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Bartonville, Illinois

Bartonville is a village in Peoria County, Illinois, United States. The population was 6,471 at the 2010 census. Bartonville is a suburb of Peoria and is part of the Peoria, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography
Bartonville is located at 40.64528°N, -89.66028°W (40.645387, -89.660364).

According to the 2010 census, Bartonville has a total area of 8.615 sqmi, of which 8.19 sqmi (or 95.07%) is land and 0.425 sqmi (or 4.93%) is water.

Bartonville is situated on U.S. Route 24, Interstate I-474, part of the Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyagers National Scenic Byway.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 6,310 people, 2,601 households, and 1,810 families residing in the village. The population density was 786.2 PD/sqmi. There were 2,699 housing units at an average density of 336.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 98.08% White, 0.40% African American, 0.06% Native American, 0.38% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.33% from other races, and 0.73% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.97% of the population.

There were 2,601 households, out of which 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.4% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.4% were non-families. 25.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 23.1% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.5 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $40,766, and the median income for a family was $49,909. Males had a median income of $36,324 versus $24,214 for females. The per capita income for the village was $20,580. About 4.3% of families and 7.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.4% of those under age 18 and 1.4% of those age 65 or over.

Important locations
Located directly to the north of the village are the General Wayne Downing Peoria International Airport and the 182d Airlift Wing of the United States Air Force.

The local high school is Limestone Community High School.

The Peoria State Hospital was located in Bartonville until it closed in 1973.

The E.D. Edwards Power Plant, opened in 1960 and retired at the end of 2022 following a federal lawsuit filed in 2013 by local and national environmental groups.

Notable people

 * Mike Dunne, pitcher for several Major League Baseball teams, attended Limestone Community High School in Bartonville.
 * Jim Thome, first baseman for several Major League Baseball teams, attended Limestone Community High School in Bartonville.

title: Bartonville, Illinois


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Bellevue, Illinois

Bellevue is a village in Peoria County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,978 at the 2010 census. Bellevue is a suburb of Peoria and is part of the Peoria, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography
Bellevue is located at 40.68833°N, -89.66944°W (40.688247, -89.669367).

According to the 2010 census, Bellevue has a total area of 2.08 sqmi, all land.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,887 people, 741 households, and 512 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,124.3 PD/sqmi. There were 872 housing units at an average density of 519.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 95.65% White, 1.01% African American, 0.26% Native American, 0.69% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.48% from other races, and 1.85% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.59% of the population.

There were 741 households, out of which 36.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.8% were married couples living together, 16.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.9% were non-families. 25.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.06.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 29.4% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 31.2% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.5 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $31,098, and the median income for a family was $35,972. Males had a median income of $31,875 versus $20,396 for females. The per capita income for the village was $14,228. About 9.0% of families and 10.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.8% of those under age 18 and 6.9% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation
CityLink provides bus service on Routes 7, 13 and 15 connecting Bellevue to downtown Peoria, Peoria International Airport and other destinations.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Bellevue, Illinois


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Brimfield, Illinois

Brimfield (formerly Charleston) is a village in Peoria County, Illinois, United States.

The population was 868 at the 2010 census. Brimfield is part of the Peoria, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography
Brimfield is located at 40.83833°N, -89.88389°W (40.838210, -89.883999).

According to the 2010 census, Brimfield has a total area of 0.785 sqmi, of which 0.78 sqmi (or 99.36%) is land and 0.005 sqmi (or 0.64%) is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 933 people, 362 households, and 245 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,238.7 PD/sqmi. There were 369 housing units at an average density of 489.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 98.50% White, 0.32% Native American, 0.21% from other races, and 0.96% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.75% of the population.

There were 362 households, out of which 37.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.2% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.3% were non-families. 27.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.18.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 0% under the age of 18, 0% from 18 to 24, 0% from 25 to 44, 0% from 45 to 64, and 100% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $38,542, and the median income for a family was $42,083. Males had a median income of $36,250 versus $23,068 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,090. About 6.6% of families and 8.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.3% of those under age 18 and 1.8% of those age 65 or over.

Schools
Brimfield has both schools in Brimfield Community Unit School District 309: Brimfield Grade School and Brimfield High School.

title: Brimfield, Illinois


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Chillicothe, Illinois

Chillicothe is a city on the Illinois River in Peoria County, Illinois, United States. The population was 6,097 at the 2010 census. Chillicothe is just north of the city of Peoria and is part of the Peoria Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography
Chillicothe is located at 40.91979°N, -89.49285°W.

According to the 2010 census, Chillicothe has a total area of 5.415 sqmi, of which 5.13 sqmi (or 94.74%) is land and 0.285 sqmi (or 5.26%) is water.

Chillicothe is located on the Illinois River and on the parallel Iowa Interstate Railroad (IAIS) branch, from Bureau to Peoria, which was formerly the Rock Island Railroad. Crossing the IAIS and the Illinois River at Chillicothe is the former Santa Fe Railroad, now owned by BNSF Railway. Almost 4 miles outside of town the BNSF Railway operates one of the most notable civil engineering points on the Chillicothe Subdivision. Edelstein Hill is one of the steepest climbs on the railway system and attracts many railfans to see locomotives pulling intermodal trains up the hill.

The Illinois River runs both north and south connecting Chicago with St. Louis. Barge traffic is occasional as it is an efficient means of transportation for some bulk products. Eight miles to the north is Sparland and three miles to the south is Rome. Peoria is 20 miles to the south.

Chillicothe sits along the Illinois River Valley where gravel and sand from prehistoric river development sits. It is currently being dug up and is sold for construction and roadbeds. In Chillicothe there are relatively large service facilities and connections to the BNSF Railway.

Even though Chillicothe sits along a river valley, forests are very common. Marshall State Refuge sits to the north and Atchison Waterfowl Refuge in Woodford County. The bluffs that surround it are full of hunting spots and locations where deer are common. Duck hunting as well is popular in the waterfront sloughs and swamps to the north.

History
The name Chillicothe comes from the name of the Chalahgawtha sect of the Shawnee nation.

Along with Peoria, Chillicothe grew due to river traffic and quickly became a stop for barge and railroad traffic traveling to and from Chicago and St. Louis.

In the late 1800s, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway was building its mainline from Chicago to Kansas City and selected Chillicothe as its crossing point of the Illinois River. The railroad quickly became an establishment in Chillicothe as a crew change point and a notable stop in Central Illinois. Chillicothe today still remains a key point on the Southern Transcon route between Chicago and Los Angeles with high frequency intermodal freight trains moving through daily.

On November 5, 1988, Vice President George H.W. Bush, Representative Robert H. Michel, & Governor James Thompson stopped in Chillicothe to close out Election '88 in Illinois. Governor Thompson declared the day "Ilion Crabel Day" in honor of the city's record breaking city clerk. Crabel, elected in 1923, served as city clerk for 66 years until 1989.

Chillicothe is the host to The Summer Camp Music Festival, a multi-day music festival created by Jay Goldberg Events & Entertainment that is held annually at Three Sisters Park.

Education
Chillicothe is served by the Illinois Valley School District 321. Chillicothe is the primary area served by the school district along with the neighboring towns of Rome, Mossville, Edelstein, and a part of the area near Dunlap.

Within the school district, there are three primary schools and two junior highs. South School serves the northern half of the school district (Grades PK-3). Chillicothe Junior High (CJH) serves the northern half of the school district (Grades 4–8) in Chillicothe proper while Mossville Junior High (Grades K-8) serves the southern part of the school district. In the Illinois Elementary School Association (IESA) both schools have made themselves known in multiple sports.

Illinois Valley Central High School (IVC) serves Chillicothe and is the home to the Grey Ghosts. IVCHS like its junior highs has made themselves known in the state in various activities. Most notably, the IVC Marching Grey Ghosts have accumulated 15 state titles since 1990, most recently in 2019. In the IHSA, IVC were 2006 Class A Baseball State Champions, 2006 Boys' Basketball Class A State Runners-up, 2006 Class A Scholastic Bowl State Runnerups, 2008 Class AA Baseball State Runners-up, and most recently placed Third for Class AA Baseball in 2010.

Two private schools serve the Chillicothe area. Calvary Baptist Academy is a small, PK-12 school sponsored by Calvary Baptist Church. St. Edward's is a PK-8 Catholic School sponsored by St. Edward Parish. In 2016, St. Edward was featured in regional news outlets for the "Miracle in Chillicothe" fundraising campaign that collected over $500,000 in one week to complete emergency repairs to the building roof.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 5,996 people, 2,429 households, and 1,649 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,213.8 PD/sqmi. There were 2,544 housing units at an average density of 515.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 97.4% White, 0.2% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.2% Asian, <0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.1% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.5% of the population.

There were 2,429 households, out of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.5% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.1% were non-families. 28.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.7% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 17.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $40,697, and the median income for a family was $50,981. Males had a median income of $42,430 versus $23,295 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,118. About 5.1% of families and 6.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.5% of those under age 18 and 4.0% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation
Illinois Route 29 runs through Chillicothe north to south and is a strong artery running between I-180 in the north and Peoria to the south.

Since its creation the railroad has connected Chillicothe to the outside world. The Rock Island Railroad (now Iowa Interstate Railroad) serves Chillicothe paralleling the Illinois River. The Rock Island Rockets used to serve Chillicothe connecting Peoria & Chicago. As automobiles became more popular, the service was infrequently used. The last revenue service by the Peoria Rocket was on December 31, 1978.

