Rock Island Arsenal is in Rock Island, Illinois, one of the Quad Cities of western Illinois and eastern Iowa, joined by their position on the Mississippi River. These cities are Rock Island (39,000), Moline (45,000), and East Moline (22,000), Illinois, and Davenport (101,000) and Bettendorf (34,000), Iowa. The Quad Cities have about 385,000 people among them, and are spread out in four counties: Scott County, Rock Island County, Henry County, and Mercer County which have a combined population of about 475,000 people. (Sharp-eyed, mathy people will notice the city populations - 241,000 people - do not add up to either combined population. The rest live in county territory or one of the thirty-plus smaller communities nearby.)

It is about 10 miles from Rock Island Arsenal to the more remote places in the Quad Cities; the average commute in the Quad Cities is about 15-18 minutes.

Local Housing Rental Prices: The average apartment rent in the Quad Cities area ranges from $500 to $700 per month, with a median of $600 per month.

Local Housing Purchase Prices: The average price for a house in the Quad Cities in the last few years was roughly $120,000 to $130,000, compared to $123,000 for Iowa and $252,000 for Illinois. Quad City home prices are not easily compared to other Iowa or Illinois communities, as the two states have very different markets outside the Quad.

Short Description of the Area: The Quad Cities are five larger cities, surrounded by over thirty small communities, in four counties in Iowa and Illinois (one in Iowa and three in Illinois). Of the five major cities, only one is fairly large, and generally with a small city feel, but overall the Quad is quite a metropolis. The Quad Cities are in the Midwest Tornado Alley, but have not yet suffered a major hit - still, emergency kits, supplies, and planning are a good idea. The greater threat to the riverside area is flooding; there have been a few floods over the years, and today building in the flood zone is highly restricted.

Climate and Weather: The area has a variable climate, with dry, overcast, cold, snowy winters and hot, humid summers. Winter temperatures range from the low 30s to mid-teens and summer temperatures from the mid 80s to mid 60s. The area has up to 9" of snow in winter months, with occasional heavy snow. Summers have most of the year's rain, with frequent thunderstorms.