Grandview Drive (sometimes spelled Grand View Drive) is a two and a half mile scenic road with adjacent park areas through Peoria and

Peoria Heights, Illinois Peoria Heights is a village lying almost entirely in Peoria County in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 6,156 at the 2010 census, down from 6,635 in 2000. Peoria Heights is a suburb of Peoria, is sometimes referred to as Uptown, and ...

. Major portions of the road give a view of the

Illinois River The Illinois River ( mia, Inoka Siipiiwi) is a principal tributary of the Mississippi River and is approximately long. Located in the U.S. state of Illinois, it has a drainage basin of . The Illinois River begins at the confluence of the D ...

and its valley as well as clear views of some of the most prestigious and historic homes in the area. Houses along Grandview Drive are among the best known in the city; the residential area on the west of Grandview Drive, opposite the river, was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

as an

historic district A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal protection from c ...

in 1996. A large amount of land on the valley side of Grandview Drive is owned by the Peoria Park District and is undeveloped except for park benches. The district's legal name, "Pleasure Driveway and Park District of Peoria", is a reflection of Grandview Drive's original prominence in the Peoria park system. Of particular note, the drive is said to have been one of the first "linear parks" of its time. President

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

is said to have proclaimed it the "World's Most Beautiful Drive" during a 1910 visit. Though this is more a paraphrase of his sentiments than an exact quote, local legend cites this as fact. Grandview Drive was the original location of

WMBD (AM) WMBD (1470 kHz) is the oldest radio station in Peoria, Illinois. It broadcasts a talk radio format and is owned by Duke Wright with the license held by Midwest Communications, Inc. The radio studios and offices are on Fulton Street in Peoria. ...

; although the WMBD callsign was assigned in FCC sequence, the callsign is associated with Roosevelt's comment.

Location

Grandview drive stretches from Prospect Road to

Illinois Route 29 Illinois Route 29 (IL 29) is a two to four lane state road that runs south from U.S. Route 6/Illinois Route 89 at Spring Valley to U.S. Route 51/Illinois Route 16 at Pana, running through Pekin, Peoria and Springfield. The nearest major north& ...

, and is a winding road with several sight-seeing areas. Along the road is the Peoria Country Club, which includes a golf course and tennis courts. There is also a large park, known as Grandview Park.

Historic district boundaries

The

boundary for The Grand View Drive Historic District is "roughly bounded by Prospect Road in the north, the Illinois River bluffs, Adams Street in the south and the Grand View Drive W.

right of way Right of way is the legal right, established by grant from a landowner or long usage (i.e. by prescription), to pass along a specific route through property belonging to another. A similar ''right of access'' also exists on land held by a gov ...

". However, this description appears to be contradictory, as Grandview Drive runs between Prospect Road and Adams Street (

), and the description appears to give no northern boundary. It is near the birthplace of the first gasoline-powered car in America, the

Duryea Duryea may refer to: * Duryea (surname) *Duryea Motor Wagon Company The Duryea Motor Wagon Company, established in 1895 in Springfield, Massachusetts, was the first American firm to build gasoline automobiles. History Founded by Charles Duryea ...

automobile, built in 1893 by Charles Duryea.

Notes

{{National Register of Historic Places Illinois River National Register of Historic Places in Peoria County, Illinois Neighborhoods in Illinois Parks in Illinois Protected areas of Peoria County, Illinois Roads on the National Register of Historic Places in Illinois Transportation in Peoria County, Illinois Tourist attractions in Peoria, Illinois Populated places established in 1906 Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Illinois 1906 establishments in Illinois