Chillicothe was once a stop on the Santa Fe's Super Chief (Chicago to Los Angeles) & Texas Chief (Lone Star) (Chicago to Houston) on the section of the run between Chicago and Galesburg. It was also a stop on the Super Chief's successor, the Southwest Limited/Southwest Chief. In 1996, however, following the merger of the Burlington Northern and the Santa Fe railroads to form the BNSF, and a connection put in between the Burlington Northern line from Chicago and the Santa Fe's Chillicothe Subdivision at Cameron, Illinois, the Chief was rerouted to Galesburg over the BNSF's Mendota Subdivision (also used by the California Zephyr) through Naperville, Princeton, and Mendota. The last revenue passenger service was on July 31, 1996.

Unlike its neighbors, Chillicothe's crossing of the Illinois River throughout its history has primarily been via the railroad. At one time there was briefly a ferry service connecting residents of rural Woodford County during the 1920's. However, any serious proposal to build a road crossing has never gained traction.

Places of interest

 * Chillicothe Post Office, WPA mural "Rail Roading" by Arthur Herschel Lidov is on display.
 * The former Santa Fe Railroad station in the city, and Edelstein Hill near the city, are popular train watching locations.
 * The Chillicothe Historical Society Railroad Museum is located at Cedar and 3rd Streets in the old Rock Island depot.
 * Chillicothe Historical Society Fourth St. Museum, 723 N. 4th St., features eight rooms of historic artifacts.
 * Shore Acres Park, riverside park with 19th-century clubhouse formerly known as the Peoria Automobile Club.
 * Three Sisters Park is an agricultural park that hosts Spider Hill and Summer Camp Music Festival.
 * Town Theater, an art deco movie theater on N. 2nd St., is still in business showing films.

Notable people

 * Bill Krieg, Major League Baseball player
 * Lance (Henry) LeGault, TV and movie actor: Colonel Roderick Decker on The A-Team
 * Gene Maddox, Iowa state legislator and lawyer, was born in Chillicothe.
 * Zach McAllister, Major League Baseball player, currently a pitcher in the New York Yankees organization
 * Johnston McCulley, pulp author: created the Zorro stories upon which all later Zorro movies and books were based
 * Josh Taylor, TV actor: Roman Brady on the soap opera Days of Our Lives
 * William Owens, decorated Navy SEAL

title: Chillicothe, Illinois


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Dunlap, Illinois

Dunlap is a village in Peoria County, Illinois, United States. Its population was 1,386 people as of the 2010 census. Dunlap is part of the Peoria metropolitan area and growth in the city of Peoria is extending towards the village. There are only a handful of businesses in the village's 16 blocks.

History
The town of Dunlap was officially established on June 12, 1871, on 40 acres of land owned by Alva Dunlap. The site of his former home is now occupied by the Prospect United Methodist Church. The town was originally located along the Rock Island Railroad. A post office has been in operation at Dunlap since 1871.

The Dunlap Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue Squad was established in 1899. Police services are provided by the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office. The meeting of the first Dunlap Village Council was on January 7, 1952, and the town petitioned for incorporation on February 19, 1952. The current Village Hall was built in 1995.

Geography
According to the 2010 census, Dunlap has a total area of 0.54 sqmi, all land.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 926 people, 337 households, and 270 families residing in the suburb. Dunlap is a suburb of Peoria, IL and it is 15 miles from downtown. The population density was 2,482.3 PD/sqmi. There were 350 housing units at an average density of 938.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 98.52% White, 0.54% African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.51% Asian, and 0.22% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.30% of the population.

There were 337 households, out of which 40.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.7% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.6% were non-families. 16.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 27.1% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 23.8% from 45 to 64, and 9.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.9 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $56,364, and the median income for a family was $62,000. Males had a median income of $42,083 versus $24,732 for females. The per capita income for the village was $20,407. About 3.1% of families and 6.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.9% of those under age 18 and 12.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education
Schools in Dunlap Community Unit School District 323 include:
 * Banner Elementary School (K-5)
 * Dunlap Grade School Grades (K-5)
 * Dunlap High School Grades (9-12)
 * Dunlap Middle School Grades (6-8)
 * Dunlap Valley Middle School Grades (6-8)
 * Hickory Grove Elementary School Grades (K-5)
 * Ridgeview Elementary School Grades (K-5)
 * Wilder-Waite Grade School Grades (K-5)

title: Dunlap, Illinois


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Elmwood, Illinois

Elmwood is a city in Peoria County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,097 at the 2010 census. Elmwood is part of the Peoria, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History
The settlement was named after a beautiful community of elm trees near the mansion of William J. Phelps, and decided to call their settlement Elmwood. Phelps was the first postmaster and owned a barn that was part of the Underground Railroad. The town was platted in 1852.

On the night of June 5, 2010, an elephant trunk tornado touched down in Elmwood, destroying city hall and other area buildings, bringing down limbs and power lines, and damaging the roof of a theater. Although Elmwood suffered a great deal from the tornado, many town businesses re-opened.

Geography
Elmwood is located at 40.77833°N, -89.96833°W.

According to the 2010 census, Elmwood has a total area of 1.43 sqmi, all land.

Demographics
As of the 2000 United States Census, there were 1,945 people, 772 households, and 565 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,577.1 PD/sqmi. There were 806 housing units at an average density of 653.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 98.71% White, 0.15% African American, 0.36% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 0.05% from other races, and 0.57% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.82% of the population.

There were 772 households, out of which 34.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.3% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.8% were non-families. 24.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 26.5% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $44,500, and the median income for a family was $51,505. Males had a median income of $37,981 versus $22,557 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,797. About 2.4% of families and 2.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.6% of those under age 18 and 3.5% of those age 65 or over.

Culture
Elmwood is mentioned in Life and Times of Frederick Douglass (1881); Frederick Douglass gave a lyceum lecture in early February 1871 "on one of the frostiest and coldest nights I have ever experienced." Needing a place to stay in Peoria the following night, Elmwood citizen E.R. Brown suggested to Douglass that orator Robert G. Ingersoll "would gladly open his doors to you."

Elmwood hosts an annual strawberry festival in June.

Central Park features a statue by Elmwood native, Lorado Taft, called The Pioneers.

Notable people

 * L. R. Kershaw, Oklahoma pioneer, cattleman, and politician; born in Elmwood
 * Lora Marx, sculptor; born in Elmwood
 * Tim Monroe, racing driver; born in Elmwood
 * James D. Putnam, lawyer, business, and politician; lived in Elmwood
 * Lorado Taft, sculptor ("The Pioneers"), born in Elmwood
 * Bill Tuttle, outfielder for the Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Athletics and Minnesota Twins; born in Cramer, which is an unincorporated community within the current Elmwood zipcode.

title: Elmwood, Illinois


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Glasford, Illinois

Glasford is a village in Peoria County, Illinois, United States. The population was 866 at the 2020 census. Glasford is part of the Peoria, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History
Glasford or Glasco as it was called in 1868, was named for its founder, Samual Alexander Glasford/Glassford (1824-1896).

Samuel A. Glasford, whom arrived in Peoria County in 1842 from Ohio and was one of the early settlers of Timber Township, had the foresight to off lots where cornfields once stood. When the railroad was built by his farm residence, Mr. Glasford had the hindsight to realize Lancaster, Illinois would seek the railroad and laid out the town December 9, 1868, which became incorporated as a village in 1889. Glasco would become a center of trade and population along the new route of the Toledo, Peoria and Warsaw Railroad, bringing many new settlers and stores to Glasco in 1868.

The town has been called by many names in different publications; Glasford, Glassford, Glasco, and Glasgow, just as his name in Scotland where is father, Lord William Glasford was born, is Glassford but in America it was written as Glasford.

Geography
Glasford is located at 40.57167°N, -89.81278°W (40.571714, -89.812707).

According to the 2010 census, Glasford has a total area of 0.9 sqmi, all land.

Glasford is located near the "Glasford Disturbance", an area in which the normal layering of the bedrock has been highly disturbed. This is believed to be an ancient meteor crater known as the Glasford crater. The impact fractured the bedrock, and upended large blocks of sedimentary rocks. The crater has been completely filled by glacial action, so that no trace appears on the surface.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,076 people, 426 households, and 311 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,218.4 PD/sqmi. There were 448 housing units at an average density of 507.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 99.44% White, 0.09% Native American, 0.19% from other races, and 0.28% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.02% of the population.

There were 426 households, out of which 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.5% were married couples living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.8% were non-families. 23.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 24.3% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.6 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $37,019, and the median income for a family was $46,818. Males had a median income of $37,250 versus $21,188 for females. The per capita income for the village was $16,754. About 5.4% of families and 7.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.7% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.

Glasford is located in the Illini Bluffs Unit School District 327, and is home to the Illini Bluffs Elementary School, Illini Bluffs Middle School, and Illini Bluffs High School.

title: Glasford, Illinois


text:
Hanna City, Illinois

Hanna City is a village in Peoria County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,225 at the 2010 census. Hanna City is part of the Peoria Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Hanna City was founded in 1882 and named after William Hanna (born 1827), who was president of the Peoria-Farmington Railroad, which ran through Hanna City. While originally a farming community, coal was soon discovered under the town. The coal mine was a major factor in the early years of the town and kept it thriving for more than half a century. The main coal mine shaft was near the intersection of Second St and the railroad.

Geography
According to the 2010 census, Hanna City has a total area of 0.48 sqmi, all land.

