Bettendorf is a city in Scott County,

Iowa Iowa () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wiscon ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

. It is the 15th largest city of Iowa and the third-largest city in the "

Quad Cities The Quad Cities is a region of cities (originally four, see History) in the U.S. states of Iowa and Illinois: Davenport and Bettendorf in southeastern Iowa, and Rock Island, Moline and East Moline in northwestern Illinois. These cities are t ...

". It is part of the

Davenport Davenport may refer to: Places Australia *Davenport, Northern Territory, a locality *Hundred of Davenport, cadastral unit in South Australia **Davenport, South Australia, suburb of Port Augusta ** District Council of Davenport, former local govern ...

– Moline– Rock Island, IA- IL Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 39,102 at the

2020 U.S. Census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to off ...

. Bettendorf is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring Davenport and the Illinois cities of Moline, East Moline and Rock Island. The Quad Cities have a population estimate of 382,630.

History

Bettendorf lies in the original

Wisconsin Territory The Territory of Wisconsin was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 3, 1836, until May 29, 1848, when an eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Wisconsin. Belmont was ...

, which the United States bought from the Sac and Fox Indians after defeating them in the

Black Hawk War The Black Hawk War was a conflict between the United States and Native Americans led by Black Hawk, a Sauk leader. The war erupted after Black Hawk and a group of Sauks, Meskwakis (Fox), and Kickapoos, known as the "British Band", cross ...

. The territory was ceded in the Black Hawk Purchase of 1832. The first European-American settlers established a village they called Lilienthal, after an early tavern and dance hall. The village of Gilbert developed alongside Lilienthal in 1858, honoring Elias Gilbert, who

plat In the United States, a plat ( or ) (plan) is a cadastral map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drafted township plats of Public Lands Surveys to show the distance and bea ...

ted the original site. At that time, the residents were predominantly

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

immigrants and worked as farmers, skilled laborers, and small business owners. The two villages eventually combined to become the town of Gilbert.

Circa Circa is a word of Latin origin meaning 'approximately'. Circa or CIRCA may also refer to: * CIRCA (art platform), art platform based in London * Circa (band), a progressive rock supergroup * Circa (company), an American skateboard footwear com ...

1900, the town gave

William William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...

and Joseph Bettendorf of riverfront land on the condition that they move their iron wagon business from Davenport to Gilbert. In 1903, the town of 440 citizens petitioned for incorporation, requesting to change the town's name in honor of the brothers whose factory was a major economic influence in the early development of the city. In the late 1940s, Aluminum Company of America (A.L.C.O.A.) chose Riverdale, an

enclave An enclave is a territory (or a small territory apart of a larger one) that is entirely surrounded by the territory of one other state or entity. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is sometimes used improperly to deno ...

of Bettendorf, for construction of the world's largest aluminum mill. The huge mill, and the attendant developments from it, created thousands of jobs and greatly increased growth in Bettendorf's population, which has continued to the present day. The first modern-day

riverboat casino A riverboat casino is a type of casino on a riverboat found in several states in the United States with frontage on the Mississippi River and its tributaries, or along the Gulf Coast. Several states authorized this type of casino in order to e ...

s in the United States were launched in Bettendorf on April 1, 1991 by local businessman Bernard Goldstein. He went on to found the

Isle of Capri Casinos Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc. was a gaming company headquartered in Creve Coeur, Missouri in Greater St. Louis which operated casinos and associated entertainment and lodging facilities in the United States. It operated 15 casinos in seven states ...

