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Rockford

Rockford is located in northern Illinois in Winnebago County and is the county seat. It lies about 50 miles northwest of Chicago and about 20 miles south of the Wisconsin border. The city stradles the Rock River.

In 1834, former New Englanders started a village on a shallow, rock-strewn stretch of the river, which was relatively easy to ford. They christened their settlement "Midway Village"--it was halfway between Galena, at the time a mining boomtown near the Mississippi River, and Chicago. The town had grown by 1837 and was renamed Rockford.

Today, Rockford is a multicultural community of about 150,000 people with roots in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas. Just as in the 1800s, the manufacturing sector is the Rockford area's largest employer. Companies manufacture precision cutting tools, fasteners, aerospace components, machine parts and automobiles, among other things.

The city is home to Rock Valley College, Rockford College and Saint Anthony College of Nursing.

Scenic Riverfront Museum Park is an ongoing restoration project.


Education Rockford College |
Restaurants, Cafes, Delis, Bakeries Cafe Patou | Lighthouse Cafe | Vickers Restaurant |
History Time Museum |
Motels, Hotels and Resorts Best Western Colonial Inn Motor Lodge |
Residential and Commercial Real Estate Dale Silberhorn Realtor | John Dowd and Diane Leggero Realtors | Johnson and Maurer Realtors | Malcolm Payne Realtor | Pine Hill Woodcrafts | Sandy Tower Realtor | Tim Jensen Realtor |
Shopping Annie's Gifts and Home Accents | B. Sanfield Jeweler and Florist | Busch Jewelers | Crafters Mall | Fantasy Glassworks |
Sports and Sporting Events Forest City Scuba |
Transportation Cottonwood Airport |

See more Illinois Cities and Towns.

02/18 Coming to The area
Dairy State Cheese and Beer Festival Kenosha WI April20 This fun-filled event includes cheese from around the state of Wisconsin, some of the area’s finest beers and live music.
North Shore Unitarian Church Art Fair Deerfield IL April27-28 NSUC's annual ART FAIR is a juried show featuring the original works of 65+ talented artists and artisans. The fine art and fine crafts exhibited include photography, painting, ceramics, glass, paper, woodwork, metalwork, jewelry, sculpture, fiber, clothing and mixed media. Exhibiting artists come from Illinois as well as from several surrounding states.
Dutch Days Festival Fulton IL May3-4 Arts and Crafts Vendors; Food and Concession Stands; Windmill Tours; Dutch Dancing and Costumes; Antique Tractor Display; Dutch Treasures Display; Heritage Canyon w/Early American Crafters; Hindeloopen Painting Demo and Sales; Stippling Display and Parade.
Chocolate Fest Long Grove IL May3-5 Dive into three days of nothing but CHOCOLATE! Mmm, chocolate strawberries, donuts, and much more! Every spring, the Village of Long Grove celebrates the existence of the world's best tasting antioxidant.
Lilac Time Art and Craft Fair Lombard IL May5 The Lilac Time Art and Craft Fair is held annually on St. Charles Road between Main and Elizabeth in downtown Lombard. All of the proceeds received from the craft booth rentals are donated to local charities. Features 140 craft exhibitors and 4000 attendees throughout the day.
West Chicago Blooming Fest West Chicago IL May18 The City of West Chicago presents another colorful Blooming Fest, an annual downtown garden festival. It combines the West Chicago Garden Club's popular plant sale, with a craft show, children's activities, music, food and fun. Downtown merchants and restaurants get into the act with special promotions, in-store specials and sidewalk sales.
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