Demographics
As of the 2000 census there were 1,013 people, 398 households, and 300 families residing in the village. The population density was 2,123.8 PD/sqmi. There were 437 housing units at an average density of 916.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 97.24% White, 0.39% African American, 0.20% Native American, 1.18% Asian, 0.69% from other races, and 0.30% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.09% of the population.

There were 398 households, out of which 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.1% were married couples living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.4% were non-families. 21.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 25.8% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.8 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $42,639, and the median income for a family was $50,938. Males had a median income of $36,438 versus $26,397 for females. The per capita income for the village was $20,710. About 7.6% of families and 7.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.1% of those under age 18 and 11.4% of those age 65 or over.

title: Hanna City, Illinois


text:
Kingston Mines, Illinois

Kingston Mines is a village in Peoria County, Illinois, United States. The population was 259 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Peoria, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area. Located on the Illinois River, it was a shipping port, loading coal from the nearby mines (the largest nearby mine was called Kingston).

History
In the early 20th century, an archeological site of an indigenous village on the north shore of Kingston Lake, Illinois River was destroyed by the Kingston Lake Gravel Company. The Peoria Academy of Science performed some fieldwork in the 1930s.

The original post office and village hall were constructed circa 1880. These facilities were rebuilt in 1953.

Geography
Kingston Mines is located at 40.55806°N, -89.77194°W. It is located in the southwestern corner of Timber Township, mostly within the bounds of quarter sections 25 and 26.

According to the 2010 census, Kingston Mines has a total area of 1.528 sqmi, of which 1.38 sqmi (or 90.31%) is land and 0.148 sqmi (or 9.69%) is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 259 people, 98 households, and 68 families residing in the village. The population density was 193.2 PD/sqmi. There were 105 housing units at an average density of 78.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 95.75% White, 2.32% from other races, and 1.93% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.09% of the population.

There were 98 households, out of which 29.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.1% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.6% were non-families. 26.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.20.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 23.2% under the age of 18, 12.4% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.0 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $31,250, and the median income for a family was $45,556. Males had a median income of $26,000 versus $21,875 for females. The per capita income for the village was $14,908. About 2.9% of families and 5.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.8% of those under the age of eighteen and none of those 65 or over.

Point of interest
Kingston Mines Park has a covered pavilion, covered bandstand, basketball court, and baseball diamond. There is also a veteran's memorial.

title: Kingston Mines, Illinois


text:
Mapleton, Illinois

Mapleton is a small village in Peoria County, Illinois, United States. The population was 227 at the 2000 census. Mapleton is part of the Peoria, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area. There are four different plants in Mapleton, all located along U.S. Route 24: an Evonik chemical plant, a Lonza Group plant, a Caterpillar Inc. foundry, and an Ingredion facility; together, the large industrial complex forms one of Mapleton's (and the wider Peoria area's) most significant employers and a good source of skilled employees and good jobs.

Geography
Mapleton is located at 40.57276°N, -89.72825°W.

According to the 2010 census, Mapleton has a total area of 0.91 sqmi, all land.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 227 people, 100 households, and 57 families residing in the village. The population density was 316.1 PD/sqmi. There were 111 housing units at an average density of 154.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 96.92% White, 1.32% Native American, and 1.76% from two or more races.

There were 100 households, out of which 21.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.0% were married couples living together, 3.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.0% were non-families. 36.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 3.07.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 16.3% under the age of 18, 11.0% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 27.8% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 122.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 118.4 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $45,357, and the median income for a family was $63,750. Males had a median income of $35,208 versus $19,423 for females. The per capita income for the village was $22,728. About 3.3% of families and 6.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under the age of 18 or 65 or over.

title: Mapleton, Illinois


text:
Norwood, Illinois

Norwood is a village in Peoria County, Illinois, United States. The population was 478 at the 2010 census. Norwood, just outside Peoria, is part of the Peoria, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography
Norwood is located at 40.70667°N, -89.69972°W (40.706804, -89.699650).

According to the 2010 census, Norwood has a total area of 0.29 sqmi, all land.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 473 people, 176 households, and 140 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,788.9 PD/sqmi. There were 182 housing units at an average density of 688.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 99.15% White, 0.21% Native American, 0.21% Asian, and 0.42% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.42% of the population.

There were 176 households, out of which 26.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.0% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.9% were non-families. 18.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 24.3% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 25.8% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.5 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $40,156, and the median income for a family was $44,688. Males had a median income of $35,750 versus $20,893 for females. The per capita income for the village was $16,089. About 3.7% of families and 7.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.1% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

The village police department was formed in 1956. As of July 2016, the village had begun contracting through the Peoria County Sheriff's Office for police services.

title: Norwood, Illinois


text:
Pekin, Illinois

Pekin is a city in and the county seat of Tazewell County in the U.S. state of Illinois. Located on the Illinois River, Pekin is the largest city of Tazewell County and the second most populous municipality of the Peoria metropolitan area, after Peoria itself. As of the 2020 census, its population is 31,731. A small portion of the city limits extend into Peoria County. It is a suburb of Peoria and is part of the Peoria Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Pekin's Mineral Springs Park is near Pekin Hospital and the Miller Senior Center. The city is the location of a high-rise residential facility of the United Auto Workers; the location of the Pekin Federal Correctional Institution; and the headquarters of a regional insurance company, Pekin Insurance.

Origins of Pekin
Farmer Jonathan Tharp, who came from Ohio, was the first non-native American resident of what would become Pekin, building a log cabin in 1824 on a ridge above the Illinois River at a site near the present foot of Broadway Drive. Franklin School was later erected near this site. Other settlers soon joined him, including his father Jacob Tharp who arrived from Ohio in 1825. They lived near Chief Shabbona's large Indian village of about 100 wigwams, populated primarily by Potawatomi, which was situated along Gravel Ridge, on the eastern shore of what is today Pekin Lake in northwest Pekin.

The county surveyor, William Hodge, measured and laid out a “town site” in 1827. In 1829, the plat was taken to Springfield and auctioned; the town site was awarded to Major Isaac Perkins, Gideon Hawley, William Haines and Major Nathan Cromwell. Major Cromwell’s wife, Mrs. Ann Eliza Cromwell, selected the name of Pekin. It has been stated that Mrs. Cromwell named the town "Pekin" because she thought Peking was on the exact opposite side of the world from the town she founded. In the 1800s, China and the United States were thought to be antipodes, or locations that were exactly opposite of each other on the globe. As such, towns were sometimes named after their supposedly antipodal locations. Another example is Canton, Ohio. "Peking" was often romanized as "Pekin", as in other towns founded during the 1800s (such as Pekin, Ohio).

Nathan Cromwell named many of the city streets after the wives and daughters of early Pekin settlers. It was long held, as first expressed by W.H. Bates in the 1870 Pekin City Directory, that Cromwell was assisted by his wife Ann Eliza in the naming of the streets.

19th century
Pekin’s first post office opened on February 20, 1832.

In July 1834, Pekin suffered a cholera outbreak. Several early settlers died in the outbreak and were buried in the old Tharp cemetery. There was also a scarlet fever outbreak in winter 1843-1844.

Pre-Civil War
Pekin was the residence of Nance Costley, known to history as the first enslaved person to be freed with the help of Abraham Lincoln. She was auctioned off to Nathan Cromwell in 1827 and brought to Pekin. Her original case was part of a Probate Court hearing regarding the estate when he died in 1836. David Bailey, a local merchant of abolitionist leanings, sought the help of an attorney friend after he (and Nance) lost the case. Abraham Lincoln argued the case in 1841 at the Illinois Supreme Court, citing the Illinois Constitution and Northwest Ordinance. Justice Breese determined that Nance was a free person and reversed the Circuit Court ruling, stating that “it is a presumption of law, in the State of Illinois, that every person is free, without regard to color,” and “the sale of a free person is illegal”. After her freedom was legally secured, she remained in Pekin with her husband and children. In William H. Bates’ 1870 Pekin City Directory, Nance was included in an entry of notable citizens:"“With the arrival of Major Cromwell ... came a slave. That slave still lives in Pekin and is now known, as she has been known for nearly half a century ... (as) ‘Black Nancy.’ She came here a chattel. ... But she has outlived the age of barbarism, and now, in her still vigorous old age, she sees her race disenthralled; the chains that bound them forever broken, their equality before the law everywhere recognized and her children enjoying the elective franchise.”"Lincoln attended the Whig Convention that was held in Pekin on May 1, 1843. He was among several local Whig politicians who wanted to serve in the U.S. Congress. To keep from splitting the Whig vote, the competitors agreed to support each other for one term each in Congress. Lincoln ran and was elected to the 30th United States Congress in 1846, and retired at the end of the term. This single term in Congress was Lincoln's only experience in Washington before he was elected president.

Although Illinois was a "free" state, pro-slavery sentiment was predominant throughout southern and central Illinois, which had been largely settled by Southerners, some of whom were slaveholders before the state was admitted to the union. Cities with pro-slavery sentiment included Peoria and Pekin. According to the 1949 Pekin "Centenary," p. 15, "'Pekin was a pro-slave city for years. Some of the original settlers had been slave-owners themselves, and the overwhelming sentiment in Pekin was Democratic. Stephen A. Douglas, not Abraham Lincoln, was the local hero, although Lincoln was well-liked, and had some German following.'"

