Peoria

Sister cities

• Friedrichshafen
• Clonmel

History

Peoria was the earliest permanent European settlement in what is now Illinois; French explorers first established a presence along the Illinois River in the late 17th century, with the community later evolving into the modern city. 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. Peoria was named after the Peoria tribe, a member of the Illinois Confederation; linguistic scholars have proposed an origin in Proto-Algonquian meaning “to dream with the help of a manitou,” but the etymology remains 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 became world champion. Taylor described Peoria as the "Mecca" for the sport. For much of the 20th century, Peoria hosted a red-light district of brothels and bars known as the Merry-Go-Round. Richard Pryor got his…

Geography

According to the 2010 census, Peoria has a total area of , of which (or 95.58%) is land and (or 4.42%) is water. Peoria has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa), with cold, snowy winters, and hot, humid summers. Monthly daily mean temperatures range from to . Snowfall is common in the winter, averaging , but this figure varies considerably from year to year. Precipitation, averaging , peaks in the spring and summer, and is the lowest in winter. Extremes have ranged from in January 1884 to in July 1936.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  11,311
• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  9,978
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  9,679
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  9,534
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  8,996
• White-breasted Nuthatch

  Sitta carolinensis Latham, 1790 · Aves
  8,990
• Downy Woodpecker

  Dryobates pubescens (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  8,648
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  7,849

Largest nearby schools

• Richwoods High School
  High · Peoria · 1,580 students · 20.5:1 ratio
• Peoria High School
  High · Peoria · 1,447 students · 19.6:1 ratio
• Dunlap High School
  High · Dunlap · 1,375 students · 18.1:1 ratio
• Limestone Community High School
  High · Peoria · 924 students · 14:1 ratio
• Hickory Grove Elementary School
  Elementary · Dunlap · 801 students · 19.5:1 ratio
• Lincoln School
  Elementary · Peoria · 727 students · 14.8:1 ratio
• Glen Oak Comm Learning Cntr
  Elementary · Peoria · 709 students · 20.3:1 ratio
• Manual High School
  High · Peoria · 656 students · 16.8:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 3.6 — 2023-11-15
  1 km SSW of Standard, Illinois
• M 4.2 — 2004-06-28
  12 km NW of Dayton, Illinois