The Quad Cities is a group of five cities along the Mississippi River in the states of Iowa and Illinois. The five cities are Davenport, Iowa, Bettendorf, Iowa, Moline, Illinois, East Moline, Illinois, and Rock Island, Illinois. The largest of these cities is Davenport. Nearly 400,000 people live in the area.
The name "Quad Cities"[change | change source]
The name "Quad Cities" can be confusing because "quad" means four. People began calling the area the Quad Cities in the 1960s, before Bettendorf was large enough to be considered a "city". By the time Bettendorf was large enough, people were so used to the name "Quad Cities" that they decided to keep it. (Even earlier, the area had been called the "Tri-Cities", before East Moline became large enough to be considered a city.)
Economy[change | change source]
The manufacturing, or making, of goods is a big part of the economy in the Quad Cities. Military equipment, such as weapons and armor, are made at the Rock Island Arsenal. John Deere & Company, which makes farm equipment, is in Moline.