Nonetheless, there was abolitionist sentiment in Pekin. Among Pekin's abolitionist leaders was Dr. Daniel Cheever, who performed Underground Railroad activities in his office at the corner of Capitol and Court streets (in addition to his property in Delavan which was an Underground Railroad depot) and the brothers Samuel and Hugh Woodrow. (Catherine Street in Pekin is named for Samuel's wife, and Amanda Street is named for Hugh's wife). The sentiment was bolstered by the German immigrants that arrived in the area after the Revolutions of 1848; while there were small groups that supported slavery, finding them would prove difficult as the German community disapproved of the idea.

Civil War
During the Civil War, the inhabitants of Pekin were divided between the pro-slavery element, who favored the Confederacy, and the abolitionist and pro-Union element. Early in the war, the secessionist "Knights of the Golden Circle" openly supported secession and slavery in Pekin. The 1949 Pekin Centenary, p. 15, says the Knights were "aggressive and unprincipled," and "those who believed in the Union spoke often in whispers in Pekin streets and were wary and often afraid." As a response to the Knights' influence, Dr. Cheever and 10 other men gathered at 331 Court Street in Pekin on June 25, 1862 to establish the first council of the Union League of America. The goal of the League was to promote patriotism and loyalty to the Union in the Civil War and the abolition of slavery. Its members hoped to counter Northern disillusionment with President Lincoln's military policies after early Union defeats in the American Civil War. Although closely allied with the Republican Party, the League sought to enroll all Union supporters, regardless of party. The anti-slavery Germans of Pekin took an active role in the Union League in their city.

German immigration to Pekin
After the Revolutions of 1848, many people from the German Confederation immigrated to the United States. During the decade of the 1850s, a 118.6% increase in the German-born population was observed. In the 1850 Tazewell County census, nearly 14% of Pekin’s population was listed as originating from “Germany” (272 individuals of the 1,891 listed). In the 1860 Tazewell County census, the portion of Pekin that originated from Germany increased to 22% (774 individuals of the 3,467 listed). The 1860 census also changed the designation from “Germany” to the various states of the German Confederation- revealing that 31% of the German immigrants came from Hanover, with Darmstadt trailing behind at 22% of the population.

Several German citizens of Pekin held status in the town. Frederick P. Siebens, who came to Pekin in 1868, was stockholder and director of T. & H. Smith Company (a blacksmith, woodworking, and wagon building plant). He was also listed as a foreman blacksmith in the 1887 Pekin City Directory. John Herget moved to the United States from Hesse-Darmstadt, then returned to Germany and brought his family back with him to Pekin in 1869. He became a stockholder in Farmers National Bank and was Mayor of Pekin in 1873 and 1874. John’s younger brother, George Herget, was the President of the Globe Distilling Company, the Pekin Electric Light Company, and the Pekin Steam Coopering Company. He settled in Pekin in 1853 after traveling from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The historic Carl Herget mansion was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Habbe Vander Velde, one of the original founders of T. & H. Smith Company, served several terms on Pekin’s city council, was Chairman of the Finance Committee, and a member of the Committee on Bridges and Licenses. He moved to Pekin in 1851. Aeilt Van Boening was the city’s representative for the Anheuser-Busch Brewing Company of St. Louis. He moved to Pekin in 1867 to be with his brothers, who had settled there in 1866. Van Boening was also listed as a proprietor for City Truck Line in the 1887 Pekin City Directory.

George Herget and Habbe Vander Velde were among those on the “Roll of Honor” in the 1908 Pekin City Directory. Those who were listed were in the 1861 Pekin City Directory and lived continuously or retained citizenship in Pekin since. The list describes those listed to “represent all the varied trades and professions which were essential to the building up of our beautiful city”.

In 1852, a short-lived German language newspaper Per Wachteram Illinois was published. Circa 1875, John Hoffman started a German weekly called the Pekin Freie Press. This publication was sold to Albert Weiss, then to Jacob Schmidt in 1914. During World War I, this newspaper was changed to English language and renamed it Free Press; it was published until 1934.

The northern part of town was known as "Bean Town". Before World War I, German was a second language in Pekin, some stores had signs indicating "German Spoken Here", and some churches offered German services. Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church conducted some services in German for the older members in this section of town.

Railroad
The St. Louis, Peoria and Northern Railway (St. L. P. & N.) built a line into Pekin in 1898, constructing the Pekin Depot.

20th century
The Pekin Federal Building was built in 1906 to house government offices, including the post office on the first floor. The post office moved in 1966.

Ku Klux Klan
In an early 20th-century revival, the Ku Klux Klan recruited new members as a fraternal organization, opposing new immigrants from southern and eastern Europe, and becoming influential in rapidly industrializing urban areas in the Midwest and West, as well as in the South. It had numerous members in Pekin and other Illinois cities. In August 1924, the Pekin Klan hosted one of the largest "monster rallies" ever held in Illinois, with an estimated attendance of 25,000 to 45,000. It was during this period that leading Klansmen took over ownership of the city newspaper, the Pekin Daily Times; they used it as an organ of Klan viewpoints. The Klan owned the paper from September 1923 to June 1925; they sold off the paper within a few years, coinciding with their decline in membership.

1936 General Strike
In February 1936, Pekin held a city-wide strike, only the fourth strike of its kind in United States history.

Civil Rights era
The city had an identity and reputation as a sundown town; it was known to be hostile to black residents and few settled there. On the other hand, some Pekin church pastors participated in the civil rights marches of the 1960s, and U.S. Senator Everett Dirksen from Pekin was integral to achieving passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

21st century
In 1995, Pekin became the first city in Illinois to develop an overlay zoning ordinance to protect groundwater. In 2011, Laurie Barra became the first female mayor of Pekin.

Geography
According to the 2010 census, the city has a total area of 15.14 sqmi, of which 14.56 sqmi (or 96.17%) is land and 0.58 sqmi (or 3.83%) is water.

Pekin lies on the Illinois River, and its John T. McNaughton Bridge connects the city to a small area of land the city has annexed in Peoria County. Nearby towns include North Pekin, Marquette Heights, Creve Coeur, Groveland, Tremont, Morton, Washington, Lincoln, East Peoria, Peoria, Bartonville, Mapleton, Manito, Delavan, Dillon, Green Valley, Hopedale, and South Pekin.

Climate
Pekin, much like the rest of central Illinois, experiences a hot-summer continental climate. Summers are warm to hot and humid with occasional heat waves. Winters are cold (sometimes severely) and snowy, though there are plenty of clear days in the winter. There is no “dry” season- precipitation is evenly distributed throughout the year, though late spring may be wetter than the rest of the year. July is the warmest month, while January is the coolest.

Demographics
As of the census of 2020, there were 31,731 people, 13,706 households, and 8,721 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,019.0 PD/sqmi. There were 14,849 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 92.9% White, 3% African American, 0.2% Native American or Alaska Native, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 0.6% from other races, and 3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 2.6% of the population.

There were 13,706 households, out of which 22.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.5% were married couples living together, 31.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.3% were non-families. 37.9% of all households were made up of individuals living alone, and 14.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the city the population was spread out, with 21% under the age of 18 and 18.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $50,838, and the median income for a family was $68,784. Males had a median income of $43,485 versus $30,881 for females. The per capita income for the city was $28,704. About 11.5% of families and 15% of the population were living below the poverty line, including 19.1% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over.

Ancestry
According to the 2021 American Community Survey, the biggest ancestry groups were:

 * German (7,733)
 * Irish (3,516)
 * English (3,186)
 * European (2,297)
 * American (1,880)
 * Italian (1,875)
 * French, except Basque (1,431)

“Other groups” contained 4,105 individuals, and “Unclassified or not reported” contained 10,738 individuals.

Coal mining
All of the coal that exists in the area formed about 300 million years ago; dead plant matter was buried, compressed, and subjected to heat and pressure during this time to create rocks full of coal. Since coal was cheaper than wood fuel and produced more energy, it became very popular and profitable to mine. In Pekin, there were at least four coal mines that existed: the Pekin Coal Mine, Regal Coal Mine, Tazewell Coal Mine, and Ubben Coal Mine.

The Ubben Coal Mine began in 1900 and was run by the Ubben Coal Company until 1903, when Tazewell Coal Company took over production until the mine permanently closed in 1925. Over the course of 25 years, the mine produced 2,089,332 tons of coal. This mine was located south of Pekin Community High School’s eastern campus at S6 T24 R4W. Ubben also managed a second mine from 1911 to 1938 that was originally started by Louis Grant in 1891; they produced 928,146 tons of coal during their ownership, with a total of 1,217,196 tons overall. This mine was located near Meyer’s Lake (formerly Lake Arlan) at S1 T24N R5W.

The Pekin Coal Mining Company (also known as Schaefer's Mining Company) owned a mine (originally managed by David Grant) from 1939 to 1952, and produced 898,610 tons of coal during its ownership. This was a large mine, located under Broadmoor Junior High School, Willow Elementary School, and Schramm School at S36 T25N R5W. When Fred Schaefer died, the mine was inspected and discovered to be unsafe. By 1951, the coal mining business had ended for Pekin.

The Regal Coal Mine was managed by the Regal Coal Company from 1920–1924, until it went out of business in 1925. It produced 102,287 tons of coal during this time. It crossed Broadway Street in the eastern part of town, with the southern half of the mine existing underneath the Parkway Golf Course and Coal Miner’s Park at S6 T24N R4W.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons operates the Federal Correctional Institution, Pekin.

Marigold Festival
The Marigold Festival is an annual event founded in 1973 to honor Everett Dirksen, a senator from Pekin. While in the United States Congress, Dirksen tried to have the marigold named as the national floral emblem. In support of Dirksen, the community began growing marigolds. While unsuccessful in the national flower contest, Dirksen's hometown of Pekin became known as the "Marigold Capital of the World". The Marigold Festival occurs on the first weekend after Labor Day in September. Activities include the Marigold Parade, the crowning of Miss Marigold, live music, and an arts and crafts fair.

