What Can You Expect From The Peoria Area?
A community full of surprises! Peoria's size is big enough to provide a wide range of cultural, recreational and educational opportunities.
How big is Peoria?
The approximate metropolitan area population is 350,000.
Like the arts?
Peoria is home to the Peoria Symphony, 2 ballet companies, and several art galleries. Lakeview Museum, affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution, is one of the only museums in the U.S. that features both the arts and the sciences. Professional and community theater abound, from national touring company productions like "Phantom of the Opera" and "Miss Saigon," to Peoria Players, the oldest continuously running community theater in Illinois.
Love sports?
Peoria's got it all! Professional teams include Class A Peoria Chiefs baseball and Peoria Rivermen hockey. Bradley University and Illinois Central College offer exciting men's and women's basketball action. And experience March Madness in Peoria - home to the annual Illinois High School Association state basketball tournaments.
Golfers will appreciate the area's many outstanding public golf courses (and low greens fees), including the championship course at Weaver Ridge Golf Club. Summer brings out boaters and skiers on the Illinois River. The Peoria Park District ranks first in Illinois and is one of the top public park systems in the nation based on its ratio of open-space holdings to population. It offers hiking and biking trails, tennis courts, swimming, water parks, ice skating, camping and picnic areas, recreation and wellness centers, and a wide range of classes and programs for all ages. The Park District also operates the Glen Oak Zoo, Luthy Memorial Botanical Garden, and Grand View Drive - called the "world's most beautiful drive" by Theodore Roosevelt.
Seeking education?
Peoria offers a wide variety of public and private schools. Peoria Public Schools' special programs include health, business and technology academies, and the prestigious International Baccalaureate program , designed to meet the highest standards required of any high school in the world. Higher education includes Illinois Central College (2-year community college), Bradley University (4-year private university & graduate school), and the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria. Illinois State University is an easy commute away.
What's the neighborhood like?
Peoria ranks in the top 5 nationwide for housing affordability (National Association of Home Builders' Housing Opportunity Index). We've got what you're looking for, from beautiful new subdivisions, to older neighborhoods with tree-lined streets and welcoming front porches, and converted loft apartments overlooking Peoria's eclectic riverfront. The climate is mild, ranging from an average high of 85 degrees F in July to 29 degrees in January. The Peoria area is served by the Greater Peoria Regional Airport and interstates I-74, I-474, I-155 and I-39.
Other Peoria Area links
Peoria Area Convention & Visitors Bureau
Peoria Riverfront
Spirit of Peoria
Par-A-Dice Hotel & Casino
Wildlife Prairie State Park
Peoria Civic Center
Greater Peoria Regional Airport
Greater Peoria Mass Transit
Shuttle to O'Hare/Midway
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