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Marion, Illinois

The city of Marion is the county seat of Williamson County, Illinois, United States. The population in Marion, IL was 16,855 according to the 2020 census.

It is part of a dispersed urban area that developed out of early 20th-century coal fields.

Today Marion serves as the largest retail trade center in Southern Illinois with its central location along Interstate 57 and Illinois Route 13. It was dubbed the "Hub of the Universe" by former mayor Robert L. Butler. Today, the motto under current Mayor, Mike Absher, is the "Oasis of Opportunity."

The city is part of the Marion-Herrin Micropolitan Area and is a part of the Carbondale-Marion-Herrin, Illinois Combined Statistical Area with 123,272 residents, the sixth most populous Combined statistical area in Illinois.

History
Following the creation of Williamson County out of the south half of Franklin County by the Illinois General Assembly, three commissioners appointed by the lawmakers met at Bainbridge, Illinois, on August 19, 1839, for the purpose of locating a new county seat as close to the center of the county as possible. The next day, August 20, they laid out a town of 20 acre with a public square about one-quarter of a mile east of the county's center, but a point on top of a slight hill of 448 ft above sea level. The site sat in a small open grassland known as Poor Prairie. For a name, they chose Marion to honor American Revolutionary War hero Gen. Francis "Swamp Fox" Marion.

William and Bethany Benson had entered the quarter-quarter section of land that contained the future site of Marion just the previous year on September 8, 1838. He had lived in the county at least since 1817, and was the first settler to enter land in Poor Prairie. At the time the commissioners platted Marion, he had a small crop of corn and wheat growing over what became the public square.

The Williamson County Court organized in Marion on October 7, 1839, at the Benson log cabin. Overflow crowds had to use pumpkins for stools. The federal government established a post office at Marion on January 30, 1840, and the legislature incorporated the community as a city on February 24, 1841.

1982 tornado
On May 29, 1982, one of the larger tornadoes in Illinois history, rated F4, hit the city of Marion and Williamson County. Ten people died and 181 people were injured after this tornado ripped across a 17 mi stretch. The Shawnee Village apartment complex was destroyed, and the Marion Ford-Mercury dealership sustained heavy damage. This tornado caused between $85 million and $100 million in damages. A memorial to the ten people who perished that day was later erected on the south side of Tower Square Plaza.

Geography
Marion is in central Williamson County, with a narrow strip of city limits extending south beyond Creal Springs to the valley of Sugar Creek in Johnson County. Marion is 44 mi south of Mount Vernon, Illinois, and 57 mi north of Paducah, Kentucky. Carbondale is 17 mi to the west, and Harrisburg is 22 mi to the east.

According to the 2010 census, Marion has a total area of 16.217 sqmi, of which 15.99 sqmi (or 98.6%) is land and 0.227 sqmi (or 1.4%) is water.

Demographics
As of the census of July 1, 2022, there were 16,729 people, and 8,028 households residing in the city. The population density was 1,171.1 per square mile in 2020. There were 7,555 housing units at an average density of 589.0 /sqmi. Ower-occupied housing rate is 62.0%. Median value of owner-occupied housing is $143,600, and median gross rent is $823 per month.

The racial makeup of the city was 86.0% White, 4.9% African American, 0.1% Native American, 2.8% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, and 5.41% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.9% of the population.

There were 8,028 households, out of which 21.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 23.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.05.

The median household income in the Marion city, IL is $54,052 and the median house value is $143,600. The per capita income for the city was $36,935. About 15.0% of the population were living below the poverty line. The region has a civilian labor force of 7,866 with a participation rate of 57.8%. Of individuals 25 to 64 in the Marion city, IL, 30.1% have a bachelor’s degree or higher.

As of 2023Q4, total employment for the Marion city, IL was 18,253 (based on a four-quarter moving average). Over the year ending 2023Q4, employment increased 2.1% in the region.

As of 2022, Marion has a Veteran population of 1,544 persons.

The Cost of Living Index estimates the relative price levels for consumer goods and services. When applied to wages and salaries, the result is a measure of relative purchasing power. The cost of living is 8.0% lower in Marion city, IL than the U.S. average.

The largest sector in the Marion city, IL is Health Care and Social Assistance, employing 4,015 workers. The next-largest sectors in the region are Accommodation and Food Services (2,364 workers) and Retail Trade (2,134). High location quotients (LQs) indicate sectors in which a region has high concentrations of employment compared to the national average. The sectors with the largest LQs in the region are Finance and Insurance (LQ = 2.33), Health Care and Social Assistance (1.50), and Accommodation and Food Services (1.49).

Sectors in the Marion city, IL with the highest average wages per worker are Utilities ($125,515), Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction ($73,866), and Health Care and Social Assistance ($65,918). Regional sectors with the best job growth (or most moderate job losses) over the last 5 years are Health Care and Social Assistance (+491 jobs), Accommodation and Food Services (+307), and Finance and Insurance (+194). The fastest growing sector in the region is expected to be Transportation and Warehousing with a +0.5% year-over-year rate of growth. The strongest forecast by number of jobs over this period is expected for Health Care and Social Assistance (+16 jobs), Transportation and Warehousing (+3), and Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (0).

The largest major occupation group in the Marion city, IL is Office and Administrative Support Occupations, employing 2,191 workers. The next-largest occupation groups in the region are Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations (1,932 workers) and Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations (1,822). High location quotients (LQs) indicate occupation groups in which a region has high concentrations of employment compared to the national average. The major groups with the largest LQs in the region are Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations (LQ = 1.70), Healthcare Support Occupations (1.40), and Protective Service Occupations (1.37).

Occupation groups in the Marion city, IL with the highest average wages per worker are Management Occupations ($104,900), Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations ($101,500), and Legal Occupations ($92,100). The unemployment rate in the region varied among the major groups from 1.2% among Legal Occupations to 6.9% among Transportation and Material Moving Occupations. Over the next 1 year, the fastest growing occupation group in the Marion city, IL is expected to be Healthcare Support Occupations with a +0.9% year-over-year rate of growth. The strongest forecast by number of jobs over this period is expected for Healthcare Support Occupations (+11 jobs) and Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations (+5). Over the same period, the highest separation demand (occupation demand due to retirements and workers moving from one occupation to another) is expected in Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations (361 jobs) and Office and Administrative Support Occupations (244).

Major employers
As of March 30, 2009, the largest employers located inside the city limits were as follows:
 * Aisin Mfg., three auto parts plants first established in 2002 employing 1820 employees.
 * Pepsi / MidAmerica, soft drinks in operation since 1935 employing 600 workers.
 * Heartland Regional Medical Center, formerly Marion Memorial Hospital first established in 1953, employing 600 employees.
 * VA Medical Center, established in 1942, employs 1500 workers.
 * Blue Cross/Blue Shield claims processing center established in 1983 employing 350 employees.

Other major nearby employers include:
 * John A. Logan College in Carterville, established in 1967, employing 850 workers.
 * Herrin Hospital in Herrin, established in 1913, employs 450 employees.
 * U.S. Dept. of Justice / Bureau of Prisons employs 342 workers at United States Penitentiary, Marion southwest of the city.
 * Southern Illinois Power Coop just south of Marion employing 120 at its Lake of Egypt power plant. Established in 1963.

Arts and culture
Downtown Marion is home to the Little Egypt Arts Gallery operated by the Little Egypt Arts Association as well as the Williamson County Historical Society museum and the Marion Carnegie Library. The major arts and culture institution though is the Marion Cultural and Civic Center.

Marion Cultural and Civic Center
In 2004, the Marion Civic Center was awarded the Frank Lloyd Wright Award - Special Recognition from the American Institute of Architects, Illinois Chapter, at the organization's annual ceremony. The 35000 sqft facility, designed by White and Borgognoni Architects, was completed in June 2004. After a 1997 fire destroyed the city's former civic center, the new facility was crafted using parts of the old Orpheum Theater building.

The grand opening of the Orpheum Theatre was on January 2, 1922. Built in the southwest corner of the downtown square, she was the flagship of a chain of vaudeville and moving picture theaters constructed to tap into the wealth generated by agriculture and mining in Southern Illinois. The Orpheum Theatre sat over 900, and was ornately decorated in a mix of Renaissance and Neoclassical styles, complete with gold leaf, elaborate plasterwork, and a multicolored terra-cotta facade.

The Orpheum was quite successful until the advent of television. Decreasing profits forced the Orpheum to exclusively be a motion picture theater in the mid-1950s and to close in 1971. The City of Marion purchased the building in 1973 with the intent of constructing a parking lot. The Mayor and the City Council reconsidered their plan when they found that their citizenry was in favor of restoring the old theater for use by the community as a cultural and entertainment center.

During the early morning hours, of March 10, 1997, a blaze quickly raced through the Civic Center, and totally gutted the theater, leaving it a smoldering shell after the blaze was put out. The facade of the Orpheum was salvaged, but the remainder of the theater was razed, and in 2000, it was decided that a new Cultural and Civic Center would be built on the site of the old Orpheum and a couple of other demolished neighboring structures.

Sister city
Marion became a sister city to Kanie, Japan, on March 26, 2010.

Tourism
Tourism promotion and marketing in Marion is conducted at the county level with a county bed tax of five percent. Forty percent of that amount goes to the Williamson County Tourism Bureau and the remaining 60 percent to the Williamson County Events Commission for debt service on the bonds used to build the Williamson County Pavilion, a multi-use meeting and convention center immediately north of the Illinois Centre Mall in Marion. That building also houses the tourism bureau.

