Welcome to Pekin!

Our Hometown

We are headquartered in Pekin, Illinois, part of the greater Peoria metropolitan area. This is a place where people from smaller communities come to work, shop, see a doctor, or go out to eat.

Hello, meet Pekin

Situated right on the Illinois River, Pekin is a city of around 35,000 people. We are one of its top employers. Other major areas of employment are health care, education, manufacturing, and agriculture. Its convenient river, interstate, and rail access have historically provided natural advantages to the area. The downtown, which surrounds the historic Tazewell County Courthouse, is evolving into more of a leisure destination with more places to eat, create and view art, dance, view the river, and shop. Pekin is an extremely affordable place to live, with home prices significantly more attractive to buyers than in most other U.S. communities. Housing ranges from a historic district of charming older homes to multiple newer high-end subdivisions.

Pekin perks:

Pekin Community High School enrolls more than 2,000 students and is known for its mix of college-prep and Advanced Placement classes. It also has the area’s top tech-prep curriculum to serve students interested in working in the trades.

Illinois Central College – Pekin Campus offers a variety of classes to supplement those offered at its main campus.

The Pekin Park District offers a mix of city parks and remote recreation areas. The crown jewel is Mineral Springs Park, with its picturesque lagoon and pavilion. But you can also play disc golf, ride a horse, go mountain biking on the trails, camp, swim, play miniature golf, ice skate, or take advantage of a myriad of other recreational activities.

Pekin has a full-service hospital, UnityPoint Health – Pekin, complete with a top-notch emergency room and The Baby Place.

Pekin’s Sports Complex is a deluxe 80-acre sports park where baseball, softball, soccer, and football are played. It supplements the additional fields located in Mineral Springs Park.

The Avanti’s Dome Events & Sports Center of Pekin makes indoor sports possible year-round and offers its space for other events as well.

Pekin was the home of Senator Everett Dirksen, who played a key role in passing the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1968.
The Dirksen Center is a non-partisan, not-for-profit organization that supports Congressional research and civics education.

The Pekin Marigold Festival takes place the weekend after Labor Day. Senator Dirksen always sought to make his favorite flower, the marigold, the national flower. That didn’t happen, but his efforts did help launch Pekin’s annual four-day festival that attracts more than 40,000 people to the city.

Explore Life in Central Illinois

The Pekin/Peoria area contains a number of smaller cities and villages in which many of our employees make their homes. Each has its own charm, and each is within convenient proximity to Pekin Insurance and to the city of Peoria.

Peoria

Crave the big-city scene? Just across the river is Peoria, population 115,000, with a breath-taking riverside skyline. The rich culture of the riverfront attracts those interested in an urban downtown lifestyle while others prefer one of the city’s many traditional neighborhoods. Sports include minor-league baseball, hockey, and Bradley University sports. The Peoria Civic Center brings in nationally known music, theater, and other performances. Three hospitals, an award-winning park system and numerous public and private educational options provide a high quality of life. Learn more about the Peoria area at Hello Greater Peoria.

Washington

Washington is a fast-growing community, popular for its desirable schools, parks, and location and its vintage downtown square filled with specialty shops. U.S. Route 24 and Illinois Route 8 provide easy access. Washington has three elementary and one high school district: Elementary districts 50, 51, and 52 and high school District 308. Washington schools are well-regarded, with a 2016 high school class composite ACT score of 21.2. The city’s current population at last census was more than 15,000. Washington suffered an EF4 tornado in 2013 and has undergone significant rebuilding. Subsequent to the tornado, the community decided to switch its annual Washington Cherry Festival back to an older festival, Good Neighbor Days, in recognition of the strong community spirit that enhanced tornado recovery. The median family income at last census was $61,184.

Morton

This village of just more than 16,000 is known for its popular Pumpkin Festival (most of the world’s pumpkin is canned here), and its family-centric reputation. The median family income at last census was $87,800. Morton schools enjoy a reputation as very high quality, with a 2016 high school class composite ACT score of 23.4. Conveniently located with easy access to I-74, I-474, I-155 and I-55, Morton has a mixture of business and residential.

Tremont

Locals will tell you all about the Tremont Turkey Festival, which every year draws as many as 30,000 to this small village of around 5,500. The village is located off I-155 and Route 9 and is known for its six churches. Small but prosperous, Tremont had a median family income of $89,800 at the last census. The village has relatively fewer large businesses and is primarily a residential area. Tremont schools enjoy a very good reputation. The 2016 high school class composite ACT score was 21.9.