. Goldstein and his family members also operate Alter Companies, which is a scrap metal, barge and towboat company operating on the river waterfront. The

Quad Cities Waterfront Convention Center The Quad Cities Waterfront Convention Center is a convention center located in Bettendorf, Iowa, United States. The name for the facility in the development stages was the Bettendorf Events Center. A ground breaking ceremony for the center was ...

opened by the casino and hotel in 2009. It is owned by the city and operated by the Isle of Capri. The city of Bettendorf is located along the banks of the Mississippi River. Because of this the city of Bettendorf goes through a great deal of flooding and deals annually with Storm Water run off. In 2000, Missman, Stanley & Associates prepared a Comprehensive Storm Water study on all 14 of the city's drainage ways. This study included future Capital Improvement Projects. The City of Bettendorf's Stormwater Section will be the organization to implement this comprehensive plan. There are 169 inlets that have found to be insufficient and not working to proper code for handling rainfall over 1.25 inches and in handling of rainfall into all city creeks. Due to this, several creeks such as Crow Creek, Pigeon Creek, Spencer Creek, and others are continuing to flow and destroy personal property because of not handling the water being put into the creek properly and having the creek banks secured. The City of Bettendorf has been collecting storm water fees on water bills to maintain and resolve these issues. Efforts are focused on improving surface water quality which will in turn improve the quality of drinking water, increase viability for fish and decrease flooding. The plan includes the repair and cleaning of roadside pipes and ditches, replacing small culverts with larger ones and maintaining the system on a regular basis. Routine inspections are performed during dry weather to detect and address illicit discharges. Beginning in 2012, a portion of downtown Bettendorf's buildings were torn down to make way for the new

I-74 Bridge The Interstate 74 Bridge, officially known as the Iowa-Illinois Memorial Bridge, and often called ''The Twin Bridges'', or the ''I-74 Bridge'', are basket-handle, through arch twin bridges that carry Interstate 74 across the Mississippi River a ...

project and as part of a corresponding downtown Bettendorf redevelopment. The original I-74 twin bridge span was built in 1935 and the second in 1961. The I-74 Bridge project will demolish the original twin spans and construct a new I-74 bridge over the Mississippi River. The 1.2 billion dollar bridge project began construction in July, 2017 and is expected to be completed in 2021. The project converted Grant Street, in the vicinity of I-74, to a two-way street with three lanes in each direction. New commercial and residential construction in downtown Bettendorf has occurred in the redesigned corridor. The I-74 bridge connects Bettendorf and

Moline, Illinois Moline ( ) is a city located in Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. With a population of 42,985 in 2020, it is the largest city in Rock Island County. Moline is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring East Moline and Rock Islan ...

Geography

Bettendorf is located at (41.550044, −90.493679). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Climate

Demographics

2020 census

As of the census of 2020, the population was 39,102. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was . There were 16,697 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 82.4%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 6.2% Asian, 3.7%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.2% Native American, 1.3% from other races, and 6.2% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 5.3%

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census there were 33,217 people, 13,681 households, and 9,225 families residing in the city. The

was . There were 14,437 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 91.9%

, 2.2%

, 0.2% Native American, 3.1% Asian, 0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.7% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 3.6% of the population. There were 13,681 households, of which 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.7% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 32.6% were non-families. 28.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.97. The median age in the city was 40.7 years. 25.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.6% were from 25 to 44; 29.2% were from 45 to 64; and 14.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.6% male and 51.4% female.

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Government

Bettendorf has a mayor and city council form of government with seven city council members. Two council members are elected at-large, while the other five are elected by each of the city's five wards. Bettendorf’s current Mayor is Robert Gallagher. Council members are Frank Baden (at-large), Lisa Brown (at-large), Jerry Sechser (1st ward), Scott Naumann (2nd Ward), William Connors (3rd Ward), Greg Adamson (4th ward), Scott Webster (5th ward).

Education

Bettendorf is home to two school districts. The Bettendorf Community School District and the

Pleasant Valley Community School District The Pleasant Valley Community School District (PVCSD) is a rural public school district headquartered in Riverdale, Iowa, near Bettendorf.Bettendorf Community School District covers most areas of central, northern and western Bettendorf. Elementary students are assigned to one of five elementary schools: named in honor of

Neil Armstrong Neil Alden Armstrong (August 5, 1930 – August 25, 2012) was an American astronaut and aeronautical engineer who became the first person to walk on the Moon in 1969. He was also a naval aviator, test pilot, and university professor. ...

Herbert Hoover Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964) was an American politician who served as the 31st president of the United States from 1929 to 1933 and a member of the Republican Party, holding office during the onset of the Gre ...