Camping facilities in the city include the new Marion Campground & RV Park, located off of Exit 53 on the east side of the interstate.

Major attractions that draw visitors to Marion include events at Marion Stadium (Mt Dew Park), events at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, The Southern Illinois Roller Girls bouts at The Pavilion Events, approximately two dozen wineries within a 45 mi radius of the city including those on the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail and the Southern Illinois Wine Trail, Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge adjacent to the city, Lake of Egypt immediately to the south and the Shawnee National Forest and various state parks that stretch along the Shawnee Hills from river to river.

Government

Marion's city government is led by Mayor Mike Absher who assumed office on April 22, 2019, after defeating Incumbent Anthony Rinella who was appointed after longtime mayor Robert L. Butler resigned. The city operates on a city commission system of government with the mayor and four city commissioners, each elected for four-year terms.

The council calendar calls for meetings on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of the month at City Hall.

The city is also a home rule community, a status that gives the council greater flexibility to act than a typical city commission form of government.

The Marion Park District is independent of city government. It operates the parks system under a separately elected five-member board. The library board though is appointed by the mayor and city council.

Media
The Daily Republican, a newspaper, is based in Marion.

The Marion Star - Swinford Media Group, a newspaper, is based in Marion. https://swinfordmediagroup.com/

Education
Marion Community Unit School District 2 operates public schools, including Marion High School.

Air service
Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois, formerly Williamson County Regional Airport, serves the area and is located at the extreme western edge of the city. Contour Airlines provides daily passenger flights to O'Hare International Airport in Chicago.

Rail service
Both the Union Pacific and Burlington Northern railroads have lines running through the city. Local service from those lines is provided by the Crab Orchard and Egyptian Railroad headquartered in Marion. Amtrak passenger rail service is available at Carbondale, 16 mi west of Marion.

Bus service
Rides Mass Transit District operates fixed-route and demand-response transit services in Marion and Southern Illinois. The Bill Jung Transfer Center serves as the primary location for bus services and serves South Central Transit. Greyhound Lines buses are no longer based out of Marion, Illinois. The nearest terminal is Carbondale.

Notable people

 * Conrad Keene Allen, exploration geologist
 * Willis Allen, Illinois attorney, senator, and representative; lived in Marion
 * Cory Bailey, professional baseball player in minors, majors and Taiwan
 * Madelon Baker, record producer, music publisher, actress, singer
 * Wallace A. Bandy, Illinois legislator and businessman
 * Babe Borton, Major League Baseball first baseman for Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees, St. Louis Terriers and St Louis Browns
 * Nancy Elizabeth Brown, United States Navy Vice Admiral
 * O. H. Burnett, Illinois legislator and lawyer
 * Homer M. Butler, Illinois legislator and newspaper editor
 * Robert L. Butler, mayor of Marion from May 1963 to January 31, 2018
 * Edward E. Denison, representative who practiced law in Marion
 * Warren W. Duncan, Illinois Supreme Court justice
 * James Felts, Illinois politician and newspaper editor
 * Ray Fosse, Major League Baseball catcher for Cleveland Indians, Oakland Athletics, Seattle Mariners and Milwaukee Brewers
 * William L. Harris, Illinois legislator and businessman
 * Judith Ivey, Tony Award-winning actress
 * Gene Johns, Illinois legislator and businessman
 * Phillip McGilton, racing driver
 * Jim Reed, racing driver
 * Williametta Spencer, composer
 * Dolph Stanley, legendary high school and college basketball coach
 * Richard G. Wilson, soldier and posthumous recipient of U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for actions in Korean War
 * Jason Pargin, editor of Cracked.com and author of John Dies at the End
 * [Michael] Lance Lynn (born May 12, 1987) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, Chicago White Sox, and Los Angeles Dodgers.

title: Marion, Illinois


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Pittsburg, Illinois

Pittsburg is a village in Williamson County, Illinois. The population was 572 at the 2010 census.

History
Pittsburg was established in 1906 as part of a mining operation developed by Buford Pusser coal entrepreneur John Carp (for whom nearby Carp is named). Carp named the village for Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as he hoped it would achieve that city's prosperity. Many of the streets in the village were likewise named for locations in Pennsylvania, including Scranton Avenue, Lehigh Valley Avenue, Hocking Valley Avenue, and Pennsylvania Avenue. A post office opened in 1907.

Geography
Pittsburg is located at 37.77778°N, -88.85028°W (37.777805, -88.850327).

According to the 2010 census, Pittsburg has a total area of 2.1 sqmi, of which 2.07 sqmi (or 98.57%) is land and 0.03 sqmi (or 1.43%) is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 575 people, 228 households, and 168 families residing in the village. The population density was 275.8 PD/sqmi. There were 246 housing units at an average density of 118.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 98.09% White, 1.22% African American, 0.52% Native American and 0.17% Asian. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.17% of the population.

There were 228 households, out of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.0% were married couples living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.3% were non-families. 24.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 24.5% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 111.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 108.7 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $29,722, and the median income for a family was $35,074. Males had a median income of $29,904 versus $17,212 for females. The per capita income for the village was $14,186. About 5.2% of families and 11.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.6% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Pittsburg, Illinois


text:
Macintosh Plus

The Macintosh Plus computer is the third model in the Macintosh line, introduced on January 16, 1986, two years after the original Macintosh and a little more than a year after the Macintosh 512K, with a price tag of US$2,599. As an evolutionary improvement over the 512K, it shipped with 1 MB of RAM standard, expandable to 4 MB, and an external SCSI peripheral bus, among smaller improvements. Originally, the computer's case was the same beige color as the original Macintosh, Pantone 453; however, in 1987, the case color was changed to the long-lived, warm gray "Platinum" color. It is the earliest Macintosh model able to run System Software 5, System 6, and System 7, up to System 7.5.5, but not System 7.5.2.

Overview
Bruce Webster of BYTE reported a rumor in December 1985: "Supposedly, Apple will be releasing a Big Mac by the time this column sees print: said Mac will reportedly come with 1 megabyte of RAM ... the new 128K-byte ROM ... and a double-sided (800K bytes) disk drive, all in the standard Mac box." Introduced as the Macintosh Plus, it was the first Macintosh model to include a SCSI port, which launched the popularity of external SCSI devices for Macs, including hard disks, tape drives, CD-ROM drives, printers, Zip drives, and even monitors. The SCSI implementation of the Plus was engineered shortly before the initial SCSI spec was finalized and, as such, is not 100% SCSI-compliant. SCSI ports remained standard equipment for all Macs until the introduction of the iMac in 1998.

The Macintosh Plus was the last classic Mac to have an RJ11 port on the front of the unit for the keyboard, as well as the DE-9 connector for the mouse; models released after the Macintosh Plus would use ADB ports.

The Mac Plus was the first Apple computer to utilize user-upgradable SIMM memory modules instead of single DIP DRAM chips. Four SIMM slots were provided and the computer shipped with four 256 KB SIMMs, for 1 MB total RAM. By replacing them with 1 MB SIMMs, it was possible to have 4 MB of RAM. (Although 30-pin SIMMs could support up to 16 MB total RAM, the Mac Plus motherboard had only 22 address lines connected, for a 4 MB maximum.)

It has what was then a new $3 1/2$-inch double-sided 800 KB floppy drive, offering double the capacity of floppy disks from previous Macs, along with backward compatibility. The drive is controlled by the same IWM chip as in previous models, implementing variable speed GCR. The drive was still completely incompatible with PC drives. The 800 KB drive has two read/write heads, enabling it to simultaneously use both sides of the floppy disk and thereby double storage capacity. Like the 400 KB drive before it, a companion Macintosh 800K External Drive was an available option. However, with the increased disk storage capacity combined with 2-4x the available RAM, the external drive was less of a necessity than it had been with the 128K and 512K.

The Mac Plus has 128 KB of ROM on the motherboard, which is double the amount of ROM in previous Macs; the ROMs included software to support SCSI, the then-new 800 KB floppy drive, and the Hierarchical File System (HFS), which uses a true directory structure on disks (as opposed to the earlier MFS, Macintosh File System in which all files were stored in a single directory, with one level of pseudo-folders overlaid on them). For programmers, the fourth Inside Macintosh volume details how to use HFS and the rest of the Mac Plus's new system software. The Plus still did not include provision for an internal hard drive and it would be over nine months before Apple would offer a SCSI drive replacement for the slow Hard Disk 20. It would be well over a year before Apple would offer the first internal hard disk drive in any Macintosh.

A compact Mac, the Plus has a 9 in 512 × 342 pixel monochrome display with a resolution of 72 PPI, identical to that of previous Macintosh models. Unlike earlier Macs, the Mac Plus's keyboard includes a numeric keypad and directional arrow keys and, as with previous Macs, it has a one-button mouse and no fan, making it extremely quiet in operation. The lack of a cooling fan in the Mac Plus led to frequent problems with overheating and hardware malfunctions.

The applications MacPaint and MacWrite were bundled with the Mac Plus. After August 1987, HyperCard and MultiFinder were also bundled. Third-party software applications available included MacDraw, Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, as well as Aldus PageMaker. Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint (originally by Forethought) were actually developed and released first for the Macintosh, and similarly Microsoft Word 1 for Macintosh was the first time a GUI version of that software was introduced on any personal computer platform. For a time, the exclusive availability of Excel and PageMaker on the Macintosh were noticeable drivers of sales for the platform.

