PROFILE OF MOLINE, ILLINOIS

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.
MOLINE SCHOOLS

Moline is a city located in Rock Island County, Illinois. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 43,768.

Moline is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring Rock Island and the Iowa cities of Davenport and Bettendorf. The corporate headquarters of Deere & Company and the Quad City International Airport are located in Moline, as well as the Quad Cities campus of Western Illinois University. Moline is a retail hub for the Illinois Quad Cities, as Southpark Mall and numerous big box stores are located in the city. In the mid 1990s, a project known as John Deere Commons led to the revitalization of Moline's central business district.

The name Moline comes from the French Moulin meaning Mill Town. Moline is situated on a peninsula formed by the confluence of the Mississippi River and the Rock River. The flood plain along the Mississippi to the north quickly rises up the bluff to a broad highland before dropping back down to the Rock river flood plain to the south. The highland is cut across by many deep ravines that break the city up into many natural neighborhoods.

Due to its historical connections to inventor and industrialist John Deere--who relocated to Moline in 1848 to mass produce his steel plow there--and the company he founded, Moline is known as the "farm implement capital of the world." Because of its location on the Mississippi River and the economies of scale for large-scale farm implement production that quickly developed around Deere & Company, Moline was a major center for the industry from the late nineteenth century through the 1980s.

The City of Moline offers an array of housing possibilities, from downtown loft apartments to single-family homes in a rural setting to everything in between. Homes in Moline can be found in various designs with various price tags to fit any budget and style. Best of all, every residence is in one of the wonderful neighborhoods of Moline.

According to a survey by the National Homebuilders Association, the Quad Cities area is one of the 25 most affordable housing markets in the nation. The average home price in Moline through 2005, according to the Quad City Board of Realtors is $110,873.

Through a civic partnership between the City and residents, Moline neighborhoods are safer, stronger and more attractive than ever before. Several neighborhood associations have been formed through the City's Neighborhood Partnership Program. These neighborhood associations are taking an active role in improving the quality of life in Moline. Organizing neighborhood clean up days, participating in the crime watch program, and planning social activities are just some of the ways that these associations are helping to make Moline a better place to live.

The Quad City Steamwheelers arena football team and the Quad City Mallards hockey team both play at The MARK of the Quad Cities, located in Moline.