Peoria, Illinois is a city of about 115,000 residents and currently sits as the sixth largest city in the state. Is it known as being the epitome of the average American city and was even the subject of a vaudeville saying, "Will it work in Peoria?," which meant that if something was popular in this city it would be throughout all of the mainstream of the country. The demographics show that there is a great balance of blue collar working making their living in jobs like manure management all the way up to some of the country's biggest national and global headquarters.

Peoria is on land that represents one of the oldest settlements in the state. It was first populated in 1680 when a group of French explorers constructed Fort Crevecoeur. The settlement later became Fort Clark after Fort Crevecoeur burnt down in 1813 and then was incorporated as Peoria in 1825. The industry of the city started first in agriculture, like many other cities of its kind across America. They started with a flourmill and then moved on to pork planting, carriage making, wholesale warehousing, ice harvesting, and several other ventures. It seemed that everything from pruning tools to furniture was coming out of Peoria.

Now, the two biggest manufacturers in the region are the national headquarters of Maui Jim Sunglasses and the world headquarters of Caterpillar Inc. They are doing the most SRED and both have large employment bases. The thirteenth largest national accounting and consulting firm also has its headquarters in the city, Clifton Gunderson LLP.

In term of the arts and culture scene in Peoria, there is much to do and see. Peoria has its own symphony orchestra and is home to the state opera, the Central Illinois Youth Symphony and two ballet companies. If you want to see something classic or a new work including words for walls as part of a multimedia performance, there is something to see if Peoria. There are also over twenty registered historical places in the city and more than eight thousand acres of parkland.

Peoria enjoys four beautiful seasons in the year, with an average temperature of around 35 in the winter and 80 in the summer. If you're planning your next vacation you might want to bypass the Toronto B & B you frequent every year and see what Peoria has to offer. You never know, you may get here and decide you never want to leave!