Davenport

Understand

With a population of 101,363 (2012 estimate), Davenport is the largest city in the Quad Cities and the third-largest city in Iowa. It was founded in 1836 by Antoine LeClaire and was named for George Davenport, a colonel during the Black Hawk War stationed at nearby Fort Armstrong and a local merchant. The treaty that ended the Black Hawk War was signed in 1832 by Chief Keokuk, representing the Sauk and Mesquaki tribes, and United States Army General Winfield Scott at what is now Fifth and Farnum Streets. LeClaire, who was fluent in English, French, Spanish and a dozen Native American dialects, served as the interpreter. This treaty opened large tracts of land in Eastern Iowa to American expansion.

The Quad Cities were the site of two of the westernmost battles of the War of 1812. Major Zachary Taylor, future U.S. president, commanded American troops in a couple of skirmishes against the Sauk tribe. One of them was at what is now known as Credit Island on the Mississippi River in the west end. The city also served as Iowa's military headquarters during the American Civil War, as the telegraph wires at the time did not continue any further west. A marker was placed in Lindsey Park along East River Drive to mark the location of Camp McClellan, the largest of five army camps that were located in the city. The same site was also the location where members of the Dakota tribe were interred for four years following the Dakota War of 1862 in Minnesota.

Davenport is known for a couple of "firsts" in history. The first railroad bridge across the Mississippi River was built between Arsenal Island and Davenport in 1856. The first chiropractic adjustment was performed by Daniel David Palmer in a building downtown in 1895. Two years later he established the first school of chiropractic in the city.

Climate

Under the Köppen climate classification, Davenport is considered to have a humid continental climate (Dfa). Summers tend to be very warm to hot with high levels of humidity.The average heat index in the summer is around 89°F during the day and 67°F at night. Periods of very high heat and humidity can raise heat indices to around 102°F and 76°F at night. Winters have cold temperatures and often high winds. Snow is likely to fall from November through February, however it has been known to snow as late as April. Average snowfall in Davenport is 30.7 inches (78 cm) per year. January is on average the coldest month, while July is the warmest. The highest temperature recorded in Davenport was 103°F on July 18, 2006. The lowest temperature, -22°F, was recorded on February 2 and February 3, 1996. Spring and Autumn can be difficult seasons to dress for as the days can be quite warm while the evenings can be quite cool.

Flooding can occur along the Mississippi River due to the lack of a flood wall. During the Great Flood of 1993, the river crested at 22.63 feet (6.90 m) on July 9, nearly 8 feet (2.4 m) above flood stage. Flooding, however, only affects the river front parks and River Drive in the downtown area. Most of the city is above the bluffs that overlook the river and most of the city below the bluffs is not directly affected.

Visitor information

Get in

By car

The vast majority of visitors to Davenport arrive via Interstate 80. Brady Street (US Business Route 61) is the most popular exit off I-80. When Brady becomes a one-way south of the exit the southbound lanes are called Welcome Way. The Northwest Boulevard exit is a good exit for accessing the northwest part of the city, but it also angles toward the central city and intersects with Welcome Way south of Kimberly Road (US Route 6) and becomes Harrison Street. Harrison is a one-way that connects to the downtown area.

Many also arrive using Interstate 74, the easiest route if arriving at Quad City International Airport. The Bettendorf exits are also the primary entry points from Bettendorf. Grant Street (US Route 67) is a one way that becomes River Drive before it enters Davenport. Middle Road becomes Locust Street and is a cross-town street though the middle of the city. The Kimberly Road-Spruce Hills Drive intersection (US Route 6) straddles the border between the two cities and Kimberly Road is a cross-town street though the north side. The 53rd Street exit is completely in Davenport. To access the city via I-80, travelers on I-74 should exit onto I-80 West (Des Moines).

The west end of Davenport can be accessed from the I-280 bypass. The River Drive exit (US Business Route 61) provides direct access to downtown. Rockingham Road (Iowa Route 22) will also access downtown, but there are more traffic lights and the street is narrower.

US Route 61 is a major north-south highway in eastern Iowa. It used to traverse the city using Brady Street/Welcome Way/Harrison Street north to south and River Drive east to west. The highway now bypasses the city using I-80 on the north and I-280 on the west. The old route through the city is now Business Route 61.

By plane

• Quad City International Airport in Moline has non-stop flights from major markets primarily in the Midwest, the South and Southwest United States.

By bus

By train

Nearest Amtrak station is in Galesburg, Illinois (50 minutes away). A connecting thruway bus service to Centre Station in Moline is available. A direct daily service from Chicago has been planned for years and might start in 2021.

Get around

Most people commute through Davenport by car, but there is a very reliable city bus service. While a few cab companies operate in Davenport and surrounding communities, visitors from larger metropolitan cities should not expect the cars to be waiting outside hotels or other places. It is advisable to place a call to a cab company at least 30 min prior to when you want to be picked up.

