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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Moline
Give Moline one full day plus a night: John Deere Pavilion, the riverfront and Sylvan Island. Two nights if you use it as a Quad Cities base.
Moline is the Illinois half of the Quad Cities, on the Mississippi about 165 mi (265 km) west of Chicago. It is a compact, car-friendly river city built around Deere & Company: the free John Deere Pavilion and the company's 1,400-acre world headquarters display floor anchor a short visit, with the Channel Cat water taxi and the Rock Island and Davenport riverfronts next door. Most travellers see it in a day and sleep one or two nights.
- Country
- United States
- Best months
- May–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jan–Feb (cold, ice), late Jul–Aug humidity
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $70–110 excl. bed · Mid $110–190 excl. bed · High $190+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | $3–5 |
| Pub burger or sandwich | $10–17 |
| Steakhouse dinner | $20–40 |
| Draught beer | $5–8 |
| 5 km taxi or rideshare3.1 mi taxi or rideshare | $12–18 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | $10–25 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- MLI · Quad City International Airport
- In Moline, 2200 69th Ave; no international flights despite the name. MetroLINK Route 20 Blue bus runs to Centre Station downtown about twice an hour.
Typical fares
- MLI airport → downtown Moline
- about 15 min by car; MetroLINK Route 20 Blue bus about twice an hour (check)
- Channel Cat water taxi, Illinois ↔ Iowa shore
- seasonal, per-ride fare (check)
- Amtrak Moline → Chicago
- about $40–72 one way, currently by bus to Galesburg (check)
Get around
A car is the practical choice: sights, the mall strip and the Deere headquarters are spread along River Drive and IL-5/John Deere Road. MetroLINK buses cover Moline and the Illinois Quad Cities, and the Channel Cat water taxi links the Illinois and Iowa shorelines in season. Downtown to the airport is about 15 min by car.
See and do
Known for
- John Deere Pavilion and Deere & Company headquarters
- Mississippi riverfront and John Deere Commons
- Quad Cities (with Rock Island, East Moline, Davenport, Bettendorf)
- Channel Cat water taxi
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Rock Island | Drive or MetroLINK across the river, about 10–15 min | About 20 min |
| Peoria, Illinois | I-74 south, about 1 h 40 min | About 1 h 45 min |
| Nauvoo | US-34 and IL-96 north along the river, about 2 h | About 2 h |
| Quincy, Illinois | US-34 and IL-336 south, about 2 h 15 min | About 2 h 15 min |
Sleep
- Downtown / John Deere Commons
- River Drive hotels, walkable to the Pavilion, RiverStation and the arena; best for a short stay without a car.
- Airport and Southpark Mall area
- 69th Ave and 52nd Ave chains with free parking; best if you are driving or flying out early.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Thank you |
| Where is the restroom? | Where is the restroom? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| How much is it? | How much is it? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- Quad City International Airport has no scheduled international flights: connect through Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Atlanta, Detroit, Minneapolis-St. Paul or Denver.
- Amtrak service to Moline has been bus-to-Galesburg rather than direct rail: check the current timetable before you book.
- Winter brings ice on riverfront paths and sidewalks; summer brings river-valley humidity.
- Prices are shown before sales tax, and a tip of 18–22% is expected at sit-down restaurants.
Moline is a normal US river city: daytime downtown and riverfront are fine, and the usual advice applies after dark — stay in lit areas, lock the car, keep valuables out of sight.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Moline yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- John Deere Pavilion and Deere & Company headquarters
- Mississippi riverfront and John Deere Commons
- Quad Cities (with Rock Island, East Moline, Davenport, Bettendorf)
- Channel Cat water taxi
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- City of Moline: www.moline.il.us
- Visit Quad Cities: www.visitquadcities.com/
- John Deere Pavilion: about.deere.com/en-us/explore-john-deere/visit-us/john-deere-pavilion
- Quad Cities MetroLINK: www.gogreenmetro.com/
- Wikivoyage: Moline, revision 5256392 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5256392
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Moline
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
No embassies in Moline; Belgium keeps an honorary consulate. Most countries: consulates in Chicago, embassies in Washington, DC.
Tipping: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, 15–20% taxis.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/moline). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.