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. It is the main city of the Peoria metropolitan area in Central Illinois.

The city was founded in 1691 by the French explorer Henri de Tonti. It was later named after the Peoria people, part of the Illinois Confederation. In 1854, Abraham Lincoln gave an important speech in Peoria.

Peoria has a history in the American whiskey industry and was once home to many distilleries. Today, it is an important center for trade, shipping, and manufacturing. The company's influence is still felt, even though its headquarters moved away.

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.

History

Main article: History of Peoria, Illinois

Peoria, Illinois, was one of the first places where Europeans settled in 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 recent years, Peoria has become more popular for people to move to because of its affordable homes and arts scene.

Geography

Peoria, Illinois, covers an area of 50.23 square miles. Most of this area is land, and a smaller part is water.

The city has cold winters with snow and hot, humid summers. Temperatures change a lot between winter and summer. Peoria gets about 36 inches of rain or snow each year, mostly in spring and summer.

Demographics

2020 census

A survey in 2021 found that about 19.7 percent of people in Peoria lived in poverty. In 2022, the middle amount of money a household made was about $53,568. The number of people living in Peoria went down a little, from 113,176 in 2020 to about 111,021 in 2022.

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 started with a flour mill built in 1830. Later, people made pork, carriages, pottery, and furniture there. The city became known for making alcohol, with many distilleries and breweries.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Peoria became a place for making farm machines, like plows and tractors. Companies like Caterpillar grew to be very important. Today, big companies such as Caterpillar and OSF HealthCare still help provide jobs in the city.

Shopping areas like Northwoods Mall and other centers give people many places to shop. The city also has research centers and hospitals that support new ideas and health care.

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 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.

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, 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 goes through Peoria and Peoria Heights. It was once called the "world's most beautiful drive" by Theodore Roosevelt in 1910. The Peoria Park District has many parks and trails. There are trails like the Illinois River Bluff Trail and the Rock Island Greenway.

Other fun spots include the Forest Park Nature Center with hiking trails, Glen Oak Park, and Bradley Park. Peoria has five public golf courses. The Peoria Zoo, located in Glen Oak Park, has a large African safari exhibit. Luthy Garden has many themed gardens and a Conservatory.

Government

See also: List of mayors of Peoria, Illinois

Peoria is a city with its own leaders. It has a mayor and ten members of a city council. They make decisions for the city using a special way of sharing jobs called council-manager. The city is divided into five areas, and each area picks 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 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. It has 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. Many jobs in the city 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.

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 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 in movies, books, TV, and ads to show everyday American life. 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 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