The Quad Cities is a region of five cities (originally Tri-Cities, later four, see

History History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the History of writing#Inventions of writing, invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbr ...

) in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

s of

Iowa Iowa () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wiscon ...

and

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Roc ...

Davenport Davenport may refer to: Places Australia *Davenport, Northern Territory, a locality *Hundred of Davenport, cadastral unit in South Australia **Davenport, South Australia, suburb of Port Augusta **District Council of Davenport, former local governm ...

and Bettendorf (the fifth to be included) in southeastern Iowa, and Rock Island, Moline and

East Moline East Moline is a city in Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. The population was 21,374 at the 2020 census. East Moline is part of the Quad Cities, along with the cities of Rock Island, Moline, and the Iowa cities of Davenport and Bett ...

(the fourth to be included) in northwestern Illinois. These cities are the center of the Quad Cities metropolitan area, a region within the

Mississippi River Valley The Mississippi embayment is a physiographic feature in the south-central United States, part of the Mississippi Alluvial Plain. It is essentially a northward continuation of the fluvial sediments of the Mississippi River Delta to its confl ...

, which as of 2023, had a population estimate of 467,817 and a

Combined Statistical Area Combined statistical area (CSA) is a United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) term for a combination of adjacent metropolitan (MSA) and micropolitan statistical areas (µSA) across the 50 US states and the territory of Puerto Ric ...

(CSA) population of 474,019, making it the 90th-largest CSA in the nation.

History

Early history

Before European settlers came to inhabit the Quad Cities, the confluence of rivers had attracted many varying cultures of

indigenous peoples Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...

, who used the waterways and riverbanks for their settlements for thousands of years. At the time of European encounter, it was a home and principal trading place of the

Sauk Sauk may refer to: *Sauk, Albania, a village *Sauk people, group of Native Americans of the Eastern Woodlands culture group *South African Broadcasting Corporation (Afrikaans: ''Suid-Afrikaanse Uitsaaikorporasie'') Persons with the surname Sauk * ...

and Fox tribes of Native Americans. Saukenuk was the principal village of the Sauk tribe and birthplace of its 19th-century war chief,

Black Hawk Black Hawk and Blackhawk may refer to: Animals * Black Hawk (horse), a Morgan horse that lived from 1833 to 1856 * Common black hawk, ''Buteogallus anthracinus'' * Cuban black hawk, ''Buteogallus gundlachii'' * Great black hawk, ''Buteogallus urub ...

. In 1832, Sauk chief Keokuk and General

Winfield Scott Winfield Scott (June 13, 1786May 29, 1866) was an American military commander and political candidate. He served as a general in the United States Army from 1814 to 1861, taking part in the War of 1812, the Mexican–American War, the early s ...

signed a treaty in Davenport after the US defeated the Sauk and their allies in the

Black Hawk War The Black Hawk War was a conflict between the United States and Native Americans led by Black Hawk, a Sauk leader. The war erupted after Black Hawk and a group of Sauks, Meskwakis (Fox), and Kickapoos, known as the "British Band", cross ...

. The treaty resulted in the Native Americans ceding of land to the United States in exchange for a much smaller reservation elsewhere.

Black Hawk State Historic Site The Black Hawk State Historic Site, in Rock Island, Illinois, is adjacent to the historic site of the village of Saukenuk, the home of a band of Native Americans of the Sauk nation. It includes the John Hauberg Museum of Native American Life. T ...

in Rock Island preserves part of historic Saukenuk and is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artist ...

. The history of urban settlements in the Quad Cities was stimulated by

riverboat A riverboat is a watercraft designed for inland navigation on lakes, rivers, and artificial waterways. They are generally equipped and outfitted as work boats in one of the carrying trades, for freight or people transport, including luxury u ...

traffic. For between

LeClaire, Iowa LeClaire is a city in Scott County, Iowa, United States. The population was 4,710 in 2020, a 65.4% increase from 2,847 in 2000, making it one of the fastest-growing communities in the Quad Cities. LeClaire is considered a suburb and part of the ...

, and Rock Island, the Mississippi River flowed across a series of finger-like rock projections protruding from either bank. These rapids were difficult for steamboats to traverse. As demand for river-based transportation increased along the upper Mississippi, the navigability of the river throughout the "Rock Island Rapids" became a greater concern. Over time, a minor industry grew up in the area to meet the steamboats' needs. Boat crews needed rest areas to stop before encountering the rapids, places to hire expert

pilots An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they ar ...

such as Phillip Suiter, who was the first licensed pilot on the upper Mississippi River, to guide the boat through the rocky waters, or, when the water was low, places where goods could be removed and transported by wagon on land past the rapids. Today, the rocks are submerged six feet underwater by a lake formed by two locks and dams. As the

Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution was the transition to new manufacturing processes in Great Britain, continental Europe, and the United States, that occurred during the period from around 1760 to about 1820–1840. This transition included going f ...

developed in the United States, many enterprising industrialists looked to the Mississippi River as a promising source of power generation. The combination of energy and easy access to river transportation attracted entrepreneurs and industrialists to the Quad Cities for development. In 1848,

John Deere Deere & Company, doing business as John Deere (), is an American corporation that manufactures agricultural machinery, heavy equipment, forestry machinery, diesel engines, drivetrains (axles, transmissions, gearboxes) used in heavy equipment, a ...

moved his plough business to Moline. His business was incorporated in 1868.

is the largest employer today in the Quad Cities. The first railroad bridge built across the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it ...

connected Davenport and Rock Island in 1856. It was built by the Rock Island Railroad Company and replaced the slow seasonal ferry service and winter

ice bridge An ice bridge is a frozen natural structure formed over seas, bays, rivers or lake surfaces. They facilitate migration of animals or people over a water body that was previously uncrossable by terrestrial animals, including humans. The most signi ...

s as the primary modes of transportation across the river. Steamboaters saw the nationwide railroads as a threat to their business. On May 6, 1856, just weeks after completion of the bridge, an angry steamboater crashed the ''Effie Afton'' into it. John Hurd, the owner of the ''Effie Afton'', filed a lawsuit against the Rock Island Railroad Company in ''

Hurd v. Rock Island Bridge Company ''Hurd v. Rock Island Bridge Company'' (1857) is a landmark American civil case that won Abraham Lincoln fame as a lawyer. Case America's expansion west, which Lincoln strongly supported, was seen as an economic threat to the river trade, whic ...

''. The Rock Island Railroad Company selected

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

as their trial lawyer and won after he took the case to the

US Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point of ...

. Expert riverboat pilot Phillip Suiter was one of his witnesses. It was a pivotal trial in Lincoln's career.

Evolution of an identity

After the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polic ...

, the region began to gain a common identity. The river towns that were thoughtfully planned and competently led flourished, while other settlements, usually get-rich-quick schemes for speculators, failed to pan out. By

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

, the towns of Davenport, Rock Island, and Moline had begun to style themselves as the "Tri-Cities", a cluster of three more-or-less equally-sized river communities growing around the small bend of the Mississippi River where it flows west. But with the growth of

Rock Island County Rock Island County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois, bounded on the west by the Mississippi River. According to the 2010 census, it had a population of 147,546. Its county seat is Rock Island; its largest city is neighboring ...

, during the 1930s the term "Quad Cities" came into vogue, as East Moline was given "equal status". Despite the fact that the region had earned the name "Quad Cities", the National Basketball League and then the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball sports league, league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues i ...

had a franchise in Moline, Illinois, from 1946 to 1951 called the "

Tri-Cities Blackhawks Tri-Cities most often refers to: *Tri-Cities, Tennessee, United States *Tri-Cities, Washington, United States Tri-City, Tricity or Tri-Cities may also refer to: Populated places Americas Canada * Tri-Cities (British Columbia), consisting of C ...

". Then, with the opening of an Alcoa (now

Arconic Arconic Corporation is an American industrial company specializing in lightweight metals engineering and manufacturing. Arconic's products are used worldwide in aerospace, automotive, commercial transportation, packaging, building and constructio ...

) plant east of Davenport in 1948, the town of Bettendorf underwent so much growth that many people in the community discussed the adoption of the name "Quint Cities", but by this time, the name "Quad Cities" had become known well beyond the area, and "Quint Cities" never caught on, despite the efforts of WOC-TV (now

KWQC-TV KWQC-TV (channel 6) is a television station licensed to Davenport, Iowa, United States, serving the Quad Cities area as an affiliate of NBC. Owned by Gray Television, the station maintains studios on Brady Street in downtown Davenport, and its ...

) and others. Consequently, when Bettendorf passed East Moline in size, there was some debate about whether Bettendorf had "displaced" East Moline. Instead, local officials, such as the Chamber of Commerce, have chosen an inclusive approach, maintaining the name "Quad Cities" yet including all five cities.

1980s–current

Beginning in the late 1970s, economic conditions caused major industrial restructuring, which disrupted the basis of the region's economy. The major companies, agricultural manufacturers, ceased or scaled back operations in the Quad Cities. Factories which closed included

International Harvester The International Harvester Company (often abbreviated by IHC, IH, or simply International ( colloq.)) was an American manufacturer of agricultural and construction equipment, automobiles, commercial trucks, lawn and garden products, household e ...

(

Navistar Navistar, Inc is an American holding company created in 1986 as the successor to International Harvester. Navistar operates as the owner of International-branded trucks and diesel engines. The company also produces buses under the IC Bus br ...

) in Rock Island and

Case IH Case IH is an American agricultural machinery manufacturer. It was created in 1985 when Tenneco bought selected assets of the agricultural division from International Harvester and merged it into its J.I. Case Company (IH then became Navistar) ...

in Bettendorf. Moline-based

cut its labor headcount by one half. Later in the 1980s,

Caterpillar Inc. Caterpillar Inc. (stock symbol CAT) is an American ''Fortune'' 500 corporation and the world's largest construction-equipment manufacturer. In 2018, Caterpillar was ranked number 65 on the ''Fortune'' 500 list and number 238 on the Global ''Fo ...

closed its factories at Mount Joy and Bettendorf. Since the 1990s, the Quad Cities governments, businesses, non-profits and residents have worked hard to redevelop the region. They have achieved national attention for their accomplishments. Examples of revitalization and rebirth include: * Davenport's River Renaissance (a downtown revitalization project that includes a river music history center), an ag-tech venture capital campus, and the

Figge Art Museum The Figge Art Museum is an art museum in Davenport, Iowa. The Figge, as it is commonly known, has an encyclopedic collection and serves as the major art museum for the eastern Iowa and western Illinois region. The Figge works closely with seve ...

opened or were completed during the first decade of the 21st century. * Moline has invested in what was once a robust downtown. The "John Deere Commons" and the

Vibrant Arena at The MARK The Vibrant Arena at The MARK, formerly known as The MARK of the Quad Cities, the iWireless Center, and the TaxSlayer Center is a 12,000-seat multi-purpose arena located in Moline, Illinois. The facility opened in May 1993, under the name The ...

(formerly "The MARK of the Quad Cities", the "iWireless Center", and the "TaxSlayer Center") both opened during the 1990s. * In 2007, Davenport and Rock Island competed for and won the title of "most livable small city" from the

National Council of Mayors National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

, based upon an unfunded proposal called RiverVision. * In 2008 Bettendorf was ranked by

CNN CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by the ...

as one of the ten best places to buy a house in the United States. * In 2010, the Quad Cities were named "the most affordable metro" by ''Forbes'' magazine. * In 2012, Davenport housing market ranked second in the nation beating the housing bubble, due to its lack of foreclosures and their low unemployment. * In 2012, the

Quad Cities Metropolitan Area The Quad Cities metropolitan area, more formally known as the Davenport–Moline–Rock Island Metropolitan Statistical Area, is the metropolitan area associated with the Quad Cities in the U.S. states of Iowa and Illinois. The area consists of t ...

was ranked among the fastest-growing areas in the nation in the growth of high-tech jobs. *In 2012, the Quad Cities were named the "2012 All American City" *In 2013, Modern Woodman Park was voted the best minor league ballpark in America.

