. Louis' closest domestic affiliate is the Peoria Chiefs, which are approximately 146 miles (235 km) away. St. Louis' furthest domestic affiliates are the Single-A Palm Beach Cardinals of the Florida State League and the Rookie Florida Complex League Cardinals of the Florida Complex League, which share a facility some 998 miles (1,606 km) away.