Overview
Le Claire is part of the greater Quad Cities area, in Eastern Iowa.
2 sights · 1 things to do · 8 places to eat · 3 bars & cafés · 4 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Le Claire
Buffalo Bill Museum
The museum commemorates frontiersman Buffalo Bill Cody and contains memorabilia from his Wild West Show as well as antiques and other items of historic interest. It also houses the tugboat Lone Star, which is a National …
Mississippi River Distilling Company
The tour includes viewing the entire distilling process, from the cleaning, milling and cooking of the grain, to the fermentation, distillation, blending, aging and bottling of spirits. The tour ends in the tasting room …
Pebble Creek Golf Course
18-hole golf course and restaurant.
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Apr–Oct. Summer highs reach about 86°F; winter lows dip to about 15°F. Cold months (Jan, Feb, Dec) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: Jun and May. (climate data from nearby Quad Cities)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- MLI Quad City International Airport, Moline — 13 mi away. Directions
- DBQ Dubuque Regional Airport, Dubuque — 59 mi away. Directions
- ORD Chicago O'Hare International Airport, Chicago — 129 mi away (major hub). Directions
Le Claire is a small town with interstate access. There is no mass transit or any other easy way to access the town. Most of the town lies north of the interchange of Interstate 80 and US Route 67. The exit is right after the Mississippi River Bridge. From the Iowa Quad Cities it is, for the most part, easier to access the town via US 67, which has great views of the Mississippi River. From the north side of the Quad Cities it is easier to use Interstate 80.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
- Typical meal: about $6 per person at listed restaurants.
See the Sleep guide ↓ for places to stay.
Sample 1-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Buffalo Bill Museum, Mississippi River Distilling Company
- Lunch Bierstube
- Afternoon Pebble Creek Golf Course
- Dinner Big Dave & Holly's Dairy Sweet
- Evening 129 Coffee, Martini and Wine Bar
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Understand
Le Claire is a Mississippi River town of 3,765 (2010). It is named for Antoine LeClaire, who developed a large part of the Iowa Quad Cities on property that was given him by the tribes who originally laid claim to it. The town was the head of the Rock Island Rapids, a notorious section of the river that extended as far south as what is now downtown Davenport. River pilots were required to guide river traffic through the rapids, which impacted the early economic life of the town. The rapids were tamed by the development of the lock and dams on the upper river. The town is also the boyhood home of frontiersman Buffalo Bill Cody.
Get in
By car
Le Claire is a small town with interstate access. There is no mass transit or any other easy way to access the town. Most of the town lies north of the interchange of Interstate 80 and US Route 67. The exit is right after the Mississippi River Bridge. From the Iowa Quad Cities it is, for the most part, easier to access the town via US 67, which has great views of the Mississippi River. From the north side of the Quad Cities it is easier to use Interstate 80.
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.
Get around
By car
Because Le Claire is a small town it is easy to navigate. Cody Road (US Route 67) is the town's main street and all establishments that a visitor would patronize is either on the street or just off of it. Caution should be excised when driving through the downtown area on summer weekends when many people visit. Traffic will be heavier, although manageable, and there will be many pedestrians. There is also railroad tracks that separate the downtown businesses from a large surface parking lot along the Mississippi River. Even though there are not a large number of daily freight trains on the tracks, caution should be exercised.
See
See Mississippi River Distilling Company
The tour includes viewing the entire distilling process, from the cleaning, milling and cooking of the grain, to the fermentation, distillation, blending, aging and bottling of spirits. The tour ends in the tasting room for free samples for patrons over 21 years of age.
Do
Buy
Downtown Le Claire is home to a variety of small, locally owned shops.
Eat
Eat Bierstube
Authentic German food, sandwiches, soups and a full bar.
Eat Big Dave & Holly's Dairy Sweet
Home made soup, sandwiches, daily specials and soft serve ice cream.
Eat Blue Iguana Mexican Cantina
Blue Iguana provides a fresh take on Mexican cuisine.
Eat Crane & Pelican Cafe and Gift Shop
Cafe and bar that features comfort food for lunch and dinner served in an 1851 river pilot's home. Antique and gift shops on second level.
Eat The Faithful Pilot Café & Spirits
Fine dining with a river view; monthly wine dinners.
Eat Happy Joe's Pizza and Ice Cream Parlor
A Quad City original. Pizza, sandwiches, pasta, ice cream, buffet, carry-out and deliveries.
Eat Hungry Hobo
A Quad City original. Sliced and grilled-to-order sandwiches, baked potatoes with a variety of toppings, chef-prepared soups, shredded-lettuce salads, and desserts from The Hobo Bakery.
Eat Steventon's Restaurant & Bar
Fine Cuisine with a view of the Mississippi River.
Drink
Drink 129 Coffee, Martini and Wine Bar
Drink Riverview Roadhouse Bar & Grill
Bar & grill.
Drink Wide River Winery
Le Claire Tasting Room where you can sample local award winning wines and keep the souvenir wine glass.
Sleep
Stay Latimer Bed & Breakfast
Go next
- Bettendorf and Davenport to the south offer more in the way of night life and bigger city amenities.
Nearby
Bettendorf
City / town · 16 listings · 8 mi away
Moline
City / town · 21 listings · 11 mi away
Davenport
City / town · 102 listings · 13 mi away
Rock Island
City / town · 18 listings · 13 mi away
Clinton
City / town · 8 listings · 19 mi away
Sterling-Rock Falls
City / town · 1 listings · 37 mi away
Muscatine
City / town · 17 listings · 38 mi away
Mount Carroll
City / town · 39 mi away
My experience
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