Pekin Public Library
In the beginning, Pekin's library was organized by the Ladies Library Association. The purpose of this library was “not only to collect and establish a library of select and useful works, but also to promote a literary taste by encouraging lectures, holding discussions, etc.” Both the membership and collection outgrew their space, and it relocated twice; to the city firehouse in 1889 and the Steinmetz Building in 1899. Due to the increase in membership, the Association’s board decided to inquire about the library becoming a free city library. In 1896, the city council agreed to make the library free and appointed a nine-member board of trustees.

In 1900, board member Mary Gaither wrote to Andrew Carnegie, a philanthropist who was funding libraries for communities all over the country. With donated land from George Herget and $15,000 from Carnegie, a new library was finally built in 1902. However, continued growth of the collection and increased usage resulted in the need to expand the library, and the Carnegie library was demolished in 1974. A larger building was constructed in September 1974 and was the original home of the Dirksen Congressional Center (which later separated from the library and built its own facility in 2002).

In 1973, President Richard Nixon traveled to Pekin at the request of Senator Dirksen’s widow to dedicate the cornerstone of the new library.

In 1995, the Illinois State Library nominated Pekin Public Library for the American Library Association’s Bessie Boehm Moore Award for their networking opportunities, intergenerational programs that engaged all groups of the community, and services for the elderly.

Parks and recreation
The Pekin Park District is the second largest in the region (Peoria is the first) with 2,277 acre in 13 parks. It is the fifth largest parks district in the state. It is perhaps best known for Mineral Springs Park and its iconic restored pavilion. The 220 acre park has a lagoon for fishing and paddle boats, sports fields, Dragonland Water Park, miniature golf, and a dog park.

McNaughton Park has hiking trails, a disc golf course, and horse trails. Riverfront Park has a viewing platform along the Illinois River.

Pekin has two golf courses, Parkview and Lick Creek, as well as a country club.

There is a 4.3 mi bike trail.

Government
Pekin is the county seat of Tazewell County, Illinois. Originally under an aldermanic form of government, the city switched to the commission form in 1911 (see Pekin Sesquicentennial 1824–1974, A History, p. 162), but since 1995 has had a city manager form of government. A mayor and six council members are elected to staggered 4-year terms in April of odd-numbered years. Candidates may start circulating nomination papers (available from the County Clerk's office) in September, but must file them in mid-December.

The historic Tazewell County Courthouse houses the 10th Circuit Court.

The Pekin Park District was established in 1902 and still operates, controlled by a 7-member Board of Commissioners elected by the public at the same elections the city council members are.

While Illinois as a whole is represented in the Senate by Richard Durbin (D) and Tammy Duckworth (D), the state is split into 17 Congressional Districts for the House of Representatives. Pekin is split between Congressional Districts 16 and 17- the majority of Pekin is in District 16 and represented by Darrin LaHood (R). Extreme southwestern Pekin is in District 17 and represented by Eric Sorensen (D).

Regarding the Illinois Senate and Illinois House of Representatives, Pekin is split along County Road 1700 E into two districts for both. For the western division, Illinois Senate District 47 is represented by Neil Anderson (R) and Illinois House District 93 is represented by Travis Weaver (R). For the eastern division, Illinois Senate District 44 is represented by Sally J. Turner (R) and Illinois House District 87 is represented by William E. Hauter (R).

Education
Pekin is served by The Pekin Public School System, comprising two districts. Pekin Public Schools District 108 consists of six elementary, two intermediate, two junior high schools, and the Pekin Technical Education Center. Pekin Community High School District 303 is the one high school- Pekin Community High School (PCHS). District 303 serves students living in surrounding areas such as South Pekin, North Pekin, Marquette Heights, Creve Coeur, and Groveland.

Pekin Community High School
The high school was built in 1915, and expanded multiple times to accommodate the growing student population. In 1959, the city planned to widen Eighth Street which ended future opportunities for continued expansion. Subsequently, the school district decided to build a second campus in 1962 and classes began in 1964. With the construction of the newer campus, PCHS was split into West Campus (original building) and East Campus (new building). Freshman and sophomores attended West Campus, while juniors and seniors attended East Campus. East Campus was expanded in 1997–1998, after which date West Campus closed and all four classes were reunited at the newer campus. After the local community lost in an attempt to save the original school building, demolition began in 2012 and was finished in 2014.

Media
The city is served by a daily newspaper, the Pekin Daily Times. In 1873, Joseph B. Irwin and Col. W.T. Dowdall founded the Pekin Times. They had a large task before them to revitalize the newspaper: "“When the first issue of the Times appeared [in 1873] there was no subscription list, as the paper had changed hands so often that its reputation was well nigh gone and the outlook was extremely discouraging. But by much hard work, natural ability and perseverance, our subject soon placed the paper on a solid basis, and as a newsy and literary production it ranked among the leading weeklies of the northwest”."The Pekin Times remained a weekly publication until January 3, 1881, when Irwin turned the paper into a five-column daily. It has remained a Monday-Saturday publication ever since.

From September 1923 to June 1925, the paper was owned by Oscar W. Friedrich, a Ku Klux Klan Grand Titan. For several years, headlines were about the Klan’s meetings, policies, and plans. By the mid 1920s, the Klan’s power had declined and the paper was sold to F.F. McNaughton.

Infrastructure
CityLink provides bus service on Routes 17, 18 and 23 connecting Pekin to downtown Peoria and other destinations.

The Pekin Municipal Airport is a city-owned public-use facility located four nautical miles (4.6 mi, 7.4 km) south of Pekin's central business district.

Notable people

 * Ubbo J. Albertsen (1845–1926), Illinois state legislator and businessman
 * Robert H. Allison (1893–1959), Illinois state legislator and lawyer
 * Scott Altman (1959–), astronaut
 * Sol Bloom (1870–1949), US Congressman (D-NY), music publisher, and entertainment impresario
 * Mark Staff Brandl (1955–), artist and art historian
 * Erik Brann (1950–2003), guitarist with Iron Butterfly
 * Hank Bruder (1907–1970), player for the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers
 * Liz Brunner (1959–), Miss Illinois 1979 (competed as Elizabeth Russell), journalist-newscaster, CEO Brunner Communications
 * Donna Jean Christianson (1931–2015), Minnesota state legislator and farmer
 * Wyllis Cooper (1899–1955), writer for radio
 * Susan Dey (1952–), actress known for The Partridge Family, L.A. Law
 * Everett McKinley Dirksen (1896–1969), congressman and senator, Senate Minority Leader
 * Ethyl Eichelberger (1945–1990), noted figure in experimental theater
 * Elizabeth Hawley Everett (1857–1940), clubwoman, suffragist, author, magazine founder/editor, school principal, superintendent of schools
 * Egbert B. Groen (1915–2012), Illinois state senator and lawyer
 * Head East, 1970s rock band, most notable song "Never Been Any Reason"
 * William Guatney (1922–1996), criminal and accused serial killer
 * Th. Emil Homerin (1955–2020), scholar of religion and mysticism
 * The Jets, 1970s rock band (not the 1980s pop band)
 * John Johnson (1869–1941), 19th century Major League Baseball player
 * Larry Kenney (1947–), voice actor and radio host
 * Seth Kinman (1815–1888), mountain man and Presidential chair maker
 * Danny Lloyd (1975–), actor, known for The Shining, Doctor Sleep
 * Martin B. Lohmann (1881–1980), Illinois politician and businessman
 * Mark Luft, Illinois politician
 * Elaine McCusker, U.S. government official
 * John T. McNaughton (1921–1967), Harvard Law School professor and Vietnam War planner
 * Eric Monti (1917–2009), PGA Tour golfer
 * D. A. Points (1976–), PGA Tour golfer
 * George Saal (1918–1996), Illinois politician and businessman
 * J. Norman Shade (1902–1985), former mayor and member of the Illinois House of Representatives
 * Jerald D. Slack (1936–), U.S. Air National Guard Major General, Adjutant General of Wisconsin
 * Sally Smith (1945–), Alaska state legislator and Mayor of Juneau, Alaska
 * Sandra Steingraber (1959–), biologist, science writer, ecologist
 * Jack Stephens (1933–2011), guard and forward with the St. Louis Hawks
 * James Von Boeckman (1923–2001), Illinois state representative
 * Alex Moessner (1982-), Gainey Ranch HOA Board Member and Self proclaimed Mayor of Scottsdale, Arizona

title: Pekin, Illinois


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Peoria, Illinois

Peoria is a city in and county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, United States. Located on the Illinois River, the city had a population of 113,150 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Peoria metropolitan area in Central Illinois, consisting of the counties of Fulton, Marshall, Peoria, Stark, Tazewell, and Woodford, which had a population of 402,391 in 2020.

Established in 1691 by the French explorer Henri de Tonti, Peoria is the oldest permanent European settlement in Illinois according to the Illinois State Archaeological Survey. Originally known as Fort Clark, it received its current name when the County of Peoria was organized in 1825. The city was named after the Peoria people, a member of the Illinois Confederation. On October 16, 1854, Abraham Lincoln made his Peoria speech against the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Prior to prohibition, Peoria was the center of the whiskey industry in the United States. More than 12 distilleries operated in Peoria by the end of the 19th century, more than any other city in the U.S.

