Driving Around Downtown Peoria, IL in 4k Video

Filmed on Monday, March 20, 2023, I drive around the city of Peoria, Illinois to see what's happening. At the end of the video, I go to Grandview Drive, called "The World's Most Beautiful Drive" by president Theodore Roosevelt.

Peoria is a city in and seat of government of Peoria County, Illinois, United States. Located on the Illinois River, the city had a population of 113,150 as of the 2020 census.

Established in 1691 by the French explorer Henri de Tonti, Peoria is the oldest permanent European settlement in Illinois according to the Illinois State Archaeological Survey. Originally known as Fort Clark, it received its current name when the County of Peoria was organized in 1825. The city was named after the Peoria people, a member of the Illinois Confederation.

On October 16, 1854, Abraham Lincoln made his Peoria speech against the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Prior to prohibition, Peoria was the center of the whiskey industry in the United States. More than 12 distilleries operated in Peoria by the end of the 19th century, more than any other city in the U.S.

A major port on the Illinois River, Peoria is a trading and shipping center for a large agricultural area that produces corn, soybeans, and livestock. Although the economy is well diversified, the city's traditional manufacturing industries remain important and produce earthmoving equipment, metal products, lawn-care equipment, labels, steel towers, farm equipment, building materials, steel, wire, and chemicals.

Until 2018, Peoria was the global and national headquarters for heavy equipment and engine manufacturer Caterpillar Inc., one of the 30 companies composing the Dow Jones Industrial Average, and listed on the Fortune 100; in 2017, the company relocated its headquarters to Deerfield, Illinois.

The city is associated with the phrase "Will it play in Peoria?", which originated from the vaudeville era and was popularized by Groucho Marx.

The lands that eventually would become Peoria were first settled by Europeans in 1680, when French explorers René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle and Henri de Tonti constructed Fort Crevecoeur. This fort would later burn to the ground, and in 1813, Fort Clark, Illinois was built. When the County of Peoria was organized in 1825, Fort Clark was officially named Peoria.

Peoria was named after the Peoria tribe, a member of the Illinois Confederation. The original meaning of the word is uncertain. A 21st-century proposal suggests a derivation from a Proto-Algonquian word meaning "to dream with the help of a manitou."

Peoria was incorporated as a village on March 11, 1835.

Peoria, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix, was named after Peoria, Illinois because the two men who founded it in 1890 − Joseph B. Greenhut and Deloss S. Brown − wished to name it after their hometown.

For much of the 20th century, a red-light district of brothels and bars known as the Merry-Go-Round was part of Peoria.

Richard Pryor got his start as a performer on North Washington Street in the early 1960s.

The Peoria Civic Center includes an arena, convention center, and theater, and was completed in the early 1980s, was designed by the famed late architect Philip Johnson. It completed a $55 million renovation and expansion by 2007.

The Hotel Pere Marquette finished renovations in 2013 with a skyway linking to the Peoria Civic Center.

The Civic Center hosts the Bradley University Men's Basketball team, the IHSA Boys State Basketball Championships and State Chess Championship, which claims to be the largest chess team tournament in the United States.

The health-care industry accounts for at least 25% of Peoria's economy. The city has three major hospitals: OSF Saint Francis Medical Center, UnityPoint Health – Methodist, and UnityPoint Health – Proctor. In addition, the Children's Hospital of Illinois, the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria, and the Midwest Affiliate of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital are located in the city.

The Peoria Symphony Orchestra is the 14th oldest in the nation.

As of the census of 2010, there were 115,021 people and 47,202 households residing in the city.

The median income for a household in the city was $36,397. The per capita income for the city was $20,512. Some 18.8% of the population was below the poverty line.

The racial makeup of the city was 62.4% White, 26.9% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 4.6% Asian, and 3.6% of mixed races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.9% of the population. The city has a sizable, established Lebanese population with a long history in local business and government. #driving #travel #drivingtour

[adrianmontelongo]

great video driving around downtown peoria illinois with sunshine. beautiful city 👍

[johnwynn]

The "drive" at the end of your video is Fondulac Drive, in East Peoria, Tazewell County. Grandview Drive is in the city of Peoria, and Peoria Heights. Had you stayed on North Adams and gone about 2 miles north, you would have had access to the south entrance of the drive and gone north, providing stunning views of very large homes and the Illinois River valley below. Otherwise a pleasant video.

[alanhubbard]

I went to College in Peoria, Il. 1978 to 1982. 1978 through spring 1980 I live at the YMCA which Bradley University had rented out the 2nd though 7th floors which had been rooms for single men. This was located at the Corner of Hamilton & Glendale. Up the road a bit was A Nurses College, and U of I Medical School. We didn't walk more than 2 blocks towards the River because the closer you got to the river the rougher the area got. The YMCA is now called the Dream Center, and Bradley University Camus looks to be about 1/3 larger area. In 1980 when I moved up to the Bradley Campus one of the most enjoyable things I did to relax was walking in Laura Bradley Park. The Golden Sunset in this video reminded me so much of the beautiful evening walks through that Park. Fall and Spring in Peoria where particularly beautiful in the evenings.

[kenp]

I worked in the First Federal building (now Chase) from 1978 till I moved in 1987. Downtown was bustling at the time. I don't miss those crappy Illinois roads.

[keegssauce]

This is the one city I would love to live in or Salt Lake City Utah or Nashville Tennessee but im stuck living in Iowa p.s love your videos keep up the good work

[michaelleitner]

I noticed that you circled Big Al's a couple of times. 😉

[PeoriaLife]

Video added to Peoria Life YouTube playlist 'Around Peoria '

[luisbassooon]

Just wondering, its the city always like that, or its sunday or what day, because the city looks like empty. It looks clean and not ghetto. Looks nice beautiful building too.

[josephlalock]

holy crap. this was on a monday! it's practically a ghosttown! i have very few reasons to go to peoria anymore. i used to go just for fun but i avoid it now. that parking area you stopped at on fondulac drive is where we parked one night in the 80s while tripping on acid. how my bro drove that night i have no idea. i was scared just to look at anything and he was driving😂 man that was some good shit!

[tonyw]

for a rivertown a complete ghost town, I ride my Harley there a couple times a year and only place I stop is Koochies in Creve Core

[rosepink]

Is it good to live in Peoria il for family?school?
Is Uber as driver active there ? Thank you 🙏🏻

[RockySteelMarine]

Good God what day did you pick the drive down when there was nobody on the street? I wish I could have that kind of a drive on my way to work. I drive through downtown Peoria everyday and every day it's nuts to butt traffic especially with big rigs and commercial vehicles not to mention the foreign drivers. Ghost Town my ass!! Although I wish them damn zombies would go ghost and disappear.

[DonaldShryock]

Wait until the city turns that street from a one way into a two way . Cant say anything about it because its a done deal