Rockford, Illinois

Rockford
Downtown East State Street corridor
Downtown East State Street corridor
Rockford City Hall
Rockford City Hall
Flag of Rockford
Official seal of Rockford
Nicknames: 
The Forest City,[1] The Screw Capital of the World, Fastener Capital of the World, Reaper City[1]
Motto: 
"The Government Closest to the People"
Location of Rockford in Winnebago County, Illinois
Location of Rockford in Winnebago County, Illinois
Rockford is located in Illinois
Rockford
Rockford
Rockford is located in the United States
Rockford
Rockford
Coordinates: 42°16′16″N 89°05′38″W / 42.27113°N 89.094°W / 42.27113; -89.094
CountryUnited States
StateIllinois
CountiesWinnebago and Ogle
TownshipRockford
Incorporated1839 (as a town)
January 3, 1852 (as a city)[2][3]
Government
 • TypeMayor-council government
 • BodyRockford City Council
 • MayorTom McNamara (D)
 • City Council[4]
City Council members
Area
 • City65.92 sq mi (170.74 km2)
 • Land64.91 sq mi (168.11 km2)
 • Water1.01 sq mi (2.63 km2)
Elevation
728 ft (222 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • City148,655
 • Rank185th in the United States
5th in Illinois
 • Density2,290.24/sq mi (884.27/km2)
 • Urban
276,443 (US: 148th)[7]
 • Urban density2,065.9/sq mi (797.6/km2)
 • Metro
338,798 (US: 155th)[6]
DemonymRockfordian
Time zoneUTC−6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP Codes
61101–61110, 61112, 61114, 61125, 61126
Area codes815 and 779
FIPS code17-65000
Websiterockfordil.gov
[8]

Rockford is a city in Winnebago County, Illinois, United States. Located in far northern part of the state 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 most-populous Illinois city outside of the Chicago metropolitan area, the city is the fifth-largest city in Illinois and the 171st-most populous in the U.S.[9]

Settled in the mid-1830s as Midway, Illinois (roughly equidistant between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River), the location of the city became strategic for industrial development. During the second half of the 19th century, Rockford 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 United States. 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 (denoting its heavily forested residential neighborhoods during much of 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 United States, and performers such as Cheap Trick and Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps.

  1. ^ a b Whittaker, Wayne (1956). The Rockford story: 1852-1952. Rockford, Ill.: Rockford Chamber of Commerce. OCLC 802243091.
  2. ^ "Comprehensive Annual Financial Report" (PDF). City of Rockford. December 31, 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 2, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  3. ^ "Name of Local Government: Rockford". Illinois State Archives. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  4. ^ "About the City Council". City of Rockford, Illinois. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  5. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  6. ^ "Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2021". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  7. ^ United States Census Bureau (December 29, 2022). "2020 Census Qualifying Urban Areas and Final Criteria Clarifications". Federal Register.
  8. ^ "City of Rockford". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  9. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places of 50,000 or More, Ranked by July 1, 2013 Population: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2013". U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division. May 2014. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved September 16, 2014.

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