to
Update
is a village in Peoria County, Illinois, United States. The population was 6,635 at the 2000 census. Peoria Heights is a suburb of Peoria and is surrounded by the city except for its eastern boundary on the Peoria Lake. It is part of the Peoria, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 6.9 square miles (17.9 km²), of which, 2.6 square miles (6.8 km²) of it is land and 4.3 square miles (11.1 km²) of it (61.79%) is water.
The village is noteworthy for its Grand View Drive, a residential street on top of the bluff overlooking the Illinois River with many elegant homes, parks, and a Country Club. Teddy Roosevelt purportedly called the street the "World's Most Beautiful Drive" when he visited the Peoria area in 1910 and this is where WMBD, a local radio and TV station, gets its call letters.
The town is also recognized by its distinct red water tower in which one can ascend in an elevator and survey a sizable portion of both Peoria and Tazewell county. The tower forms the nucleus of Peoria Heights Tower Park a centerpiece of the community which underwent sweeping and controversial renovations in 2002, which cost nearly $800,000.00 in taxpayer money. The downtown business area nearby includes upscale restaurants and shops.