Eldridge, Iowa is one of the best small towns in Iowa as voted by several sources. It has one community school district, North Scott Community Schools, with its own high school, junior high school including five elementaries. It’s a robust area filled with community involvement and special opportunities to get involved anywhere and at anytime.
Eldridge is a city in Scott County, Iowa, United States. The population was 5,651 in the 2010 Census;[4] Eldridge is a suburb and part of the Quad Cities metropolitan area.
Eldridge is a city on the grow and we are always happy to welcome new businesses to our town.
There are many advantages for businesses in Eldridge, but one they hear quite often is how convenient the location is. We’re located directly along U.S. Highway 61 and just north of Interstate 80, a major transportation artery that cuts across the United States. The Davenport Municipal airport is located on the edge of town and less than 30 minutes away from the Quad City International Airport. And with almost no traffic congestion, you can operate your business with ease and efficiency.
Eldridge is home to almost 6,000 people but don’t let the size fool you. As the fastest growing city in Scott County, we’re part of the larger Quad Cities Region that has a labor shed of over 500,000 people. That means they have an ample supply of potential employees ready to meet your needs.
Eldridge is also perfectly positioned in the Midwest, with easy access to major markets; more than 37 million people are located within a 300-mile radius of the city. Chicago is just three hours directly east, while Des Moines is three hours west.
Jacob M. Eldridge, the city’s namesake, arrived in central Scott County in 1846, having purchased land for $1.25 per acre. Immigrants from Germany soon followed, and northern Scott County slowly began to develop. Railroads were developed during the 1860s, bringing more settlers. Eldridge Junction, built on land donated by Jacob Eldridge, was incorporated on July 2, 1871. A post office and a Presbyterian church were soon built.[5]
Eldridge faced several challenges during its early years. The railroad faltered financially during the 1880s and was re-located to Oxford Junction, while a smallpox epidemic several years later was said to have totally isolated the city. A fire heavily damaged the city’s business district in 1904, and in 1918 a tornado of unknown strength heavily damaged or destroyed several residences and the church, and killed three people. Each time, the city recovered, and the farming community maintained its status as a grain and livestock shipping center.
The city began growing in population during the 1950s, starting with the formation of the Scott County Library System (a countywide network of libraries serving smaller communities in the area) in 1950, and the North Scott Community School District in 1956. By the late 1960s, the population had grown to more than 1,000 residents, and with the creation of several industrial parks to encourage new business development, the city continued to grow.
