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Major city · United States

BettendorfBettendorf, Iowa

Give Bettendorf one night as a Quad Cities base, not a destination: the riverfront trail, a casino and Quad City-style pizza, then Davenport next door.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
USD
Best months
May–Jun, Sep–Oct
avoid Jan–Feb (cold, icy trails), late Jul–Aug humidity
Airport
MLI
Nights
1–2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 7Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs …Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but ta…
  • North America ↗Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs your passport even on a day trip; rental cars need the company's written permission to cross, and most US and Canadian rental insurance stops at the Mexican border.
  • North America ↗Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but taking any amount across the US, Canadian or Mexican border is a federal crime — including edibles and vapes.
  • North America ↗The busiest US and Canadian national parks need timed-entry, campsite or lodge reservations in summer; release dates are months ahead.
  • United States ↗Check whether you need an ESTA (Visa Waiver Program) or a visa on the official CBP and State Department sites; apply only through esta.cbp.dhs.gov, not third-party sites, and allow time before you book.
  • United States ↗Several popular national parks use timed-entry or vehicle reservations in peak season; check each park's page on nps.gov and book on recreation.gov before fixing your dates.
  • United States ↗Medical care is very expensive for visitors; buy travel insurance with high medical cover before you fly.
  • United States ↗Tipping is expected: about 15–20% at sit-down restaurants and bars, and a tip for taxis, hotel staff and guides.

Bettendorf is the quiet Iowa half of the Quad Cities, a Mississippi river town of about 39,000 people that shares its metro with Davenport, Moline and Rock Island. There is no Amtrak stop and no interstate bus terminal, so you arrive by car or through Quad City International Airport in Moline. One night covers the riverfront, the casino and the local pizza; two nights let you add Davenport and Le Claire without moving hotels.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Bettendorf, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • Coffee$3–6
  • Street or quick mealSandwich or sub$9–14
  • BeerDraft beer at a bar$5–8
  • Taxi, about 5 km5 km taxi or rideshare$12–18
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a week$15–30
  • Museum or sight ticketMuseum entryFamily Museum: $7 ages 2–59, $4 seniors and age 1, free under 1$7–15
  • Budget bedFamily room or suite (up to 4), a night, per roomUS$150
  • Mid-range bedChain hotel double room, a night, per roomUS$150
  • High-end bedChain hotel double room, a night, per roomUS$260

A day, not counting the bed: Budget US$70 · Mid US$140 · High US$260

Prices in local money; change the currency in the header to see yours next to them. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Mississippi Riverfront Parkway trailIsle Casino Hotel BettendorfQuad City-style pizzaFamily Museum of Arts and ScienceChannel Cat Water Taxi
Airports
MLI Quad City International Airport, Moline, Illinois (Non-stop flights mainly from Midwest, South and Southwest markets; about 15–20 min by car to Bettendorf via I-74)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Bettendorf: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

0°C

−10°C

8 rd

Feb

3°C

−8°C

7 rd

Mar

10°C

−2°C

9 rd

Apr

17°C

4°C

10 rd

May

23°C

10°C

11 rd

Jun

28°C

16°C

10 rd

Jul

30°C

18°C

9 rd

Aug

29°C

17°C

9 rd

Sep

25°C

12°C

8 rd

Oct

18°C

6°C

8 rd

Nov

10°C

0°C

8 rd

Dec

2°C

−7°C

8 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

A car is the practical choice: the city is a grid, east–west streets are named and north–south streets are numbered from the Davenport line, with Devils Glen Road and 53rd Avenue as the main exceptions. Bettendorf Transit runs local routes and links to Davenport's CitiBus (Route 10) and Moline's MetroLINK (Route 1) from downtown. The Riverfront Parkway and Duck Creek Parkway are paved bike trails, and the Channel Cat Water Taxi carries people and bicycles between Iowa and Illinois shores in summer.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time
Davenportgo

Door to door: About 20 min

Drive I-74 or River Drive, about 10–15 min

Downtown Davenport, the Figge Art Museum and the Village of East Davenport; pair with a Channel Cat hop.