The case design is essentially identical to the original Macintosh. It debuted in beige and was labeled Macintosh Plus on the front, but Macintosh Plus 1 Mb on the back, to denote the 1 MB RAM configuration with which it shipped. In January 1987 it transitioned to Apple's long-lived platinum-gray color with the rest of the Apple product line, and the keyboard's keycaps changed from brown to gray. In January 1988, with reduced RAM prices, Apple began shipping 2- and 4- MB configurations and rebranded it simply as "Macintosh Plus." Among other design changes, it included the same trademarked inlaid Apple logo and recessed port icons as the Apple IIc and IIGS before it, but it essentially retained the original design. On the inside of the case, embossed into it, are the signatures of all the people who worked on designing the Mac Plus, including Steve Jobs, Bill Atkinson, Andy Hertzfeld, Bruce Horn, Jef Raskin and the rest of the historic team. An upgrade kit was offered for the earlier Macintosh 128K and Macintosh 512K/enhanced, which includes a new motherboard, floppy disk drive and rear case. The owner retained the front case, monitor and analog board. Because of this, there is no "Macintosh Plus" on the front of upgraded units, and the Apple logo is recessed and in the bottom left hand corner of the front case. However, the label on the back of the case reads "Macintosh Plus 1MB". The new extended Plus keyboard could also be purchased. Unfortunately, this upgrade cost almost as much as a new machine.

The Mac Plus itself can be upgraded further with the use of third-party accelerators. When these are clipped or soldered onto the 68000 processor, a 32 MHz 68030 processor can be used, and up to 16 MB RAM.

Long production life
Although the Macintosh Plus would become overshadowed by two new Macintoshes, the Macintosh SE and the Macintosh II in March 1987, it remained in production as a cheaper alternative until the introduction of the Macintosh Classic on October 15, 1990. This made the Macintosh Plus the longest-produced Macintosh model, having been on sale unchanged for 1,734 days, a record not surpassed until the second-generation Mac Pro in 2018. It continued to be supported by versions of the classic Mac OS up to version 7.5.5, released in 1996. Additionally, during its period of general market relevance, it was heavily discounted like the 512K/512Ke before it and offered to the educational market badged as the "Macintosh Plus ED". Due to its popularity, long life and its introduction of many features that would become mainstays of the Macintosh platform for years, the Plus was a common "base model" for many software and hardware products.

Problems
The lack of fan could cause the life of a Macintosh Plus to end early for some users. As the power supply would heat up, solder joints inside it would fracture, causing many problems, such as loss of deflection in the monitor or a complete loss of power. As in most early compact Macs, the problem was common in the yoke connector, flyback transformer, and horizontal drive coupling capacitor. A fan was also often added to reduce heat when the machine was upgraded to its full RAM capacity of 4 MB.

From the debut of the Macintosh 128K through the Macintosh Plus, various third-party cooling add-ons were available to help increase airflow through the unit. Apple reorganized the compact Macintosh case to accommodate a fan with the release of the Macintosh SE, which optionally included a heat-generating internal hard disk.

ROM revisions
The Plus went through two ROM revisions during its general market relevance. The initial ROM was replaced after the first two months as it had a serious bug which prevented the Mac from booting if an external SCSI device was powered off. The second revision fixed a problem with some SCSI devices that could send the Mac into an endless reset at POST.

Emulators

 * MESS
 * Mini vMac - can emulate a Mac Plus on a variety of platforms including Linux, macOS, Windows, DOS, classic Mac OS, Pocket PC, iOS, Nintendo DS and even Texas Instruments' TI-Nspire graphing calculator line.
 * Spectre GCR

title: Macintosh Plus


text:
Spillertown, Illinois

Spillertown is a village in Williamson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 203 at the 2010 census and as of 2018, the population has grown to an estimated 272.

History
Spillertown was incorporated as a village on March 3, 1900. It was named for Elijah Spiller, a prominent early settler who arrived in the area in 1817. Throughout the 19th century, Spillertown lay along an important wagon road that ran north from Marion to Benton, and eventually to Harmony, Indiana, where the nearest carding machines were located. A post office opened in 1898, but closed in 1914.

In August 2011, residents of the town began discussions with city officials in neighboring Marion about possible annexation.

Geography
Spillertown is located at 37.7675°N, -88.91889°W (37.767467, -88.918902).

According to the 2010 census, Spillertown has a total area of 0.369 sqmi, of which 0.36 sqmi (or 97.56%) is land and 0.009 sqmi (or 2.44%) is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 220 people, 84 households, and 61 families residing in the village. The population density was 707.5 PD/sqmi. There were 95 housing units at an average density of 305.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 97.27% White, 1.36% African American, 0.45% Asian, 0.91% from other races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.64% of the population.

There were 84 households, out of which 38.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.5% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.2% were non-families. 23.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.10.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 25.5% under the age of 18, 14.5% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 10.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.5 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $33,125, and the median income for a family was $47,917. Males had a median income of $30,625 versus $21,250 for females. The per capita income for the village was $18,674. About 6.3% of families and 6.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under the age of eighteen and 20.9% of those 65 or over.

title: Spillertown, Illinois


text:
Whiteash, Illinois

Whiteash is a Census designated place in Williamson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 268 at the 2000 census, and dropped to 248 in the 2010 census. This village dissolved in 2014.

History
Whiteash began as a coal mining community around the Chicago and Marion Coal Company's mine organized by Charles A. Gent of nearby Marion, Illinois. In 1903, Gent bought the site of the village from Samuel K. Casey, publisher of the Egyptian Press newspaper also of Marion. He in turn had inherited it from his grandfather George W. Binkley who had homesteaded the land and entered it with the government in 1837. Gent platted the village on July 3, 1903, in the northwest corner of Section 31, Township 8 South, Range 3 East of the Third Principal Meridian, also known as Lake Creek Precinct. He named the town Whiteash after the trade name he used for the coal his mine produced.

A post office opened there on February 29, 1904, with Robert T. Payne as postmaster. Residents incorporated the village the following year on June 16, 1905. The mine operated until 1922 when it filled with water and was abandoned. Mail service continued for another decade or so, finally closing on November 30, 1934. The population in 1960 was 160.

Geography
Whiteash is located at 37.78833°N, -88.92639°W (37.788300, -88.926450).

According to the 2010 census, Whiteash has a total area of 0.884 sqmi, of which 0.86 sqmi (or 97.29%) is land and 0.024 sqmi (or 2.71%) is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 268 people, 114 households, and 80 families residing in the village. The population density was 308.1 PD/sqmi. There were 121 housing units at an average density of 139.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 97.01% White, 0.75% African American and 2.24% Native American. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.12% of the population.

There were 114 households, out of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.5% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.8% were non-families. 27.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.83.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 23.1% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 15.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.7 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $24,167, and the median income for a family was $28,000. Males had a median income of $25,972 versus $15,938 for females. The per capita income for the village was $11,780. About 22.1% of families and 23.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35.2% of those under the age of eighteen and 14.7% of those 65 or over.

title: Whiteash, Illinois


text:
Cherry Valley, Illinois

Cherry Valley is a village of 8.72 sqmi that lies primarily in Winnebago County. Approximately ten percent of the village is within Boone County. The village is within the Rockford, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area, and borders the southeast side of Rockford. It is also within the Kishwaukee River valley. The population is 2905 at the 2020 census, down from 3,162 as of the 2010 census.

History
Official documents from the Winnebago County Clerk's office and the Village of Cherry Valley state Cherry Valley was settled in 1836. The first settler within Cherry Valley was Joseph Griggs who, along with his family, settled on the north bank of the Kishwaukee River in 1835. Cherry Valley was incorporated as a village on January 31, 1857. Early landmark events for Cherry Valley was the establishment of a mill on the Kishwaukee River, and the coming of the railroad in 1852.

Early on Cherry Valley was called by various names, such as "Griggs Ford" and Graball, and then other names, before the present name was adopted. After deciding to change the name, the people put their suggestions into a hat. A Mrs. Butler, from Cherry Valley, New York placed the name of Cherry Valley in the hat and that name was selected. The core of the village, centered on its main street businesses in small brick buildings, is surrounded by several blocks of houses built in the 19th century. This late 19th-century appearance is further accentuated by turn-of-the-20th-century-style lamp lights as well as the original brick paving along the eastern end of main street.

Relationship with Rockford
Although close to Rockford, Cherry Valley was far enough away to be considered, for most of its history, not a part of the Rockford community. However, with the advent of car-centric transportation in the latter 20th century, Cherry Valley became in essence a suburb of Rockford. As the city of Rockford grew and expanded its boundaries, it came in direct contact with Cherry Valley. Since that time, there have been land control-related issues between the two municipalities. For the most part, these issues have been resolved with a boundary agreement between the two communities.

Cherry Valley today
In the last dozen years Cherry Valley has seen a shift towards Chicago, with roughly a third of its new residents being former Chicago suburban residents who live in the village and commute to work in the Chicago suburbs. Being near to an interchange on I-90 (Jane Addams Memorial Tollway) contributed to this shift, and in 2006 the toll booths on the Cherry Valley interchange and exit were removed because of increased traffic flow and the need to remove the chronic traffic jams that had built over the years.

Most of Cherry Valley is within the Rockford School District, with a small portion in the Belvidere School District. Schools closed and demolished in 2019

Geography
The core of the village is located a little north of the confluence of the north and south branches of the Kishwaukee river. There is a slight depression as one moves towards the center of the village, which is a formation of the Kishwaukee river valley.

