Peoria Heights was first counted by the census in 1900, and 19% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 43% of U.S. towns · #451 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
1 place in town is on the National Register, among them a historic district. Below: 6 old photos and papers, maps from 1927 on, and the census since 1900.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Peoria Heights is more historic than 43% of U.S. towns, #451 of 768 in Illinois. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.
C+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Peoria Heights’ overall grade.
Few Illinois towns list much on the Register (a typical Illinois town has 0.5 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Peoria Heights’ 1.7 sits above most of its state (66% of Illinois towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C to B+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±4.9 points).
Founding year: the first census (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Peoria Heights’ past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The area was developed in 1898 under the name Prospect Heights Land Company. When it was incorporated, it was called Prospect Heights. Three years later, they changed it to Peoria Heights to avoid confusion with the Prospect Heights community near Chicago.
The Prospect Heights Hotel hosted a Hungarian orchestra that played every night as the house band. The hotel burned down in the summer of 1894.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Peoria Heights. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1927Peoria sheet · 1:62,500
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Peoria Heights.
Then & now
Stand where they stood
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.
Retake this view1940 Census Enumeration District Descriptions - Illinois - Peoria County - ED 72-31, ED 72-32, ED 72-33, ED 72-34A, ED …, 1850
Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Peoria Heights’ page.
The Peoria Heights post office opened in 1900, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Peoria Heights rank for history?
Peoria Heights is more historic than 43% of U.S. towns, #451 of 768 in Illinois. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Peoria Heights?
One place: the Grand View Drive (listed 1996).
How old are the homes in Peoria Heights?
19% of Peoria Heights’ homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.9 points), against a typical 11% for an Illinois town; the median home was built in 1957.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (16), the Library of Congress (2), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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2023
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