Proposed mergers

Over the years, several communities in the Quad Cities region have proposed or performed mergers. As it grew, Davenport annexed the communities of Rockingham, Nahant, Probstei, East Davenport, Oakdale, Cawiezeel, Blackhawk, Mt. Joy, Green Tree, and others. Bettendorf annexed portions of Pleasant Valley in the 1970s. In 1987, Rock Island, Moline, East Moline, Milan, Carbon Cliff, Hampton, Coal Valley and Silvis considered a super-city merger which would have seen the Illinois cities become the second-largest city in the state, but the proposal ultimately failed. Moline and East Moline considered a merger in 1997. That same year, Green Rock and Colona did merge. Bettendorf and Riverdale also considered a merger.

Geography

The Quad Cities is located at the

confluence In geography, a confluence (also: ''conflux'') occurs where two or more flowing bodies of water join to form a single channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river ( main stem); ...

of the

Rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

and

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Mis ...

rivers, approximately west of Chicago, and forms the largest metropolitan area along the Mississippi River between

Minneapolis–Saint Paul Minneapolis–Saint Paul is a metropolitan area in the Upper Midwestern United States centered around the confluence of the Mississippi, Minnesota and St. Croix rivers in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It is commonly known as the Twin Citi ...

and the

St. Louis metropolitan area Greater St. Louis is a bi-state metropolitan area that completely surrounds and includes the independent city of St. Louis, the principal city. It includes parts of both Missouri and Illinois. The city core is on the Mississippi Riverfront on t ...

Interstate 80 Interstate 80 (I-80) is an east–west transcontinental freeway that crosses the United States from downtown San Francisco, California, to Teaneck, New Jersey, in the New York metropolitan area. The highway was designated in 1956 as one ...

crosses the Mississippi River here. The

consists of three counties: Scott County in

, and

and Henry County in

. The Quad Cities Metropolitan Area is also considered part of the Great Lakes Megalopolis.America 2050: Megaregions: Great Lakes.

Regional Plan Association The Regional Plan Association is an independent, not-for-profit regional planning organization, founded in 1922, that focuses on recommendations to improve the quality of life and economic competitiveness of a 31-county New York–New Jersey– ...

. The Quad Cities area is distinctive because the Mississippi River flows from east to west as it passes through the heart of the area; the Iowa cities of Davenport and Bettendorf are located due north of Rock Island and Moline, respectively.

Demographics

According to the 2010 United States Census Count, the metropolitan area grew to 471,551. Note: Quad City population is equivalent to adding up the populations of

Scott County, Iowa Scott County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 174,669, making it the third-most populous county in Iowa. The county seat is Davenport. Scott County is included in the Davenport– Moline- ...

and Rock Island,

Mercer Mercer may refer to: Business * Mercer (car), a defunct American automobile manufacturer (1909–1925) * Mercer (consulting firm), a large human resources consulting firm headquartered in New York City * Mercer (occupation), a merchant or trader, ...

, and

Henry Henry may refer to: People * Henry (given name) *Henry (surname) * Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry Royalty * Portuguese royalty ** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal ** Henry, Count of Portugal, ...

Counties in Illinois. As of the 2000 census, a total of 96,495 households and 60,535 families resided in the area.

Race and ethnicity

The

racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

of the area is 90.6% White (410,861), 3.7% Black or African American (27,757), 0.6% American Indian and Alaskan Native (1,255), 1.0% Asian (6,624), 0.03% Pacific Islander (156), and 2.0% from two or more races (11,929). 7.1% of the population is Hispanic or Latino of any race (37,070).https://www.quadcitieschamber.com/Quad Cities Chamber-Quad Cities Demographics.pdf The predominant ethnicities in the Quad Cities are of northern European descent, including

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

, and

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national id ...

, as well

Scandinavian A Scandinavian is a resident of Scandinavia or something associated with the region, including: Culture * Scandinavianism, political and cultural movement * Scandinavian design, a design movement of the 1950s * Scandinavian folklore * Scandinavi ...

(Mostly

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used b ...

and

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe * Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway * Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including ...

) and

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

. The primary

minority groups The term 'minority group' has different usages depending on the context. According to its common usage, a minority group can simply be understood in terms of demographic sizes within a population: i.e. a group in society with the least number o ...

in the area are

African-Americans African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

, which in Davenport make up the third largest black population in the state of Iowa, a community dating back to the 1830s when Iowa was a free territory. Many of the city's African-American residents have roots in the Southern/Border states of the U.S., including Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama, and Missouri. The most significant Asian-American populations are

South Asian South Asia is the southern Subregion#Asia, subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geography, geographical and culture, ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, ...

and

Vietnamese American Vietnamese Americans ( vi, Người Mỹ gốc Việt, lit=Viet-origin American people) are Americans of Vietnamese ancestry. They make up about half of all overseas Vietnamese and are the fourth-largest Asian American ethnic group after Chines ...

Religion

According to resources,

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesu ...

is the largest religion practiced in the area. However, the two states have a different population of Christian groups. In Davenport and Bettendorf,

Catholics The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

make up an 18.5% plurality, but

Protestants Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

with 15.1% Mainline and 11.6%

Evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being " born again", in which an individual exp ...

make up large minorities as well. The Black Protestants on the Iowa side comes in at 1.2%. On the Illinois side, between Rock Island, Moline, and East Moline, Catholicism is less prevalent at 12.4%, and at 12.5% Evangelical and 11.0% Mainline have smaller declines. The

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

population is about 500–600, which is down from about 1,800–2,000 in the 1950s and 1960s.

Metropolitan area

The Quad Cities metropolitan area, more formally known as the Davenport–Moline–Rock Island Metropolitan Statistical Area ( MSA), is the metropolitan area associated with the Quad Cities in the

s of

and

. The Davenport–Moline–Rock Island MSA consists of four counties – Scott County in

and

, and Rock Island counties in

– and had an estimated population of 384,324 as of 2020. The Quad Cities metropolitan area is also considered part of the Great Lakes Megalopolis, and is the largest metropolitan area along the

in Iowa and between

and the

Population by County

Population by City

Places with over 100,000 inhabitants

* Davenport, Iowa

Places with 10,001 to 100,000 inhabitants

Moline, Illinois Moline ( ) is a city located in Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. With a population of 42,985 in 2020, it is the largest city in Rock Island County. Moline is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring East Moline and Rock Island ...

Bettendorf, Iowa Bettendorf is a city in Scott County, Iowa, United States. It is the 15th largest city of Iowa and the third-largest city in the " Quad Cities". It is part of the Davenport– Moline– Rock Island, IA- IL Metropolitan Statistical Area. The popu ...

Rock Island, Illinois Rock Island is a city in and the county seat of Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. The original Rock Island, from which the city name is derived, is now called Arsenal Island. The population was 37,108 at the 2020 census. Located on ...

East Moline, Illinois East Moline is a city in Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. The population was 21,374 at the 2020 census. East Moline is part of the Quad Cities, along with the cities of Rock Island, Moline, and the Iowa cities of Davenport and Bett ...

Places with 1,001 to 10,000 inhabitants

* Andalusia, Illinois *

Aledo, Illinois Aledo (u--doh) is a city in Mercer County, Illinois, Mercer County, Illinois, United States. The population was 3,640 at the 2010 census, up from 3,613 in 2000. It is the county seat of Mercer County. History Aledo was established in the 1850s w ...

Blue Grass, Iowa Blue Grass is a city in Muscatine and Scott counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 1,666 as of 2020. Most of Blue Grass is part of the Davenport– Moline– Rock Island, IA- IL Metropolitan Statistical Area, but the Muscatine Co ...

Buffalo, Iowa Buffalo is a city in Scott County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,176 at the 2020 census. Buffalo is located on the Mississippi River. The city is a part of the Quad Cities Metropolitan Area. Geography Buffalo's longitude and latitud ...

Cambridge, Illinois Cambridge is a village in Henry County, Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other ...

Carbon Cliff, Illinois Carbon Cliff is a village in Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,134 at the 2010 census. It lies in the south part of Hampton Township. Geography Carbon Cliff is located at (41.498698, -90.396129). According to t ...

* Coal Valley, Illinois *

Colona, Illinois Colona is a city in Henry County, Illinois, Henry County, Illinois, along the Green River (Illinois), Green River. It is part of the Quad Cities United States metropolitan area, metropolitan area. The population was 5,099 at the 2010 census, dow ...

Eldridge, Iowa Eldridge is a city in Scott County, Iowa, United States. The population was 6,726 in the 2020 Census; Eldridge is a suburb and part of the Quad Cities metropolitan area. History Jacob M. Eldridge, the city's namesake, arrived in central Scott ...

Geneseo, Illinois Geneseo is a city in Henry County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 6,539. Geneseo is 20 miles east of the Quad Cities, at the intersection of Interstate 80, U.S. Route 6 and Illinois Route 82. Geneseo is well ...

Hampton, Illinois Hampton is a village in Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,863 at the 2010 census. History The village was originally in territory claimed by the Sauk and Fox Indians, and several Woodland era Native mounds are loc ...

Le Claire, Iowa LeClaire is a city in Scott County, Iowa, United States. The population was 4,710 in 2020 United States Census, 2020, a 65.4% increase from 2,847 in 2000 United States Census, 2000, making it one of the fastest-growing communities in the Quad Ci ...

Milan, Illinois Milan ( ) is a village in Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. The population was 5,099 at the 2010 census. The village is located near the Quad Cities of Illinois and Iowa. History The village is on the Rock River in northwest Illinois, ...

Orion, Illinois Orion ( ) is a village in Henry County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,861 at the 2010 census. It is the site for transmitters for many of the Quad Cities' radio and television stations, including KLJB, KWQC-TV, WMWC-TV, WQAD-TV, ...

Park View, Iowa Park View is a census-designated place (CDP) in Scott County, Iowa, United States. The population was 2,389 at the 2010 census. Geography Park View is located at (41.693764, −90.541373). According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP ...

Port Byron, Illinois Port Byron is a village in Rock Island County, Illinois, United States and part of the Quad Cities Metropolitan Area. The population was 1,647 at the 2010 census. Geography Port Byron is located at (41.618051, -90.332789). According to the 20 ...

Silvis, Illinois Silvis is a city in Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. It is part of a larger metropolitan area known as the Quad Cities. The Quad Cities Metropolitan Area is situated across four counties in Illinois and Iowa. It is located four miles ...

Walcott, Iowa Walcott ( /ˈwɔlkɔt/ ''WAWL-cawt'', �wɔlkət is a city in Muscatine and Scott counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 1,551 at the time of the 2020 census. Walcott's interchange on Interstate 80 is home to an enormous comple ...

Places with fewer than 1,000 inhabitants

Andover, Illinois Andover is a village in Henry County, Illinois, United States. The population was 578 at the 2010 census, down from 594 in 2000. History Andover is the oldest community in Henry County. Andover was the first area to be settled as a town within ...

Annawan, Illinois Annawan is an incorporated town in Henry County, Illinois, United States. The population was 878 at the 2010 census. Geography Annawan is located at (41.397094, -89.908893). According to the 2010 census, Annawan has a total area of , all land. ...

Atkinson, Illinois Atkinson is an incorporated town in Henry County, Illinois, United States. The population was 965 at the 2020 census, down from 972 in 2010. Geography Atkinson is located at (41.418770, -90.014626). According to the 2010 census, Atkinson has a ...

Cleveland, Illinois Cleveland is a village in Henry County, Illinois, United States. The population was 188 at the 2010 census, down from 253 in 2000. Geography Cleveland is located at (41.507084, -90.313624). According to the 2010 census, Cleveland has a total a ...

Dixon, Iowa Dixon is a city in Scott County, Iowa, United States. The population was 202 at the time of the 2020 census. Geography Dixon is located at (41.741464, −90.782891). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of ...

Donahue, Iowa Donahue is a city in Scott County, Iowa, United States. The population was 335 at the 2020 census. The city has a mayor-council form of government. Education Donahue is part of the North Scott Community School District, based in nearby Eldri ...

* Long Grove, Iowa *

Matherville, Illinois Matherville is a village in Mercer County, Illinois, United States. The population was 723 at the 2010 census. Geography Matherville is located at (41.260255, -90.605874). According to the 2010 census, Matherville has a total area of , of whic ...

Maysville, Iowa Maysville is a city in Scott County, Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states ...

