Just like in the old vaudevillian days, quality of life MUST BE GOOD to play in Peoria. The oldest community in Illinois with a population of 112,936, Peoria is equal distance from Chicago and St. Louis. Here we have an enviable standard of living, exciting venues within a 15-20 minute drive from our homes, safe streets, quality and quantity shopping, our own symphony, our own ballet, Broadway Theater League, museums, art guilds, first-class medical facilities, the nation’s oldest community theater and oldest Santa Claus parade.

Our vibrant riverfront showcases a multitude of festivals and celebrations that light up the summer nights much like our extraordinary Fourth of July Skyconcert . . . a fireworks show that draws well over 100,000 annually. Citizens are flocking to live in the refurbished warehouses and lofts on Water Street that produce the perfect lifestyle for a 24/7 city.

Naturally, we are proud to be the site of the U.S. headquarters for Caterpillar, Inc., but we have many global businesses that allow Peoria to play all over the world through their products and services. Peoria has begun to diversify its economy with infotech industries as well. Thus our business community attracts some of the brightest graduates throughout the nation.

This three-time All American City has the heart that is so well known in the Midwest. While we enjoy a variety of sophisticated entertainment, we are still homey enough to enjoy a tractor pull at the County fair, and many citizens vie for blue ribbons for their original cookie recipe or their prize bull during that competition. Peoria derives its name from the aboriginal inhabitants encountered by the first wave of French explorers. Located along the meandering Illinois River, our citizens enjoy both the fast pace of a dynamic community and the slower, old-fashioned tempo that is showcased by Old Fashioned Sunday in the Park and quiet pot lucks in their backyards.

We are a City that cares, as we are home to many non-profit agencies and organizations. Peoria is well known for giving more per capita than many cities of its size. We are the Heart in the Heart of the Nation.
 

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

The Equal Opportunity Office (EOO) was established to facilitate fair practice in the administration of City of Peoria operations, and eliminate discrimination in the treatment of the citizens of Peoria in the areas of Employment, Housing and Public Accommodations. The EOO is responsible for the enforcement of the City’s Municipal Code pertaining to fair practices in the areas of employment, housing and contract compliance. The office’s jurisdiction extends to the corporate city limits. The office also provides staff support to the Fair Employment Commission, Fair Housing Commission, and the Mayor’s Advisory Committee for Citizens with Disabilities (MACCD).

The main function of the office is to develop and implement strategies that recognize and prevent discrimination in recruitment, selection, training, personnel practices and conditions of employment. Additionally, the office works to ensure city facilities, programs and services are accessible to people with disabilities and it also provides services to public citizens and employees of the City of Peoria.

The Equal Opportunity Office is dedicated to ensuring the City of Peoria engages in employment practices that promote and builds a diverse workforce. The Office encourages the use of fair practice principles in the administration of the business operations of the City to facilitate equal access and opportunity.