The largest of the Quad Cities along the Mississippi River
With more than 100,000 residents, Davenport is the largest city in the greater Quad Cities region. It’s located along the only section of the Mississippi River that runs east to west, right next to Bettendorf on the Iowa side and across the river from Rock Island and Moline on the Illinois side. Despite being separated by the river, all four cities, along with East Moline, live in unison. “Everyone lives and works in different places,” says Denise Hnytka, chief communications officer for the city of Davenport. “A lot of people in Davenport work at John Deere in Moline and the Rock Island Arsenal.” These jobs, along with the city’s cost of living, are major factors in why people choose to move here. In fact, U.S. News Real Estate ranked Davenport as the fifth most affordable place to live in the U.S. in 2024. Life in Davenport is full of lively events and festivals on the river and downtown, which tends to come as a surprise, according to Hyntka. She also says, “Davenport is surprisingly hilly for being in Iowa. People automatically think it will be flat as far as the eye can see. But it has beautiful hills and valleys because of the river.” The hilly residential landscape features many century-old houses, and the city begins to level out on the outskirts of town as it transitions to farmland.
The hills of Davenport slope down to Downtown and the Mississippi River.
Rock Island Arsenal is one of Davenport's largest employers.
Local residents love Downtown Davenport's riverside parks and trails.
Many Riverview Terrace American Foursquare homes have been renovated and updated.
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Riverfront activities from concerts to minor-league baseball games
The riverfront is the center of recreational activity and events. Centennial Park has more than 250 acres of athletic facilities, along with a spray park. Credit Island Park and Natural Historic Preserve is almost twice as large, featuring an 18-hole disc golf course and more than a mile of nature trails. Both Centennial and Credit Island parks have boat ramps to access the Mississippi River. Since 2013, the annual Floatzilla event has drawn thousands of people to the river in an attempt to break the world record for the largest flotilla of canoes and kayaks. LeClaire Park is home to a band shell that hosts a variety of musical events, including the Quad-Cities Symphony Orchestra’s Riverfront Pops concert series. Also located on the riverfront is Modern Woodmen Park, a baseball stadium where residents can catch the Class-A Quad Cities River Bandits in action. “When you’re crossing the Centennial Bridge, you get this incredible view of the ballpark," says Hnytka. "It looks like its own island.” Modern Woodmen Park is annually ranked among the top ballparks in the country for its gameday experience, featuring amusement park rides such as a carousel and Ferris Wheel. Several other parks can be found off the water, including Vander Veer Botanical Park, which is free to the public to walk among gardens. During the holiday season, Vander Veer illuminates for its annual Poinsettia & Lights display. The Bix 7 race is another highly anticipated event that attracts runners from all over the world. “The Bix 7 is basically uphill both ways, so it's very challenging” says Hnytka. “Because of that, even though it’s only 7 miles, it counts as a qualifying race for larger races like the Boston Marathon.”
From summer concerts to cheering at Modern Woodmen, Downtown Davenport's got it all.
The miles of trail that line the Mississippi river converge in Downtown Davenport.
Vander Veer Botanical Park's Poinsettia & Lights Display is an annual holiday tradition.
Credit Island Park in Davenport's West End is a 450 acre island in the Mississippi River.
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Trendy shops and restaurants; Quad City comfort food staples
Blending the old and the new is a common theme in the city, and it’s illustrated at The Village of East Davenport, a trendy shopping and dining district with art galleries, shops, restaurants and bars in colorful historic buildings. The city is known for its craft breweries, and the district hosts Village Hops, a tasting event held each June that attracts more than 25 breweries from across the Midwest. The village is also home to a regular schedule of popular community gatherings, highlighted by multi-day annual events such as Farm Days in the Village and the Riverssance Festival of Fine Art. While Davenport has a wide variety of restaurants, especially downtown, it is best known for some of its comfort food options. Quad City-style pizza originated in Davenport at Happy Joe’s Pizza, but can be found all over the region. It’s cooked with malt crust and toppings under the cheese, and is cut into long rectangular strips instead of triangles. Loose meat sandwiches are another staple of Quad Cities dining. Made famous by the TV show Rosanne, these “tavern sandwiches” are similar to Sloppy Joes without tomato sauce. One of the biggest staples of all is Whitey’s Ice Cream, another regional chain which has been serving the Quad Cities since 1933.