McCausland, Iowa McCausland is a city in Butler Township, Scott County, Iowa, United States. The population was 313 at the time of the 2020 census. The city was founded in 1882 by D.C. McCausland, a landowner and horse trader. Geography McCausland is located ...

New Liberty, Iowa New Liberty is a city in Scott County, Iowa, United States. The population was 138 at the time of the 2020 census. Geography New Liberty is located at (41.717125, −90.879327). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a tot ...

North Henderson, Illinois North Henderson is a village in Mercer County, Illinois, United States. The population was 162 at the 2020 census. Geography North Henderson is located in southeastern Mercer County at (41.089830, -90.475184). It is southeast of Aledo, the co ...

Panorama Park, Iowa Panorama Park is a city in Scott County, Iowa, United States. The population was 139 at the time of the 2020 census. It is surrounded by Bettendorf, and is part of the Quad Cities metro area. Geography Panorama Park is located at (41.555156, ...

Pleasant Valley, Iowa Pleasant Valley Township is a township in Scott County, Iowa, United States. Geography Pleasant Valley Township covers an area of and is located on the shore of the Mississippi River between the cities of Bettendorf and Le Claire According to ...

Princeton, Iowa Princeton is a city in Scott County, Iowa, United States. The population was 923 at the time of the 2020 census. History The first known settlers in Princeton Township were brothers Giles and Haswell Pineo, ''circa'' 1836. By 1838, Elizabeth C ...

Riverdale, Iowa Riverdale is a city in Scott County, Iowa, United States. The population was 379 at the time of the 2020 census. Arconic has an aluminum rolling mill in Riverdale that employs approximately 2,000 people. The city is surrounded on three sides b ...

Sherrard, Illinois Sherrard is a village in Mercer County, Illinois, United States. The population was 692 at the 2020 census. Sherrard is home to the Sherrard Junior / Senior High School, home of the Sherrard Tigers. Geography Sherrard is located at (41.318470 ...

Viola, Illinois Viola (pronounced vy-OLA) is a village in Mercer County, Illinois, United States. The population was 955 at the 2010 census, a decline of one person from 956 in 2000. Geography According to the 2010 census, Viola has a total area of , of which ...

Unincorporated places

Barstow, Illinois Barstow is an unincorporated community in Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. Barstow is east of East Moline and Silvis. Barstow is located on a wye that connects track owned by the BNSF Railway, including the Barstow Subdivision. Thes ...

* Creekville, Iowa * Dayton, Illinois *

Lynn Center, Illinois Lynn Center is an unincorporated community in Lynn Township, Henry County, Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East s ...

Montpelier, Iowa Montpelier is an unincorporated community in eastern Muscatine County, Iowa, United States. Located along Iowa Highway 22, it lies on the Mississippi River above the city of Muscatine, the county seat of Muscatine County. Its elevation is 568&nb ...

Mount Joy, Iowa Mount is often used as part of the name of specific mountains, e.g. Mount Everest. Mount or Mounts may also refer to: Places * Mount, Cornwall, a village in Warleggan parish, England * Mount, Perranzabuloe, a hamlet in Perranzabuloe parish ...

Nekoma, Illinois Nekoma is an unincorporated community in Weller Township, Henry County, Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East sectio ...

Osco, Illinois Osco is an unincorporated community in Osco Township, Henry County, Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, ...

Ophiem, Illinois Ophiem is an unincorporated community in Lynn Township, Henry County, Illinois Henry County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. The 2010 United States Census, listed its population at 50,486. Its county seat is Cambridge. ...

Preemption, Illinois Preemption is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Preemption Township, Mercer County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 254. Preemption is west of Sherrard and has a post office ...

Landmarks

* The business Antique Archeology, featured on the

History Channel History (formerly The History Channel from January 1, 1995 to February 15, 2008, stylized as HISTORY) is an American pay television network and flagship channel owned by A&E Networks, a joint venture between Hearst Communications and the Dis ...

show ''

American Pickers ''American Pickers'' is an American reality television series that premiered on January 18, 2010 on History, produced by A&E Television Networks in collaboration with Cineflix Media. In the series, the hosts travel across America in search of r ...

'', is located in LeClaire * Brady Street Stadium, a major high-school sports venue along Davenport's Brady Street (

U.S. 61 U.S. Route 61 or U.S. Highway 61 (U.S. 61) is a major United States highway that extends between New Orleans, Louisiana and the city of Wyoming, Minnesota. The highway generally follows the course of the Mississippi River and is designated ...

) *

The Col Ballroom The Col Ballroom is a historic building located in the West End of Davenport, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and on the Davenport Register of Historic Properties as the Saengerfest Halle. (Click on " ...

, a small arena for music concerts, in Davenport *

Davenport Skybridge The Davenport Skybridge is a pedestrian cable-stayed bridge that spans River Drive (Highway 67) in downtown Davenport, Iowa. It connects LeClaire Park to a courtyard and parking ramp on 2nd Street, located near the River Music Experience. The b ...

, Davenport, formerly the Davenport Museum of Art, designed by British architect

David Chipperfield Sir David Alan Chipperfield, (born 18 December 1953) is an English architect. He established David Chipperfield Architects in 1985. His major works include the River and Rowing Museum in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire (1989–1998); the Muse ...

and opened in 2005. Its holdings include extensive collections of Haitian, colonial Mexican and Midwestern art, particularly pieces by Thomas Hart Benton,

Marvin Cone Marvin Dorwart Cone (October 21, 1891 – May 18, 1965) was an American painter in the regionalist style.Walch, Timothy (2009)"Cone, Marvin Dorwart" ''The Biographical Dictionary of Iowa''. University of Iowa Press Cone was born in Cedar Rapid ...

and

Grant Wood Grant DeVolson Wood (February 13, 1891 February 12, 1942) was an American painter and representative of Regionalism, best known for his paintings depicting the rural American Midwest. He is particularly well known for '' American Gothic'' (1930 ...

, and personal effects from Wood's estate. * Fred Schwengel Memorial Bridge, a four-lane steel-girder bridge on

, crossing the Mississippi River to connect LeClaire and Rapids City. Opened in 1966. *

Government Bridge The Government Bridge or Arsenal Bridge spans the Mississippi River, connecting Rock Island, Illinois and Davenport, Iowa. The Iowa Interstate Railroad uses the upper deck of the bridge for its ex- Chicago and Rock Island Railroad route between ...

, a double-decked bridge adjacent to

Lock and Dam 15 Lock and Dam No. 15 is a lock and dam located on the Upper Mississippi River. It spans the river between Rock Island, Illinois and Davenport, Iowa. Lock and Dam 15 is the largest roller dam in the world, its dam is long and consists of nine n ...

, carrying motor and rail traffic between Arsenal Island and Davenport. The 1896 truss bridge, about 1,950 feet long, includes a 360-degree swing span over the twin locks. It connects to the Illinois side of the river via the

Rock Island Viaduct Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a List of United Ki ...

. *

Iowa 80 Iowa 80 is the world's largest truck stop, located along Interstate 80 off exit 284 in Walcott, Iowa. It sits on a plot of land, three times larger than an average truckstop, and it receives 5,000 visitors daily. Iowa 80 features a main ...

Truck Stop – the world's largest truck stop is along Interstate 80 near

, west of Davenport. *

Interstate 74 Bridge The Interstate 74 Bridge, officially known as the Iowa-Illinois Memorial Bridge, and often called ''The Twin Bridges'', or the ''I-74 Bridge'', are basket-handle, through arch twin bridges that carry Interstate 74 across the Mississippi River ...

, formerly known as the "Iowa-Illinois Memorial Bridge", connecting Bettendorf and Moline. The twin suspension spans across the Mississippi River were built in 1935 and 1959 and adapted to carry Interstate 74 in the early 1970s. The twinned towers are a symbol of the two-state Quad Cities community. The bridge is set to be replaced with eight lanes. * John Deere Pavilion, a small museum and showcase for

equipment, built adjacent to the

John Deere Commons John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

in the 1990s in downtown Moline. *

John Deere World Headquarters The John Deere World Headquarters is a complex of four buildings located on 1,400 acres (5.7 km2) of land at One John Deere Place, Moline, Illinois, United States. The complex serves as corporate headquarters for agricultural heavy equipme ...

, designed by

Eero Saarinen Eero Saarinen (, ; August 20, 1910 – September 1, 1961) was a Finnish-American architect and industrial designer noted for his wide-ranging array of designs for buildings and monuments. Saarinen is best known for designing the General Motor ...

and completed in 1963 in Moline. * The John Looney Mansion, designed and built in 1897 for the attorney, publisher and gangster John Looney in Rock Island which still stands off 20th Street and 17th Avenue. *

Lock and Dam No. 15 Lock and Dam No. 15 is a lock and dam located on the Upper Mississippi River. It spans the river between Rock Island, Illinois and Davenport, Iowa. Lock and Dam 15 is the largest roller dam in the world, its dam is long and consists of nine ...

, a 1,200-foot

roller dam A Roller dam is a type of hydro-control device specially designed to mitigate erosion. They are most often used to divert water for irrigation but the largest and most notable examples are used to ease river navigation. The world's first roller d ...

with twin locks across the Mississippi River between

Arsenal Island An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...

and Davenport. The roller dam, billed as the longest of its type, maintains a pool upstream that allows river traffic to pass through the once notorious Rock Island Rapids. *

Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Mississ ...

, a fair and exposition venue in Davenport *

Modern Woodmen Park Modern Woodmen Park (known previously as John O'Donnell Stadium and Municipal Stadium) is a minor league baseball venue located in Davenport, Iowa. It is home to the Quad Cities River Bandits, the Midwest League affiliate of the Kansas City Roy ...

, formerly John O'Donnell Stadium, home of the Kansas City Royals' class high A affiliate, the

Quad Cities River Bandits The Quad Cities River Bandits are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. Their home games are played at Modern Woodmen Park (formerly John O'Donnell Stadium) in Davenport, Iowa, one ...

, on the Davenport riverfront. With the lights of Rock Island across the Mississippi and the Centennial Bridge looming just beyond the right-field fence, the park was named by ''USA Today'' as one of 10 great places for a baseball pilgrimage. The ball park added a 110 ft. Ferris wheel before the start of the 2014 season. *

Old Main Old Main is a term often applied to the original building present on college or university campuses in the United States. The building serves today as home to administrative offices, such as the president or provost, but in its early inception may ...

, completed in 1888, the oldest building on the campus of

Augustana College Augustana College may refer to: *Augustana College (Illinois) *Augustana University Sioux Falls, South Dakota *Augustana University College, Alberta See also *Augustana Divinity School (Neuendettelsau) The Augustana-Hochschule Neuendettelsau is ...

. Located on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River, its iconic and newly renovated dome was lighted as of October 2011. * Putnam Museum in Davenport *

Quad City Botanical Center The Quad City Botanical Center is a set of botanical gardens located next to the Mississippi River at 2525 4th Avenue, Rock Island, Illinois. It is open daily except major holidays; an admission fee is charged. The center opened on June 20, 1998 ...

in Rock Island *

Quad Cities Waterfront Convention Center The Quad Cities Waterfront Convention Center is a convention center located in Bettendorf, Iowa, United States. The name for the facility in the development stages was the Bettendorf Events Center. A ground breaking ceremony for the center was ...

, located in Bettendorf *

RiverCenter/Adler Theatre RiverCenter is a convention center located in downtown Davenport, Iowa, United States. It is made up of two buildings sited on the north and south sides of East Third Street connected by a skywalk. The Adler Theatre is connected to the original ...

, a convention and performing-arts complex in Davenport. The 2,400-seat Adler is the former RKO Orpheum Theater, which opened in 1931, designed by

A.S. Graven As, AS, A. S., A/S or similar may refer to: Art, entertainment, and media * A. S. Byatt (born 1936), English critic, novelist, poet and short story writer * "As" (song), by Stevie Wonder * , a Spanish sports newspaper * , an academic male voice ...

of Chicago, whose projects included the

Drake Hotel Drake Hotel may refer to: ;in Canada * Drake Hotel (Toronto), Ontario ;in the United States (by state) *Drake Hotel (Chicago, Illinois), listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) *Drake Hotel (Gallup, New Mexico), NRHP-listed in M ...

in Chicago and the Paramount Theater in New York City. The theater was extensively renovated and expanded in 1984–86 and 2005. *

River Music Experience The River Music Experience is a multi-use music facility and 501(c)3 non-profit organization located on the first two floors of the historic Redstone Building in downtown Davenport, Iowa. The stated purpose of the River Music Experience is ...

