Communities
Davenport tends to think of itself in terms of a more cohesive identity than many cities of its size, which often fragment more emphatically into neighborhood designations of identity. This is probably largely due to Davenport’s unusual position as a very large “neighborhood” in the greater Quad Cities. In fact, neighborhood designations seem to be most commonly applied to areas of higher crime as a means of setting them apart. The Goose Creek Heights neighborhood is a good example of this; it has been known for several decades as a high crime area, though a new brand of police presence and involvement, funded in part through a city revitalization initiative, has made notable progress against crime, with year to year comparisons of violent crime improved by as much as 35% after the first, pilot, year of the initiative.
Farmers Markets provide pleasant centers to neighborhood life in nebulously defined areas of the city at two locations, the intersection of River Drive and Western Avenue and the parking lot of John O’Donnell Stadium downtown. These markets are lively places for shopping and conversation Wednesdays and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon, May through October.
Population inside the city limits: 98,359
Metro area population: (Federal census metropolitan area includes Davenport, Moline, IL, and Rock Island, IL) 375,140
Elevation: 580 feet above sea level
Area inside city limits: 62.8 square miles
Average daily temperature in January: 21.0 degrees Fahrenheit
Average daily temperature in July: 86.2 degrees Fahrenheit