According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Cherry Valley has a total area of 8.66 sqmi, of which 8.41 sqmi (or 97.09%) is land and 0.25 sqmi (or 2.91%) is water. The north branch of the Kishwaukee River travels through Cherry Valley's central business district. The largest body of water in the village is Cherry Valley Lake which is situated just east of the Kishwaukee River in Baumann Park. The village is served by Interstate 90, Interstate 39, U.S. Route 20 and U.S. Route 51.

Demographics
As of the 2020 census there were 2,905 people, 1,240 households, and 739 families residing in the village. The population density was 335.57 PD/sqmi. There were 1,338 housing units at an average density of 154.56 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 82.27% White, 3.06% African American, 0.10% Native American, 4.99% Asian, 2.24% from other races, and 7.33% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.13% of the population.

There were 1,240 households, out of which 15.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.48% were married couples living together, 11.77% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.40% were non-families. 28.23% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.85% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 2.21.

The village's age distribution consisted of 13.3% under the age of 18, 2.5% from 18 to 24, 23.3% from 25 to 44, 36.8% from 45 to 64, and 24.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 52.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.0 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $68,397, and the median income for a family was $79,750. Males had a median income of $47,663 versus $40,228 for females. The per capita income for the village was $35,460. About 3.4% of families and 6.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 10.7% of those age 65 or over.

Cherry Valley has the highest income and education levels of any community within the Rockford metropolitan area.

Development and growth
Key to the village economy is million square foot CherryVale Mall, one of the first enclosed shopping malls in Illinois. CherryVale, which draws shoppers from a radius of over 50 mi, produces the greatest single source of revenue for the village, in the form of a 1% sales tax that is levied and collected by the State of Illinois and then distributed to the community. Because of this sales tax, Cherry Valley is one of only a handful of communities within Illinois that does not levy a municipal property tax.

Another notable commercial enterprise in Cherry Valley is the Kegel Motorcycle Company, which has a strong claim to being the world's oldest Harley-Davidson dealership.

The town is home to Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Rockford, formerly Magic Waters, which is owned by Rockford Park District and is managed by Six Flags starting 2018.

Transportation
RMTD provides bus service on Route 19 connecting Cherry Valley to Rockford and other destinations.

The Union Pacific line to Rockford runs through Cherry Valley.

Notable people

 * Virgil Abloh is a DJ and fashion designer, with notable brands Off-White and Pyrex Vision. He was named artistic director for men's wear at Louis Vuitton in 2018
 * John Baumgarten. Businessman, Illinois state representative. He served as mayor of Cherry Valley in 1945
 * Mo Pitney (born 1993), country music artist

title: Cherry Valley, Illinois


text:
Durand, Illinois

Durand is a village in Winnebago County, Illinois, United States. It is part of the Rockford, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area The population was 1,443 at the 2010 census, up from 1,081 in 2000.

History
Its township's beginnings initiated originally in a no longer existing settlement called Elton, an area South of Durand and including parts of the Pecatonica and Rock Run townships and settled in 1835 by Nelson Salisbury, Harvey Lower, and Scott Robb. They and nine other families settled the Southwest portion of modern Durand, Pecatonica, and Rock Run area. Durand gave birth to Illinois' first tax-supported volunteer fire department. Since its settlement, Durand has been prone to devastating fires. Durand's early flourishings were closely linked to the development of the Racine-Mississippi Railroad later absorbed into Western Union. The line reached Durand in 1857, en route to Freeport, paving the shift from the Elton community into modern Durand and deriving its name from the railroad's first president, H.S. Durand. At this time, Durand saw the beginning of its prosperity which entailed the demise of the Elton settlement.

Geography
Durand is located at 42.43389°N, -89.32806°W (42.433928, -89.328007). It is located 14 miles by road north of US Route 20 on    Illinois Route 70. Illinois Route 75 also runs south of town.

According to the 2010 census, Durand has a total area of 0.94 sqmi, all land.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,081 people, 441 households, and 288 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,200.9 PD/sqmi. There were 468 housing units at an average density of 519.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 97.22% White, 0.56% African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 0.65% from other races, and 1.20% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.02% of the population.

There were 441 households, out of which 34.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.1% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.5% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.10.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 28.9% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.7 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $43,988, and the median income for a family was $51,042. Males had a median income of $41,016 versus $23,068 for females. The per capita income for the village was $19,211. About 5.5% of families and 5.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.1% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

 * Carrie Ashton Johnson (1863–1949), editor, author

title: Durand, Illinois


text:
Machesney Park, Illinois

Machesney Park is a village located in Winnebago County, Illinois, United States. The population was 23,499 at the 2010 census, up from 20,759 in 2000. Machesney Park is part of the Rockford, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography
Machesney Park is located at 42.355°N, -89.04083°W (42.354989, -89.040827).

According to the 2010 census, Machesney Park has a total area of 13.005 sqmi, of which 12.68 sqmi (or 97.5%) is land and 0.325 sqmi (or 2.5%) is water.

Demographics
At the 2010 census there were 23,499 people, 9,351 households. The population density was 758 PD/sqmi. There were 9,351 housing units at an average density of 301.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 91.47% White, 2.83% African American, 0.24% Native American, 1.55% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.63% from other races, and 2.25% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.99%.

In 2000 Of the 7,756 households 35.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.2% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.2% were non-families. 19.2% of households were one person and 6.6% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.04.

The age distribution was 24.3% under the age of 18, 5.46% from 20 to 24, 12.41% from 25 to 34, 22.83% from 35 to 49, 19.81% from 50 to 64 and 12.40% 65 or older. The median age was 36 years. There were about as many females as males (9 more males).

In 2000 The median household income was $48,315, and the median family income was $53,788. Males had a median income of $38,619 versus $23,279 for females. The per capita income for the village was $19,685. About 3.2% of families and 5.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.7% of those under age 18 and 4.8% of those age 65 or over.

History
The name Machesney Park has its roots in Machesney Airport, which was located on the main street North Second where the Machesney Mall stands today, which was founded in 1927 by Fred Machesney, a Barnstorming aviator. The Machesney Elementary School across the street from where the airport was located was also named after Fred Machesney's airport. The airfield was Rockford's main airport until the 1950s, when the Greater Rockford Airport came on line. In 1928 a famous flight from Rockford to Sweden took off from the field. The attempt failed as the two pilots crashed in Greenland, later being safely rescued. Machesney Field was used by the Army Air Corps during World War II as a stop by fighter aircraft being ferried to the Soviet Union.

This area of unincorporated Winnebago county saw growth pick up after World War II. This led to the formation of North Park, a public water district and volunteer firefighting company, and the unofficial name for the area.

Machesney Park became a village in 1981, after being approved in a referendum.

Education
The Village is home of Harlem High School, which is part of the Harlem School District 122. The Harlem District serves the communities of Loves Park, Machesney Park, and southern Roscoe.

Transportation
RMTD provides bus service on Routes 20 and 22 connecting Machesney Park to destinations throughout the Rockford area.

Village presidents

 * Linda Vaughn (D) 2001 - 2009
 * Tom Strickland (R) 2009 - 2013
 * Jerry D. Bolin 2013 - 2017
 * Steve Johnson 2017 - current

title: Machesney Park, Illinois


text:
New Milford, Illinois

New Milford is a village in Winnebago County, Illinois, United States on the south bank of the Kishwaukee River overlooking the south side of Rockford. It is part of the Rockford, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 697 at the 2010 census, up from 541 in 2000.

Geography
New Milford is located at 42.18333°N, -89.07111°W (42.183389, -89.071034).

According to the 2010 census, New Milford has a total area of 1.478 sqmi, of which 1.45 sqmi (or 98.11%) is land and 0.028 sqmi (or 1.89%) is water.

New Milford is located on the southern edge of the Rockford metro area. It is situated immediately east of the Chicago Rockford International Airport and just west of Interstate 39. The Village is currently attempting to expand (through annexation) to reach the Interstate 39/Baxter Road interchange. This move will provide the Village with future commercial growth opportunities, as well as prevent the City of Rockford from surrounding the community.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 541 people, 239 households, and 152 families residing in the village. The population density was 496.6 PD/sqmi. There were 244 housing units at an average density of 224.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 93.90% White, 1.85% African American, 1.48% Asian, 1.11% from other races, and 1.66% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.14% of the population.

There were 239 households, out of which 25.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.7% were married couples living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.4% were non-families. 30.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.80.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 20.9% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 33.6% from 25 to 44, 29.0% from 45 to 64, and 9.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 114.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.8 males.

The median income for a household in the blue moon village was $39,531, and the median income for a family was $52,500. Males had a median income of $37,955 versus $30,000 for females. The per capita income for the village was $22,937. About 6.8% of families and 9.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.3% of those under age 18 and 2.9% of those age 65 or over.

title: New Milford, Illinois


text:
Pecatonica, Illinois

Pecatonica is a village in Winnebago County, Illinois, United States. It is part of the Rockford, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,195 at the 2010 census, up from 1,997 in 2000.

History
The village was named after the Pecatonica River, which forms its northern border. The word Pecatonica is an anglicization of two Algonquian language words; Bekaa (or Pekaa in certain dialects), which means slow and niba, which means water; forming the conjunction Bekaaniba or Slow Water. Civil War records from the state of Illinois include soldiers from "Lysander", the area's common name before incorporation by rail speculators.