A major port on the Illinois River, Peoria is a trading and shipping center for a large agricultural area that produces corn, soybeans, and livestock. Although the economy is well diversified, the city's traditional manufacturing industries remain important and produce earthmoving equipment, metal products, lawn-care equipment, labels, steel towers, farm equipment, building materials, steel, wire, and chemicals. Until 2018, Peoria was the global and national headquarters for heavy equipment and engine manufacturer Caterpillar Inc., one of the 30 companies composing the Dow Jones Industrial Average, and listed on the Fortune 100; in the latter year, the company relocated its headquarters to Deerfield, Illinois.

The city is associated with the phrase "Will it play in Peoria?", which may have originated from the vaudeville era and is often spuriously attributed to Groucho Marx. Museums in the city include the Pettengill–Morron House, the John C. Flanagan House, and the Peoria Riverfront Museum.

History
Peoria is the oldest European settlement in Illinois, as explorers first ventured up the Illinois River from the Mississippi. The lands that eventually would become Peoria were first settled by Europeans in 1680, when French explorers René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle and Henri de Tonti constructed Fort Crevecoeur. This fort would later burn to the ground, and in 1813, Fort Clark, Illinois was built. When the County of Peoria was organized in 1825, Fort Clark was officially named Peoria.

Peoria was named after the Peoria tribe, a member of the Illinois Confederation. The original meaning of the word is uncertain. A 21st-century proposal suggests a derivation from a Proto-Algonquian word meaning "to dream with the help of a manitou."

Peoria was incorporated as a village on March 11, 1835. The city did not have a mayor, though they had a village president, Rudolphus Rouse, who served from 1835 to 1836. The first Chief of Police, John B Lishk, was appointed in 1837. The city was incorporated on April 21, 1845. This was the end of a village president and the start of the mayoral system, with the first mayor being William Hale.

Peoria, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix, was named after Peoria, Illinois because the two men who founded it in 1890 − Joseph B. Greenhut and Deloss S. Brown − wished to name it after their hometown.

Peoria was significant in the world of bicycle racing during the late 19th century. Held at Lake View Park, its U.S. bicycle racing stop hosted such notable names as Marshall "Major" Taylor, who would later become world champion. Taylor described Peoria as the "Mecca" for the sport.

For much of the 20th century, a red-light district of brothels and bars known as the Merry-Go-Round was part of Peoria.

Richard Pryor got his start as a performer on North Washington Street in the early 1960s.

In 2021, Rita Ali became Peoria's first female and African American mayor.

Notable events

 * September 19 to October 21, 1813 – Peoria War
 * 1844 – Abraham Lincoln came to Peoria to get involved in the Aquilla Wren divorce case and took it to the Supreme Court of Illinois
 * April 15, 1926 – Charles Lindbergh's first air mail route, Contract Air Mail route #2, began running mail from Chicago to Peoria to Springfield to St. Louis and back. There is nothing to substantiate the local legend that Lindbergh offered Peoria the chance to sponsor his trans-Atlantic flight and call his plane the "Spirit of Peoria," but he does state that he first pondered the journey after taking off from the Peoria air mail field.
 * 1942 – Penicillium chrysogenum, the fungus originally used to industrially produce penicillin, was first isolated from a moldy cantaloupe found in a grocery store in Peoria.
 * Local legend is that Theodore Roosevelt called Grandview Drive, a street on the bluffs overlooking the Illinois River "the world's most beautiful drive" during his visit in 1910. However, no contemporaneous accounts of this story appeared, even in local papers and histories, for over two decades after it supposedly occurred. A related legend claims that the Peoria radio station and CBS television affiliate, WMBD, chose its call sign based on this story. In fact, the WMBD letters were assigned randomly and the meaning behind it was invented after the fact in 1927.

Geography
According to the 2010 census, Peoria has a total area of 50.23 sqmi, of which 48.01 sqmi (or 95.58%) is land and 2.22 sqmi (or 4.42%) is water.

Climate
Peoria has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa), with cold, snowy winters, and hot, humid summers. Monthly daily mean temperatures range from 22.5 °F to 75.2 °F. Snowfall is common in the winter, averaging 26.3 in, but this figure varies considerably from year to year. Precipitation, averaging 36 in, peaks in the spring and summer, and is the lowest in winter. Extremes have ranged from −27 °F in January 1884 to 113 °F in July 1936.

2020 census
According to the 2021 American Community Survey, Peoria's poverty rate was 19.7 percent. Median household income was estimated to be 53,568 in 2022. Population was estimated to have decreased approximately 1.9% from 113,176 to 111,021 between 2020 and 2022.

According to 24/7 Wall St, in 2018 Peoria ranked as the 5th worst city for Black Americans based on income, educational, and unemployment disparities between Black and White residents.

2010 Census
As of the census of 2010, there were 115,021 people and 47,202 households residing in the city. The population density was 2,543 PD/sqmi. There were 52,621 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 62.4% White, 26.9% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 4.6% Asian, and 3.6% of mixed races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.9% of the population. The city has a sizable, established Lebanese population with a long history in local business and government.

There were 45,199 households, out of which 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.6% were married couples living together, 15.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.5% were non-families. Individuals made up 33.2% of all households, and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 3.04.

The age distribution of city population was the following: 25.7% under the age of 18, 12.0% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $36,397. The per capita income for the city was $20,512. Some 18.8% of the population was below the poverty line.

Industry
Peoria's first major industry was started in 1830 by John Hamlin and John Sharp, who constructed the flour mill on Kickapoo Creek. In 1837, another industry was begun with E.F. Nowland's pork planting industry. Many other industries started slowly in Peoria including carriage factories, pottery makers, wholesale warehousing, casting foundries, glucose factories, ice harvesting, and furniture makers.

Peoria became the first world leader for distilleries thanks to Andrew Eitle (1837), Almiron S. Cole (1844), and Joseph B. Greenhut. Between 1837 and 1919, Peoria held over 24 distilleries and 73 breweries. Together, they produced the highest amount of internal revenue tax on alcohol (also known as 'Sin Tax') of any single revenue district in the entire United States; as much as 50% of tax revenue during the Civil War came from Peoria's district, largely due to distilleries and breweries. Peoria also was one of the major bootlegging areas during Prohibition and home to the famed mobsters, the Shelton brothers. This great success placed Peoria into a building boom of beautiful private homes, schools, parks, churches, as well as municipal buildings.

In addition to the distilleries came farm machinery manufacturing by William Nurse in 1837. Also, two men called Toby and Anderson brought the steel plow circa 1843, which gained immediate success. The dominant manufacturing companies in Peoria were Kingman Plow Co., Acme Harvester Co., Selby, Starr & Co., and Avery Manufacturing Co. In 1889, Keystone Steel & Wire developed the first wire fence and has since been the nation's leading manufacturer.

Around the 1880s, businesses such as Rouse Hazard Co. in Peoria, were dealers and importers of bicycles and accessories worldwide. Charles Duryea, one of the cycle manufacturers, developed the first commercially available gasoline-powered automobile in the U.S. in 1893.

At this time, agricultural implement production declined, which led the earth moving and tractor equipment companies to skyrocket and make Peoria in this field the world leader. In 1925, Caterpillar Tractor Co. was formed from California-based companies, Benjamin Holt Co. and the C.L. Best Tractor Co. Robert G. LeTourneau's earth moving company began its production of new scrapers and dozers in 1935 which evolved into Komatsu-Dresser, Haulpak Division. Today, the joint venture between Komatsu and Dresser Industries has long since passed; Komatsu bought out Dresser in 1996. The entity that remains is the off-highway truck manufacturing division for Komatsu America Corporation.

The world headquarters for Caterpillar Inc. was based in Peoria for over 110 years until announcing their move to Deerfield, Illinois in late-2017. Medicine has become a major part of Peoria's economy. In addition to three major hospitals, the USDA's National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, formerly called the USDA Northern Regional Research Lab, is located in Peoria. This is one of the labs where mass production of penicillin was developed.

More recently Peoria has become a regional medical hub for central Illinois with recent hospital expansions. Peoria is ranked as the 6th midsize healthcare hub in the USA.

Retail
The city's largest mall is Northwoods Mall. Other retail centers include The Shoppes at Grand Prairie, Sheridan Village, Metro Centre, Willow Knolls Court, and Westlake Shopping Center.

Businesses
Renaissance Park was originally designated as a research park, originally established in May 2003 as the Peoria Medical and Technology District. It consisted of nine residential neighborhoods, Bradley University, the medical district, and the National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research. The Peoria NEXT Innovation Center opened in August 2007 and provides both dry and wet labs, as well as conference and office space for emerging start-up companies. Over $2 billion in research is conducted in Peoria annually. While the Renaissance Park research park project never came to full fruition, many of the original ideas from the original Renaissance Park concept still continue on a smaller level via The Renaissance Park Community Association.

Businesses in Peoria with significant presence include:
 * Caterpillar (until 2017 when its headquarters (approximately 300 positions) moved to Deerfield, Illinois, and then to Irving, Texas in 2022): Heavy equipment and engine manufacturer. Caterpillar still maintains a large working force in the area in management, marketing, IT, engineering and labor union manufacturing, as well as other positions.
 * CEFCU: Credit union; started by Caterpillar employees; now serves residents of 14 counties in Central Illinois and 3 in California
 * Komatsu America Corporation: World's second-largest mining equipment manufacturer has a large manufacturing facility in Peoria
 * Maui Jim: Sunglasses manufacturer headquarters, a subsidiary (as of 2022) of the French company Kering Eyewear.
 * National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research: Largest USDA research facility; one of the facilities where mass production of penicillin was improved
 * OSF Healthcare, which operates OSF Saint Francis Medical Center
 * RLI Corp. (World Headquarters): Specialty insurance company.
 * UnityPoint Health: Owns three hospitals in the area, two in Peoria. In 2023 the brand Carle health bought UnityPoint health.