, a performance, education and music-history venue in the Redstone Building, the former Petersen Harned Von Maur department store *

Rock Island Arsenal The Rock Island Arsenal comprises , located on Arsenal Island, originally known as Rock Island, on the Mississippi River between the cities of Davenport, Iowa, and Rock Island, Illinois. It lies within the state of Illinois. Rock Islan ...

, manufacturer of military equipment and ordnance since the 1880s, now the largest government-owned weapons manufacturing arsenal in the United States. The arsenal is located on Arsenal Island (formerly known as Rock Island) in the Mississippi River between Davenport, Iowa, and Rock Island, Illinois. Fort Armstrong was built there in 1816. During the civil war, the island held a Union prison camp for Confederate soldiers. The Federal-style home of Colonel

George Davenport Colonel George Davenport, born George William King (1783 – July 4, 1845), was a 19th-century English-American sailor, frontiersman, fur trader, merchant, postmaster, US Army soldier, Indian agent, and city planner. A prominent and well-known ...

, built in 1833–34, the oldest extant building in the Quad Cities, is on the north bank of the island. * Rock Island Centennial Bridge over the Mississippi River between downtown Davenport and Rock Island, completed in 1940 to commemorate Rock Island's 100th anniversary. The five arches of the 3,853-foot through-arch bridge often are used as a symbol of the Quad Cities. *

Rock Island County Fairgrounds Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wa ...

in East Moline, also the site of the

Quad City Speedway Quad as a word or prefix usually means 'four'. It may refer to: Government * Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, a strategic security dialogue between Australia, India, Japan, and the United States * Quadrilateral group, an informal group which i ...

* Rock Island Auction Company from the

Discovery Channel Discovery Channel (known as The Discovery Channel from 1985 to 1995, and often referred to as simply Discovery) is an American cable channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav. , Discovery Chan ...

show '' Ready, Aim, Sold!'' *

– a 12,000-seat arena in Moline (formerly The Mark of the Quad Cities, the iWireless Center, and the TaxSlayer Center). *

Vander Veer Botanical Park The Vander Veer Botanical Park is a botanical garden in the Vander Veer Park Historic District of Davenport, Iowa. It is believed to be one of the first botanical parks west of the Mississippi River. The park was listed on the Davenport Register ...

is a 33-acre (130,000 m2) botanical garden in the Vander Veer Park Historic District of Davenport, Iowa. It is believed to be one of the first botanical parks west of the Mississippi River. * The Quarter – a site in East Moline, alongside the Mississippi River, featuring shops, restaurants, condominiums, boat docks, sports and interpretive centers, and a working lighthouse, currently under development. (Geographical coordinates: ) *

Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Freight House The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Freight House, known locally as The Freight House, is a historic building in Downtown Davenport, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. History This Fr ...

, referred to locally as the "Freight House", is an entertainment venue *TBK Bank Sports Complex, also known as the BettPlex, is a state-of-the-art sport and entertainment complex. Containing eight full-size volleyball and basketball courts. Four indoor and five outdoor sand volleyball courts, 10 lighted outdoor baseball and softball fields, the BettPlex is a 45 million dollar sporting facility that was created to host weekend sporting tournaments in the Quad Cities.

Noteworthy companies

Cobham plc Cobham Limited is a British aerospace manufacturing company based in Bournemouth, England. Cobham was originally founded by Sir Alan Cobham as Flight Refuelling Limited (FRL) in 1934. During 1939, British airline Imperial Airways performed ...

Deere & Company Deere & Company, doing business as John Deere (), is an American corporation that manufactures agricultural machinery, heavy equipment, forestry machinery, diesel engines, drivetrains (axles, transmissions, gearboxes) used in heavy equipment, an ...

(also known as/branded: John Deere) *

Genesis Health System Genesis Health System is a non-profit health system based in Davenport, Iowa. The system provides health services to multiple communities in Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois 6 different hospitals. Genesis is the largest employer in Scott County ...

Group O Group O, headquartered in Milan, Illinois, is one of the largest Hispanic- owned companies in the U.S. and a provider of managed products and services. History Group O was founded in Milan, Illinois in 1974 by Robert Ontiveros. Bob's initial bu ...

Guardian Industries Guardian Industries is a privately held industrial manufacturer of glass, automotive and building products based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The company manufactures float glass, fabricated glass products, fiberglass insulation and building materi ...

Happy Joe's Happy Joe's is an American pizza parlor chain based in Bettendorf, Iowa. The restaurant chain was founded in 1972 by Lawrence Joseph "Happy Joe" Whitty, a former Shakey's Pizza manager. Their United States locations are spread out across the Upp ...

KONE, Inc Kone Oyj (; officially stylized as KONE and trading as KONE Corporation) is an elevator engineering company employing over 60,000 personnel across 60 countries worldwide. It was founded in 1910 and is now headquartered in Espoo near Helsinki, F ...

(formerly

Montgomery Elevator Montgomery Elevator Company was a vertical transportation company founded in 1892, but entered the elevator business in 1910, acquired Roelofson Elevator of Galt Ontario in the early 1960s and operated it as its Canadian Division. Montgomery m ...

) *

Lee Enterprises Lee Enterprises, Inc. is a publicly traded American media company. It publishes 77 daily newspapers in 26 states, and more than 350 weekly, classified, and specialty publications. Lee Enterprises was founded in 1890 by Alfred Wilson Lee and is ba ...

Lewis Machine and Tool Company Lewis Machine and Tool Company (LMT) is an American armaments company founded by Karl Lewis, in 1980. LMT manufactures weapon systems including the M4 carbine, and the M203 grenade launcher. LMT products are used by the military forces of the Uni ...

Modern Woodmen of America Modern Woodmen of America (MWA) is one of the largest (based on assets) fraternal benefit societies in the United States, with more than 750,000 members. Total assets reached US$15.4 billion in 2016. Though it shares the same founder, it is no ...

Nestlé Purina PetCare Nestlé Purina Petcare (), or simply Purina, is an American subsidiary of the Swiss corporation Nestlé, based in St. Louis, Missouri. It produces and markets pet food, treats, cat and dog litter. Some of its pet food brands include Purina Pro ...

QCR Holdings QCR Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides commercial and consumer banking, and trust and asset management services for the Quad City and Cedar Rapids communities. QCR Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Moline ...

Sears Seating Sears Seating is an American producer of seating for agricultural, construction, and material handling equipment and heavy-duty, over-the-road trucks worldwide. It was founded in 1855 by Isaac Howe Sears, remains headquartered in Davenport, Io ...

(also known as Sears Manufacturing) * Von Maur *

Whitey's Ice Cream Whitey's Ice Cream is an ice-cream parlor chain based in Moline, Illinois. This ice cream has been an icon of the Illinois and Iowa Quad Cities since it was founded in 1933. History Chester Lindgren opened the first store on the corner of 16th St ...

Top employers

According to the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce website, the top employers in the Quad Cities area are:

Notable people

Eddie Albert Edward Albert Heimberger (April 22, 1906 – May 26, 2005) was an American actor and activist. He was twice nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor; the first nomination came in 1954 for his performance in ''Roman Holiday'', ...

, actor, Rock Island * Ken Anderson, football player and coach, Rock Island *

Pat Angerer Patrick Aaron Angerer (born January 31, 1987) is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Iowa. ...

, football player, Bettendorf *

Matthew Ashford Matthew Nile Ashford (born January 29, 1960) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles on the soap operas ''Days of Our Lives'' and '' The Bay'', for the former of which he received a nomination for the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstand ...

, actor, Davenport *

Tavian Banks Tavian Remond Banks (born February 17, 1974) is a former running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 1998 and 1999. College and high school careers Tavian Banks was a high school standout in both ...

, football player, Bettendorf *

Bonnie Bartlett Bonnie Bartlett (born June 20, 1929) is an American actress. Her career spans seven decades, with her first major role being on a 1950s daytime drama, ''Love of Life''. Bartlett is known for her role as Grace Snider Edwards on the Michael Land ...

, actress, Moline *

Scott Beck Scott Beck (born October 22, 1984) is an American writer, director, and producer. He was born in Denver, Colorado and raised in Bettendorf, Iowa. Beck co-writes and co-directs with filmmaking partner Bryan Woods. Together they co-wrote '' A ...

, filmmaker, Bettendorf *

Bix Beiderbecke Leon Bismark "Bix" Beiderbecke (March 10, 1903 – August 6, 1931) was an American jazz cornetist, pianist and composer. Beiderbecke was one of the most influential jazz soloists of the 1920s, a cornet player noted for an inventive lyrical a ...

, jazz musician, Davenport *

Louis Bellson Louie Bellson (born Luigi Paulino Alfredo Francesco Antonio Balassoni, July 6, 1924 – February 14, 2009), often seen in sources as Louis Bellson, although he himself preferred the spelling Louie, was an American jazz drummer. He was a composer ...

, drummer, Moline *

Vincent Hugo Bendix Vincent Hugo Bendix (August 12, 1881 – March 27, 1945) was an American inventor and industrialist. Vincent Bendix was a pioneer and leader in both the automotive and aviation industries during the 1920s and 1930s.''Vincent Bendix. Enshrine ...

, inventor and industrialist, Moline *

Ken Berry Kenneth Ronald Berry (November 3, 1933 – December 1, 2018) was an American actor, dancer, and singer. Berry starred on the television series ''F Troop'', ''The Andy Griffith Show'', ''Mayberry R.F.D.'' and ''Mama's Family''. He also appea ...

, actor, Moline *

Joseph W. Bettendorf Joseph W. Bettendorf (October 10, 1864 – May, 1933) was a businessman with his brother William P. Bettendorf in Davenport and Bettendorf, Iowa. The city of Bettendorf is named after the two brothers. Biography Early life and career Joseph Bett ...

, industrialist, Bettendorf (Gilbert) *

William P. Bettendorf William P. Bettendorf (July 1, 1857 – June 3, 1910) was a German-American inventor. He is credited with the invention of the power lift sulky plow, the Bettendorf metal wheel and the one-piece railroad truck frame. By the age of 53 he held 94 pa ...

, industrialist, Bettendorf (Gilbert) *

Chief Black Hawk Black Hawk, born ''Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak'' (Sauk: ''Mahkatêwe-meshi-kêhkêhkwa'') (1767 – October 3, 1838), was a Sauk leader and warrior who lived in what is now the Midwestern United States. Although he had inherited an important his ...

, band leader and warrior of the

Native American tribe *

Isabel Bloom Isabel Bloom (February 20, 1908 – May 1, 2001) was an Iowa artist best known for her concrete sculptures of animals and children. Early life Isabel Rose Scherer was born in Galveston, Texas to Charles F. and Adeline (Paradise) Scherer in 1908. ...

, artist, Davenport *

Lisa Bluder Lisa Marie Bluder (, born April 16, 1961) is the head coach of the Iowa Hawkeyes women's basketball program. Formerly, she served as coach of St. Ambrose University and the Drake Bulldogs. Early life Bluder attended Linn-Mar High School and gra ...

, basketball coach, Marion *

Suzy Bogguss Susan Kay Bogguss (born December 30, 1956) is an American country music singer and songwriter. She began her career in the 1980s as a solo singer. In the 1990s, six of her songs were Top 10 hits, three albums were certified gold, and one album re ...

, country singer, Aledo *

Ken Bowman Kenneth Brian Bowman (born December 15, 1942) is an American former professional football player. He played center in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons, all with the Green Bay Packers. In his fourth NFL season in 1967, Bowman w ...

, football player, Milan *

Lara Flynn Boyle Lara Flynn Boyle (born March 24, 1970) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Donna Hayward in the television series ''Twin Peaks'' (1990–1991). After portraying Stacy in Penelope Spheeris's comedy ''Wayne's World'' (1992), ...

, actress, Davenport *

Ambrose Burke Monsignor Ambrose J. Burke (November 27, 1895 – October 6, 1998) was an English professor and Catholic priest who served as the eighth president of Saint Ambrose University (then Saint Ambrose College) from 1940 through 1956. A native of Iowa, ...

