Three time winner of the prestigious All America City Award, Peoria is a city that will charm you with its hospitality, and believes in treating its vistors like guests. First-time visitors will be startled to see a full-fledged city, complete with towering, gleaming buildings, rising from the fertile lands that stretch from the banks of the Illinois River.
Peoria is the oldest civilized settlement in the state of Illinois. The city and county take their names from the Peorian Indians, one of the tribes who inhabited the Illinois River Valley. The name "Peoria" has been translated to mean "Prairie Fire that Wanders About".
The Peoria area has continued to prosper and grow since its early beginnings. The natural riches that lured Indians and pioneers here contributed greatly to the later development of industry. Today the Peoria area is an industrial/agricultural community that takes pride in its historic past and progressive future.
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