Just across the Illinois River from Peoria, East Peoria is a small suburb with about 23,000 residents. Here, many residents work for local healthcare employers; the construction equipment supplier, Caterpillar; or the riverfront Par-A-Dice Hotel and Casino. In 2000, the city bought one of the former Caterpillar manufacturing sites to develop the Levee District, a mixed-used commercial area that now includes chain restaurants and big-box retailers. The city’s director of planning and community development, Ty Livingston, says that in addition to its central location and big-city amenities, East Peoria's natural beauty also attracts residents to the area. “We have a beautiful river valley, and East Peoria is right on those bluffs,” he says. “It’s surprising to folks who aren’t from here – they think Illinois is all cornfields – but we have great views and scenic vistas.”
Downtown Peoria sits right along the scenic Illinois River.
Downtown Peoria features many unique restaurants, shops, and festivals.
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Single-family homes and a new apartment complex in the Levee District
East Peoria’s average housing value hovers around $315,000, which is about $240,000 less than the U.S. average. “In this area in particular, housing prices have trended upward in recent years, but it’s still very reasonable,” Livingston says. “Compared to other markets, it’s cheap. It’s not affordable for everybody, but in the grand scheme of things, it’s more affordable than other markets.” The city is mostly single-family housing, with bungalows and ranch-style homes being the most common, In recent years, however, there's also been an increase in multi-family housing developments. “We have a pretty significant project going up next to City Hall with 219 market-rate apartments and an integrated parking deck,” Livingston says. “That’s a big deal for us. It’s our first development with a parking deck included. It’s a great amenity for the apartment complex. It’s a four-story development. You can park on the same floor that your apartment is located, so if you lived on the third floor, you’d park on the third story of the parking deck.” He adds that additional multi-family housing is available on the north side of East Peoria along Centennial Drive and that the city’s seen an increase in senior developments too over the past five or six years. “The city is looking to identify ways to stimulate more single-family housing development,” he says. “Since 2008 and 2009, it’s been on the lighter side.”
Two and three-bedroom bungalows in Upper Riviera can be snagged for less than $100,000.
Condos near the riverfront in Downtown Peoria range from $100,000 to the mid $200,000s.
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Fon du Lac Park District and the EastSide Centre
East Peoria has over 1,600 acres of parklands, including the Carl Spindler Campground and Marina which overlooks the Illinois River. Currently under development, Levee Park will be another large urban park in the Levee District, complete with a green lawn, a space for concerts and sporting events, and terraced seating. The park will also include a prominent water feature and will be suited to host outdoor markets and festivals. East Peoria is also home to the EastSide Centre, a sports complex that hosts primary, secondary and collegiate events, including baseball, softball and basketball games. “That brings a lot of families into town,” says Livingston, adding that other popular outdoor activities here include hiking the Riverfront Greenway, duck and geese hunting in the winter and fishing and boating along the Illinois River. “We have Asian carp that jump into your boat,” he says. “They come up far on the Illinois River, and believe it or not, that brings folks to town. There’s a fishing tournament in August just south of Peoria. Guys come in and have to catch some of these fish, and whoever catches the most gets a prize. It’s pretty funny.”
Bowen Lake Park has a shaded walking path that circles the park.
Enjoy the serene surroundings at Peoria Park District.
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Public schools and Illinois Central College
East Peoria is served by five elementary school districts that feed into two high school districts and one public K-12 district. East Peoria Community High School District 309 receives a B rating from Niche and has three feeder districts: the C-plus-rated East Peoria School District 86, the C-minus-rated Creve Coeur School District 76 and the B-minus-rated Robein School District 85. The A-minus rated Washington Community High School District 308 has two feeder districts: the C-minus-rated Washington School District 50 and the A-minus-rated Central School District 51. The Morton Community Unit School District 709 serves elementary through high school students, earns an A-minus rating and ranks as the best school district in Tazewell County on Niche. Illinois Central College, a public community college, has its main campus in East Peoria and enrolls about 7,000 students annually.
Peoria High School challenges and encourages students to learn.
Bradley University is a top-ranked, private university located in Upper Riviera.
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The Levee District for shopping and dining
In 2000, the city of East Peoria bought the land now known as the Levee District to develop as its main commercial area. Formerly a Caterpillar manufacturing site, the city repurposed this space as a mixed-use shopping and dining district so that residents would no longer have to drive to Peoria to access shops and restaurants. “If you go on Google Maps’ Street View, you can see that in the last 15 years, we’ve built a new city hall and library,” Livingston says. “In 2007, this central area called the Levee District looked like a war zone, with chain link fences, broken up concrete and no trees. If you go and look further down the line, the transformation is amazing. We’ve had a great group of elected officials and staff. It really shows the transformative power of an engaged community.” Today, the Levee District houses retailers like Target, Costco and Ulta, plus chain restaurants like Red Robin, Jersey Mike’s and Chipotle. The brick and mortar for Bass Pro Shops, located half-a-mile away attracts 3 million visitors annually. “The location is great for attracting restaurants and retailers,” Livingston says. “If they’re going to do one store in the market, this is the place to do it.”
Downtown Peoria is a very walkable city featuring miles of sidewalks and walking paths.
Peoria, IL is a scenic location along the Illinois River with numerous shops and restaurants.
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Weather and the East Peoria Police Department
East Peoria has a standard continental climate with hot, humid summers and cold winters. According to the East Peoria Police Department, violent and property crimes decreased in 2023. According to FBI statistics, its property crime rate remains below the national average, while its violent crime rate exceeds it. “We have a new fire station and just broke ground for a new police station with the goal of it being a significant and recognizable presence,” Livingston says.
Interstate 74, CityLink and the General Wayne Downing Peoria International Airport
East Peoria is centrally located in downstate Illinois, 2 miles southeast of Peoria and 37 miles northwest of Bloomington. “Its location within the urbanized area is ideal,” Livingston says. “It’s easy to get anywhere in the region. Everything’s within 15 or 20 minutes of you.” Interstate 74 and U.S. Route 150 are the main highways running through East Peoria. While the CityLink buses provide bus routes throughout East Peoria connecting to destinations like Illinois Central College or neighboring Pekin. The nearest passenger airport is 8 miles west, General Wayne Downing Peoria International Airport, and provides direct routes to Chicago on three different airlines.
Festival of Lights and the East Peoria Farmer’s Market
“The city’s big claim to fame is the Festival of Lights, which has been going on for 40 years,” Livingston says. “It’s quite a tourist attraction and sort of a regional draw that brings in visitors from outside the area.” The festival kicks off in late November with an evening parade complete with light-up floats. The celebration then continues through the first week of January with activities like Folepi’s Winter Wonderland, a drive-through lights display. In the summer, East Peoria has a weekly farmer’s market held every Friday evening, where residents can pick up local produce or some home décor made by artisan vendors.
Your kids will love getting Halloween themed balloons at the yearly Festival of Food Trucks.
The East Peoria Farmers Market features music by local artists.
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