Profile for Rockford, Illinois, IL

Rockford is on the Rock River, near the Wisconsin border.

The community was settled by New Englanders in the 1830s.

Rockford developed as an industrial community because of an abundance of water power.

Public transportation: Rockford Mass Transit District (See the transit and travel sections below.)

Crime: The number of violent crimes recorded by the FBI in 2003 was 12. The violent crime rate was per 1,000 people.

Filming location for:
· 1993 movie, "Groundhog Day"

Well-known residents have included:
· Stewart Brand, editor, writer
· Janice Voss, astronaut
· Barbara Hale, actress (Della Street on the Perry Mason TV series)

Local bands (past and present) have included Cheap Trick

Coffee: National and regional coffee companies with outlets here include Gloria Jean's, Panera Bread, Starbucks

Local festivals include:

• Sock Monkey Festival - March 10-11, 2007
• Paleofest - Feb. 17-18, 2007
• BookerFest - Aug. 11, 2007
• Polish Fest - Aug. 19, 2007
• World War II Days - Sept. 22-23, 2007
• Greenwich Village Art Fair - Sept. 15-16, 2007
• Hispanic Heritage Festival - Sept. 15-16, 2007

Performing arts: Rockford Symphony Orchestra

Nearby parks & recreation: Rock Cut State Park, Sinnissippi Park

Rockford attractions: Klehm Arboretum and Botanic Garden

Sports teams: Rockford IceHogs (United Hockey League)

Historic sites and museums: Burpee Museum of Natural History, Discovery Center Museum, Rockford Art Museum, Ethnic Heritage Museum, Midway Village & Museum Center

Colleges and universities: Rockford College, Rock Valley College

Support for libraries: Local government funding for the local library system, in fiscal years 2001-2002, was above the national average. (See library links below.)

Gays & lesbians
National index: 100
Local index: 90

Listed places near Rockford

Airports (1)

Archives (1)

Attractions (1)

Cemeteries (18)

Colleges (3)

Communities (8)

Hotels (22)

Libraries (7)

Museums (5)

Parks (1)

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• Rockford population
• Ancestry of people in Rockford
• Housing in Rockford
• Income in Rockford
• Marital status of adults in Rockford
• Place of birth of people in Rockford
• Residence in 1995, of people in Rockford
• School enrollment & education levels in Rockford
• Transportation & commute times in Rockford
• Winnebago County data
• Fastest-growing counties in Illinois
• State data - Illinois
• Data by street address
• Historical census records (Ancestry.com)

Sections below provide additional information and links about Rockford demographics, travel and tourism, nearby airports, cemeteries, the Winnebago County economy, education, environment, genealogy, government, historic sites, Rockford area jobs, libraries, maps, museums, newspapers and other media, nonprofit groups, real estate, recreation, religion, transportation, and weather in the 61104 ZIP code.

(Also see local map below.)

• Rockford city government
• Winnebago County government
• Rockford Chamber of Commerce
• Rockford tourism

18% of Rockford residents report German ancestry, and 10% report Irish. For more info on local ancestry groups, see the Rockford ancestry & family history guide.

• Cemeteries in or near Rockford
• Cemeteries in Winnebago County
• Libraries in or near Rockford

Post a query on a message board:

• Winnebago County Ancestry forum
• GenForum

Records & databases:

• Ancestry.com - IL data
• Birth, marriage & death records
• Cemetery records
• County history catalog
• Census records (historic)
• Court, land & probate records
• Death index
• Family & local history
• Immigration records
• Military records (historic)
• Newspaper articles

Music

• Rockford Symphony Orchestra

• Rockford area attractions
• Rockford museums
• Rockford historic sites
• Rockford area parks
• Wineries near Rockford

• Add a local cemetery to our listings
• Rockford area cemeteries
• Cemeteries in Winnebago County
• Cemetery record compendium
• Illinois cemetery message boards
• National database of cemetery records
• Veteran grave locator

• Communities near Rockford
• Nearby cities of 10,000 or more
• Nearby cities of 50,000 or more
• Communities in Winnebago County

• Rockford business guide
• Rockford Chamber of Commerce
• Better Business Bureau
• Business licenses
• Corporate records search

• Courts in Illinois
• Local ordinances in Illinois (Partial selection)

• Crime in Winnebago County
• Arrests in Winnebago County

• Obituaries - search nearby newspapers
• Obituary database - Ancestry.com
• Charitable donations

• Local information on disability access
• Americans with Disabilities Act
• Independent living centers in Illinois
• National Council on Independent Living

At the time of the 2000 census, the per capita income in Rockford was $19,781, compared with $21,587 nationally.

• Banks
• Building permits
• Current labor force
• Wage estimates
• Winnebago County economic census
• Winnebago County economic summary
• Winnebago County employment growth
• Winnebago County unemployment rate
• Illinois economic data

20% of Rockford residents age 25 and older have a bachelor's or advanced college degree.