By car

Davenport is generally an easy city to navigate. The city streets are basically laid out in a grid pattern, even as the city climbs the bluff above the Mississippi River. Some of the newer residential sections of the city do not follow a grid, however. For the most part, east-west streets are numbered starting near the Mississippi River and progressing in order as one travels north. There are several major east-west thoroughfares that are named and not numbered. River Drive (US Route 67 from Western Avenue east to Bettendorf and US Business Route 61 from Brady Street west to I-280) is on the south side of the city near the river. Locust Street travels through the middle of the city from I-280 to Bettendorf. Further north is Central Park Ave, which is a four-lane street from Brady Street west to Emeis Park. Kimberly Road (US Route 6) travels from I-280 in the west to I-74 in the east before it turns south and enters Bettendorf. The only major numbered street across the city is 53rd Street, which starts at about North Pine Street in the west and turns into 53rd Avenue when it enters Bettendorf. Third Street, Fourth Street, Welcome Way, Harrison Street and most of Brady Street are one ways. It is important to note that the Mississippi River generally travels through the Quad Cities from east to west before heading in its normal southerly direction. Thus, Rock Island, Illinois is to the south of Downtown Davenport and east of the west end.

Addresses on east-west streets are numbered from Brady Street, and on north-south streets from West First Street or River Drive in the downtown area. The direction 'South' in street and address numbers are only located in the west end of the city as it sits at a lower latitude, and downtown from Perry Street to the west. The river bank on the east side of the city is at a higher latitude so there are no 'South' streets there, but some streets use 'North' in their names. It can be a little confusing as some businesses will give their address, for example, as "North Brady Street" while others will only give it as "Brady Street". It is all the same as "South Brady Street" is less than a block long, is essentially an entrance to a parking lot and it has no buildings on it. That is true for most of the streets from Harrison Street in the downtown area and to the east.

The Quad Cities has a wayfinding color code system for signs that direct people to various venues and attractions in the area. The area is divided into quadrants with their own colors and identifying headers on direction signs have the appropriate color for each quadrant so that travelers know, by color, which quadrant you are in and to which color you will have to travel to reach other attractions. Davenport is in the northwest quadrant and its attractions are on signs that use the green color in the header. The northeast quadrant (Bettendorf) is yellow, the southeast quadrant (Moline-East Moline) is blue and the southwest quadrant (Rock Island) is red.

By bus

Public transportation is operated by Citibus. +1 563 326-7711. There is a connection with the Illinois Quad City's MetroLINK from the downtown transportation center to downtown Rock Island via route 7. There is also a connection with Bettendorf Transit in Bettendorf and at Duck Creek Plaza via route 10. Citibus operates M–F 5:30AM–6:30PM, and Sa 9AM–6:30PM on Saturday.

By bicycle

In general Davenport does not have dedicated bicycle lanes on the streets, especially the major thoroughfares so use extreme caution. Also, snow removal in the winter can be hit or miss depending on the street, so bicycling may not be the best option at that time of year. This is not to say that Davenport is a bad place for bicycling. There is an extensive system of recreation trails through the city. The Riverfront Parkway follows the Mississippi River and cuts through numerous parks as well as downtown. It is part of the larger multi-state Mississippi River Trail. A bridge has been added to connect Credit Island to South Concord Street so cyclists no longer have to ride on busy River Drive. The Duck Creek Parkway is a second trail that runs through the middle of the city from Emeis Park in the west to Duck Creek Park in the east where it connects to the Bettendorf Trail and runs down to the Mississippi River. In between it connects several other parks. In time it will connect to the Riverfront Trail. Other connections are also planned. While it is possible to use these trails for commuting, their intent was recreational and so their connection between residential and business centers is limited. Both trails travel east to west and there are no recreational trails that travel north to south at this time. They do a better job of connecting parks and other recreational facilities.

By water taxi

A unique way to see the Quad Cities is from the Channel Cat Water Taxi, an open air boat that transports people and bicycles to the Iowa and Illinois shorelines. The four stops are located at the Celebration Belle and at John Deere Commons in Moline, the Isle of Capri in Bettendorf and the Village of East Davenport. It operates in the summer months.

Learn

• Davenport Public Library Davenport has had a library in one version or another since 1839. The city's public library opened in 1904 with the assistance of Andrew Carnegie. The present main library downtown was designed by noted architect Edward Durell Stone.

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Go next

• You'd be remiss not to check out what the other three Quad Cities have to offer: Bettendorf, Iowa and Moline and Rock Island, Illinois.
• Kalona, a fun small town known for its Amish population and related industries rests 85 mi to the west.
• Le Claire, just northeast of Bettendorf with quaint shops and home of Buffalo Bill (and a museum devoted to showcasing his life).