Top employers
According to Peoria's 2018 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

Museums
Museums in Peoria include the Pettengill-Morron House, the John C Flanagan House of the Peoria Historical Society, and the Wheels o' Time Museum. The Museum Block, opened on October 12, 2012, houses the Peoria Riverfront Museum and the Caterpillar World Visitors Center.

The Museum Block, also known as Museum Square, is a $100+ million project that contains the Peoria Riverfront Museum and The Caterpillar Experience, a museum and visitor's center showcasing Caterpillar past, present, and future. It is located in downtown Peoria along the Illinois River at the site formerly known as the Sears Block or Washington Square. The Block broke ground on September 7, 2010 and opened in October 2012.

The Peoria PlayHouse Children's Museum opened in June 2015 in the Glen Oak Pavilion.

Festivals
The Heart of Illinois Fair was established in 1949 and has run annually since.

The Peoria Art Guild hosts the Annual Art Fair, which is continually rated as one of the 100 top art fairs in the nation.

The Steamboat Classic, held every summer, is the world's largest four-mile (6 km) running race and draws international runners.

The Peoria Santa Claus Parade, which started in 1888, is the oldest running holiday parade in the United States.

Performing arts
The Peoria Symphony Orchestra is the 14th oldest in the nation. Peoria is also home to the Peoria Municipal Band, the Peoria Area Civic Chorale, the Youth Music Illinois (formerly known as Central Illinois Youth Symphony), Central Illinois Ballet, and the Peoria Ballet. Several community and professional theaters have their home in and around Peoria, including the Peoria Players, which is the fourth-oldest community theater in the nation and the oldest in Illinois. Corn Stock Theatre is another community theater company in Peoria, and is the only outdoor theater company in Central Illinois.

Peoria has hosted the Heart of Illinois Fair every year since 1949. The fair features livestock competitions, rides, concessions, motor contests, and concerts.

Civic Center
The Peoria Civic Center includes an arena, convention center, and theater, and opened June 6, 1982, was designed by the famed late architect Philip Johnson. It completed a $55 million renovation and expansion by 2007.

The Hotel Pere Marquette finished renovations in 2013 with a skyway linking to the Peoria Civic Center. A new 10-story Courtyard has been built adjacent to this hotel, completing a hotel campus for larger conventions.

The Civic Center hosts the Bradley University Men's Basketball team, the IHSA Boys State Basketball Championships and State Chess Championship. Which claims to be the largest chess team tournament in the United States: Beginning in 2018, the teams were narrowed to 128 by the use of sectional elimination competitions, and the tournament has about 1500 players, including up to 8 players and 4 alternates per team.

Library
Library services in Peoria originated in 1855 with two rival libraries, the Peoria Mercantile Library and the Peoria Library, which consolidated in 1856 as the Peoria City Library, and contained over 1,500 volumes. The Peoria Public Library has five locations, including the Lincoln Branch, a Carnegie library opened in 1911.

Registered historic places

 * Central National Bank Building
 * Cumberland Presbyterian Church
 * Grand Army of the Republic Memorial Hall
 * Grandview Drive
 * International Harvester Building
 * John C. Proctor Recreation Center
 * Judge Flanagan Residence
 * Judge Jacob Gale House
 * Madison Theatre
 * North Side Historic District
 * Peace and Harvest
 * Peoria City Hall
 * Peoria Cordage Company
 * Peoria Mineral Springs
 * Peoria Waterworks
 * Pere Marquette Hotel
 * Pettingill-Morron House
 * Rock Island Depot and Freight House
 * Springdale Cemetery
 * West Bluff Historic District
 * A. Lucas & Sons

Parks and recreation
Grandview Drive, which Theodore Roosevelt purportedly called the "world's most beautiful drive" during a 1910 visit, runs through both Peoria and Peoria Heights. In addition to Grandview Drive, the Peoria Park District contains 9,000 acre of parks and trails, making it the largest park system in Illinois. The Illinois River Bluff Trail connects four Peoria Park District parks: Camp Wokanda, Robinson Park, Green Valley Camp, and Detweiller Park; the Rock Island Greenway (13 miles) connects the State of Illinois Rock Island trail traveling north to Toulon, IL and also connects southeast to East Peoria, IL and to the Morton Community Bikeway. Other parks include the Forest Park Nature Center, which features seven miles of hiking trails through prairie openings and forested woodlands, Glen Oak Park, and Bradley Park, which features disc golf as well as a dog park. Peoria has five public golf courses as well as several private and semi-private golf courses. The Peoria Park District, the first and still largest park district in Illinois, was the 2001 Winner of the National Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Parks and Recreation for Class II Parks.

Various cultural institutions are located in Glen Oak Park. The Peoria Zoo, formerly Glen Oak Zoo, was expanded and refurbished in recent years. Finished in 2009, the new zoo improvements more than triple the size of the zoo and feature a major African safari exhibit. Luthy Garden, established in 1951, is 5 acre and offers over a dozen theme gardens and a Conservatory.

Government
Peoria is a home rule municipality with a mayor and ten city council members. It has a council-manager form of government. The city is divided into five districts. Five council members are elected at-large via cumulative voting.

Township of the City of Peoria

The Township of the City of Peoria (also City of Peoria Township) is a separate government from the City of Peoria, and performs the functions of civil township government in most of the city. The township was created by the Peoria County Board to match the boundaries of the City of Peoria, which until then had overlapped portions of Peoria Township (now West Peoria Township) and Richwoods Township. The border of the township grew with the Peoria city limits until 1990, when it was frozen at its current boundaries, containing about 53 sqmi; the City of Peoria itself has continued expanding outside the City of Peoria Township borders into Kickapoo, Limestone, Medina, and Radnor township. In the years before the freeze, the Township of the City of Peoria had grown to take up most of the former area of Richwoods and what is now West Peoria Township.

This township has the following neighborhoods:

 * Averyville *
 * Central Peoria
 * Downtown
 * East Bluff
 * El Vista *
 * Glen Oak-Flanagan Historic District
 * Grandview Drive
 * Heart of Peoria
 * Moss-Bradley
 * North Valley
 * Northwest Peoria
 * Randolph-Roanoke Historic District
 * University East
 * The Uplands
 * West Bluff

* - unincorporated towns that were assimilated by the City of Peoria:

Education

Peoria is served by four public K-12 school districts:
 * Peoria Public Schools District 150 is the largest and serves the majority of the city. District 150 schools include dozens of primary and middle schools, as well as three public high schools: Richwoods High School, which hosts the competitive International Baccalaureate Program of study; Manual High School; and Peoria High School (Central), the oldest high school in Illinois. At the end of the 2009–2010 school year, a fourth high school, Woodruff High School, closed. According to SchoolDigger, District 150 has the highest-ranking middle school (Washington Gifted Middle School).
 * Peoria District 150 is also served by Quest Charter Academy, a STEM focused school serving grades 5–12. Quest is the only charter school in the area and began in 2010.
 * Dunlap Community Unit School District 323 serves the far north and northwest parts of Peoria that were mostly outside the city before the 1990s. Dunlap schools have Dunlap High School, 2 Middle Schools and 5 Elementary schools.
 * Limestone Community High School District 310 serves a small portion of the western edge of the City of Peoria (western edges of Wardcliffe and Lexington Hills areas), but mainly serves the suburbs of Bartonville, Bellevue and surrounding towns.
 * Peoria Heights Community Unit School District 325 serves the suburb of Peoria Heights; however, parts of the City of Peoria immediately outside the Heights are in this school district.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Peoria runs six schools in the city: five grade schools and Peoria Notre Dame High School. Non-denominational Peoria Christian School operates a grade school, middle school, and high school. In addition, Concordia Lutheran School, Peoria Academy, Christ Lutheran School, Peoria Hebrew Day School, and several smaller private schools exist.

Bradley University, Methodist College, OSF St. Francis College of Nursing, the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria, and the Downtown and North campuses of Illinois Central College are based in the city. The former Peoria campus of Roosevelt University is now closed. Additionally, Eureka College and the main campus of Illinois Central College are located nearby in Eureka and East Peoria, respectively.

Media
As of 2021 Nielsen ratings, Peoria is the 158th largest radio market in the United States and Peoria-Bloomington is the 122nd largest television market in the United States.

The area has 14 commercial radio stations with six owners among them; four non-commercial full-power radio stations, each separately owned; five commercial television stations with two operating owners among them; one non-commercial television station; and one daily newspaper (Peoria Journal Star).

NOAA Weather Radio
NOAA Weather Radio station WXJ71 transmits from East Peoria and is licensed to NOAA's National Weather Service Central Illinois Weather Forecast Office at Lincoln, broadcasting on a frequency of 162.475 mHz (channel 4 on most newer weather radios, and most SAME weather radios). The station activates the SAME tone alarm feature and a 1050 Hz tone activating older radios (except for AMBER Alerts, using the SAME feature only) for hazardous weather and non-weather warnings and emergencies, along with selected weather watches, for the Illinois counties of Fulton, Knox, Marshall, Mason, McLean, Peoria, Stark, Tazewell, and Woodford. Weather permitting, a tone alarm test of both the SAME and 1050 Hz tone features are conducted every Wednesday between 11 AM and noon.

