PROFILE OF BETTENDORF, IOWA

Distance to Regional Cities
Des Moines, IA	160 miles
Chicago, IL	160 miles
Indianapolis, IN	303 miles
Minneapolis, MN	328 miles
Kansas City, MO	365 miles
St. Louis, MO 232	232 miles
Milwaukee, WI	201 miles
Located in the heart of the Midwest along the Mississippi River, the Quad Cities is within a day's drive of several major metropolitan areas such as Chicago, St. Louis, Des Moines and Minneapolis. In addition, the area is a stop along I-80, one of the nation's major cross-country interstates. The area is also served by I-88, I-74, several major state highways and the Quad City International Airport in Moline, Illinois.
BETTENDORF SCHOOLS

Bettendorf is a part of the Quad Cities, a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) of over 350,000 people. The Quad Cities has a 50 mile trade area of over 770,000, and its 300-mile radius population base is the largest of any metro area between Chicago, Illinois and California.

Bettendorf is one of the fastest growing communities in Iowa. Its demographic profile reveals an educated community, with an appreciation for school systems that teach people to think and engage in the process of life-long learning.

As of the census of 2000, there are 31,275 people, 12,474 households, and 8,719 families residing in the city.

The population of Bettendorf is 48.4% male and 51.6% female. Its median age is 38.7 years. Minorities comprise 5.0% of the population, half of whom are of Hispanic heritage.

Income levels in Bettendorf are substantially higher than regional, state, and national averages.

Families coming to the Quad Cities are drawn to Bettendorf in part because of its public school districts. The Bettendorf Community School District and Pleasant Valley Community School District are both premier institutions, well regarded and highly honored for extraordinary academic and athletic achievements. ACT and SAT scores are among the highest of schools in Iowa, a state which is always among the top three in the United States.

Persons interested in private schooling are also well served in is the oldest independent prep school west of the Mississippi River. Since 1884 it has been offering an enriched K-12 curriculum to students from throughout the Greater Quad Cities region.

Bettendorf lies in the area of the original Wisconsin Territory and was purchased from the Sauk and Fox Indians in the Black Hawk War of 1832. The original town on the site was named Lillienthal, after an early tavern and dance hall owner. The City was renamed Gilbert in 1858, honoring Elias Gilbert, who originally platted the town. At that time, the predominately German residents were farmers, skilled laborers or small business operators.

At the turn of the century, William and Joseph Bettendorf proposed to the townspeople that they would move their iron wagon business there if the city would purchase the old Gilbert farm for them as a location for their factory. Donations were solicited from the residents and, in a pioneering example of economic development, the land was provided, the factory was built, and hundreds of jobs were created. In January of 1903, the town of 440 residents petitioned for incorporation, requesting the name be changed to Bettendorf, honoring the brothers whose factory was so important to the early development of the city.

Two generations later, another major development made its impact felt. Following a nation-wide search, The Aluminum Company of America (ALCOA) chose a site on the Mississippi River adjacent to Bettendorf for construction of the world’s largest rolling mill. The site was chosen for its access to skilled labor, cost-effective energy supply and efficient transportation access. This remarkable facility was built along a mile of riverfront property and helped stimulate in Bettendorf a period of steady growth and development, which has sustained itself to the present day.