The Galena and Chicago Union Railroad, later the Chicago & North Western Railroad, came through in 1853 from Chicago and continued to Freeport, Illinois. That sparked the town to be the center of commerce for western Winnebago County. The Village of Pecatonica was incorporated in 1869, built on territory rightfully owned by Indians and previously deeded to the Reed family by US President James K. Polk. C.W. Knowlton opened his first bank here in 1882 and built a Queen Anne Victorian house on Main Street, on the hill overlooking the business district. This house still stands, after having been restored starting in the mid-1980s.

An electric interurban line known as the Rockford & Interurban ran from Rockford through Winnebago, Illinois and Pecatonica to Ridott, Illinois and on to Freeport, starting in 1902, until the line's eventual abandonment in 1930. A small depot building remains standing near the 300 block of Main Street. For the portion of the rail line between Pecatonica and Winnebago, the line often parallels the Pecatonica River.

This route has since been reclaimed as a nature trail known as the Prairie Path, called in 2021 the Pecatonica Prairie Trail, for walking and biking (non-motorized), with maps shown online. The village of Winnebago has also published a brochure of the trail which can be viewed online.

Prior to rail traffic, this region of Northern Illinois received stagecoach traffic. A limestone house on Comly Road dates to this period, and there are permanent wagon wheel scars near a utility building for the 12 Mile Grove Cemetery, which is just hundreds of feet from the current corridor used by U.S. Route 20, a major east–west route through Northern Illinois. Further west, Route 20 parallels more roads which sometime bear the phrase "Stagecoach Trail".

Geography
Pecatonica is located at 42.31°N, -89.35861°W (42.309955, −89.358647).

According to the 2010 census, Pecatonica has a total area of 1.295 sqmi, of which 1.28 sqmi (or 98.84%) is land and 0.015 sqmi (or 1.16%) is water.

Education
Education in Pecatonica is provided by the Pecatonica Community Unit School District #321, which operates three school buildings. The Elementary School, originally constructed in 1938, was used as a high school for many years. Two additions to that structure were built in 1962 and 1970 respectively. The Middle School, also a former high school building, was built in 1958 and also accommodated two additions to the original structure in 1967 and 1970.

The current high school building opened in 2003. This state-of-the-art facility is approximately 107,000 square feet. Along with the new high school building a football field and eight lane track were constructed. The high school complex also includes a baseball diamond and play field space for physical education classes. The building was built as a flexible multi-purpose facility that will allow for both school-based and community-based activities.

Parks and recreation
North of downtown Pecatonica, on West 1st Street is Sumner Park, which has three baseball diamonds, four tennis courts, two basketball courts, horseshoe pits and children's playgrounds. The park connects with the recently acquired Pecatonica Wetlands Forest Preserve, both to the west and across the river to the north. Pecatonica Wetlands is made up of 1048 acres of flood plain forest, oxbow pond marshes and upland forest along the Pecatonica River. The site features spring flora and birdlife. Site development is still in progress but when complete will include fishing access, hiking and equestrian trails, picnic areas and wildlife areas.

The Seward Bluffs Forest Preserve is also located nearby. The combined Public Parks and the Recreation Bike and Prairie Path offer a wide variety of recreation. It is a favored fishing spot along the Pecatonica River.

Winnebago County Fair Grounds
The fairgrounds have over 108 acres of indoor and outdoor activities including music festivals, motor sports, auto and trade shows, conventions, antique markets, social events, and the Winnebago County Fair.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,997 people, 791 households, and 579 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,607.2 PD/sqmi. There were 827 housing units at an average density of 665.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 98.35% White, 0.25% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 0.25% from other races, and 0.90% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.60% of the population.

There were 791 households, out of which 38.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.7% were married couples living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.7% were non-families. 23.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.97.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 27.2% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.9 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $47,361, and the median income for a family was $55,086. Males had a median income of $40,900 versus $27,143 for females. The per capita income for the village was $20,420. About 3.6% of families and 4.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.7% of those under age 18 and 8.2% of those age 65 or over.

Famous residents

 * Trisha Paytas
 * Marijuana Pepsi

title: Pecatonica, Illinois


text:
Rockford, Illinois

Rockford is a city in Winnebago County, Illinois, United States. Located in far northern Illinois on the banks of the Rock River, Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County (with a small portion of the city located in Ogle County). The population was 148,655 at the 2020 census, making Rockford the fifth-most populous city in Illinois as well as the state's most populous city outside of the Chicago metropolitan area. It anchors the Rockford metropolitan area, which had 338,798 residents in 2020.

Settled in the mid-1830s as Midway due to its location roughly equidistant between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River, Rockford became strategic for industrial development. During the second half of the 19th century, it became notable for its production of heavy machinery, hardware, and tools. At the beginning of the 20th century, the city was the second leading center of furniture manufacturing in the U.S. During the second half of the 20th century, Rockford struggled alongside many Rust Belt cities to maintain its previous industrial presence. Since the late 1990s, efforts in economic diversification have led to the growth of automotive, aerospace, and healthcare industries, as well as the undertaking of various tourism and downtown revitalization efforts.

Nicknamed "the Forest City" for its heavily forested residential neighborhoods during the 20th century, Rockford is known for various venues of cultural or historical significance, including Anderson Japanese Gardens, Klehm Arboretum, Tinker Swiss Cottage, the BMO Harris Bank Center, the Coronado Theatre, the Laurent House, and the Burpee Museum of Natural History. Its contributions to music are noted in the Mendelssohn Club, the oldest music club in the U.S., and performers such as Cheap Trick and Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps.

Settlement and development

Rockford traces its roots to 1834, as the combined settlements of Midway were founded on both banks of the Rock River. On the west bank, Germanicus Kent and Thatcher Blake (with his slave Lewis Lemon) founded Kentville; the east bank was settled by Daniel Shaw Haight. With the location of the Rock River equidistant between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River, the combined settlement derived the name "Midway". In 1836, Winnebago County was created (from both Jo Daviess and LaSalle counties), with Midway named as its county seat, as it was "halfway between Galena and Chicago on a line of four-horse coaches."

In 1837, the village of Midway was renamed Rockford, highlighting a rocky river ford across the Rock River in the village. In the same year, Rockford established its first post office, with Daniel Shaw Haight as the first postmaster. In 1840, the first weekly newspaper began circulation. In 1847, Rockford Female Seminary – today Rockford University – was founded. On January 3, 1852, Rockford was officially chartered as a city; a year later the long-running "Forest City" nickname first appeared, used by the New York Tribune. Also in 1852, the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad connected Rockford to Chicago by railroad.

At the time of its founding, many of the village's residents were transplants from the Northeastern United States and upstate New York. Descended from English Puritans, the Midway/Rockford population was similar to much of the rest of northern Illinois and nearly all of Wisconsin during the mid-19th century. After the Black Hawk War, additional immigrants moved to northern Illinois; during the 1830s and 1840s, Rockford and Winnebago County were considered a cultural extension of New England.

During the antebellum period, Rockford shared abolitionist leanings, lending considerable support to the Free Soil Party and the later Republican Party. In 1848, 42 percent of voters in Winnebago County (where Rockford dominated as the county seat) voted for Martin Van Buren. In 1852, Free Soil candidate John P. Hale became the first presidential candidate to visit Rockford, although he would only receive 28 percent of the vote. In 1860, Abraham Lincoln won 3,985 votes in Winnebago County to the 817 votes of Stephen A. Douglas.

The 1850s brought industry that would change Rockford forever. In 1853, inventor John Henry Manny moved to Rockford to produce horse-drawn mechanical reapers for farmers and transport the finished products by rail. Chicago implement manufacturer Cyrus McCormick (whose company became International Harvester) took Manny to court after he produced nearly 6,000 machines; Manny would prevail on both judgement and an appeal. Along with the production of agricultural machines, Swedish furniture cooperatives established the city as a manufacturing base. The Rockford Union Furniture Company, under John Erlander, spearheaded these cooperatives. Today, Erlander's home is a Rockford museum that shows his efforts in elevating Rockford to second in furniture manufacturing in the United States, behind Grand Rapids.

During the Civil War, one of the first Illinois regiments to be mobilized, the Zouaves, were from Rockford. The city also served as the site for Camp Fuller, a training site for four other infantry regiments.

In 1884, Rockford established its first city-wide public school district, constructing Rockford Central High School in 1885; following the construction of the high school, the district began construction of brick multi-story multigrade school buildings across the city.

The Rockford Female Seminary became the alma mater of Jane Addams in 1881. The move accompanied the Seminary's transition into a more complete curriculum, which was represented by its renaming to Rockford College in 1892. Culture flourished with the founding of the Mendelssohn Club in 1884, which became the oldest operating music club in the United States. It was complemented by the construction of a Carnegie library in 1902, which became the first building of Rockford's public library system. 1903 saw the dedication of the Winnebago County Veterans Memorial Hall in the presence of sitting President Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt returned to Rockford during his campaign in 1912 and again to address the soldiers at Camp Grant, a training site for World War I soldiers.

20th century
The twentieth century saw demographic changes to Rockford. An influx of Italians, Poles, Lithuanians, and African Americans replaced the previously dominant Irish and Swedes. The city was also no stranger to contemporary political issues. Electorally divided between wets and drys on the subject of prohibition, Rockford featured a coalition of labor unionists and socialists that elected numerous aldermen and carried 25 to 40 percent in mayoral elections. During World War I, an antiwar protest by the Industrial Workers of the World led to 118 arrests. In 1920, the city was a target of the Palmer Raids. While its congressional district favored Republicans, Rockford continuously elected former socialists as mayor between 1921 and 1955.

