Rock Island, Illinois
Rock Island is a city of 36,151 people in Rock Island County, Illinois, founded in 1841.
Why visit Rock Island
Townapedia lists 96 museums and landmarks, 65 parks and trails, 58 places to eat, 6 places to stay and 7 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Government Bridge, Fort Armstrong Theatre, Figge Art Museum and Alice French House.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 86°F; January lows average 15°F, and about 36 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Rock Island
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Rock Island
Rock Island is a city in Rock Island County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. The population was 37,108 at the 2020 census. Located at the confluence of the Rock and Mississippi rivers, it is one of the Quad Cities along with neighboring Moline and East Moline in Illinois and the cities of Davenport and Bettendorf in Iowa. The Quad Cities metropolitan area had a population of 384,324 in 2020.
From the Wikipedia article Rock Island, Illinois (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do7
Government Bridge
Bridge · National Register of Historic Places · 3.6 mi
Bridge connecting Rock Island, Illinois and Davenport, Iowa
Fort Armstrong Theatre
Cinema and theater · National Register of Historic Places · 2.9 mi
Former movie theater, now dinner theater in Rock Island, Illinois, United States
Mississippi Lofts and Adler Theatre
Cinema and theater · National Register of Historic Places · 3.7 mi
Theater and apartment building complex in Davenport, Iowa
Museums and landmarks96
Alice French House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.2 mi
House in Davenport, Iowa
American Telegraph & Telephone Co. Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.9 mi
Demolished telecommunications building in Davenport, Iowa
Anthony Burdick House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.3 mi
House in Davenport, Iowa
Antoine LeClaire House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.1 mi
House in Davenport, Iowa
Arthur Ebeling House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.5 mi
Historic house in Iowa, United States
Ball-Waterman House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.7 mi
Historic house in Iowa, United States
Benjamin Nighswander House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.8 mi
Historic house in Iowa, United States
Burtis-Kimball House Hotel/Burtis Opera House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.8 mi
Hotel in Iowa, United States of America
Charles S. Simpson House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.7 mi
Building in Davenport, Iowa
Charles Whitaker House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.7 mi
Historic house in Iowa, United States
Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Freight House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.5 mi
Railway station in Davenport, the United States of America
84 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds65
Modern Woodmen Park
Sports field and stadium · 3.4 mi
209 South Gaines Street, Davenport
53 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes58
Scooter's Coffee
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 3.0 mi
Coffee Shop
2008 Deer Drive
Sa, Su 06:00-20:00; Mo-Fr 05:00-20:00
Two Sisters Restaurant
Restaurant · American, Breakfast, Burger · 1.7 mi
522 1st Street West, Milan
Mo-Su 08:00-15:00
Healthy Harvest Urban Farms
Cafe · 2.9 mi
1616 2nd Avenue, Rock Island
Tu-Sa 09:00-19:00; Su 09:00-17:00
Sippis American Grill & Craft Beer
Restaurant · American, Burger · 3.6 mi
406 West 2nd Street, Davenport
46 more on the map.
History
The original portion of what is now known as Rock Island was called Farnhamsburg – after the original two homes were built by Colonel George Davenport and Russell Farnham in 1826. Davenport and Farnham were business partners, trading with the local Native Americans. The original city plat was filed on July 10, 1835, and was named Stephenson. It was renamed Rock Island in March 1841.
The southern portion of Rock Island, including today's Watch Hill area, was originally known as Searstown. It was named after David B. Sears, who built the Sears Power Dam on the Rock River. Searstown was annexed by Rock Island in 1915.
The Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad (RI) was founded here in 1851, known informally as the Rock Island Line; over the next century, the railroad grew to serve fourteen states but ended in bankruptcy in 1980. As part of later nineteenth-century development, two first-class hotels: the Harper House (built by Ben Harper and opened in February 1871) and the Rock Island House were built in town. The Rock Island Arsenal has manufactured military equipment and ordnance for the U.S. Army since the 1880s.