Le Claire

go

Door to door: About 30 min

Drive US 67 north along the river, about 20 min

Buffalo Bill Museum and riverfront shops; a half-day.

Moline and Rock Island, Illinois

go

Door to door: About 30 min

I-74 across the Mississippi, about 15–20 min

John Deere Commons and the Rock Island Arsenal area; check event schedules.

Amana Coloniesgo

Door to door: About 1 h 15 min

Drive I-80 west, about 1 h

Historic villages, shops and German-style food; a full day.

Dubuque

overnight

Door to door: About 2 h

Drive US 61 north, about 1 h 45 min

Too far for a relaxed return day; sleep one night.

Muscatine

caution

Door to door: About 1 h

Drive US 61 south, about 45 min

River town with a small museum scene; go only if you have a spare half-day.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Utica Ridge Road and Golden Valley Drive

Cluster of chain hotels off the I-74 Spruce Hills Drive exit; easiest with a car and the best rates.

Downtown Bettendorf (State and Grant Streets)

Walkable to the riverfront trail and a short drive to Davenport; few rooms, so book ahead.

Isle Parkway

Casino hotel connected to the Waterfront Convention Center; pick it if you want the casino and riverfront on foot.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
$60–100 excl. bed
Mid
$110–180 excl. bed
High
$200+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Chain hotel double room1 × 1 night × US$150US$150
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × US$140US$280
Rideshare or taxi from MLI airport, one way1 × US$30US$30
Car rental, one day1 × US$60US$60
eSIM, about a week of data2 × US$20US$40
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeUS$56
Trip total≈ US$308 per person per day, bed includedUS$616

2026 estimate in US dollars; flights excluded. Prices are shown before sales tax. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee$3–6
Quad City-style pizza, per person$12–20
Sandwich or sub$9–14
Draft beer at a bar$5–8
5 km taxi or rideshare$12–18
Museum entryFamily Museum: $7 ages 2–59, $4 seniors and age 1, free under 1$7–15
eSIM or data SIM, about a week$15–30

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Bettendorf is a low-crime suburban city and generally safe for visitors; the real risks are winter ice on the riverfront and parkway trails, deer and cyclists on rural roads, and drinking before driving — the legal limit is 0.08% and enforcement is active.
  • No Amtrak service to the Quad Cities; the nearest station is Galesburg, Illinois.
  • No interstate bus terminal in Bettendorf: Greyhound and Burlington Trailways stop in Davenport and Moline, then connect by local bus.
  • Winter brings ice on the riverfront and parkway trails; summer can be humid with thunderstorms.
  • Casino floors and hotel rates spike on event weekends at the Waterfront Convention Center.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
911

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

BettendorfBettendorf, Iowa

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

To this address, pleaseTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance911

Embassy

No embassies in Bettendorf; consulates sit in Chicago, and Washington, DC has the embassies.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • MLI airport → Bettendorf, taxi or rideshare: about $25–40, 15–20 min (check)
  • Bettendorf Transit local fare: about $1–2, exact change (check)
  • Channel Cat Water Taxi, summer: small per-ride fare, bicycles extra (check)

Say or show

  • Where is the riverfront trail? — Where is the riverfront trail?
  • Can I pay by card? — Can I pay by card?
  • Is there a table for two? — Is there a table for two?
  • How much is it? — How much is it?
  • Where is the restroom? — Where is the restroom?
  • Thanks, keep the change. — Thanks, keep the change.

Tipping: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, 15–20% taxis.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Bettendorf. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: May–Jun, Sep–Oct · avoid Jan–Feb (cold, icy trails), late Jul–Aug humidity · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 6 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for MLI: last-mile drive times and taxi or rideshare fallback from Quad City International.

Meanwhile

Back to United States

Sources