, priest and college president, Davenport *

Mike Butcher Michael Dana Butcher (born May 10, 1965) is an American professional baseball pitcher and coach. He played in Major League Baseball for the California Angels from to . He served as the pitching coach for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2006, for the Angel ...

, pitcher and coach, Davenport *

Branden Campbell Neon Trees is an American rock band from Provo, Utah. The band received nationwide exposure in late 2008 when they opened several North American tour dates for the band The Killers. Not long after, the band was signed by Mercury Records. Their ...

, bassist for the

Neon Trees Neon Trees is an American rock band from Provo, Utah. The band received nationwide exposure in late 2008 when they opened several North American tour dates for the band The Killers. Not long after, the band was signed by Mercury Records. Thei ...

, Davenport *

Louise Carver Louise Carver (June 9, 1869 - June 19, 1956) was an American actress who performed in grand opera, stage, nickelodeon, and motion pictures. Early years and career Born Mary Louise Steiger in Davenport, Iowa, she was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs ...

, actress, Davenport *

Samuel Franklin Cody Samuel Franklin Cowdery (later known as Samuel Franklin Cody; 6 March 1867 – 7 August 1913, born Davenport, Iowa, USA)) was a Wild West showman and early pioneer of manned flight. He is most famous for his work on the large kites known a ...

, aviator, Davenport *William F. "

Buffalo Bill William Frederick Cody (February 26, 1846January 10, 1917), known as "Buffalo Bill", was an American soldier, bison hunter, and showman. He was born in Le Claire, Iowa Territory (now the U.S. state of Iowa), but he lived for several years ...

" Cody, pioneer, LeClaire *

Danielle Colby Danielle Colby (born December 3, 1975) is an American reality television personality who appears on the History reality television show ''American Pickers''. Personal life Danielle Colby was born in Davenport, Iowa, and brought up as a Jehova ...

, reality star ''American Pickers'', Davenport/LeClaire *

Jude Cole Jude Anthony Cole (born June 18, 1960) is an American singer, songwriter, manager, and record producer. After signing to Reprise Records, Cole's solo career began with his eponymous debut studio album in 1987, which was followed up 4 subsequen ...

, musician, Carbon Cliff *

Martin Cone Martin Cone (1882–1963) was a Catholic priest in the United States and served as the sixth president of St. Ambrose College in Davenport, Iowa from 1930 to 1937. Biography He was a native of Clinton, Iowa, and studied for the priesthood a ...

, priest and college president, Davenport * Ed Conroy, basketball coach, Davenport *

George Cram Cook George Cram Cook or Jig Cook (October 7, 1873 – January 14, 1924) was an American theatre producer, director, playwright, novelist, poet, and university professor. Believing it was his personal mission to inspire others, Cook led the foun ...

, author, Davenport * Roger Craig, football player, Davenport *

Doris Davenport Doris Davenport, also known as Doris Jordan (January 1, 1917 – June 18, 1980) was an American actress in movies of the 1930s and early 1940s. Early years Davenport was born in Moline, Illinois, and lived in Davenport, Iowa, before s ...

, actress, Moline * Colonel

, pioneer, US Army officer *

Dana Davis Dana Davis (born October 4, 1978) is an American actress, voice actress, and novelist known for playing Monica Dawson on the NBC series '' Heroes'' (2007), Chastity Church on the ABC Family television series ''10 Things I Hate About You'' (2009� ...

, actress, Davenport *

Ricky Davis Tyree Ricardo Davis (born September 23, 1979) is an American former professional basketball player who played twelve seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for University of Iowa. Biography Davis atten ...

, basketball player, Davenport *

, inventor, Moline *

Frederick Denkmann Frederick Denkmann (April 8, 1821 – March 2, 1905) was an American lumber baron based in Rock Island, Illinois. He teamed up with his brother-in-law Friedrich Weyerhäuser and formed Weyerhäuser-Denkmann Lumber Company. Biography Early life ...

, lumber baron, Rock Island *

Justin Diercks Justin Diercks (born April 4, 1980) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He previously drove the No. 70 car for ML Motorsports. He made his Busch Series debut in 2006 in the Circuit City 250 at Richmond International Raceway. He ...

, racecar driver, Davenport * Acie Earl, basketball player, Moline *

Eugene Burton Ely Eugene Burton Ely (October 21, 1886 – October 19, 1911) was an American aviation pioneer, credited with the first shipboard aircraft take off and landing. Background Ely was born in Williamsburg, Iowa, and raised in Davenport, Iowa. Having ...

, aviation pioneer, Davenport *

Lane Evans Lane Allen Evans (August 4, 1951 – November 5, 2014) was an American attorney and politician who served as a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from 1983 until 2007, representing the 17th District of Illinois. Eva ...

, United States congressman, Rock Island *

Bill Fitch William Charles Fitch (May 19, 1932 – February 2, 2022) was an American professional basketball coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He developed multiple teams into playoff contenders and won an NBA championship with the Bost ...

, NBA basketball player and coach, Davenport * John Flannagan, priest and college president, Davenport *

Jack Fleck Jackson Donald Fleck (November 7, 1921 – March 21, 2014) was an American professional golfer, best known for winning the U.S. Open in 1955 in a playoff over Ben Hogan. Early years Born in 1921 and raised in Bettendorf, Iowa, Fleck's parents ...

, golfer, 1955 U.S. Open champion, Bettendorf *

Joe Frisco Joe Frisco (born Louis Wilson Joseph; November 4, 1889 – February 18, 1958) was an American vaudeville performer who first made his name on stage as a jazz dancer, but later incorporated his stuttering voice to his act and became a popular ...

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic compositio ...

performer, Davenport *

John Getz John William Getz (born October 15, 1946) is an American character actor. After starting his acting career on stage, he has appeared in numerous television series and films. Personal life Getz, one of four children, was born in Davenport, Iowa, ...

, actor, Davenport *

Susan Glaspell Susan Keating Glaspell (July 1, 1876 – July 28, 1948) was an American playwright, novelist, journalist and actress. With her husband George Cram Cook, she founded the Provincetown Players, the first modern American theatre company. First known ...

, writer, Davenport *

Ethan Happ Ethan Happ (born May 7, 1996) is an American professional basketball player for Rio Breogán of the Spanish Liga ACB. He is the all-time leading rebounder for the Wisconsin Badgers, where he started all 139 games of his college career and is th ...

, Big Ten basketball player, Milan *

Warren Hearnes Warren Eastman Hearnes (July 24, 1923 – August 16, 2009) was an American politician who served as the 46th governor of Missouri from 1965 to 1973. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first officeholder eligible to serve two consecutiv ...

, governor of

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

, Moline *

Austin Howard Austin Howard (born March 22, 1987) is a former American football offensive tackle. He played college football at Northern Iowa, and was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He was also a member of the New York ...

, football player, Davenport * Jim Jensen, NFL running back, Davenport *

Jesse Johnson (musician) Jesse Woods Johnson (born June 1, 1960) is an American musician best known as the guitarist in the original lineup of The Time (more recently known as the Original 7ven). Life and career Johnson was born in Rock Island, Illinois. He moved to ...

, The Time, Rock Island * Mark Johnson, Olympic wrestler, Rock Island *

James Jones James Jones may refer to: Sports Association football *James Jones (footballer, born 1873) (1873–1955), British Olympic footballer * James Jones (footballer, born 1996), Scottish footballer for Wrexham *James Jones (footballer, born 1997), Wel ...

, football player, Davenport *

Gail Karp Gail Ilene Posner Karp (born in the mid 1950s in Detroit, Michigan) served as the cantor of the Reform Jewish synagogue Temple Emanuel in Davenport, Iowa from 1987 - 2016. She is also employed by the Department of Defense. Early life and educ ...

, cantor of the Reform Jewish synagogue, Davenport *

Hazel Keener Hazel Keener (October 22, 1904 – August 7, 1979) was a motion picture actress from Fairbury, Illinois. She was raised in Davenport, Iowa. Keener won a national beauty contest sponsored by the Chicago Tribune and used her success to begin ...

, actress, Bettendorf and Davenport *

Madison Keys Madison Keys (born February 17, 1995) is an American professional tennis player. She has been ranked as high as world No. 7 by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA), a ranking she first achieved in October 2016. Keys has played in one Grand Sl ...

, tennis player, Rock Island *

Josh Kroeger Joshua J. Kroeger (born August 31, 1982) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. Listed at 6'3" , 220 pounds , Kroeger batted and threw left-handed. He was born in Davenport, Iowa. High school career Kroeger graduated from Scripps Ra ...

, athlete, Davenport *

Steve Kuberski Stephen Phil Kuberski (born November 6, 1947) is an American former professional basketball player. Kuberski won two NBA titles with the Boston Celtics, in 1974 and 1976 and had a nine-year National Basketball Association (NBA) career. Kuberski w ...

, basketball player, Moline *

Perry Lafferty Perry Francis Lafferty (October 3, 1917 – August 25, 2005) was an American television producer and network television executive who produced several television programs, including the CBS programs ''All in the Family'', ''M*A*S*H'', '' Maude' ...

, producer, Davenport *

Kari Lake Kari Ann Lake ( ; born August 23, 1969) is an American former television news anchor who was the Republican nominee in the 2022 Arizona gubernatorial election. Beginning her media career in the early 1990s, Lake was the anchor for the Phoenix ...

, political figure, Rock Island *

Elmer Layden Elmer Francis Layden (May 4, 1903 – June 30, 1973) was an American football player, coach, college athletics administrator, and professional sports executive. He played college football at the University of Notre Dame where he starred at full ...

, athlete and coach, Davenport *

Jim Leach James Albert Smith Leach (born October 15, 1942) is an American academic and former politician. He served as ninth Chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities from 2009 to 2013 Pogrebin, Robin"Rocco Landesman Confirmed as Chairman of the N ...

, politician, Davenport *

Johnny Lujack John Christopher Lujack (pronounced Lu' jack; born January 4, 1925) is a former American football quarterback and defensive back who won the 1947 Heisman Trophy; he is currently the oldest living recipient of the Heisman Trophy. Lujack played ...

, quarterback, 1947 Heisman Trophy winner, Bettendorf *

Sue Lyon Sue or SUE may refer to: Music * Sue Records, an American record label * ''Sue'' (album), an album by Frazier Chorus * " Sue (Or in a Season of Crime)", a song by David Bowie Places * Sue Islet (Queensland), one of the Torres Straits isl ...

, actress, Davenport *

Helen Mack Helen Mack (born Helen McDougall; November 13, 1913 – August 13, 1986) was an American actress. She started her career as a child actress in silent films, moving to Broadway plays and touring one of the vaudeville circuits. Her greater succ ...

, actress, Rock Island *

Cletus Madsen Cletus Madsen (December 1, 1905 – July 16, 2002) was a 20th-century Catholic priest of the Diocese of Davenport in the US state of Iowa. He was involved the Liturgical Movement in the Catholic Church in the mid-20th century. Biography E ...

, priest and college president, Davenport *

Stuart Margolin Stuart Margolin (January 31, 1940 – December 12, 2022) was an American film, theater, and television actor and director who won two Emmy Awards for playing Evelyn "Angel" Martin on the 1970s television series ''The Rockford Files''. In 1973, h ...

, actor and director, Davenport *

Elisabeth Maurus Elisabeth Corrin Maurus (born November 21, 1982), known as Lissie, is an American singer-songwriter. She released her debut EP, "Why You Runnin'", in November 2009. Her debut album, ''Catching a Tiger'', was released in June 2010. Her second stu ...

, musician, Rock Island *

Carl Meinberg Carl H. Meinberg (January 11, 1889 – April 15, 1975) was a 20th-century Catholic priest in the United States who served as the seventh president of St. Ambrose College in Davenport, Iowa from 1937 to 1940. He is included by the Diocese of D ...

, priest and college president, Davenport *

Sebastian Menke Sebastian G. Menke (December 21, 1910 – April 21, 2002) was a 20th-century Catholic priest in the United States who served as the tenth president of St. Ambrose College in Davenport, Iowa from 1964 to 1973. Biography Early life and educati ...

