Peoria Heights, Illinois facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Peoria Heights
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Tower Park water tower, 1970
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Location of Peoria Heights in Peoria County, Illinois.
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Location of Illinois in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Illinois |
| Counties | Peoria, Woodford, Tazewell |
| Township | Richwoods, Spring Bay, Fondulac |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.87 sq mi (7.44 km2) |
| • Land | 2.49 sq mi (6.46 km2) |
| • Water | 0.38 sq mi (0.98 km2) |
| Elevation | 784 ft (239 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 5,908 |
| • Density | 2,369.84/sq mi (915.16/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP Code(s) |
61616
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| Area code(s) | 309 |
| FIPS code | 17-59026 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2399652 |
| Wikimedia Commons | Peoria Heights, Illinois |
Peoria Heights is a small village in Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It's like a smaller town right next to the bigger city of Peoria. People sometimes call it "Uptown."
Most of Peoria Heights is surrounded by Peoria. Its eastern side touches Peoria Lake, which is a wide part of the Illinois River. In 2020, about 5,908 people lived there.
Contents
Geography of Peoria Heights
Peoria Heights covers about 2.87 square miles (7.44 square kilometers). A big part of this area is water because Upper Peoria Lake is inside its borders. This means the village has a lot of lake area!
The land in Peoria Heights can be divided into three main parts:
- The floodplain near the Illinois River.
- The bluff, which is a steep cliff.
- The plateau, which is flat land on top of the bluff.
While the eastern edge of the village follows the river, its other borders with Peoria are quite winding.
Counties Peoria Heights is In
Even though it's mostly in Peoria County, official state maps show a small, empty part of Peoria Heights across Peoria Lake that is in Woodford County. However, it is not considered to be in Tazewell County by state or county officials.
History of Peoria Heights
White settlers first started developing this area in 1898. They called their company the Prospect Heights Land Company. When the village officially became a town, it was named Prospect Heights.
Just three years later, the name was changed to Peoria Heights. This was done to avoid confusion with another community called Prospect Heights near Chicago.
An old hotel called the Prospect Heights Hotel used to be here. It had a Hungarian orchestra that played music every night. Sadly, the hotel burned down in the summer of 1894.
The village celebrated its 100th birthday in 1998.
Famous Places in Peoria Heights
Peoria Heights has some cool landmarks that make it special.
Grand View Drive
One of the most famous spots is Grand View Drive. This is a street on top of the bluff that looks over the Illinois River. It has many fancy homes and a country club. Along the road, you can find several places to stop and enjoy amazing views of the river and the counties beyond. There's also a park with a playground for kids, a picnic area, and a baseball field.
It's said that Teddy Roosevelt, a former U.S. President, called Grand View Drive the "World's Most Beautiful Drive" when he visited in 1910. A local radio and TV station, WMBD, even got its name from his famous quote!
The Red Water Tower
The village is also known for its unique red water tower. You can ride an elevator up the tower and see a huge area of Peoria and nearby counties from three viewing decks. The tower even has a 6-foot wooden woodpecker on its side!
This tower is the center of Tower Park, a main community area. The park was updated in 2002. Close by, the downtown area has nice restaurants and shops. There's another modern water tower on Toledo Avenue, which is white and has the Peoria Heights logo. It used to be painted red, white, and blue, which are the school district's colors.
Other Parks and Art
Near the Village Hall in Tower Park, you can find a bronze sculpture of Abraham Lincoln's head. It was made by a famous artist named Gutzon Borglum.
There are also many parks and places to play on and below the bluff:
- Forest Park Nature Center is a nature reserve on the bluff. It has miles of trails and a special area where native prairie restoration plants are growing.
- The Pimiteoui Trail connects the Forest Park Nature Center to Grandview Drive.
- Bielfeldt Park is a regular park with sports fields, a paved trail, a playground, and a picnic area.
- The southern end of Grandview Drive also has a park with swings, a slide, and a covered area.
- The Rock Island Greenway, a walking and biking trail, goes through Peoria Heights.
Historical Businesses
The Duryea Motor Wagon Company, which made early cars, once had a factory nearby. This is why Teddy Roosevelt visited the area. The town was also home to a brewery for Pabst Blue Ribbon beer from 1934 to 1982. When the brewery closed, it had a big effect on the town's jobs and population.
The local bus company, CityLink, offers a History Trolley tour that starts in the Prospect Commercial Sector.
Peoria Heights Public Library
The Peoria Heights Public Library is located off Glen Avenue, not far from Grandview Drive or Downtown Peoria Heights. It's a great place to find books and learn!
Emergency Services
Peoria Heights has its own Fire and Police Departments. The fire department is made up of volunteers who are on call. Since December 2014, medical emergency services are provided by Advanced Medical Transport.
Schools in Peoria Heights
- Peoria Heights Community Unit School District 325
- Peoria Heights High School
School History
You can learn more about the history of the schools at Peoria Heights Community Unit School District 325#History.
Population Information
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1900 | 309 | — | |
| 1910 | 582 | 88.3% | |
| 1920 | 1,111 | 90.9% | |
| 1930 | 3,279 | 195.1% | |
| 1940 | 4,376 | 33.5% | |
| 1950 | 5,425 | 24.0% | |
| 1960 | 7,064 | 30.2% | |
| 1970 | 7,943 | 12.4% | |
| 1980 | 7,453 | −6.2% | |
| 1990 | 6,930 | −7.0% | |
| 2000 | 6,635 | −4.3% | |
| 2010 | 6,156 | −7.2% | |
| 2020 | 5,908 | −4.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2000, there were 6,635 people living in Peoria Heights. The average age was 38 years old. About 20.3% of the people were under 18 years old.
Transportation
CityLink provides bus service in Peoria Heights. Routes 2, 12, and 14 connect the village to other places in the Peoria area.
See also
In Spanish: Peoria Heights (Illinois) para niños
