East Moline is the smallest of the Quad Cities, with more than 20,000 residents. In the 1930s, it was established as the fourth city in the region, hence the name Quad Cities, but it turned out not to be the last. Bettendorf became the fifth member of the group. Despite efforts to change the name to the Quin Cities, the current name stuck, and locals have come to accept their five Quad Cities, including Moline, Davenport and Rock Island, all of which surround the only section of the Mississippi River that runs east to west. “East Moline isn’t as big as the others,” says Jeff Deppe, a member of the East Moline City Council who was born in the city in 1969 and has called it home ever since. “But we’re all a bunch of cities that touch, so it’s really like one big city.” But it’s not just their boundaries that keep them connected. John Deere has been at the forefront of the Quad Cities community since starting operations in Moline in 1848. With around 3,500 workers, John Deere is the region’s largest employer. The company’s manufacturing plant, John Deere Harvester Works, is located in East Moline, with more than half of the company’s regional workforce. “It’s a very blue-collar city,” says Deppe. “It’s a city where everyone knows each other, and kids play ball in the street.” East Moline also has a quaint downtown scene with some local stores and restaurants. And while many of the biggest events in the region take place in Davenport, East Moline has a full calendar as well, from annual parades to 5K races and Christmas tree lightings.
Counterintuitively, East Moline is one of five Quad Cities.
John Deere has been a core aspect of East Moline since the city's founding.
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Lower-than-average home prices
The median sale price for a home in East Moline is $152,000, which is less than the national and state medians. A steep hill separates downtown (north side) from uptown (south side). The city’s oldest houses are in and close to downtown, dating back to the late 1800s and early 1900s. “East Moline has a bunch of subdivisions with city streets that grew between them,” Deppe says. Those uptown subdivisions feature homes from the mid- to-late-1900s, from small ranch-style to larger New Traditional houses. North and east of the city's center, Watertown/Hampton shares the Mississippi's banks, with similarly priced homes and land that spreads out into the countryside.
Brick homes with steep pitched roofs add charm to East Moline.
Single story homes are often found in East Moline.
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The Great River Trail and more than a dozen municipal parks
The Great River Trail runs directly through East Moline, stretching more than 35 miles along the Mississippi River. The city maintains more than a dozen parks and recreational spaces with playgrounds, tot lots and athletic facilities. East Moline Little League, along with soccer and cricket clubs, play at Jacobs Park sports complex. And the Short Hills Country Club offers access to a private 18-hole golf course, swimming pool, game room and a clubhouse restaurant.
A view of the pond at Short Hills Country Club in East Moline.
The Great River Trail runs along the Mississippi River through the Ben Butterworth Parkway.
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Downtown shops and restaurants
Fifteenth Avenue acts as downtown’s main street and is lined with small businesses, including shops and restaurants, many of which have been around for decades. Avenue of the Cities runs along the south side of East Moline, a busier Thoroughfare with even more restaurants. While there are no big-box retailers in the city, locals can take Avenue of the Cities a few miles east to Silvis or a few miles west to Moline to go shopping.
Tavern Bar offers great prices on drinks in East Moline.
A variety of shopping and ethnic groceries can be found along 15th Avenue in East Moline.
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A transfer of school districts from middle to high school
East Moline School District 37 earns a C grade from Niche, operating four elementary schools and one middle school. Middle schoolers transfer to United Township High School, which is its own school district, and earns a B grade.
Post-secondary options include Black Hawk College, which is just outside the city’s southside in Moline. The Western Illinois University - Quad Cities commuter campus is about 2 miles west, also in Moline. High schoolers can start their career path by getting experience through John Deere’s Registered Apprenticeship Program, which has hired several students following graduation.
Woodrow Wilson Middle School is a quality school located in Moline.
East Moline students finish their primary educations at United Township High School.
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Fourth of July races, summer concerts and Christmas tree lightings
The city of East Moline hosts several events throughout the year. The Firecracker Run is a highly anticipated Fourth of July event that has been going strong since 1982. It’s a series of races, including a 5K, 10K and even a hospital bed race where EMTs, firefighters and police officers race with gurneys. The spectacle is followed by a party held at Midwest Ale Works. Locals also look forward to the Summer Concert Series, held on Sundays from the end of May to late August at Runners’ Park. Come winter, locals bundle up and gather for Christmas in Downtown East Moline, which starts off with a parade and ends with a Christmas tree lighting.
The Firecracker Run through East Moline ends with a party at Midwest Ale Works.
East Moline boasts a summer concert series featuring local music at Runner's Park.
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Easy access to Quad Cities highways
Illinois Route 5 and Avenue of the Cities bisect East Moline as the town's thoroughfares, with Interstate 74 to the west and additional highways north and south. Quad Cities MetroLink serves several bus stops along Avenue of the Cities. For long-distance travel, Quad Cities International Airport is about 6.5 miles southwest, with flights to 11 U.S. cities.
Police department partners with Crime Stoppers
Crime rates are above the national average, and the Moline Police Department works with Crime Stoppers of the Quad Cities to get the community involved in keeping the community safe. Summers are warm and humid, and winters can be snowy -- flakes fell as late as April in 2024. But the city helps older residents and those unable to shovel their own walks and drives with its Snow Angels volunteer program to expediently clear public walkways, as required by city law. East Moline has a moderate risk of flooding, with more than 31% of homes at risk. A levee is in place along the Mississippi River to protect homes from flooding. The last major flood occurred in April 2001, caused by rapid spring snowmelt that affected the entire Quad Cities region.
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