Peoria, Illinois

Peoria is a city in Peoria County, Illinois, United States. It is the county seat and lies along the Illinois River. As of the 2020 census, Peoria is the eighth-most populous city in Illinois, with a population of 113,150. It is the main city of the Peoria metropolitan area in Central Illinois, which includes several counties and has around 402,000 people.

The city was founded in 1691 by the French explorer Henri de Tonti, making it the oldest permanent European settlement in Illinois. It was originally called Fort Clark and later named after the Peoria people, part of the Illinois Confederation. In 1854, Abraham Lincoln gave an important speech in Peoria opposing the Kansas–Nebraska Act.

Peoria has a strong history in the American whiskey industry and was once home to more distilleries than any other U.S. city. Today, it remains an important center for trade, shipping, and manufacturing, especially in heavy machinery and agricultural equipment. Although the headquarters of Caterpillar Inc. moved away in recent years, the company's influence is still felt.

The city is well-known for the phrase "Will it play in Peoria?", which refers to whether something would be accepted by the general public. Peoria has several interesting museums, such as the Peoria Riverfront Museum and the Peoria Playhouse Children's Museum, making it a place rich in history and culture.

History

Main article: History of Peoria, Illinois

Peoria, Illinois, was one of the first places where Europeans settled in what is now the United States. French explorers arrived along the Illinois River in the late 1600s and built a fort. Over time, the small settlement grew into the city we know today.

The city was named after the Peoria tribe, part of the Illinois Confederation. It became an official village in 1835 and a city in 1845. In the late 1800s, Peoria was important for bicycle racing and was called the “Mecca” of the sport. In more recent years, Peoria has seen changes, including becoming more popular for people to move to because of its affordable homes and arts scene.

Geography

Peoria, Illinois, covers a total area of 50.23 square miles, with most of it being land and a smaller part being water.

The city has cold, snowy winters and hot, humid summers. Temperatures can range from very cold in winter to quite warm in summer. Snow falls in the winter, and the city gets about 36 inches of rain or snow each year, with more happening in the spring and summer months.

Demographics

2020 census

According to a survey in 2021, about 19.7 percent of people in Peoria lived in poverty. The middle amount of money a household made was about $53,568 in 2022. The number of people living in Peoria went down a little, from 113,176 in 2020 to about 111,021 in 2022. In 2018, Peoria was listed as one of the more difficult cities for Black Americans due to differences in income, education, and jobs between Black and white people.

2010 Census

In 2010, 115,021 people lived in Peoria. The city had many different kinds of people: 62.4% were White, 26.9% were Black or African American, 0.3% were Native American, 4.6% were Asian, and 3.6% were of mixed races. About 4.9% of the people were Hispanic or Latino. Peoria also has a long-standing Lebanese community.

Most households had 2.39 people, and families usually had 3.04 people. About a quarter of the city’s people were younger than 18, and 14.2% were older than 65. The middle amount of money a household made was $36,397, and about 18.8% of people lived in poverty.

Economy

Peoria, Illinois, has had many different industries over the years. It began with a flour mill built in 1830 and later included making pork, carriages, pottery, and furniture. The city became famous for making alcohol, with many distilleries and breweries that helped pay for important things during a big war.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Peoria grew into a place for making farm machines, including plows and tractors. Companies like Caterpillar became very important there. Even today, big companies such as Caterpillar and OSF HealthCare still play a big role in the city's work and jobs.

Shopping areas like Northwoods Mall and several other centers give people many places to shop. The city also has research centers and hospitals that help with new ideas and taking care of people's health.

Arts and culture

Peoria, Illinois, has many places to explore and enjoy the arts. The city is home to several museums, including the Peoria Riverfront Museum and the Caterpillar World Visitors Center, located in the Museum Block downtown. Other museums include the Pettengill-Morron House and the John C Flanagan House.

Peoria also hosts many fun festivals each year. The Heart of Illinois Fair, which started in 1949, includes rides, games, and concerts. The Steamboat Classic is a big running race held every summer. There are also art fairs, music festivals, and holiday parades, such as the Peoria Santa Claus Parade, which is one of the oldest in the United States.

The city has a rich tradition of performing arts. The Peoria Symphony Orchestra is one of the oldest in the country. There are also bands, choirs, ballet groups, and theaters, including the Peoria Players, which is one of the oldest community theaters in Illinois.

The Peoria Civic Center is a large venue with an arena, convention space, and a theater. It hosts many events, including sports games and concerts. Nearby is the Hotel Pere Marquette, which connects to the Civic Center and is used for big events and conventions.

Peoria’s libraries began in 1855 and today include five locations, serving the community with books and resources.

Registered historic places

Peoria has many historic buildings and places, including the Central National Bank Building, the Peoria City Hall, the Pere Marquette Hotel, and the Rock Island Depot, among others. These sites show the city's rich history.

