The City of Peoria is the oldest civilized settlement in the State of Illinois. The City and County take their name from the Peoria Indians, one of the tribes of the Illiniwek Indian nations who inhabited the Illinois River Valley. The name "Peoria" has been translated to mean "Prairie Fire that Wanders About," and it appears that the Peoria Indians did move their settlement about the river valley. Today, the City of Peoria is located in Peoria County. Peoria is a home rule city using the Council-Manager form of government. The population of Peoria in the 2000 Census was 112,936.
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