Quad Cities

region of five cities in the US states of Iowa and Illinois: Davenport and Bettendorf in SE Iowa, and Rock Island, Moline, and East Moline in NW Illinois

The Quad Cities is a group of five[1] cities along the Mississippi River in the states of Iowa and Illinois. The five cities are Davenport, Iowa, Bettendorf, Iowa, Moline, Illinois, East Moline, Illinois, and Rock Island, Illinois. The largest of these cities is Davenport. Nearly 400,000 people live in the area.[2]

Quad Cities
Map of Quad Cities
Coordinates: 41°31′00″N 90°32′00″W / 41.516666666667°N 90.533333333333°W / 41.516666666667; -90.533333333333
CountryUnited States
State(s)Iowa
Illinois
Largest cityDavenport, Iowa
Other citiesMoline, Illinois
Rock Island, Illinois
Bettendorf, Iowa
East Moline, Illinois
Area
 • Total170 sq mi (400 km2)
Highest elevation
850 ft (259 m)
Lowest elevation
590 ft (180 m)
Population
 • Total383,681
 • Rank144th in the U.S.
 • Density1,600/sq mi (618/km2)
Time zoneUTC-06:00 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-05:00 (CDT)

The name "Quad Cities"

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The name "Quad Cities" can be confusing because "quad" means four. People began calling the area the Quad Cities in the 1960s, before Bettendorf was large enough to be considered a "city". By the time Bettendorf was large enough, people were so used to the name "Quad Cities" that they decided to keep it. (Even earlier, the area had been called the "Tri-Cities", before East Moline became large enough to be considered a city.)[3]

Economy

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The manufacturing, or making, of goods is a big part of the economy in the Quad Cities. Military equipment, such as weapons and armor, are made at the Rock Island Arsenal. John Deere & Company, which makes farm equipment, is in Moline.[4]

References

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  1. September 24, Zachary Levine on; PM, 2012 at 2:35 (24 September 2012). "Astros pair with minor league affiliate in Iowa". Ultimate Astros.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. http://www.crh.noaa.gov/dvn/?n=officeoverview
  3. "About The Quad Cities". 19 September 2008.
  4. "Making Tractors, Airplanes, and Armor in the Quad Cities". whitehouse.gov. 28 June 2011.