Rock Island offers free leaf bags and collection from October 12 to December 3, 2026. Moline runs a leaf vacuum program and collects bagged leaves on trash day. Davenport has six no-sticker yard waste weeks each fall, and Bettendorf has offered a similar window in past years. Rules and dates change every year, so check your city before you rake.
Every fall the Quad Cities fill up with leaves, and each city handles them a little differently. Some cities send a vacuum truck. Some give you free bags. Some only waive the sticker fee for a few weeks. This Quad Cities leaf pickup guide puts the four main programs side by side, explains the rules that apply almost everywhere, and tells you what your options are if the city window has closed.
We are Wade’s Property Services, a locally owned company in Sherrard, Illinois, and we clear leaves for our neighbors every fall. We built this from the cities’ own pages and local news, and we say so where we could not confirm something. For anything with a date or a fee, trust your city’s page over ours.
How leaf pickup works in the Quad Cities
There are three common ways a city handles leaves:
- Free bagged leaves. You fill paper yard waste bags and set them out. A truck collects them.
- Vacuum collection. You rake leaves into a pile beside the street. A vacuum truck comes by.
- Fee waiver weeks. The city normally charges for yard waste, then drops the fee for a few weeks in fall.
Quad Cities leaf pickup, city by city
| City | What the city offers | Rules to know | Dates we could confirm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rock Island, IL | Free leaf bags and free collection | Bags hold leaves only. Up to 20 bags a day, with proof of residency. Set bags at your normal trash spot. No sticker needed | Bags available October 5. Collection October 12 to December 3, 2026 |
| Moline, IL | A leaf vacuum program, plus bagged leaves collected on trash day | Rake piles beside the street, not in it. Keep rocks and sticks out of the pile. Do not park in front of piles | 2025 ran October 13 to December 12. We did not find 2026 dates, so check the city |
| Davenport, IA | No-sticker yard waste weeks each fall. A yard waste cart is available by subscription | Kraft paper bags at your regular pickup spot. Outside the free weeks, each bag needs a $1.60 sticker. Bundled brush is free | Six weeks starting the Monday of the fourth full week of October. By that rule, October 26 to December 4, 2026 |
| Bettendorf, IA | A fall no-sticker yard waste window has run in past years | Past local news reports Kraft paper bags and a sticker outside the free weeks. Confirm with the city | We could not open the city page. Check bettendorf.org for 2026 dates |
A few notes on that table:
- Rock Island publishes the most detail. Its page lists the bag limit, the residency check and the exact dates for 2026. The city sells approved bags, and you can also use your own paper yard waste bags.
- Moline’s dates come from local news about the 2025 season. The vacuum program has followed a similar pattern in past years, but confirm this year’s dates and route map with the city.
- Davenport’s fall dates follow a rule rather than a fixed date: six weeks starting the Monday of the fourth full week of October. We applied that rule to 2026, so confirm it with the city. Davenport also lets you drop yard waste at the Davenport Compost Facility.
- Bettendorf’s page was not available to us, so we are not stating its rules as fact. Past local news shows a no-sticker window in the same part of the fall as Davenport.
Two questions people keep asking
Two questions come up again and again in public discussions. The first is what to do when a neighbor’s leaves, or leaves a neighbor blew over, land in your yard. Most answers say to rake them up and compost them or mulch them into the lawn, not to blow them back. The second is whether leaves are waste at all. Many gardeners treat them as free compost and mulch, which is one more reason to check whether your city or a local compost site takes them. Davenport, for example, lists a city compost facility for yard waste.
Rules that apply almost everywhere
Use paper bags, not plastic. Rock Island and Davenport both require paper yard waste bags for leaves. Check your own city’s rules before you buy bags.
Keep other trash out. Rock Island says its leaf bags may hold leaves only. Branches, grass and trash can get a bag left behind.
Do not rake leaves into the street. Moline asks you to rake piles next to the street, not in the roadway. There is a water quality reason too. A U.S. Geological Survey study in Madison, Wisconsin found that without leaf removal, leaf litter caused 56 percent of the yearly phosphorus in street runoff in the fall, compared with 16 percent when leaves were removed. Leaves in the street wash into storm drains and then into rivers. The Mississippi is the river next door.
Check burning rules before you light anything. Rock Island bans burning leaves and yard waste inside the city and allows recreational fires only. Moline has banned leaf burning for years, according to local news reports. Other cities set their own rules, so check yours.
What if you miss the window?
City programs end in early December, and some end sooner for your route. If the window has closed, you still have options:
- Take leaves to a compost site. Davenport lists a city compost facility for yard waste drop-off. Check hours and fees first.
- Buy paper bags and pay per bag. In Davenport, outside the free weeks, each bag takes a $1.60 sticker.
- Mulch light leaf cover into the lawn. Our guide to mulching leaves vs bagging explains when it works and when it smothers grass.
- Hire help. If the yard is large, the trees are many, or raking is hard on you, a service can clear the lawn and haul the leaves away. See what leaf removal costs in the Quad Cities, and how to decide between city pickup and a service.
If you want it done for you, our leaf removal Quad Cities service clears the lawn and beds and hauls the leaves away, with a free quote first.
Frequently asked questions
When does Quad Cities leaf pickup start?
It depends on the city for Quad Cities leaf pickup. on the city. Rock Island starts bag collection on October 12 in 2026. Davenport’s fall no-sticker weeks start the Monday of the fourth full week of October. Moline’s vacuum program started October 13 in 2025. Check your city for the exact 2026 dates.
Is leaf pickup free in the Quad Cities?
Rock Island’s program is free, including the city’s bags. In Davenport the fee is waived during the fall no-sticker weeks, and outside them each bag needs a $1.60 sticker. Moline’s vacuum program and trash day leaf bag collection run on the city’s fall schedule.
Can I rake leaves into the street?
Moline asks residents to rake piles beside the street, not into the roadway. Leaves in the street also wash into storm drains. Keep piles on the grass side of the curb and your storm drains clear.
Can I burn leaves in the Quad Cities?
Not in Rock Island, where the city bans burning leaves and yard waste. Moline has also banned it. Other cities set their own rules, so check yours before you burn.
What kind of bags do I need for leaves?
Paper yard waste bags, set out at your normal trash pickup spot on your regular day. Rock Island sells approved bags and also lets you use your own paper bags.
What if I do not want to bag leaves myself?
You can hire a company to clear the lawn and haul the leaves away. Wade’s offers leaf removal across Davenport, Bettendorf, Moline, Rock Island and nearby towns, with a free quote first.
Sources
- City of Rock Island, Free Leaf Collection Program (dates, bag limit, residency, burning): https://www.rigov.org/145/Leaf-Collection
- City of Davenport, Yard Waste Fees and Collection (no-sticker weeks, $1.60 sticker, cart, compost facility): https://davenportiowa.com/services/public_works/solid_waste/yard_waste_fees
- KWQC, 2 Quad Cities communities begin fall leaf collection programs, October 14, 2025 (Moline vacuum program and rules): https://www.kwqc.com/2025/10/14/2-quad-cities-communities-begin-fall-leaf-collection-programs
- Selbig, W.R., Evaluation of leaf removal as a means to reduce nutrient concentrations and loads in urban stormwater, Science of the Total Environment (U.S. Geological Survey, Madison, WI): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27470671/
- City of Bettendorf, Yard Waste (check for current fall dates and bag rules): https://www.bettendorf.org
