Getting Around Davenport: A Visitor's Guide
Davenport sits on the Iowa side of the Mississippi River in the Quad Cities, and getting around is generally straightforward — especially if you have a car. That said, there is a reliable city bus service, a handful of taxi companies, and ride-hailing apps to fall back on. Downtown is compact and walkable, and a seasonal water taxi offers a genuinely unusual way to cross the river. Here's how the pieces fit together.
Orienting Yourself
Davenport's streets are laid out in a grid pattern, even as the city climbs the bluff above the Mississippi. A few newer residential sections break from the grid, but for the most part you can navigate by a simple logic: east–west streets are numbered starting near the river and progressing northward. Several major east–west thoroughfares are named rather than numbered — River Drive runs along the river on the south side of the city, Locust Street cuts through the middle, Central Park Avenue and Kimberly Road run further north, and 53rd Street is the main numbered cross-town street. Third Street, Fourth Street, Welcome Way, Harrison Street and most of Brady Street are one-way.
One quirk worth knowing: the Mississippi generally flows east to west through the Quad Cities before turning south, so Rock Island, Illinois actually lies to the south of downtown Davenport. Addresses on east–west streets are numbered from Brady Street, and on north–south streets from West First Street or River Drive downtown. You may see a business list its address as "North Brady Street" while another simply says "Brady Street" — it's the same street.
The Quad Cities also uses a color-coded wayfinding system for signs directing visitors to attractions. Davenport is in the northwest quadrant and its signs use green headers; Bettendorf is yellow, Moline–East Moline blue, and Rock Island red. Following the colors tells you which quadrant you're in and which way to travel for other attractions.
By Car
Most people commute through Davenport by car, and the vast majority of visitors arrive via Interstate 80. Brady Street (US Business Route 61) is the most popular exit off I-80; south of the exit, the southbound lanes become Welcome Way. The Northwest Boulevard exit serves the northwest part of the city and angles toward the center, intersecting Welcome Way south of Kimberly Road (US Route 6) and becoming Harrison Street, a one-way that connects to downtown.
Many visitors also arrive via Interstate 74, which is the easiest route if you're coming from Quad City International Airport. The Bettendorf exits are the primary entry points from Bettendorf: Grant Street (US Route 67) becomes River Drive before entering Davenport, Middle Road becomes Locust Street, and the Kimberly Road–Spruce Hills Drive intersection straddles the border between the two cities. To reach Davenport from I-74 via I-80, exit onto I-80 West toward Des Moines.
The west end of Davenport is accessible from the I-280 bypass. The River Drive exit (US Business Route 61) gives direct access to downtown; Rockingham Road (Iowa Route 22) also reaches downtown but has more traffic lights and a narrower street. US Route 61, a major north–south highway in eastern Iowa, now bypasses the city using I-80 on the north and I-280 on the west — the old route through town is now Business Route 61.
If you're driving yourself, note that downtown on-street parking is free for two hours, and there are three parking ramps: Redstone (101 Main St.), Harrison (202 Harrison St.) and RiverCenter (102 E 2nd St., also accessible via 3rd Street across from the Adler Theatre). Ramp parking runs $0.75 per hour, with monthly passes available and the ramp system accessible online. During downtown snow emergencies, parking in any ramp is free, but cars left on-street are subject to towing — snow emergency and road closure notifications are available via sign-up. Parking tickets are paid through the City Online Parking Payment Center and handled by City of Davenport Parking staff.
Car rentals are available at Quad City International Airport (Avis, 2200 69th Ave., Moline, IL) and in Davenport (Enterprise, 4437 North Brady St.).
By Plane
Quad City International Airport in Moline, Illinois is the main commercial airport for the region, with non-stop flights from major markets primarily in the Midwest, the South and the Southwest. It offers nonstop service to a number of cities, with many more domestic and international destinations reachable via a single connection.
Driving from downtown Davenport to the airport is simple: head east on River Drive, merge onto I-74 East, continue onto US-6 East, and follow the signs to the terminal.
Davenport Municipal Airport (DVN), at 9230 Harrison St., handles private planes and small private jets only. It's located off the US 61 and County Road F-55 exit and is open from 7AM to dusk.
By Train
Davenport itself has no Amtrak station. The nearest is in Galesburg, Illinois, roughly 50 minutes away, and a connecting thruway bus service runs to Centre Station in Moline. A direct daily service from Chicago has been discussed for years but has not yet launched.
By Bus
Public transportation in Davenport is operated by CitiBus, the city's main transit service. It connects to the broader Quad Cities public transportation network: from the downtown transportation center you can connect with Illinois Quad Cities' MetroLINK to downtown Rock Island via Route 7, and with Bettendorf Transit in Bettendorf and at Duck Creek Plaza via Route 10. CitiBus operates Monday through Friday from 5:30AM to 6:30PM, and Saturdays from 9AM to 6:30PM. Route information is available online.
The Ground Transportation Center at 300 W. River Dr. is the hub. It's both the main CitiBus terminal and the interstate bus terminal, served by Greyhound and Burlington Trailways. If you're arriving by long-distance bus, this is where you'll land.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
A few cab companies operate in Davenport and the surrounding communities, but visitors from larger metropolitan areas should not expect cars waiting outside hotels or other locations. It's advisable to call a cab company at least 30 minutes before you want to be picked up. Uber and Lyft are both available in the area as an alternative.
By Bicycle
Davenport generally does not have dedicated bicycle lanes on its streets, especially the major thoroughfares, so ride with extreme caution. Snow removal in winter can also be hit or miss depending on the street, making bicycling a less reliable option in that season.
That said, the city has an extensive system of recreational trails. The Riverfront Parkway follows the Mississippi River, cutting through numerous parks and downtown, and is part of the larger multi-state Mississippi River Trail. A bridge now connects Credit Island to South Concord Street, so cyclists no longer have to ride on busy River Drive. The Duck Creek Parkway runs through the middle of the city from Emeis Park in the west to Duck Creek Park in the east, where it connects to the Bettendorf Trail and continues down to the Mississippi. Both trails run east–west and connect parks and recreational facilities more than residential and business centers; there are currently no recreational trails running north–south.
By Water Taxi
A unique way to see the Quad Cities is the Channel Cat Water Taxi, an open-air boat that carries people and bicycles between the Iowa and Illinois shorelines. It makes four stops: at the Celebration Belle and John Deere Commons in Moline, the Isle of Capri in Bettendorf, and the Village of East Davenport. It operates during the summer months.
Walking
Downtown Davenport is described as walkable, making it a reasonable base for exploring the city center on foot. Beyond downtown, the grid layout helps, but the city climbs the bluff above the river and spreads out, so a car or bus is more practical for reaching attractions outside the core.