The major city in Central Illinois is Peoria. Peoria is a medium-size city in the middle of Illinois on the west bank of the Illinois River, an important tributary that links Chicago and St. Louis, Missouri. Bradley University and Illinois Central College also reside in the area. The City of Peoria had 113,502 people in 1990. The city is surrounded by some of the richest farmland on earth.
Agribusiness is a major player in the central Illinois economy.
Corn and soybeans are the two main products as well as the raising of farm stock. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research is located in Peoria. Our sister city in Germany is Friederichshafen , famous for the Zeppelin.