, priest and college president, Davenport *

Julia Michaels Julia is usually a feminine given name. It is a Latinate feminine form of the name Julio and Julius. (For further details on etymology, see the Wiktionary entry "Julius".) The given name ''Julia'' had been in use throughout Late Antiquity (e ...

, musician, Davenport *

Pat Miletich Patrick Jay Miletich (; born March 9, 1966) is a retired American mixed martial artist and former sports commentator. He is known for his fights in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where he became the first UFC Welterweight Champion and UF ...

, MMA fighter, Bettendorf *

Marvin Mottet Marvin Alfred Mottet (May 31, 1930 – September 16, 2016) was a 20th and 21st century Roman Catholic priest in the Diocese of Davenport in the US state of Iowa. He was a noted advocate of social justice causes. Biography Early life and education ...

, priest, Davenport *

Don Nelson Donald Arvid Nelson (born May 15, 1940) is an American former professional basketball player and head coach. Nelson is second all-time in regular season wins of any coach in NBA history, with 1,335 (he held the record for most wins for almost 12 ...

, NBA basketball player and coach, Rock Island *

Michael Nunn Michael John Nunn (born April 14, 1963) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1984 to 2002. He is a two-weight world champion, having held the IBF middleweight title from 1988 to 1991, and the WBA super middleweight title ...

, boxer, Davenport *

Spike O'Dell William "Spike" O'Dell (born May 21, 1953), a native of East Moline, Illinois, is an American former radio host for WGN Radio in Chicago, Illinois. He joined WGN in 1987 and hosted the afternoon show until 2000 when he took over for Bob Collins in ...

, radio personality, East Moline *

Gerald Francis O'Keefe Gerald Francis O'Keefe (March 30, 1918 – April 12, 2000) was a 20th-century bishop of the Catholic Church in the United States. He served as auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Saint Paul in the state of Minnesota from 1961 to 1966 and bish ...

, priest, Davenport *

Gene Oliver Eugene George Oliver (March 22, 1935 – March 3, 2007) was an American professional baseball player who appeared in 786 games in Major League Baseball, primarily as a catcher and first baseman, between and , for the St. Louis Cardinals (1 ...

, MLB player, Rock Island *

Eric Christian Olsen Eric Christian Olsen (born May 31, 1977), is an American actor. He is known for his portrayals of Investigator Marty Deeks on the CBS television series '' NCIS: Los Angeles'', and of Austin in the film '' Not Another Teen Movie''. Early life ...

, actor, Bettendorf *

Daniel David Palmer Daniel David Palmer (March 7, 1845 – October 20, 1913) was a Canadian American chiropractor who was the founder of chiropractic. Palmer was born in Pickering, Ontario, but emigrated to the United States in 1865. He was also an avid proponent ...

, chiropractor, Davenport *

Oran Pape Oran Henry Pape (March 10, 1904 – April 30, 1936) was a member of the Iowa State Patrol in the United States. He is the first member of the Patrol to have been murdered in the line of duty. Prior to joining the Patrol, Pape played professional ...

, state patrol, Davenport *

Laurdine Patrick Laurdine Kenneth "Pat" Patrick Jr. (November 23, 1929 – December 31, 1991) was an American jazz musician and composer. He played baritone saxophone, alto saxophone, and Fender bass and was known for his 40-year association with Sun Ra. His s ...

, musician, East Moline *

Mary Beth Peil Mary Beth Peil (born June 25, 1940) is an American actress and soprano. She began her career as an opera singer in 1962 with the Goldovsky Opera Theater. In 1964 she won two major singing competitions, the Young Concert Artists International A ...

, actress and singer, Davenport *

Nat Pendleton Nathaniel Greene Pendleton (August 9, 1895 – October 12, 1967) was an American Olympic wrestler, film actor, and stage performer. His younger brother, Edmund J. Pendleton (1899-1987), was a well-known music composer and choir ma ...

, wrestler and actor, Davenport *

Roger Perry Roger Perry (May 7, 1933 – July 12, 2018) was an American film and television actor whose career began in the late 1950s. He served as an intelligence officer in the United States Air Force during the early 1950s. Career Television In th ...

, actor, Davenport *

James Philbrook James Philbrook was an American actor who appeared in several major films, including ''I Want to Live!'' (1958), ''Woman Obsessed'' and as Colonel Tall in the 1964 war picture '' The Thin Red Line''. He had supporting roles on television, includ ...

, actor, Davenport *

Scott Pose Scott Vernon Pose (; born February 11, 1967) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He is an alumnus of Dowling Catholic High School in West Des Moines, Iowa and the University of Arkansas. Drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the ...

, MLB baseball player, Davenport *

Hiram Price Hiram Price (January 10, 1814 – May 30, 1901) was a nineteenth-century banker, merchant, bookkeeper, bank president, railroad president, and five-term Republican congressman from Iowa's 2nd congressional district and as commissioner of I ...

, politician, Davenport *

Margo Price Margo Rae Price (born April 15, 1983) is an American country singer-songwriter and producer based in Nashville, Tennessee. ''The Fader'' has called her "country's next star." Her debut solo album '' Midwest Farmer's Daughter'' was released on Th ...

, country singer, Aledo *

Linnea Quigley Barbara Linnea Quigley (born May 27, 1958) is an American actress, film producer, model, singer, and author. She is best known as a B-movie actress, and is often referred to as a " scream queen" due to her frequent appearances in low-budget horror ...

, actress and producer, Davenport *

Ed Reimers Edwin W. Reimers (October 26, 1912 – August 16, 2009) was an American actor active during the 1950s and 1960s, who also served as the stentorian-voiced announcer for such early Warner Brothers television series as ''Cheyenne'' and '' Maveri ...

, announcer, Moline *

Otto Frederick Rohwedder Otto Frederick Rohwedder (July 7, 1880 – November 8, 1960) was an American inventor and engineer who created the first automatic bread-slicing machine for commercial use. It was first used by the Chillicothe Baking Company. Early life and ed ...

, engineer, inventor of sliced bread, Davenport *

Seth Rollins Colby Daniel Lopez (born May 28, 1986) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Seth Rollins (often referred to as Seth "Freakin" Rollins). Prior to signin ...

, WWE wrestler, Davenport *

Randy Shilts Randy Shilts (August 8, 1951February 17, 1994) was an American journalist and author. After studying journalism at the University of Oregon, Shilts began working as a reporter for both ''The Advocate'' and the ''San Francisco Chronicle'', as well ...

, journalist, Davenport *

Jim Skinner James Alan Skinner (born 1944) is an American business executive. He was the executive chairman of Walgreens Boots Alliance. He was the vice chairman and CEO of McDonald's Corporation. Early life James Alan Skinner was born in Moline, Illinois, ...

, CEO of McDonald's, Davenport *

Roby Smith Roby Smith (born 1977) is an American businessman and politician from Iowa. He is currently serving as Treasurer of Iowa since 2023. He previously was elected to the Iowa Senate in 2010, and represented District 47. He headed the State Government ...

, Treasurer of Iowa, Davenport *

Dean Stone Darrah Dean Stone (September 1, 1930 – August 21, 2018) was an American professional baseball player, a pitcher who appeared in 166 games over all or parts of eight Major League Baseball seasons. The well-traveled, , left-hander played for the ...

, MLB pitcher, Silvis *

Tim Sylvia Timothy Deane Sylvia (born March 5, 1976) is an American retired mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter, professional wrestler, and a former two-time UFC Heavyweight Champion. He has competed as a Super Heavyweight and Heavyweight. While he is best kn ...

, MMA fighter, Bettendorf *

Julian Vandervelde Julian Vandervelde (born October 7, 1987) is a former American football center . He was drafted by the Eagles in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He played college football at Iowa and was a prep at Davenport Central High School Centr ...

, football player, Davenport *

Hynden Walch Hynden Walch is an American actress. She is best known for voicing Starfire in the ''Teen Titans'' franchise and Princess Bubblegum in ''Adventure Time''. She also voiced Penny Sanchez in ''ChalkZone'', Amore and Lockette in the Nickelodeon ver ...

, actress, Davenport *

Henry Cantwell Wallace Henry Cantwell "Harry" Wallace (May 11, 1866 – October 25, 1924) was an American farmer, journalist, and political activist who served as the Secretary of Agriculture from 1921 to 1924 under Republican presidents Warren G. Harding and Calv ...

, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Rock Island *

Friedrich Weyerhäuser Friedrich (Frederick) Weyerhäuser (November 21, 1834 – April 4, 1914), also spelled Weyerhaeuser, was a German-American timber mogul and founder of the Weyerhaeuser Company, which owns saw mills, paper factories, and other business enterprises ...

, lumber baron, Rock Island *

Dwight Deere Wiman Dwight Deere Wiman (August 8, 1895 – January 20, 1951) was an American silent movie actor, playwright and theatrical director. He is best known as a Broadway producer. Biography Early life and education Dwight Wiman was born in Moline, Illi ...

, Broadway producer, Moline *

Bryan Woods Bryan Woods (born September 14, 1984) is an American writer, director, and producer. He was born in Davenport, Iowa and raised in Bettendorf. Woods co-writes and co-directs with filmmaking partner Scott Beck. Together they co-wrote ''A Quiet Pla ...

, filmmaker, Bettendorf * Lyrik-the-rapper, fast rap musician, Davenport

Education

Colleges and universities

– A private, four-year liberal arts college in Rock Island. * Bible Missionary Institute – A Bible college in Rock Island affiliated with the

Bible Missionary Church The Bible Missionary Church, founded in 1955, is a Christian denomination in the Wesleyan tradition aligned with the Conservative Holiness Movement. It is headquartered in the United States. History Prior to its existence, a multitude of conservat ...

. *

Black Hawk College Black Hawk College is a public community college in Illinois with campuses in Moline and Galva. History Black Hawk College is a community college with campuses located in Moline and in Kewanee ( south of Kewanee). Founded in 1946 as Molin ...

– Community college in Moline, with a satellite campus in

Kewanee, Illinois Kewanee () is a city in Henry County, Illinois, Henry County, Illinois, United States. "Kewanee" is the Ho-Chunk, Winnebago word for greater prairie chicken, which lived there. The population was 12,509 at the 2020 census, down from 12,944 in 20 ...

. *

Eastern Iowa Community College District The Eastern Iowa Community Colleges (EICC) includes three community colleges stretched along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Iowa. Eastern Iowa Community Colleges consists of the Iowa counties of Clinton, Muscatine, and Scott. The EIC ...

– Consisting of campuses in Bettendorf, Clinton, Downtown Davenport referred to as the Urban Campus and Muscatine. Bettendorf's campus is known as

Scott Community College Scott Community College is a community college in Riverdale, Iowa, near Bettendorf,

. *

Palmer Chiropractic College Palmer College of Chiropractic is a private chiropractic college with its main campus in Davenport, Iowa. It was established in 1897 by Daniel David Palmer and was the first school of chiropractic in the world. The college's name was originall ...

– Davenport, first chiropractic school in the world. *

Saint Ambrose University St. Ambrose University is a private Catholic university in Davenport, Iowa. It was founded as a school of commerce for young men in 1882. History Foundation St. Ambrose was founded as a seminary and school of commerce for young men in 1882, know ...

- A private university in Davenport. *

Upper Iowa University Upper Iowa University (UIU) is a private university in Fayette, Iowa. It enrolls around 6000 students and offers distance education programs that include 15 centers in the U.S., an online program, an independent study program, and centers in ...

– A satellite campus in Bettendorf. *

Western Illinois University-Quad Cities Western Illinois University (WIU) is a public university in Macomb, Illinois. It was founded in 1899 as Western Illinois State Normal School. As the normal school grew, it became Western Illinois State Teachers College. History Western Illin ...

– The only public, four-year university in the Quad Cities region. The campus is located in Moline along the Mississippi Riverfront at the former site of the John Deere Technical Site.

Culture

Since 1916, the region has supported the

Quad City Symphony Orchestra The Quad City Symphony Orchestra (QCSO) is a United States symphony orchestra based in Davenport, Iowa, and representing the Quad Cities area. The current music director and conductor is Mark Russell Smith. Established in 1916, the orchestra has ...