Whitey's Ice Cream is a gathering spot and tradition for many Davenport families.
Happy Joe's Pizza is a local favorite regional pizza chain famous for taco pizza.
The heart of East End is the Village of East Davenport, a cozy center for shopping and dining.
The 11th Street Precinct Bar & Grill in East End is a swanky destination.
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Historic homes and tax credits
The median home price in Davenport stands at $190,000, which is about $217,000 below the national median. The city is made up of mostly single-family homes, many of which are historic properties that date back to the late 1800s and early 1900s. Many of the city’s historic and architecturally distinct homes are concentrated in established neighborhoods near downtown and the Mississippi. They include McClellan Heights, Vander Veer Park Historic District and the Hamburg District, which is known locally as the Gold Coast because of its prestigious historic houses. “Davenport offers historic tax credit,” says Mhisho Lynch, a city council member and a Realtor with Realty One Group Opening Doors, “So if you buy a historic home, there are grants to help rehab it.” Lynch adds that homebuyers can also take advantage of the city’s Urban Revitalization Tax Exemption Program. The program provides tax exemptions on qualified repairs and updates for up to 10 years, even for non-historic historic. More mid-century houses can be found in North and Northwest Davenport. These areas also have several brand-new housing developments.
Davenport experiences all four seasons. “I feel like we get the best and the worst of all each season,” Hnytka says. The city is prone to flooding, especially in spring, so homebuyers who purchase property in a flood zone can expect to pay somewhere around $2,000 a year for federal flood insurance, which is higher than the state average. The city has experienced several historic floods, including one in 2019, which lasted 103 days - the longest-lasting flood in history.
East End is home to many large, historic homes in various sizes.
Newer two-story homes are available in developing areas of Outer Davenport/Bettendorf.
Modest homes make for a comfortable stay for couples and families in Northwest Davenport.
Rows of two-story homes with open or enclosed front porches give Near North Side character.
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Public school district with free arts academy and the world's first chiropractic college
The Davenport Community School District earns a C-plus grade from Niche, and is ranked the third-most diverse school district in Iowa. It’s the largest school district in the Quad Cities region, with more than 14,000 students split between 15 elementary, five middle and four high schools. Sudlow Intermediate School and Central High School serve as locations for the Creative Arts Academy, which is free for all seventh- through 12th-grade students in Iowa. Kindergarten- through fifth-grade students moving to Davenport from another country can go through the school district’s Elementary Newcomer Program to help them learn English and get acclimated to their new environment. Davenport is home to St. Ambrose University, a Catholic-based liberal arts institution with more than 60 degree programs from bachelor to doctoral. The SAU Fighting Bees compete in more than 20 sports in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. Palmer College of Chiropractic is also in Davenport, known for being the first chiropractic college in the world.
Central High School boasts solid college readiness, ACT, and SAT scores for students.
Sudlow Intermediate School boasts an excellent 14:1 Student-Teacher ratio.
St Ambrose University is a private college in the heart of Davenport.
Palmer College of Chiropractic is the oldest chiropractic school in the country.
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Two bus systems for getting around Davenport and the Quad Cities region
CitiBus provides public transportation throughout the city and has connections to Quad Cities MetroLink buses, which can be taken all over the region. Interstates 74 and 80 bisect the city, offering convenient travel to cities such as Chicago, Des Moines and Springfield. Quad Cities International Airport, located less than 10 miles south of downtown Davenport, provides non-stop service to 10 major U.S. cities.
Positive results in effort to reduce gun violence
Davenport’s crime rates are higher than that of the state and the country, according to FBI statistics. Most crimes tend to occur downtown and by the riverfront. In April 2023, the Davenport Police Department reported that the city had experienced a 42% drop in shots-fired calls as part of an overall effort to reduce gun crime in the city.
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