, Paul Norton,

Mark Twain Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, entrepreneur, publisher, and lecturer. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has pr ...

and

Grant Wood Grant DeVolson Wood (February 13, 1891 February 12, 1942) was an American painter and representative of Regionalism, best known for his paintings depicting the rural American Midwest. He is particularly well known for ''American Gothic'' (1930 ...

. The district also has a middle and

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

. The Neil Armstrong School is the only one in the district to operate on a "balanced calendar" of year-round, full-time use. A seven-member board of education represents district residents.

Pleasant Valley School District

The

Pleasant Valley Community School District The Pleasant Valley Community School District (PVCSD) is a rural public school district headquartered in Riverdale, Iowa, near Bettendorf.Pleasant Valley, Riverdale and LeClaire. Located inside the city limits are four of the district's six elementary schools (Pleasant View, Riverdale Heights, Hopewell and Forest Grove), while Pleasant Valley High School and the administrative center are in nearby Riverdale. Junior high students attend Pleasant Valley Junior High School, on the outskirts of LeClaire, while LeClaire elementary students go to either Cody or Bridgeview Elementary Schools. Board members are elected from seven director districts, five within Bettendorf's city limits and two others serving LeClaire-area residents. The high school has 1,232 students, the junior high 501 students, and the four combined elementary schools 1,821 students. The total district has 3,454 students. Both high schools are part of the Mississippi Athletic Conference for sports.

Private schools

Also located within the city limits are

Rivermont Collegiate Rivermont Collegiate, formerly St. Katharine's/St. Mark's School, is a nonsectarian, independent, multicultural, college preparatory school for students two years old through twelfth grade, located in the Quad Cities in Bettendorf, Iowa, in the ...

, a nonsectarian, independent, multicultural, college-preparatory school for preschool through 12th-grade students; Lourdes Catholic School, a

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

school for preschool through 8th-grade students; and Morning Star Academy, a Christian school for preschool through 12th-grade students. Rivermont Collegiate operates in the former mansion of J.W. Bettendorf, namesake of the city.

Post-secondary education

Scott Community College Scott Community College is a community college in Riverdale, Iowa, near Bettendorf,

, part of the Eastern Iowa Community College District, is located in Riverdale, but is commonly referred to as being located in Bettendorf. Two private colleges are also located in Bettendorf:

Upper Iowa University Upper Iowa University (UIU) is a private university in Fayette, Iowa. It enrolls around 6000 students and offers distance education programs that include 15 centers in the U.S., an online program, an independent study program, and centers in ...

private university Private universities and private colleges are institutions of higher education, not operated, owned, or institutionally funded by governments. They may (and often do) receive from governments tax breaks, public student loans, and grant (money ...

based in

Fayette, Iowa Fayette is a city in Fayette County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 1,256. It was named after the Marquis de la Fayette, French hero of the American Revolutionary War. Fayette is the home of Upper Iowa Uni ...

, operates its Quad Cities Center in Bettendorf near the Davenport border; the Quad Cities Campus of Brown Mackie College, a

for-profit college Proprietary colleges are for-profit colleges and universities. They are operated by their owners or investors, rather than a not-for-profit institution, religious organization, or government. Because they are not funded by tax money, their lon ...

based in

Salina, Kansas Salina is a city in, and the county seat of, Saline County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 46,889. In the early 1800s, the Kanza tribal land reached eastward from the middle of the Kansas Territory. In 1 ...

, is located nearby.

Other

The Bettendorf, Pleasant Valley, and North Scott school districts operate a consortium

alternative Alternative or alternate may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Alternative (''Kamen Rider''), a character in the Japanese TV series ''Kamen Rider Ryuki'' * ''The Alternative'' (film), a 1978 Australian television film * ''The Alternative ...

high school, Edison Academy, in downtown Bettendorf. The Mississippi Bend Area Education Agency, one of nine such agencies in the state of Iowa, operates a Learning Center in the former Bettendorf High School building in central Bettendorf, offering professional development and continuing education services for educators, as well as driver education and home school testing services for students.

