You are here:

About Peoria

The greater Peoria metropolitan area has a population of nearly 350,000, with 1 million people living within a 60-mile radius. It lies at a crossroads between Chicago, St. Louis, Indianapolis, and Des Moines. The cost of living is extremely affordable, and many of our residents purchase homes during their training here.
 
The Peoria Civic Center hosts live Broadway shows, concerts by well-known entertainers, a civic ballet, an opera company, symphony, community chorale, Peoria Rivermen Hockey (St. Louis Blues), Bradley University Basketball, and the Peoria Pirates, an AFL2 Indoor Football Team.
 
 
The Class A Cubs affiliate baseball team, the Peoria Chiefs, play over 70 games annually at the new downtown O'Brien Field.
 
Recreational activities abound in the Peoria area, which combines the amenities of the city with the beauty and serenity of the Illinois countryside. The Peoria Park District has the largest square acreage of any park district in the state of Illinois. Thousands of acres of parks feature such attractions as Glen Oak Zoo, Wildlife Prairie Park, bicycle trails, golf courses, tennis courts, indoor skating rink, concerts, and a Riverfront Area complete with steamboat and maritime museum.
 
Peoria also boasts the largest museum for the arts and sciences in downstate Illinois, Lakeview Museum, which has exhibited works by such artists as Rodin, Grandma Moses, Toulouse-Lautrec, and Norman Rockwell.
 
Peoria offers a variety of shopping options including local and well-known stores.
 
To find out more information on the Peoria area and what it has to offer visit the City of Peoria website.