Overview
Moline is one of the Quad Cities in Western Illinois. Moline's downtown serves as one of the civic and recreational hubs of the Quad Cities; many events take place at the 12,000-seat TaxSlayer Center (formerly known as The MARK of the Quad Cities and iWireless Center) and at John Deere Commons.
2 sights · 2 things to do · 4 places to eat · 8 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Moline
John Deere Pavilion
A fun place to learn about John Deere and climb on a Combine.
Deere & Company World Headquarters
1,400 acres of beautifully kept land, home to a variety of wildlife including white tail deer, ducks, geese and swans. The display floor is open to visitors 365 days a year, from 9AM-5PM Visitors can look at displays of …
Celebration River Cruises
Take a paddlewheel boat up and down the Mississippi.
Sylvan Island
On this Mississippi River island you can hike or bike in a canopy of trees that used to be an industrial site, but there are places to take in plenty of views too.
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 — 3 mi away. Directions
- BRL Southeast Iowa Regional Airport, Burlington — 58 mi away. Directions
- ORD Chicago O'Hare International Airport, Chicago — 138 mi away (major hub). Directions
Moline is about 165 miles west of Chicago and midway between Minneapolis to the north and St. Louis to the South. 37.4 million people reside within a 300-mile radius of Moline, which comprises almost 13% of the nation’s population. Moline and its neighbors help form the largest urban concentration between St. Louis and Minneapolis along the Mississippi River. Major interstates I-80, I-88 and I-74 provide ready access in all directions.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
- Typical meal: about $7 per person at listed restaurants.
See the Sleep guide ↓ for places to stay.
Sample 1-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning John Deere Pavilion, Sylvan Island
- Lunch Bent River Brewing Co.
- Afternoon Deere & Company World Headquarters, Celebration River Cruises
- Dinner Johnny's Italian Steakhouse
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
Moline is in Rock Island County, and has an estimated population of 42,000 in 2018. Moline is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring East Moline and Rock Island in Illinois and the cities of Davenport and Bettendorf in Iowa. The corporate headquarters of Deere & Company is in Moline, as is Quad City International Airport, Black Hawk College, and the Quad Cities campus of Western Illinois University. Moline is a retail hub for the Illinois Quad Cities, as Southpark Mall and numerous big-box shopping plazas are in the city.
In the mid-1990s, the city undertook major efforts to revitalize its central business district, which had declined after suburban growth and retail changes after the 1950s and 1960s.
Visitor information
Get in
Moline is about 165 miles west of Chicago and midway between Minneapolis to the north and St. Louis to the South. 37.4 million people reside within a 300-mile radius of Moline, which comprises almost 13% of the nation’s population. Moline and its neighbors help form the largest urban concentration between St. Louis and Minneapolis along the Mississippi River. Major interstates I-80, I-88 and I-74 provide ready access in all directions.
By plane
Go Quad City International Airport (MLI)
The airport in Moline serves the regional Quad City area. While this is called an "international airport", and there is a U.S. Customs office attached to it, it is for all intents and purposes a regional airport with no international flights. All signage is in English.
Four airlines offer non-stop flights from major markets primarily in the Midwest, the South and Southwest United States. *Allegiant with direct service from: Las Vegas, Orlando-Stanford, Phoenix-Mesa, Punta Gorda/Fort Meyers, St. Petersburg-Clearwater *American Eagle with direct service from: Chicago, Dallas-Ft. Worth *Delta & Delta Connection with direct service from: Atlanta, Detroit, Minneapolis-St. Paul *United Express with direct service from: Chicago, Denver Major rental car companies serve the airport and there are also taxi and shuttle companies available. There is generally not a line of taxis at the airport, but there is a list of taxi companies, as well as shuttle services, associated with the airport on the Ground Transportation page of the airport's website. It is best to make arrangements before arrival. MetroLINK Route 20 bus, also known as Route 20 Blue, makes two stops an hour at the terminal near the baggage claim area. It terminates at Centre Station in downtown Moline and connections can be made to other Illinois destinations. Iowa connections can be made via Bettendorf Transit Route 1, however, it is best to make other arraignments.(MLI).
By train
Place Amtrak Moline (MLI)
Station with waiting room but no ticket office or amenities. As of March 2016, Amtrak is still busing passengers from Moline to Galesburg, Illinois (50 minutes away), to catch onward trains to Chicago; work is in progress to inaugurate Amtrak direct service between Chicago and Moline.
Get around
You can see all of the Quad Cities from the Channel Cat Water Taxi, an open-air boat that transports people and bicycles to Iowa and Illinois shorelines.
Quad Cities MetroLINK serves Moline and the other Illinois Quad Cities.
See
See Deere & Company World Headquarters
1,400 acres of beautifully kept land, home to a variety of wildlife including white tail deer, ducks, geese and swans. The display floor is open to visitors 365 days a year, from 9AM-5PM Visitors can look at displays of antique John Deere equipment, and a variety of the company's new equipment offerings.
Do
Eat
Eat Bent River Brewing Co.
Craft beers, pub grub and a beer garden.
Eat Johnny's Italian Steakhouse
Excellent steaks.
Eat Osaka Japanese Steakhouse
Sushi, sashimi and hibachi.
Eat River House Bar & Grill
Traditional bar and grill.
Sleep
Nearby
Rock Island
City / town · 18 listings · 4 mi away
Bettendorf
City / town · 16 listings · 4 mi away
Davenport
City / town · 102 listings · 6 mi away
Le Claire
City / town · 30 listings · 11 mi away
Muscatine
City / town · 17 listings · 29 mi away
Clinton
City / town · 8 listings · 29 mi away
Galesburg
City / town · 5 listings · 38 mi away
Sterling-Rock Falls
City / town · 1 listings · 47 mi away
My experience
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