One of its contemporary attractions, the Coronado Theatre, opened in 1927. Noted for its atmospheric styling, the Coronado rivaled its counterparts in Chicago and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. Camp Grant was turned over to the Illinois National Guard. During World War II, it reopened as an induction center and POW detention camp. The USS Rockford, a Tacoma-class frigate named for the city, was commissioned in March 1944 and earned two service stars.

In the September 1949 issue of Life magazine, postwar Rockford was described as "nearly typical of the U.S. as any city can be." Due to this archetypal nature, sociologists like W. Lloyd Warner warned of the necessity to "understand the realities of their system." In the late 1950s, Rockford lost over 50,000 trees to Dutch elm disease, thinning the tree canopy of the "Forest City" for decades.

From 1955 to 1965, several events would take place that would shape the development of Rockford into the 21st century. In 1956, construction was approved for a four-lane US 20 bypass; along with shifting truck traffic away from the downtown routing of the highway, the bypass established much of the southern border of the city (which remains to this day). In 1958, Interstate 90 was completed in Illinois, becoming the Northwest Tollway; in a decision that would change Rockford forever, the interstate highway was not routed through the city, but near the Winnebago-Boone county line, with the eastern terminus of the US 20 bypass in Cherry Valley.

In 1963, the Rockford area was selected by Chrysler Corporation to construct an assembly plant; the final site of what is now the Belvidere Assembly Plant is southwest of Belvidere, between US 20 and Interstate 90. While not located directly in the city, the Chrysler assembly plant has served as one of the largest employers of the region since its 1965 opening.

The growth of Rockford led to many changes to its educational systems. In 1955, Rockford College – now Rockford University – became co-educational for the first time. Coinciding with the expansion of the student body, the college outgrew its near-east side campus in use since the 1840s. After the acquisition of land in 1957, construction began on its present-day campus location, opening in 1964. In 1964, Rock Valley College was founded as a two-year community college, with construction on its campus commencing in 1965.

Prior to the 1960s, neighborhood and economic growth in Rockford largely mirrored itself on both sides of the Rock River. As the 20th century progressed, growth in western Rockford (and established neighborhoods in eastern areas of the city) struggled to compete with economic development that moved further east. From the late 1950s, downtown Rockford (centered around the intersection of IL 2 and US 20; Main Street and West State Street) began to decline as the primary shopping district of the city. In 1956, North Towne Mall opened on the far northwest side of the city, with Colonial Village opening on the (then) far east side in 1962, both of which were partially enclosed (some stores had exterior entrances). In 1973, Cherryvale Mall was opened as the first fully enclosed shopping mall in the city; nearly 6 miles from the city center, the mall was located at the intersection of the US-20 bypass and the Northwest Tollway, sharing a city border with Cherry Valley.

While growth at the eastern end of Rockford undersaw favorable conditions for growth, established neighborhoods began to suffer irrevocable decline. In the 1970s, efforts commenced to revitalize downtown Rockford, once the primary shopping district. In a highly criticized decision, the city reconfigured several blocks of downtown into a pedestrian mall, closing off the Main Street/West State Street intersection to traffic. In 1975, what the local press characterized as one of the most well-known and haunting crimes took place when newspaper delivery boy Joey Didier was kidnapped and murdered by Robert Lower. In the late 1970s, Symbol, a 47-foot tall Alexander Liberman abstract sculpture was placed in the center of the pedestrian mall. In 1980, then Congressman John B. Anderson, representing the 16th Congressional District in Illinois which includes Rockford, ran for President of the United States. Further attracting commercial growth, the MetroCentre 10,000-seat multi-purpose arena, was opened in 1981.

Rockford was hit hard by the early 1980s recession and became one of the highest-unemployed cities in the United States. In 1981, rail service to the city ended as Amtrak ended the Dubuque-to-Chicago Black Hawk route. After struggling to compete with more modern facilities, the Coronado Theatre showed its last movie in 1984, shifting solely to stage performances. To expand passenger service, the Greater Rockford Airport rebuilt its passenger terminal in 1987, although the access of Rockford to the Northwest Tollway (to the much larger O'Hare Airport) became a popular alternative.

In a decision that continues to affect Rockford to the present day, in 1989, Rockford Public School District 205 closed several schools across the city in a cost-cutting decision. In the aftermath of the decision, the school district was found guilty in federal court of discrimination against minority students. From 1993 to 2001, the school district was under federal oversight to desegregate its schools, costing over $250 million.

21st century
With its economy predominately based on manufacturing, the city has been affected by the deindustrialization of the Rust Belt. There has been an emphasis on services, especially medicine and education.

During the 2000s, a movement began to reverse urban blight of downtown Rockford, which had begun in the 1960s. After an 18-month multi-million dollar renovation and expansion, the Coronado Theatre was reopened in 2001. In 2008, the MetroCentre downtown arena completed a $20 million renovation (renamed the BMO Harris Bank Center in 2011). In 2009, the downtown pedestrian mall was removed as part of a street refurbishment project, restoring Main Street (Illinois Route 2) to two-lane traffic for the first time in nearly 45 years.

Prior to the onset of the Great Recession, housing in Rockford was affected by catastrophic weather events. In 2006 and 2007, Keith Creek underwent 100-year flooding events, damaging hundreds of older homes on the near east side of the city. In response, the city secured FEMA grants, demolishing over 100 homes; to reduce the severity of future flooding events, the creek is being reconstructed (through 2019) and left as greenspace. As an effect of the recession, by 2013, thirty-two percent of mortgages in the city were upside-down. While remaining the largest city in Illinois outside Chicago and its suburbs, estimated population decline from 2010 to 2017 led Rockford to be overtaken by Joliet and Naperville (the latter, slightly), effectively making it the fifth-largest city in Illinois.

From 2014 to 2018, the unemployment rate in Rockford has fallen from 12.9 percent to 4.4 percent (the lowest since 2000). While predominately a manufacturing community since World War II, Rockford has struggled to diversify its industrial base. Shifting from agricultural machinery and furniture, manufacturing in the city remains dominated by fasteners, automotive suppliers (representing FCA Belvidere Assembly), and the aerospace industry (Woodward and Collins Aerospace; the latter, tracing its roots to Sundstrand Corporation). In 2012, Woodward selected suburban Loves Park for a $200 million manufacturing campus toward its energy control and optimization systems. Boeing included Rockford in a list of five finalists to manufacture the 777X during union disputes in 2014. In 2016, AAR Corporation opened a MRO facility at the Rockford airport with a hangar large enough to fit a Boeing 747-8.

During the 2010s, all three major health care providers in Rockford underwent major expansions of their facilities. SwedishAmerican, in partnership with the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, opened a $39 million Regional Cancer Center in 2013. In 2014, MercyHealth (based in Janesville, Wisconsin) acquired Rockford Health System, the operator of Rockford Memorial Hospital. In 2019, MercyHealth opened Javon Bea Hospital-Riverside (named after the MercyHealth CEO and its Riverside Boulevard/Interstate 90 location); its second hospital in Rockford, the $505 million complex was the largest construction project in the history of the city.

Geography
According to the 2010 census, Rockford has an area of 61.949 sqmi, of which 61.08 sqmi (or 98.6%) is land and 0.869 sqmi (or 1.4%) is water.

Rockford is approximately 90 miles west-northwest of downtown Chicago, and 70 miles south-southeast of Madison.

Waterways

The Rock River forms the traditional center of Rockford and is its most recognizable natural feature. One of its largest tributaries, the Kishwaukee River, joins the Rock River at the southern end of the city near the Rockford airport. Since the 1946 closure of Camp Grant, much of the length of Kishwaukee has been redeveloped into parkland and forest preserves, effectively forming the southern border of the city. Other waterways that feed into the Rock River include Spring Creek (northeast region), Keith Creek (east region), and Kent Creek (west region). Of the 8 Illinois dams of the Rock River, the Fordham dam is located south of downtown.

Climate
Summers are usually hot and humid with the average high temperature in July (the hottest month) being 83.9 °F. The winter months can bring bitterly cold Arctic air masses. The average high temperature in January (the coldest month) is 29.1 °F. June is Rockford's wettest month while January is the driest. During a typical year, Rockford receives 37.24 in of precipitation.

Rockford and surrounding areas are prone to violent thunderstorms during March, April, May, and June. On April 21, 1967, a violent F4 tornado struck the neighboring town of Belvidere, killing twenty-four people and injuring hundreds more at Belvidere's High School. Other severe weather events, such as hail and strong winds are common in these storms. On July 5, 2003, at 04:13, a line of severe storms and their associated high winds caused widespread damage on both the east and west sides of Rockford. Approximately 70,000 people were without power, with many on the west side suffering in the heat without electricity for a week. It took months to clear the damage, but because the storm struck so early in the morning there were no injuries or fatalities. However, these sometimes violent storms bring the majority of summer rainfall.

The city is also prone to severe snowstorms in winter, and blizzards are frequent winter occurrences. On January 13, 1979, over 9 inches (23 cm) of snow fell on Rockford in just a few hours during one of the strongest blizzards in the city's history. The city averages approximately 36 inches (91.4 cm) of snowfall in a normal winter, but greater amounts are common. The snowiest winter in the history of the city was the winter of 1978–1979, when 74.5 in of snow fell.