Sports

See also: Category:Sports clubs and teams in Peoria, Illinois

Former sports teams

Parks and recreation

Grandview Drive is a beautiful road that runs through Peoria and Peoria Heights. It was once called the "world's most beautiful drive" by Theodore Roosevelt during a visit in 1910. The Peoria Park District has many parks and trails covering 9,000 acres, which is the largest park system in Illinois. There are trails like the Illinois River Bluff Trail and the Rock Island Greenway, which connects to nearby places.

Other fun spots include the Forest Park Nature Center with hiking trails, Glen Oak Park, and Bradley Park, which has disc golf and a dog park. Peoria has five public golf courses and several private ones too. The Peoria Zoo, located in Glen Oak Park, was expanded and improved in 2009. It now features a large African safari exhibit. Luthy Garden, established in 1951, has many themed gardens and a Conservatory.

Government

See also: List of mayors of Peoria, Illinois

Peoria is a city that has its own rules and leaders. It has a mayor and ten members of a city council. They work together to make decisions for the city using a special way of sharing jobs called council-manager. The city is split into five areas, and each area chooses one council member. Five more council members are chosen by everyone in the city together.

Township of the City of Peoria

The Township of the City of Peoria is a different group that helps manage parts of the city. It was set up to match the city’s area and has grown over time. The township includes many neighborhoods such as Downtown, East Bluff, and University East, among others. Some smaller towns that used to be separate are now part of the city.

Education

Peoria has many schools for children of all ages. The largest public school system is Peoria Public Schools District 150, which includes several elementary and middle schools, and three public high schools: Richwoods High School, Manual High School, and Peoria High School. There are also schools run by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Peoria, such as Peoria Notre Dame High School, and other private schools like Peoria Christian School.

The city is also home to several colleges and universities, including Bradley University, Methodist College, and the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria.

Media

Main article: Media in Peoria, Illinois

Peoria is a place where people can listen to radio and watch television. As of 2024, Peoria is the 157th largest radio area in the United States, and the Peoria-Bloomington area is the 122nd largest television area in the country.

The area has many radio and television stations, along with one daily newspaper called the Peoria Journal Star.

NOAA Weather Radio

There is a special weather radio station called NOAA Weather Radio in East Peoria. It helps people know about dangerous weather. The station sends out special signals to warn people about severe weather and other important alerts for several counties in Illinois, including Fulton, Knox, Marshall, Mason, McLean, Peoria, Stark, Tazewell, and Woodford. Every Wednesday, the station tests its warning signals between 11 AM and noon.

Infrastructure

Health and medicine

Peoria is an important place for healthcare. About a quarter of the city’s jobs are in this industry. The city has three big hospitals: OSF Saint Francis Medical Center, Carle Health Peoria – Methodist, and Carle Health Peoria – Proctor. There are also special places for children, like the Children's Hospital of Illinois, and important schools for doctors, such as the University of Illinois College of Medicine. These hospitals are close together near Interstate 74 and Knoxville Avenue.

Transportation

Peoria has many roads to help people travel. Three big highways, called Interstates, go through the area: Interstate 74, Interstate 474, and Interstate 155. These highways connect Peoria to other cities like the Quad Cities and Bloomington-Normal.

There are also smaller roads called state routes that go through Peoria, like Illinois Route 6, Illinois Route 8, and Illinois Route 29. These roads help people move around the city and nearby towns.

Peoria used to have many trains, but now it mostly has freight trains. There are still plans to bring back passenger train service between Peoria and Chicago, which would take about two and a half hours.

People in Peoria can ride buses to get around. The Greater Peoria Mass Transit District runs these buses. There is also an airport, General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport, where people can fly to other places.

Notable people

Main article: List of people from Peoria, Illinois

Peoria, Illinois, has been home to many famous people. Some of them are Gerald Thomas Bergan, a leader in the Roman Catholic Church, and Lydia Moss Bradley, who helped start Bradley University.

Other notable individuals include Nikki Budzinski, a U.S. representative for Illinois, Dan Fogelberg, a well-known singer and songwriter, and Betty Friedan, a writer and activist who supported women's rights. There are also many athletes and artists from Peoria, such as Shaun Livingston, a professional basketball player, and Richard Pryor, a famous comedian and actor.

Peoria in popular culture

Peoria is often used to represent everyday American culture in movies, books, TV, and ads. People sometimes ask, "Will it play in Peoria?" to see if something will appeal to regular folks.

The first level of the arcade game Rampage takes place in Peoria. The character Doctor Neo Cortex, the main bad guy in the Crash Bandicoot games, was born there. The 2018 Netflix show Prince of Peoria is set in the city, even though most of it wasn’t filmed there. The band Mudvayne started in Peoria in 1996. Author David Foster Wallace also wrote about Peoria in his unfinished novel The Pale King.

Sister cities

Peoria has several sister cities around the world. These include:

• Aitou, Lebanon
• Benxi, China
• Clonmel, Ireland
• Friedrichshafen, Germany