From the History section of Rock Island, Illinois on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay6
The Current Iowa, Autograph Collection
Motel and hotel · 3.7 mi
215 North Main Street, Davenport
Churches and places of worship42
Faith Fellowship Baptist Church
Church · Baptist · 1.9 mi
660 West 10th Avenue, Milan
Heritage Church - Rock Island
Church · Wesleyan · 2.3 mi
4801 44th Street, Rock Island
Sacred Heart Catholic Church
Church · Catholic · 2.9 mi
2810 5th Avenue, Rock Island
Shopping16
Gas and EV charging8
Schools, colleges and libraries68
Eastern Iowa Community Colleges Administrative Office/Urban Center
School · 3.6 mi
306 West River Drive, Davenport
Rock Island High School
School · 1.3 mi
1400 25th Avenue, Rock Island
Healthcare9
Map of Rock Island
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32°F | 15°F | 1.7 in | 10.8 in |
| Feb | 37°F | 19°F | 1.8 in | 8.6 in |
| Mar | 50°F | 30°F | 2.6 in | 4.4 in |
| Apr | 63°F | 40°F | 3.8 in | 1.1 in |
| May | 74°F | 51°F | 4.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 83°F | 61°F | 5.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 86°F | 65°F | 4.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 84°F | 63°F | 4.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 78°F | 54°F | 3.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 65°F | 43°F | 2.8 in | 0.3 in |
| Nov | 50°F | 31°F | 2.3 in | 2.1 in |
| Dec | 37°F | 21°F | 2.0 in | 8.8 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Moline Quad City Intl Ap 72544 (3 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Rock Island County has had 8 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for floods.
- 2020-03-26: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2019-09-19: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
- 2013-05-10: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Flood)
- 2011-03-17: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm (Snowstorm)
- 2008-06-24: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Quad Cities International Airport (MLI) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 4 miles away.
- Milan 3 mi southeast, about 4 min by car
- Rock Island Arsenal 4 mi northeast, about 7 min by car
- Moline 5 mi east, about 8 min by car
- Coyne Center 5 mi south, about 8 min by car
- Davenport 6 mi north, about 10 min by car
- Andalusia 7 mi west, about 11 min by car
- Bettendorf 9 mi northeast, about 14 min by car
- East Moline 11 mi east, about 17 min by car
- Galesburg 37 mi south, about 1 h by car
- Kewanee 38 mi southeast, about 1 h by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Second Avenue - Rock Island, Illinois, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Immanuel Lutheran Church - Rock Island, Illinois, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Saint Pius X Church - Rock Island, Illinois 02, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Saint Pius X Church - Rock Island, Illinois 03, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Saint Pius X Church - Rock Island, Illinois 01, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Olivet Missionary Baptist Church - Rock Island, Illinois, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- St. George Greek Orthodox Church - Rock Island, Illinois, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- First Baptist Church - Rock Island, Illinois, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Rock Island Interior (42737564145), David Brossard, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Victory Temple - Rock Island, Illinois, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- First Lutheran Church tower - Rock Island, Illinois, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church - Rock Island, Illinois, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- First Lutheran Church - Rock Island, Illinois, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Figge Art Museum 2, Ctjf83, CC BY-SA 3.0
- William Gabbert House, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Wash Gardens Davenport, Smallbones, CC0
- Vander Veer fountain, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Charles Whitaker House, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 3.0
- KWQC studios, User:Iowahwyman, CC BY-SA 3.0
- John Deere Mansion Moline, Smallbones, CC0
- St katherines davenport iowa, Farragutful, Public domain
- Kingdom Generation Church Davenport Iowa, Farragutful, Public domain
- Edward C. Roberts House, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Louis Hebert House, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Outing Club Davenport, Iowa, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Isaac W. Harrison House, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Jacob Quickel House, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Building at 2648 Ripley Street - Davenport, Iowa, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ft Armstrong Theatre 1, Smallbones, CC0
- Village of East Davenport 2, Kepper66, CC BY-SA 3.0
- LeClaire Hotel Moline IL, Smallbones, CC0
- James Cawley House, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 3.0
- First National Bank of Davenport, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Wolters Filling Davenport, Smallbones, CC0
- Warner retaining wall, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Theodore Eldridge House, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Werthman Grocery, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Richard Schebler House, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 415 E 10th Davenport IA, Smallbones, CC0
- Walker Adams House, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 3.0
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