The record high temperature is 112 °F, set on July 14, 1936 during the Dust Bowl, and the record low temperature is −31 °F, set on January 31, 2019.

2010 census
As of the 2010 census, there were 152,871 people and 66,700 households. Rockford is in the center of its namesake metropolitan area. The racial makeup of the city was 65.1% White (58.4% Non-Hispanic white), 20.5% African American, 0.4% Native American, 2.9% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 7.5% from other races, and 3.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 15.8% of the population.

The median income for a household in the city was $55,667, and the median income for a family was $65,465. Males had a median income of $37,098 versus $25,421 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,781. 14.0% of the population and 10.5% of families were below the poverty line. 19.6% of those under the age of 18 and 8.0% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

In the late 1950s, Rockford surpassed Peoria as the second largest city in Illinois by population, holding onto that position into the 21st century. In 2003, the status was changed as it was overtaken by Aurora after the results of a special census held by the latter city (as the two cities were not counted together, a direct comparison was not possible until the national census in 2010).

Religion

According to 2010 figures, 20% of Winnebago County residents were Catholic, 19% Evangelical, 10% Mainline Protestant and 48% belonged to another faith or had no religion. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockford, several large evangelical and non-denominational churches, and several Lutheran and other Mainline Protestant congregations serve Rockford's Christian community. Rockford's Jewish community is served by a synagogue, the Muslim community by a mosque, the Sikhs by a temple, and its Buddhist community is served by two houses of worship.

Largest employers
As of January 2017, the ten largest employers in Rockford, Illinois are:

Other industry
Mrs. Fisher's, a regional manufacturer of potato chips, was founded in Rockford.

Arts and culture

Compared to Katowice by writer Leopold Tyrmand, Rockford possesses a wealth of notable architecture. The Lake-Peterson House, constructed by alderman John Lake in 1873 and preserved by Swedish industrialist Pehr August Peterson, is a notable example of Gothic Revival. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, it is used for the School of Medical Technology of the Rockford-based Swedish American Hospital.

Further Swedish influence on Rockford during the Victorian era is represented in the Erlander Home Museum, the base of the Swedish Historical Society. Swiss influence can be seen in the Tinker Swiss Cottage, which was opened as a museum under the park district in 1943 and was featured in an episode of Ghost Hunters in 2012.

Modern architectural movements, like Art Deco and Prairie School, are also integral to Rockford. Most renowned is the Coronado Theatre, a civic and entertainment center named one of 150 Great Places in Illinois by the American Institute of Architects. The theater is known for its blend of Art Deco with Spanish Baroque Revival and has hosted numerous performers over its lifetime, including the Marx Brothers, Frank Sinatra, and Bob Dylan. The 186-foot tall Faust Hotel complements the Coronado; constructed in 1929, it endures as Rockford's tallest building, albeit as apartments for the elderly and disabled. The Laurent House, a single-story Usonian home constructed in 1952 by Frank Lloyd Wright, is the only Wright building designed for a person with disabilities. Acquired by a private foundation from its commissioners, it was renovated into a museum in 2014. The Rockford Area has two additional places named by the American Institute of Architects in the 150 Great Places, Anderson Japanese Gardens in Rockford, Illinois and Poplar Grove United Methodist Church in Poplar Grove, Illinois.

Anderson Japanese Gardens, modeled after the Portland Japanese Garden and landscaped by Hoichi Kurisu, is 10 acres in size and features a teahouse and guesthouse in the sukiya-zukuri style. Klehm Arboretum and Botanic Garden is 155 acres in size and is noted for its selection of both indigenous and foreign plant species.

The Burpee Museum of Natural History is home to the world's most complete juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex, Jane, as well as a Triceratops, Homer. The Discovery Center Museum, a children's museum featuring over 250 hands-on exhibits including a planetarium. The Burpee Museum and the Discovery Center Museum, along with the Rockford Art Museum and the bases for Northern Public Radio, the Rockford Dance Company, and the Rockford Symphony Orchestra make up the downtown Riverfront Museum Park complex. The last museum under the park district's authority is Midway Village and Museum Center, a recreation of a Victorian-era village. The eastern riverwalk of Rockford is maintained by the park district, featuring the Nicholas Conservatory and Gardens. Located on the bank of the Rock River, the conservatory is the third-largest in the state of Illinois. Just north of the gardens is Symbol, an Alexander Liberman sculpture moved from downtown during the 1980s and now one of Rockford's most recognizable features.

In 2021, artist Rafael Blanco painted "Thinking of you Rockford" in Rockford, Illinois. The 22-foot by 77-foot piece featured a young Black Female dreaming alongside math and science illustrations.

Current teams

 * Rockford IceHogs (ice hockey; UHL 1999–2007, AHL 2007–present)
 * Rockford Rivets (baseball; NWL 2015–present)
 * Rockford Rage (women's roller derby; 2006–present)
 * Rockford Raptors (indoor football)

Historic teams

 * Rockford Forest Citys (baseball, 1871)
 * Rockford Peaches (women's baseball; AAGPBL, 1943–1954)
 * Rockford Lightning (basketball; CBA, 1986–2005)
 * Rockford Aviators (baseball; Frontier League 2002–2009, Northern League 2010, Frontier League 2011–2015)
 * Rockford Rampage (indoor soccer; AISL 2005–2008, NISL 2008–2010)
 * Rockford Fury (basketball; PBL, 2006–2008)
 * Rockford Foresters (baseball; Midwest Collegiate League 2010–2013)

Rockford Peaches
From 1943 to 1954, the Rockford Peaches were an inaugural team of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Playing home games at Beyer Stadium, the Peaches won league championships in 1945, 1948, 1949, and 1950; the four championships are the most of any league member. The team and the league itself were portrayed in the 1992 motion picture A League of Their Own.

Parks and recreation
Rockford Park District operates Aldeen Golf Club, a municipal golf course.

Government
Since the creation of Winnebago County in 1836, Rockford has served as its county seat. Rockford is the largest Dillon's Rule municipality in Illinois, having revoked home rule in 1983. Along with a mayor (elected every four years), the Rockford City Council consists of 14 alderman (elected every 4 years), with the city divided into 14 wards.

In a fashion similar to other cities its size (or larger), local government is split into executive and legislative branches. The mayor of Rockford is chosen in a general election every four years. The Rockford City Council consists of 14 aldermen, individually elected from each ward in the city.

Post-secondary

Post-secondary schools located in Rockford include:
 * Rockford University, a private 4-year school of just under 2000 students
 * Rock Valley College, a 10,000-student community college
 * Rockford Career College
 * St. Anthony College of Nursing

Rockford contains satellite branches of:
 * Judson University
 * Northern Illinois University
 * Rasmussen College
 * University of Illinois College of Medicine

Public schools
Public education is administered by Rockford Public School District 205. The district contains 41 schools, approximately 27,700 students, and 4,071 employees.

High schools include Auburn High School, East High School, Guilford High School, and Jefferson High School

Private schools
Private schools include Boylan Catholic High School, Keith Country Day School, Rockford Lutheran High School, and Rockford Iqra School

Media
Rockford is the 161st largest radio market in the United States. It is ranked 136th by Nielsen Media Research for the 2015-2016 television season with 170,140 television households.

The area is served by over 15 commercial radio stations, over 5 non-commercial radio stations, 2 low power FM radio stations, 5 TV stations and 1 daily newspaper.

Roads and highways

 * Interstate 39
 * Interstate 90 (Jane Addams Memorial Tollway)
 * U.S. Route 20 (Ulysses S. Grant Memorial Highway)
 * U.S. Route 51
 * Illinois Route 2 (South/North Main Street)
 * Illinois Route 70 (Kilburn Avenue)
 * Illinois Route 251 (North Second Street, Kishwaukee Street, Harrison Avenue, 11th Street)

Bus
The Rockford Mass Transit District provides fixed-route and paratransit service to Rockford, Loves Park, and Machesney Park. The 40 fixed route buses operate over 17 routes.

Greyhound Lines and Van Galder Bus Company provide intercity travel.

Bicycle-sharing system
In April 2018, Rockford became included in the LimeBike bicycle-sharing network. Using 500 commuter bicycles supplied by the company, residents rent bicycles through a mobile app, unlocking the dockless bicycles. Distinguished by their bright green color, LimeBikes are equipped with a basket, lights, and GPS (to locate them for rental); one-speed and three-speed units are in use.

In early 2019, LimeBike was discontinued in Rockford; the company shifted its business model away from bicycles to e-scooters.

Air

The first airport serving the Rockford area was Machesney Airport, located north of the city alongside US 51. Opened in 1927, the airport was initially a private airport; during World War II, it was utilized by the Army Air Corps. After the war, Machesney Airport was opened as a municipal airport. In 1974, the location was closed, becoming the site of the Machesney Park Mall in 1980.

After Camp Grant's final closure in 1946, the state legislature allowed for the establishment of an airport to serve Rockford, leading to the creation of the Greater Rockford Airport Authority (GRAA). In 1948, the GRAA received a 1500-acre portion of the Camp Grant property between US 51 and the Rock River, located between the southern border of the city and New Milford.

From the 1950s to 1970s, the Greater Rockford Airport served as a regional airport, with small airlines offering both turboprop and jet service. To further expand passenger service, the current passenger terminal was constructed in 1987. Competing against easy highway access (and bus service) to O'Hare International Airport, the airport struggled for passenger service during the 1990s, leading to the loss of passenger service from 2001 to 2003. Since 2003, the airport has restored passenger service, primarily marketing its location for leisure travelers. Following the closure of several airlines, the location is served by Allegiant Air as its passenger carrier. Following a 2005 upgrade, the passenger terminal was expanded in size in 2018.

