Peoria, Illinois

Peoria is a city on the Illinois River in the U.S. state of Illinois. In the 2000 census, Peoria had more than 110,000 people living in it. It is the home of the Peoria Rivermen ice hockey team. One of Peoria's largest businesses is Caterpillar, a company that makes bulldozers, mining trucks, and other kinds of tractors.

Many people drive in and out of Peoria on Interstate 74. People also drive around Peoria on Interstate 474. Peoria is 157 miles (257 kilometers) southwest of Chicago, Illinois.

Peoria has become famous as a representation of the average American city because of its demographics and its perceived mainstream Midwestern culture. On the Vaudeville circuit, it was said that if an act would succeed in Peoria, it would work anywhere. The question "Will it play in Peoria?" has now become a metaphor for whether something appeals to the American mainstream public.