Media

Sports

:See also * Mississippi Athletic Conference for high school sports.

Notable people

* Chris Anthony,

arena football Indoor American football, or arena football, is a variation of gridiron football played at ice hockey-sized indoor arenas. While varying in details from league to league, the rules of indoor football are designed to allow for play in a smaller ...

player *

Pat Angerer Patrick Aaron Angerer (born January 31, 1987) is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at I ...

linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, ...

, drafted in the

2010 NFL Draft The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, with the fir ...

by the

Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...

Tavian Banks Tavian Remond Banks (born February 17, 1974) is a former running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 1998 and 1999. College and high school careers Tavian Banks was a high school standout in both ...

, (born 1974) NFL player,

Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...

player of the year, first-team

All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...

n *

Scott Beck Scott Beck (born October 22, 1984) is an American writer, director, and producer. He was born in Denver, Colorado and raised in Bettendorf, Iowa. Beck co-writes and co-directs with filmmaking partner Bryan Woods. Together they co-wrote ''A Qui ...

, filmmaker, writer/producer of ''A Quiet Place'' *

Jack Fleck Jackson Donald Fleck (November 7, 1921 – March 21, 2014) was an American professional golfer, best known for winning the U.S. Open in 1955 in a playoff over Ben Hogan. Early years Born in 1921 and raised in Bettendorf, Iowa, Fleck's parents we ...

, (1921–2014) golfer who won the 1955 U.S. Open. *

Michael Grumley Michael Grumley (July 6, 1942 – April 28, 1988) was an American writer and artist. Grumley was born in Bettendorf, Iowa. He attended the University of Denver, the City College of New York and the Iowa Writers' Workshop Grumley received a B.S. De ...

, (1942–1988) writer *

Hazel Keener Hazel Keener (October 22, 1904 – August 7, 1979) was a motion picture actress from Fairbury, Illinois. She was raised in Davenport, Iowa. Keener won a national beauty contest sponsored by the Chicago Tribune and used her success to begin ...

, actress * Mark Kerr, (born 1968) Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter and subject of the HBO documentary entitled ''The Smashing Machine'', *

Robbie Lawler Robert Lawler (born March 20, 1982) is an American professional mixed martial artist who has been competing since 2001. He is the former UFC Welterweight Champion, former EliteXC Middleweight Champion, and has formerly competed in Strikeforc ...

, (born 1982) former

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

Welterweight Welterweight is a weight class in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like Muay Thai, taekwondo, and mixed martial arts also use it for their own weight division system to classify th ...

champion * Rory Markham, mixed martial artist * Drew McFedries, mixed martial artist * Pat Miletich, mixed martial artist and trainer, first Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Welterweight Champion in 1998 * Eric Christian Olsen, (born 1977) actor, NCIS: Los Angeles, ''Dumb and Dumberer 2'' * Robert Smallwood, writer * Tim Sylvia, (born 1976) former

Heavyweight Heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports and professional wrestling. Boxing Professional Boxers who weigh over are considered heavyweights by 3 of the 4 major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the W ...

champion *

Bryan Woods Bryan Woods (born September 14, 1984) is an American writer, director, and producer. He was born in Davenport, Iowa and raised in Bettendorf. Woods co-writes and co-directs with filmmaking partner Scott Beck. Together they co-wrote ''A Quiet Pla ...

, filmmaker, writer/producer of ''A Quiet Place'' *

Yung Skeeter Trevor McFedries (born November 27, 1985), is the co-founder and CEO of technology startup Brud and the creator of virtual pop star Miquela or Lil Miquela. Before creating Brud, he was known professionally as Yung Skeeter and worked as a DJ, pr ...

, American DJ, producer, director,

manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activitie ...

, and recording artist

References

External links

City of Bettendorf
Official Website
''QCTimes''
– newspaper
{{authority control Bettendorf Cities in Iowa Cities in Scott County, Iowa Cities in the Quad Cities Iowa populated places on the Mississippi River 1903 establishments in Iowa