Back روكفورد (إلينوي) Arabic روكفورد (ايلينوى) ARZ راکفورد، ایلینوی AZB Рокфард (Ілінойс) Byelorussian Рокфорд Bulgarian রকফোর্ড, ইলিনয় Bengali/Bangla Rockford (Illinois) Breton Rockford (Illinois) Catalan Рокфорд (Иллинойс) CE Rockford (kapital sa kondado sa Tinipong Bansa, Illinois) CEB
Rockford | |
|---|---|
 Flag  Seal | |
| Nicknames: | |
| Motto: "The Government Closest to the People" | |
 Interactive map of Rockford | |
  Rockford  Rockford | |
| Coordinates: 42°16′16″N 89°05′38″W / 42.27113°N 89.094°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Illinois |
| Counties | Winnebago and Ogle |
| Township | Rockford |
| Incorporated | 1839 (as a town) January 3, 1852 (as a city)[2][3] |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor-council government |
| • Body | Rockford City Council |
| • Mayor | Tom McNamara (D) |
| • City Council[4] | City Council members |
| Area | |
• City | 65.92 sq mi (170.74 km2) |
| • Land | 64.91 sq mi (168.11 km2) |
| • Water | 1.01 sq mi (2.63 km2) |
| Elevation | 728 ft (222 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• City | 148,655 |
| • Rank | 185th in the United States 5th in Illinois |
| • Density | 2,290.24/sq mi (884.27/km2) |
| • Urban | 276,443 (US: 148th)[7] |
| • Urban density | 2,065.9/sq mi (797.6/km2) |
| • Metro | 338,798 (US: 155th)[6] |
| Demonym | Rockfordian |
| GDP | |
| • Metro | $18.129 billion (2022) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| ZIP Codes | 61101–61110, 61112, 61114, 61125, 61126 |
| Area codes | 815 and 779 |
| FIPS code | 17-65000 |
| Website | rockfordil |
| [9] | |
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.[10] 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.
- ^ a b Whittaker, Wayne (1956). The Rockford story: 1852-1952. Rockford, Ill.: Rockford Chamber of Commerce. OCLC 802243091.
- ^ "Comprehensive Annual Financial Report" (PDF). City of Rockford. December 31, 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 2, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
- ^ "Name of Local Government: Rockford". Illinois State Archives. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
- ^ "About the City Council". City of Rockford, Illinois. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
- ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
- ^ "Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2021". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
- ^ United States Census Bureau (December 29, 2022). "2020 Census Qualifying Urban Areas and Final Criteria Clarifications". Federal Register.
- ^ "Total Gross Domestic Product for Rockford, IL (MSA)". Federal Reserve Economic Data. Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
- ^ "City of Rockford". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ "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.