• Colleges in or near Rockford
• Colleges in Illinois
• Learning Disabilities Association in Illinois
• Schools in or near Rockford
• School districts in or near Rockford
• School report cards
• Yearbooks (old) of Illinois high schools

• Movies & TV shows filmed in Rockford
• Movies playing in or near Rockford
• YouTube videos about Rockford

• Air pollution in Winnebago County
• Diesel soot in Winnebago County
• Land contamination in Winnebago County
• Nature Conservancy projects in Illinois
• Ozone status & air pollution - American Lung Association
• Toxic chemical releases in Winnebago County
• Water levels & streamflow conditions in Illinois

Rockford festival dates:

• Sock Monkey Festival - March 10-11, 2007
• Paleofest - Feb. 17-18, 2007
• BookerFest - Aug. 11, 2007
• Polish Fest - Aug. 19, 2007
• World War II Days - Sept. 22-23, 2007
• Greenwich Village Art Fair - Sept. 15-16, 2007
• Hispanic Heritage Festival - Sept. 15-16, 2007

Dates often change. Check with local tourism officials to be sure.

Rockford festival web sites:

• Greenwich Village Art Fair
• On the Waterfront Festival

• ePodunk festival listings
• Illinois county fairs
• Illinois festivals (Illinois tourism department)
• Send us festival info for Rockford

• Confluence of latitude & longitude near Rockford
• Geocaches in Illinois

• Rockford items now on sale

• Rockford local government Web site
• Winnebago County government
• Illinois state government
• Driver's licenses
• Motor vehicles
• Passports
• Social Security
• Veterans affairs
• Where to write for birth, death, marriage or divorce records

• Ancestry & family history
• Business
• Demographics
• Health
• Moving
• Nonprofit resources
• Sports & rec
• Travel

• Rockford medical services & health statistics

• State historical society

• Historic sites in or near Rockford
• Historic sites in Illinois
• Museums in or near Rockford
• Museums in Illinois
• Illinois state archives
• National Historic Landmark search
• Search the Library of Congress
• Search the National Register for historic properties
• Post history questions in Winnebago County genealogy forum

Median rent in Rockford, at the time of the 2000 Census, was $423.   Monthly homeowner costs, for people with mortgages, were $917.

• Research Rockford Apartments
• Find Foreclosure in Rockford
• Homes for sale in Rockford
• Find a Rockford Realtor
• Get free moving quotes
• Free home valuation
• Check Illinois mortgage rates
• Property and neighborhood reports
• Mortgage calculator

• Jobs in the Rockford area
• Job services in Illinois
• Minimum wage laws by state

Libraries in Rockford include Lewis Lemon, Montague, Northeast, Rock River, Rockford Public Library, Rockton Centre ... View libraries

• Illinois library

• Illinois statewide library catalog

• Get directions from Rockford
• Get directions to Rockford
• Census map of Rockford area
• Historic maps of IL cities - Library of Congress
• Historic maps of Illinois
• Topographic map of Rockford

Newspapers in Rockford include Rockford Register Star

TV stations in Rockford include WQFL-CA, WQRF, WREX, WTVO.

National Public Radio programming is carried locally by WNIJ.

• Daily newspapers in or near Rockford
• AM radio stations in or near Rockford
• Commercial FM radio stations in or near Rockford
• Public & educational radio stations in or near Rockford
• TV stations in or near Rockford
• Media ownership in the Rockford area
• Search historic newspaper articles
• Search recent news archives in Illinois

• Military bases in Illinois
• American Legion post locator
• Veterans of Foreign Wars post locator

• Check daily newspapers in or near Rockford
• Search obituaries in Illinois
• Recent death notices - selected IL newspapers

• Rockford Chamber of Commerce
• Community foundations (by state)
• Foundations (by name)
• Kiwanis clubs in Illinois
• Lions clubs in Illinois
• Nonprofit groups
• Nonprofit guide for Rockford
• Rotary club search
• Volunteer opportunities in or near Rockford

• Parks near Rockford
• National forests in Illinois
• State parks in Illinois

• Find friends & family
• Photos of people from Rockford

• Find a local animal shelter
• Report animal cruelty

• Aerial photo of Rockford
• Historic photos of U.S. cities
• Panoramic photos of Illinois communities
• Photos of Illinois places
• Post cards of Illinois communities

Winnebago County supported George W. Bush in the 2004 presidential election. For more information, see our Rockford political report.

• Illinois Democratic party
• Illinois Republican party
• Winnebago County elections board
• Illinois elections board

• ZIP codes (by street address)
• ZIP codes (by city)
• ZIP code reverse lookup (find cities in a ZIP code)

• Churches, other places of worship in or near Rockford
• Total membership by faith, in Winnebago County

• Chowhound message boards for IL

The average commute time for Rockford workers is 20 minutes, compared with 26 minutes nationwide.

A total of 30 fatal motor vehicle accidents occurred in Rockford between 2001 and 2003, according to reports gathered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

This is a rate of 2.0 fatal crashes per 10,000 population, which was lower than the national norm.

• Bus schedules

• Rockford travel guide
• Airports near Rockford
• Amtrak station in Rockford
• Hotels near Rockford
• Illinois tourism bureau

• Monthly averages & records
• Major storms (searchable by county)
• National weather map

• Audubon centers
• Birding spots in Illinois
• Wildlife refuges in Illinois

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