During the 2000s, the airport underwent several name changes, adopting the current Chicago Rockford International Airport moniker in 2007. Among the fastest-growing freight airports in the world, full-scale cargo operations began in 1994 as United Parcel Service (UPS) opened an air package hub at the airport next to the terminal. Second only to Worldport in the UPS Airlines operations, the Rockford UPS hub operates on a separate 50-acre ramp (parking up to 40 aircraft at a time), accommodating up to a Boeing 747-8F.

Next to the UPS facilities, another cargo ramp was built in 2008, intended to attract additional cargo airlines. In 2016, the facilities were leased by ABX, intending to transfer freight from aircraft to trucks; the operations transitioned into flights for Amazon Air, who partners with ABX, ATI, and Atlas Air. The same year, AAR Corporation opened an FBO facility on the southern end of the airport, building hangars large enough to accommodate an Airbus A380. In 2021, cargo operations were expanded further, as the airport constructed an additional cargo-handling facility and cargo ramp, introducing service by German air cargo company Senator International, contracting 747s by Air Atlanta Icelandic. In 2022, Korean Air Cargo introduced cargo service from Seoul to Rockford on 777-300 freighters, becoming the longest flight from the airport.

Passenger
For over four decades, the Rockford region has not been served by passenger rail. From 1974 to 1981, Rockford was served by Amtrak via its Black Hawk route, a daily train service from Dubuque, Iowa to Union Station in Chicago with a stop in Rockford. The Black Hawk was discontinued in September 1981 as part of funding cuts to Amtrak.

During the 2000s, interest increased in relinking the Rockford and Chicago regions by rail. In 2006, the Northern Illinois Commuter Transportation Initiative proposed extending Metra train service from the western Chicago suburbs to Rockford. During the early 2010s, there was design work on a planned 2015 revival of the Black Hawk route on Canadian National rails, with Rockford as the initial terminus. As part of the ongoing Illinois financial crisis, state funding for the Black Hawk revival was suspended in February 2015, putting the project on hold. The service was later funded in 2019 with the support of Governor J.B. Pritzker. In 2023, it was announced that Metra would provide service to Rockford as an extension of the Milwaukee District West Line, with twice-daily service in each direction beginning in 2027.

Freight
Rockford is served by several different freight railroad lines, the Union Pacific, the Canadian National, the Iowa, Chicago & Eastern (Canadian Pacific), and the Illinois Railway. The Union Pacific line from West Chicago terminates in Rockford at a small yard.

The Canadian National line from Addison enters from the Southeast and leaves in the Northwest. They have a small yard where they interchange with the Illinois Railway. The Illinois Railway Rockford Line comes from the South, joins the Canadian National line, where they continue on trackage rights to the Canadian National yard. Canadian Pacific (Iowa, Chicago, and Eastern) runs on Illinois Railway trackage rights from Davis Junction, and leaves on their own trackage to the North. All of the railroads interchange at a yard off of Main Street.

The Union Pacific Railroad's Global III Intermodal Facility is approximately 25 mi south of Rockford in Rochelle, Illinois, a community of 10,000. The complex is one of the world's largest intermodal facilities. Construction on the state-of-the-art facility was completed in 2003 in Rochelle due to the close proximity to four interstate highways (I-39, I-88, I-80, and I-90) and rail routes.

In popular culture
Bing Liu's documentary Minding the Gap (2018) is set in Rockford.

The 10th episode : "Asylum" of Supernatural season 1 (2005) is set in Rockford.

Sister cities
Rockford's sister cities are:
 * Brovary, Ukraine (1995)
 * Changzhou, China (1999)
 * Borgholm, Sweden (2002)
 * Cluj-Napoca, Romania (2005)
 * Ferentino, Italy (2006)
 * Tokmok, Kyrgyzstan (2006)
 * Taszár, Hungary (2007)

Lidköping and Skaraborg County in Sweden have the Industrial Partnership Agreement with Rockford. The two regions work together with growing locally by working globally.

title: Rockford, Illinois


text:
Rockton, Illinois

Rockton is a village in Winnebago County, Illinois. It is located in the Rock River Valley and is part of the Rockford metropolitan area. The population was 7,685 at the time of the 2010 census, up from 5,296 at the time of the 2000 census.

Geography
Rockton is located at 42.45083°N, -89.06389°W (42.450753, -89.063844).

According to the 2010 census, Rockton has a total area of 5.708 sqmi, of which 5.5 sqmi (or 96.36%) is land and 0.208 sqmi (or 3.64%) is water.

History
Native American tribes originally inhabited the region. Stephen Mack, Jr. was the first white settler in the Rockton area. He was married to Hononegah, a respected Native American woman from one of the surrounding tribes. His original outpost (c. 1830s) eventually became Macktown. William Talcott arrived to the area later and, after a disagreement with Mack, settled on the other side of the nearby river within the present village of Rockton. Citizens who lived in Macktown would frequently travel across the river to Rockton but in 1851, the bridge from Macktown to Rockton washed away. The bridge had been built with funding from Stephen Mack and its destruction, along with Mack's death in 1850, led citizens to permanently move to Rockton. In northern Illinois, Macktown is the only community from the 1830s that is still standing without subsequent development. On June 14, 2021, a large explosion and subsequent fire affected the Chemtool Lubrication production plant in Rockton. There were no serious injuries, but an area within a one mile radius from the fire was evacuated. The massive smoke plume from the fire was reported to be visible up to 75 miles away from Rockton.

Demographics
As of the census of 2010, there were 7,685 people, 1,930 households, and 1,464 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,505.5 PD/sqmi. There were 2,008 housing units at an average density of 570.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 91.80% White, 1.40% African American, 0.1% Native American, 1.10% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.45% from other races, and 0.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.60% of the population.

There were 1,930 households, out of which 42.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.2% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.1% were non-families. 20.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.18.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 31.1% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 31.4% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 9.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.0 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $57,292, and the median income for a family was $62,863. Males had a median income of $47,321 versus $32,771 for females. The per capita income for the village was $24,078. About 1.4% of families and 1.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.3% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

 * Scott Hall, jazz trumpeter, educator, and composer
 * Julie Harshbarger, professional football kicker

title: Rockton, Illinois


text:
Roscoe, Illinois

Roscoe  is a village in Winnebago County, Illinois, along the Rock River. It is in a suburban area of the Rockford, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the village population was 10,785, up from 6,244 at the 2000 census. The area has been undergoing a period of rapid growth. There have been numerous border disputes with its neighbor to the west, Rockton, Illinois, and development and annexations continue by both villages. Recent growth has included the Promontory Ridge and Hidden Creek custom home subdivisions east of the Illinois Tollway, I-39/I-90.

History
Though settled in the 1830s, Roscoe was incorporated as a village in 1965. The village was named after Roscoe Township. Harlem-Roscoe Fire Department Station Three, located at 13974 Willowbrook Rd, was hit by an EF-1 tornado on May 22, 2011. Path length was 1 mile long and 50 yards wide, no injuries were reported.

Geography
According to the 2010 census, Roscoe is located at 42.41472°N, -89.01056°W (42.414841, -89.010470). Roscoe has a total area of 10.435 sqmi, of which 10.36 sqmi (or 99.28%) is land and 0.075 sqmi (or 0.72%) is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 6,244 people including 2,211 households and 1,740 families residing in the village. The population density was 675.1 PD/sqmi. There were 2,277 housing units at an average density of 246.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 95.26% White, 1.91% African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.82% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.74% from other races, and 1.04% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.50% of the population.

Of the 2,211 households, 44.5% had children under the age of 18, 67.4% were married couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.3% were non-families. 16.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82 members and the average family size was 3.19 members.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 31.7% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 35.6% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 6.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.3 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $59,267, and the median income for a family was $61,515. Males had a median income of $48,356 versus $30,060 for females. The per capita income for the village was $25,324. About 1.7% of families and 2.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.1% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

Government
Mark Szula is the Village President since his election in April 2019 for a four-year term. He is a former trustee of the Village of Roscoe.

Schools
The four public schools in Roscoe are part of the Kinnikinnick School District. These are Ledgewood School (grades PreK-1), Stone Creek School (grades 2-3), Kinnikinnick School (grades 4-5), and Roscoe Middle School (grades 6-8). There is no public high school in the village, so high school students attending a public school must attend Hononegah High School in neighboring Rockton, Illinois, or Harlem High School, in Machesney Park, IL. The school district is involved in a court action to use eminent domain to acquire land in Roscoe for a high school. Roscoe Middle School is the largest feeder school for Hononegah High School. The Prairie Hill Community Consolidated School District #133 also serves parts of Roscoe's northeast area. Parts of the southern areas are served by Harlem School District 122. Rockford School District 205 serves the SE section of the village.

Notable people

 * John Q. Briggs, Minnesota state senator, was born in Roscoe.
 * Nicole Manske, sports reporter and Miss Illinois Teen USA (1998), co-host of The Speed Report; native of Roscoe
 * Danica Patrick, driver, only woman to win in the IndyCar Series and only woman to get a lead laps in both the Indianapolis 500 and Daytona 500 and get top tens in both; grew up in Roscoe.

title: Roscoe, Illinois