, which presents a year-round schedule of concerts at the Adler Theatre in Davenport and Centennial Hall in Rock Island. The Handel Oratorio Society, dating to 1880, is the second-oldest organization of its kind in the nation and presents annual performances of "Messiah" along with another major work for choir and orchestra. The Augustana Choir, founded at Rock Island's Augustana College in 1934, is one of the nation's leading collegiate choruses. Major outdoor summer music festivals include the Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Jazz Festival, Mississippi Valley Blues Festival, and River Roots Live. The Quad Cities' three traditional community theaters – Playcrafters Barn Theatre (founded in 1920, comedies and dramas) and Quad City Music Guild (1948, musicals) in Moline, and

Genesius guild Genesius may refer to: *Any of several Saints Genesius * Joseph Genesius, tenth-century Byzantine historian * Genesius Theatre in Reading, Pennsylvania {{Disambig ...

(1957, outdoor Shakespeare and Greek comedies and tragedies) in Rock Island – were joined in 1976 by Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse, a professional dinner theater in downtown Rock Island's historic Fort Theatre. Ballet is performed at

Ballet Quad Cities Ballet Quad Cities is a ballet company located in Rock Island, Illinois. It was founded in 1996 by Joedy Cook. The company performs both classical and contemporary dance at various venues in the greater Quad Cities region of Illinois and Iow ...

ComedySportz ComedySportz (CSz) is an improvisational comedy organization started in 1984 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, by a group of local comedians including Dick Chudnow, Bob Orvis, Brian Green, and others. Match format The traditional format of a ComedySportz ...

provides

improv comedy Improvisational theatre, often called improvisation or improv, is the form of theatre, often comedy, in which most or all of what is performed is unplanned or unscripted: created spontaneously by the performers. In its purest form, the dialogue, a ...

. Bluebox Limited is a Bettendorf-based film production company, and many outside productions companies have filmed movies in the Quad Cities in recent years. Historic buildings and sites listed on state and the

interpret the history of people's settlement and lives in the area.

Media

The Quad Cities is the 151st largest

radio market A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area (DMA), television market area, or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same (or similar) television and radio station offerings, and may also incl ...

in the United States. It is ranked 97th by

Nielsen Media Research Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rat ...

for the 2008–09 television season with 309,600 television households. The area is served by over 13 commercial radio stations, 8 non-commercial radio stations, 3

low power FM Low-power broadcasting is broadcasting by a broadcast station at a low transmitter power output to a smaller service area than "full power" stations within the same region. It is often distinguished from "micropower broadcasting" (more commonly ...

radio stations, 8 TV stations and 3 daily newspapers. In 2012, the Mississippi Valley Fair that is held in Davenport served as the film location for

Rodney Atkins Rodney Allan Atkins (born March 28, 1969) is an American country music singer and songwriter. Signed to Curb Records in 1996, he charted his first single on the ''Billboard'' country chart in 1997, but did not release an album until 2003's ''H ...

' music video "

Just Wanna Rock N' Roll "Just Wanna Rock N' Roll" is a song written by Rodney Clawson and Chris Tompkins, and recorded by American country music artist Rodney Atkins. It was released in June 2012 as the third single from his album ''Take a Back Road.'' On the Hot Cou ...

". Also in 2012, the

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of ed ...

Frontline Front line refers to the forward-most forces on a battlefield. Front line, front lines or variants may also refer to: Books and publications * ''Front Lines'' (novel), young adult historical novel by American author Michael Grant * ''Frontlines ...

'' documentary ''Poor Kids'' was filmed in and around the Quad Cities showing poverty from a child's perspective.

Transportation

Four interstate highways serve the Quad Cities:

, Interstate 280,

Interstate 74 } Interstate 74 (I-74) is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Its western end is at an interchange with I-80 in Davenport, Iowa (Quad Cities); the eastern end of its Midwest segment is at an interchang ...

serve both states while Interstate 88 serves just Illinois. United States highways include

U.S. Route 6 U.S. Route 6 (US 6), also called the Grand Army of the Republic Highway, honoring the American Civil War veterans association, is a main route of the U.S. Highway system. While it currently runs east-northeast from Bishop, California, to ...

and

U.S. Route 67 U.S. Route 67 is a major north–south U.S. highway which extends for 1,560 miles (2,511 km) in the Central United States. The southern terminus of the route is at the United States-Mexico border in Presidio, Texas, where it continues so ...

which run through both Iowa and Illinois, while

U.S. Route 61 U.S. Route 61 or U.S. Highway 61 (U.S. 61) is a major United States highway that extends between New Orleans, Louisiana and the city of Wyoming, Minnesota. The highway generally follows the course of the Mississippi River and is designated ...

serves just Iowa and

U.S. Route 150 U.S. Route 150 (US 150) is a 571-mile (919 km) long northwest-southeast United States highway, signed as east–west. It runs from U.S. Route 6 outside of Moline, Illinois to U.S. Route 25 in Mount Vernon, Kentucky. Route description ...

serves just Illinois. A total of five bridges accessible by automobiles connect Iowa with Illinois in the Quad Cities across the

. The Fred Schwengel Memorial Bridge carries Interstate 80 and connects

, with

Rapids City, Illinois Rapids City is a village in Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. The population was 959 at the 2010 census, up from 953 in 2000. Geography Rapids City is located at (41.581083, -90.344324). According to the 2010 census, Rapids City has ...

. Continuing downstream, the

I-74 Bridge The Interstate 74 Bridge, officially known as the Iowa-Illinois Memorial Bridge, and often called ''The Twin Bridges'', or the ''I-74 Bridge'', are basket-handle, through arch twin bridges that carry Interstate 74 across the Mississippi River an ...

connects

, with

, and is the busiest bridge with an average of 70,400 cars a day. The

connects

Downtown Davenport ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business district ...

with the

. Three bridges connect Davenport with

; The Rock Island Centennial Bridge, The

Crescent Rail Bridge The Crescent Bridge carries a rail line across the Mississippi River between Davenport, Iowa and Rock Island, Illinois. It was formerly owned by the Davenport, Rock Island and North Western Railway, a joint subsidiary of the Chicago, Burlingto ...

, and the furthest downstream bridge, the

Sergeant John F. Baker, Jr. Bridge The Sergeant John F. Baker Jr. Bridge, also known as the Baker Bridge or Interstate 280 Bridge, carries Interstate 280 (I-280) across the Mississippi River between Davenport, Iowa, and Rock Island, Illinois. The bridge opened in 1973 with a ...

which carries I-280. Several state highways also serve the area.

Iowa Highway 22 Iowa Highway 22 (Iowa 22) is a west–east state highway that traverses primarily rural areas in east-central Iowa. The highway begins near Thornburg at an intersection with Iowa Highway 21 and ends in southwestern Davenport, at U.S. Highw ...

is on Davenport's southwest side and runs west through the county, while

Iowa Highway 130 Iowa Highway 130 (Iowa 130) is a state highway that traverses northwestern Scott County and eastern Cedar County in eastern Iowa. It begins in Tipton at Iowa 38 and ends at Interstate 80 (I-80) / U.S. Highway 61 (US 61) i ...

runs along Northwest Boulevard on Davenport's north edge.

Illinois Route 5 Illinois Route 5 (IL 5) is a four-lane road in Rock Island County, Illinois, United States, that runs from U.S. Route 67 (US 67) in Rock Island to the interchange of Interstate 80 (I-80) and the toll-free portion of I-88, a distance ...

(John Deere Road) runs from Rock Island east till it runs into Interstate 88.

Illinois Route 92 Illinois Route 92 (IL 92 or Route 92) is an east–west state highway in northwest Illinois. It runs from the Norbert F. Beckey Bridge across the Mississippi River where it meets the eastern end of Iowa Highway 92, east to U.S. Route ...

runs along the

, while

Illinois Route 84 Illinois Route 84 (Route 84 or IL 84) is a long state highway that runs along the Mississippi River in northwestern Illinois. Illinois 84 runs from south of Green Rock (now Colona) at U.S. Route 6 to the Wisconsin state line at Highway 80 b ...

runs along the east side of

Illinois Route 192 Illinois Route 192 is a east–west state highway in northwest Illinois. It runs from its western terminus at Illinois Route 92 northwest of Edgington to its eastern terminus at Illinois Route 94 in Taylor Ridge. The route is located enti ...

connects Highway 92 with

Illinois Route 94 Illinois Route 94 is a north–south state highway in western Illinois. It runs from U.S. Route 24 (US 24) just east of Camp Point to U.S. Route 67 just south of Oak Grove, just south of the Quad Cities area. This is a distance of . ...

near

Taylor Ridge Taylor Ridge () is a rock ridge, 10 nautical miles (18 km) long, forming a precipitous wall along the west side of Scott Glacier between the mouths of Koerwitz and Vaughan Glaciers, in the Queen Maud Mountains. Discovered by the Byrd Antarcti ...

. The

Chicago – Kansas City Expressway (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

also serves the area along Interstates 74, 80, and 88. There are three transit operators in the Quad Cities with limited interconnection between them. Rock Island County Metropolitan Mass Transit District (

Quad Cities MetroLINK The Quad Cities MetroLINK, officially the Rock Island County Metropolitan Mass Transit District, provides mass transportation for the Illinois half of the Quad Cities metro area. Both Iowa cities that make up the region have their own systems, but ...

) serves the Illinois cities of Rock Island, Moline, East Moline, Milan, Silvis, Carbon Cliff, Hampton and Colona. It has 12 routes and a fleet of about 52 buses. It operates a river craft during summer months. In Iowa,

Davenport Citibus Davenport CitiBus is the transit agency serving Davenport, Iowa. USA. CitiBus has a total of twenty-one vehicles and covers approximately of the city. CitiBus connects with both Bettendorf Transit and the Illinois Quad Cities mass transit syste ...

has 10 fixed routes and operates 20 buses, seven days a week and

Bettendorf Transit Bettendorf Transit is the operator of public transportation in Scott County, Iowa. Bus service began in the city in 1974, with the municipality contracted with Moline for the creation of one intercity line. In 1980, fixed route service began, and ...

operates three routes, Monday–Saturday, and has eight buses. Intercity bus service to the Quad Cities is provided by

Burlington Trailways Burlington Trailways is an inter-city bus company based in West Burlington, Iowa. History Burlington Trailways was founded in 1929 as the Burlington Transportation Company, a subsidiary of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad. It started a ...

and

Greyhound Lines Greyhound Lines, Inc. (commonly known as simply Greyhound) operates the largest intercity bus service in North America, including Greyhound Mexico. It also operates charter bus services, Amtrak Thruway services, commuter bus services, and ...

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States and nine cities in Canada ...

currently does not serve the Quad Cities. The closest station is about away in

Galesburg, Illinois Galesburg is a city in Knox County, Illinois, Knox County, Illinois, United States. The city is northwest of Peoria, Illinois, Peoria. At the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, its population was 32,195. It is the county seat of Knox County ...

. In 2008,

United States Senators The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and power ...

Tom Harkin Thomas Richard Harkin (born November 19, 1939) is an American lawyer, author, and politician who served as a United States senator from Iowa from 1985 to 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously was the U.S. representative for Iow ...

Chuck Grassley Charles Ernest Grassley (born September 17, 1933) is an American politician serving as the president pro tempore emeritus of the United States Senate, and the senior United States senator from Iowa, having held the seat since 1981. In 2022, ...

Dick Durbin Richard Joseph Durbin (born November 21, 1944) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Illinois, a seat he has held since 1997. A member of the Democratic Party, Durbin has served as the Senate Dem ...

, and

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...

sent a letter to Amtrak asking them to begin plans to bring rail service to the Quad Cities. In October 2010, a $230 million federal fund was announced that will bring Amtrak service to the Quad Cities, with a

new line New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...

running from Moline to Chicago. They hoped to have the line completed in 2015, and offer two round trips daily to Chicago. In December 2011, the federal government awarded $177 million in funding for the

connection. Budgetary and logistical issues have delayed the completion of all necessary track improvements, but the project is still in development. The multi-modal Moline Q Station building was completed in early 2018, with the attached Westin Element hotel opening in February. When the full project is completed, it will establish passenger rail through the Quad Cities, for the first time since the 1970s. The Quad Cities is served by the Quad Cities International Airport, Illinois' third-busiest airport, located in Moline. The airport is marketed as a regional alternative to the larger airports in Chicago, nearly away. The smaller Davenport Municipal Airport is the home of the Quad City Air Show.