Health and medicine
The health-care industry accounts for at least 25% of Peoria's economy. The city has three major hospitals: OSF Saint Francis Medical Center (the area's Level I adult trauma center), Carle Health Peoria – Methodist (a level II adult trauma center), and Carle Health Peoria – Proctor. In addition, the Children's Hospital of Illinois (a part of OSF Saint Francis, and the area's Level I pediatric trauma center), the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria, and the Midwest Affiliate of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital are located in the city. The hospitals are all located in a medical district around the junction of Interstate 74 and Knoxville Avenue, adjacent to downtown in the southeast of the city, except for Carle Health Peoria – Proctor, which is in the geographic center of the city. The surrounding towns are also supported by Carle Health Peoria - Pekin Hospital in Pekin, Illinois, Advocate Eureka Hospital in Eureka, Illinois, and the Hopedale Medical Complex Hospital and Nursing Home in Hopedale, Illinois. The Institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation was created from the "Peoria Plan for Human Rehabilitation," a model for medical and occupational rehabilitation launched in 1943 to integrate returning World War II veterans back into the workplace.

Interstate and U.S. routes
The Peoria area is served by three Interstate highways: Interstate 74, which runs from northwest to southeast through the downtown area, Interstate 474, a southern bypass of I-74 through portions of Peoria and the suburbs of Bartonville and Creve Coeur, and Interstate 155, which runs south from I-74 in Morton to Interstate 55 in Lincoln which connects to Springfield and St. Louis. I-74 crosses over the Illinois River via the Murray Baker Bridge, while I-474 crosses via the Shade-Lohmann Bridge. The nearest metropolitan centers accessible on I-74 are the Quad Cities to the west, and Bloomington-Normal to the east.

From 2004 to 2006, Interstate 74 between Interstate 474 on the west and Illinois Route 8 on the east was reconstructed as part of the Upgrade 74 project.

In addition, U.S. Route 150 serves as the main arterial for the northern portion of the Peoria area, becoming War Memorial Drive before heading west towards Kickapoo. It enters from the McClugage Bridge; east of the bridge, then runs southeast to Morton. U.S. Route 24 runs concurrently with Interstate 474 in the southwest portion of the city.

State routes
The following state routes run through Peoria:

 * Illinois Route 6 runs along the northwestern portion of the city as an extension of I-474. It is a four-lane freeway that runs from the I-74/474 intersection northeast to Illinois Route 29 south of Chillicothe. It is marked as a north–south road.
 * Illinois Route 8 roughly parallels I-74 to the south. It enters Peoria from Elmwood and runs southeast through the city, passing just southwest of the downtown area. Illinois 8 crosses into East Peoria via the Cedar Street Bridge with 116. Illinois 8 is marked as an east–west road.
 * Illinois Route 29 runs through Peoria along the Illinois River from Chillicothe through downtown Peoria. It then joins Interstate 74 across the Murray Baker Bridge. Illinois 29 is marked as a north–south road, and is called Galena Road north of U.S. 150.
 * Illinois Route 40 (formerly 88) enters Peoria from the north as Knoxville Avenue. It runs south through the center of the city and exits southeast over the Bob Michel Bridge. Illinois 40 is marked as a north–south road.
 * Illinois Route 91 briefly enters Peoria at the intersection with U.S. 150 in the far northwestern portion of the city. Traffic on Illinois 91 mainly accesses The Shoppes at Grand Prairie, or continues to Dunlap.
 * Illinois Route 116 enters from the west at Bellevue. It runs directly east and crosses into East Peoria over the Cedar Street Bridge.

The planned Illinois Route 336 project will also connect Illinois 336 with I-474 between Illinois 8 and Illinois 116. Construction on the segment nearest Peoria has not started, nor has funding been allocated.

Rail transportation
Peoria remains a major freight hub but its minor passenger service was waning by the 1950s.

Metro Peoria is served by ten common carrier railroads. Four are Class I railroads: BNSF, Canadian National, Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific. The latter has a north–south oriented line which skirts the west edge of the city but a line branches off of it to enter Peoria. One Class II/Regional, Iowa Interstate, serves the city, coming out of Bureau Junction, Illinois. Five Class III/Shortline railroads: Central Illinois Railroad, which operates a portion of the city-owned Peoria, Peoria Heights and Western Railroad; three Genesee & Wyoming-owned operations: Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway, which runs next to US 24 east to Logansport, Indiana (formally owned by Rail America), Illinois & Midland Railroad (the former Chicago & Illinois Midland, comes up from Springfield and Havana) and Tazewell & Peoria Railroad (leases the Peoria & Pekin Union Railway from its owners Canadian National, Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific); Pioneer Railcorp's Keokuk Junction Railway (which now owns the Toledo, Peoria and Western's West End from Lomax and La Harpe in Western Illinois, plus the branch from Keokuk).

Several Midwestern railroads served Peoria Union Station until 1955. The Rock Island Railroad operated trains into its Rock Island Depot until 1978, when they discontinued the Peoria Rocket. East Peoria was served by Amtrak's Prairie Marksman (Chicago–East Peoria) until 1981. Peoria is currently the second largest city in Illinois without passenger rail service; the closest passenger stations are Galesburg (served by Amtrak's Chicago–Los Angeles Southwest Chief) and Bloomington (served by Amtrak's Chicago-St. Louis Lincoln Service).

A study of East Peoria–Bloomington passenger rail service was published in 2011. Plans for the proposed service, which would have connected with Amtrak's Lincoln Service at Bloomington, were abandoned due to financial considerations.

A study of Peoria–Chicago passenger rail service was published in July 2022. The study, conducted by IDOT at the request of a Passenger Rail Committee established in August 2021, estimated that startup costs for the proposed service would be $2.54 billion. The service would be operated by Amtrak and would have intermediate stops at LaSalle-Peru, Utica, Ottawa, Morris, and Joliet. The trip between Peoria and Chicago would take about $2 1/2$ hours. Committee members, who met with federal transportation officials and Amtrak's CEO, were hopeful about securing funding.

Public transportation
Public bus service is provided by the Greater Peoria Mass Transit District, which operates 17 bus routes under the name CityLink, that serve the city, Illinois Central College and much of East Peoria, Illinois, Peoria Heights, West Peoria, and points between Peoria and Pekin.

Aviation
General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport is located 5 miles west of Peoria. The airport is served by 3 passenger airlines (United, American, and Allegiant Air) and numerous cargo carriers. Nonstop destinations include Chicago, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Punta Gorda, and Charlotte. Seasonal destinations include Denver, Nashville, and Destin Fort Walton. Cargo carriers serving Peoria include UPS and DHL.

Mount Hawley Auxiliary Airport, on the north end of the city, is a general aviation airport.

Notable people

 * Gerald Thomas Bergan, clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church
 * Caroline Brown Bourland, Professor & Scholar
 * Lydia Moss Bradley, founded Bradley University
 * Philip José Farmer, Science Fiction Author
 * Dan Fogelberg, Singer & Songwriter
 * Betty Friedan, feminist writer and activist
 * John Grier Hibben, Philosopher & Educator
 * A. J. Guyton, Professional basketball player, graduated from Peoria High School
 * Bruce Johnston, member of the Beach Boys
 * Jim Jordan (Fibber McGee), Fibber McGee and Molly radio show
 * Marian Jordan (Molly), Fibber McGee and Molly radio show
 * Mudvayne, heavy metal band formed in 1996
 * Tim Kelley Multi Grammy Award Winning Record Producer, Key To The City of Peoria recipient
 * Thomas D. Duane, Ophthalmologist who first described valsalva retinopathy in 1972.
 * Sam Kinison, Actor & Comedian
 * Tami Lane, Oscar Winning Prosthetic Makeup Artist
 * Ralph Lawler, Voice of the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers for 41 years.
 * Shaun Livingston, NBA Player & Executive
 * Bobby McGrath, pool player
 * Sherrick McManis, NFL Football Player
 * Bob Michel, U.S. Congressman
 * Richard Pryor, stand-up comedian and actor
 * Brian Randle (born 1985), basketball player for Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli Basketball Super League
 * Bob Robinson, Songwriter from the Tim & Bob duo
 * Jeff Salzenstein (born 1973), tennis player
 * Fulton J. Sheen, Catholic archbishop
 * David Sills, former mayor of Irvine, California and son-in-law of President Ronald Reagan
 * Dan Simmons, Science Fiction & Horror Writer
 * Edward W. Snedeker, Decorated Marine Corps General
 * David Ogden Stiers, actor
 * Greg X. Volz, singer
 * Richard A. Whiting, composer
 * Mike Zimmer, American football coach
 * Tyler Ziegel, US Marine, Recipient of the Purple Heart

Peoria in popular culture
The theme of Peoria as the archetypal example of middle American culture runs throughout American culture, appearing in movies and books, on television and radio, and in countless advertisements as either a filler place name or the representative of mainstream taste, hence the phrase "Will it play in Peoria?"

Alternative Metal band Mudvayne were founded in Peoria in 1996. Published posthumously in 2011, David Foster Wallace's unfinished novel The Pale King features vignettes based in Peoria.

Sister cities
Peoria's sister cities include:
 * 🇱🇧 Aitou, Lebanon
 * 🇨🇳 Benxi, China
 * 🇮🇪 Clonmel, Ireland
 * 🇩🇪 Friedrichshafen, Germany

title: Peoria, Illinois