Sports

From 1907 to 1926, Rock Island was home to the NFL's

Rock Island Independents The Rock Island Independents were a professional American football team, based in Rock Island, Illinois, from 1907 to 1926. The Independents were a founding National Football League franchise. They hosted what has been retrospectively designate ...

. The franchise was a charter member of the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ma ...

(NFL) in 1920. The first NFL game ever was played by the Independents at

Douglas Park Douglas Park was a football stadium in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, the home ground of Hamilton Academical from 1888 to 1994. The stadium holds the record for Hamilton Academical's largest ever attendance, 28,690 people against Hearts in 19 ...

in September 1920. Football legend

Jim Thorpe James Francis Thorpe ( Sac and Fox (Sauk): ''Wa-Tho-Huk'', translated as "Bright Path"; May 22 or 28, 1887March 28, 1953) was an American athlete and Olympic gold medalist. A member of the Sac and Fox Nation, Thorpe was the first Nativ ...

was a member of the team in 1924. The

, named in honor of the

war chief

, was the next top-level professional sports franchise. The club played in the National Basketball League (NBL) from 1946 until its merger in 1949 with the

Basketball Association of America The Basketball Association of America (BAA) was a professional basketball league in North America, founded in 1946. Following its third season, 1948–49, the BAA absorbed most of National Basketball League (NBL) and rebranded as the National Ba ...

to become the

(NBA).

Hall of famer A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actual halls or muse ...

Red Auerbach Arnold Jacob "Red" Auerbach (September 20, 1917 – October 28, 2006) was an American professional basketball coach and executive. He served as a head coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA), most notably with the Boston Celtics. ...

coached the Blackhawks during their first NBA season. After the 1950–51 basketball season, the team moved to

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at th ...

, where they were renamed the Hawks. After additional moves to

St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

and

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,71 ...

, the team is now the

Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays its home games at ...

. Professional basketball returned to the Quad Cities during the 1980s and 1990s with the Quad City Thunder of the

Continental Basketball Association The Continental Basketball Association (CBA) (originally known as the Eastern Pennsylvania Basketball League, and later as the Eastern Professional Basketball League and the Eastern Basketball Association) was a men's professional basketball m ...

. The CBA served as the NBA's premier developmental league and produced many highly regarded NBA stars. From 1987 through the 1992–93 season, the Thunder played at Wharton Field House in Moline. Starting with the 1993–94 season, the team played at The MARK of the Quad Cities (now the

). After the CBA folded in 2001, the Thunder franchise ceased operations permanently. Vibrant Arena at The MARK occasionally hosts

NCAA Division I NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest level of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major collegiate athleti ...

college basketball In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...

conference tournaments as well as

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United ...

and

NHL The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

exhibitions. The Quad Cities has hosted minor league baseball teams since the Davenport Brown Stockings first played in 1878. The

Rock Island Islanders The Rock Island Islanders was the primary name of the minor league baseball teams based in Rock Island, Illinois, one of the Quad Cities, between 1892 and 1937. Rock Island teams played as members of the Illinois–Iowa League (1892), Western Ass ...

and

Moline Plowboys The Moline Plowboys was a primary name of the minor league baseball teams based in Moline, Illinois, one of the Quad Cities. Moline teams played as members the 1892 Illinois-Iowa League, 1894 Western Association, the Mississippi Valley League ( ...

each fielded teams for many seasons. The Islanders began play in 1901 and played primarily at

. The Plowboys were founded in 1914. Their home was

Browning Field Browning Park is a park in Moline, Illinois, United States, located at 16th Street and 23rd Avenue. Browning Field has been the home of high school and professional athletic events since 1910. It has hosted athletes such as Babe Ruth and Red Gr ...

. The Davenport franchise has been a member of the

Midwest League The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganiza ...

since 1960. They have played at

since 1931. Today, the

are High Class A affiliate of the

Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expa ...

The

PGA Tour The PGA Tour (stylized in all capital letters as PGA TOUR by its officials) is the organizer of professional golf tours in the United States and North America. It organizes most of the events on the flagship annual series of tournaments also k ...

makes an annual stop in the Quad Cities. The golf tournament is currently known as the

John Deere Classic The John Deere Classic is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour. It is played annually in July, usually the week before The Open Championship, at TPC Deere Run in the Quad Cities community of Silvis, Illinois. History The tournament be ...

. It has drawn dozens of top PGA players over the years, including

Tiger Woods Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods (born December 30, 1975) is an American professional golfer. He is tied for first in PGA Tour wins, ranks second in men's major championships, and holds numerous golf records. * * * Woods is widely regarded as ...

Vijay Singh Vijay Singh ( hif, विजय सिंह ; born 22 February 1963), nicknamed "The Big Fijian", is a Fijian professional golfer. He has won 34 events on the PGA Tour, including three major championships: one Masters title (2000) and two ...

, and

Payne Stewart William Payne Stewart (January 30, 1957 – October 25, 1999) was an American professional golfer who won eleven PGA Tour events, including three Men's major golf championships, major championships, the last of which came just a few months before ...

. The Quad Cities

Marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair di ...

has run annually in late September since 1998. Roughly 400-500 participants race through the four cities, beginning and ending in Moline. The race weekend also offers a half marathon and a 5K as well as races for children. Kenyan Kiplangat Terer holds the men's record with a 2:14:04, run in 2013. Kenyan Damaris Areba holds the woman's record at 2:30:29, from her 2022 win.

Sports teams

Quad City River Bandits Quad as a word or prefix usually means 'four'. It may refer to: Government * Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, a strategic security dialogue between Australia, India, Japan, and the United States * Quadrilateral group, an informal group which i ...

is a Class A

minor league baseball team in Davenport. Their home games are played at

, formerly John O'Donnell Stadium. The Davenport team has existed under a variety of names and

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL) ...

team affiliations since 1901. The River Bandits are currently affiliated with the

. *

Quad City Mallards The Quad City Mallards were a minor league professional ice hockey team based in the Quad Cities area of Illinois and Iowa that competed in the International Hockey League, Central Hockey League and ECHL. They were named after the Mallards team ...

were an

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two o ...

team that played from 2009 to 2018 with home games held at the

in Moline. The new Mallards replaced the former

Quad City Flames The Quad City Flames were an American professional ice hockey team that played in the American Hockey League from 2007 to 2009. They were owned by QC Sports Ventures Inc., an ownership group based out of the Quad Cities. The Flames played at the i ...

AHL team which played from 2007 to 2009. The original Mallards played in the

United Hockey League The United Hockey League (UHL), originally known as the Colonial Hockey League from 1991 to 1997 and last known as the International Hockey League from 2007 to 2010, was a low-level minor league, minor professional ice hockey league, with teams ...

from 1995 to 2007. * The

Quad City Storm The Quad City Storm is a professional minor league hockey team to begin play in the 2018–19 season as a member of the Southern Professional Hockey League. The team is based in the Quad Cities area of Illinois and Iowa, with home games at the Vi ...

was launched for the 2018–19 season in the

Southern Professional Hockey League The Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) is a professional ice hockey independent minor league based in Huntersville, North Carolina, with teams located primarily in the southeastern United States as well as Illinois and Indiana in the midw ...

. * The

Quad City Steamwheelers The Quad City Steamwheelers were a professional arena football team. They were a charter member of the AF2 and played their home games at iWireless Center in Moline, Illinois. The team was founded on September 1, 1999 when the Quad Cities ...

were an

AF2 The AF2 (often styled as af2, and short for arenafootball2) was the Arena Football League's developmental league; it was founded in 1999 and played its first season in 2000. Like its parent AFL, the AF2 played using the same arena football ru ...

arena football Indoor American football, or arena football, is a variation of gridiron football played at ice hockey-sized indoor arenas. While varying in details from league to league, the rules of indoor football are designed to allow for play in a smaller ar ...

franchise that also played at the

. The Steamwheelers won the league's title game, the

ArenaCup The ArenaCup was the af2's championship game. For the league's first five years, it was held at the arena of the higher seeded team. However, the 2005 ArenaCup was the first to be played at a neutral site in Bossier City, Louisiana. The 2006 Ar ...

, in 2000 and 2001. After the AF2 league folded following its 2009 season, the Steamwheelers also ceased operations. * A new

organization launched for the 2018 season in

Champions Indoor Football Champions Indoor Football (CIF) is a professional indoor American football minor league created in 2014 out of the merger between the Champions Professional Indoor Football League (CPIFL) and Lone Star Football League (LSFL), plus one team fro ...

and then moved to the

Indoor Football League The Indoor Football League (IFL) is a professional indoor American football league created in 2008 out of the merger between the Intense Football League and United Indoor Football. It has one of the largest number of currently active teams am ...

for 2019. *

Quad City Silverbacks The Quad Cities Silverbacks was an International Fight League team based in the Quad Cities region of the United States. Coached by former UFC Welterweight Champion and founder of the very successful Miletich Fighting Systems camp, Pat Mileti ...

were a professional

mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on strike (attack), striking, grappling and ground f ...

team competing in the now-defunct

International Fight League The International Fight League was an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion billed as the world's first MMA league. It was founded on January 7, 2006, and closed on July 31, 2008.

. Home matches took place at the

. *

formed and based a

gym and fight team,

Miletich Fighting Systems Miletich Fighting Systems (MFS) was a mixed martial arts (MMA) training organization. It was recognized as an excellent training camp. It has been the training camp for fighters such as Matt Hughes, Tim Sylvia, Jens Pulver, Robbie Lawler, a ...

, in the Quad Cities.

is among MMA's first 'super-camps', and housed many of the consensus greatest fighters of the early 2000s, such as

Jens Pulver Jens Johnnie Pulver (born December 6, 1974) is an American retired professional mixed martial artist and undefeated boxer and kickboxer. Pulver was the inaugural UFC Lightweight Champion in addition to serving as the head coach on ''The Ultimat ...

, Matt Hughes,

Robbie Lawler Robert Lawler (born March 20, 1982) is an American professional mixed martial artist who has been competing since 2001. He is the former UFC Welterweight Champion, former EliteXC Middleweight Champion, and has formerly competed in Strikeforc ...

, and

Jeremy Horn Jeremy Graham Horn (born August 25, 1975) is an American mixed martial artist. Horn is best known for fighting in smaller American promotions, he has also competed in some of the premiere mixed martial arts organizations around the world, inclu ...

, among others. * The

Quad City Riverhawks The Quad City Riverhawks were a team of the Premier Basketball League that previously played in the modern American Basketball Association (ABA). History The team began play as a member of the ABA in 2006. The team played at the Activities Cen ...

was a PBL (

Premier Basketball League The Premier Basketball League, often abbreviated to the PBL, is an American professional men's basketball minor league that began play in January 2008. The league folded after the 2017 season. It was announced that the league would be revived u ...

) team. They played home games at

Wharton Field House Wharton Field House is a historic arena located at 1800 20th Avenue in Moline, Illinois. It opened in 1928 and was home to the NBA's Tri-Cities Blackhawks, today's Atlanta Hawks, from 1946 to 1951. It has hosted professional teams, high school te ...

in Moline during the 2008 season. They ended with that season. Previously, the

Quad City Thunder The Quad City Thunder was a Continental Basketball Association franchise that was based in the Quad Cities of Illinois and Iowa. They played in the CBA from the 1987–88 season until the CBA folded in 2001. The Thunder were successful on the co ...

were a CBA team playing in the late 1980s thru 2000, first at Wharton and then at

The Mark. ''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speak ...

* The Quad City Raiders are a semi-professional minor league football team that was formed in 2011 to serve the Quad City area. The Raiders play in the MidStates Football League and have reached the semi-finals in the league playoffs each season.

Notes

References

External links

QuadCities.com
nbsp;– Local information guide, business directory, event calendar
Quad Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau

''Quad City Times'' newspaper

Quad-Cities Online
nbsp;– Local information
QCANews.com
{{authority control Metropolitan areas of Iowa Metropolitan areas of Illinois