From Screw City to City of Gardens: Rockford’s ongoing reinvention
For many, the name “Rockford” conjures images of busy manufacturing plants and pink-clad baseball stars in the 1940s. The fifth largest city in Illinois was dubbed “Screw Capital of the World” for its wartime production of fasteners and bolts, as well as its contributions to the furniture industry. Meanwhile, the Rockford Peaches made waves as one of the founding members of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, playing at Beyer Stadium and around the country in the 1950s.
Today the Peaches are memorialized in the movie A League of Their Own. In the community along the banks of the Rock River, a bright red abstract sculpture called Symbol honors the city’s deep manufacturing roots. Modern industry has Rockford looking skyward, with aircraft companies like Collins Aerospace and Woodward, Inc. employing many of the city's 150,000 residents. Medicine is another key player, with OSF Healthcare and UWHealth facilities serving neighborhoods east and west of the Rock River. U.S. News and World Report ranks Rockford as one of the most affordable places to live in the U.S. Current big-budget projects focus on transforming historic factory sites into downtown apartments and commercial spaces to meet growing demand. And with upgrades coming to an already-extensive park system, Rockford earns its other prominent nicknames: “Forest City” and “City of Gardens.”
Orchid 3rd Union College is located nearby to all that downtown Rockford has to offer.
Davis Park at Founders Landing includes an unmistakeable Rockford landmark of life size letters.
The Rockford Public Library, across the Rock River, illuminates in the evening.
Coronado Haskell is nearby the amenities and life of the Main Street District in Rockford.
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Low home prices, variety of builds in Rockford
In 2024, Niche listed Rockford as No. 10 out of 228 in a ranking of U.S. cities with the lowest cost of living. “For somebody brand new not having a connection to Rockford before, they find their dollar goes further,” Martin says. “Housing here is 24.7% lower than the national average, and you can get a really nice house for less.” The area surrounding downtown has a high number of 1900s-era homes now converted to multiplex apartments and condos, as well as older single-family homes. The median sales price is about $165,000, though prices at or below $30,000 are not uncommon for homes that need extensive repairs before move-in. Ranch-style homes and Cape Cods are more prevalent on the city’s outskirts in neighborhoods like Rolling Green. The newest single-family home construction is found mainly on the west side, where three- to four-bedroom custom builds of about 2,000 square feet are often priced under $240,000.
Composed of Victorian and Queen Anne style homes, prices range from 75 to 300 hundred thousand.
Jacoby Heights offers ranch-style homes from 200-thousand to 550-thousand.
Coronado Haskell offers a mix of renovation-ready and turnkey properties.
One of the oldest parts of the city, Haight Village includes homes that go as far back as 1843.
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Parks, botanical gardens and Jane the T-rex
The Rockford Park District offers playgrounds, pools, indoor and outdoor sports facilities and more. Highlights include Sinnissippi Gardens, a riverfront park and golf course which is often the site of live music, and Nicholas Conservatory. “Our bike path goes from there to the YMCA, and up to Loves Park and other communities,” Martin says. “It’s right along the Rock River.” When there's snow, residents visit Alpine Hills Adventure Park for tubing and snowboarding. During other seasons, the park's trails are popular for mountain biking and hiking. The extensive natural areas surrounding the city include Rock Cut State Park, located about 10 miles northeast for hiking, horseback riding, cross-country skiing or boating.
The Anderson Japanese Gardens is prized for its lovely landscape and Yoga, Tai Chi and meditation practices. Another place for nature immersion is Klehm Arboretum and Botanic Garden, where themed gardens offer creative workshops and rotating sculpture exhibits. The Discovery Center Museum is a children’s science museum with over 300 interactive exhibits, while the Burpee Museum of Natural History is the place to see Jane, the world's most complete and well-preserved juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex.
Stop by the Sinnissippi Music Park Shell for some summer family fun.
UW Health Sports Factory offers basketball for local Rockford residents.
The Anderson Japanese Gardens offer a great summer concert series for locals to attend.
Sinnissippi Park is a vital part of Rockford, offering pickleball among many other activities.
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RPS 205's special programs, high-school zones
Rockford Public Schools District 205, with a C grade from Niche, serves 27,000 students throughout the city and employs more than 4,000 people. There are nearly 50 schools in the district, from early childhood centers to high schools, gifted academies for each level and three charter schools. Enrollment for special program schools is by testing, audition or lottery, and is open to resident students regardless of their regular school zoning. After graduation, students wishing to study close to home might enroll at Rockford University or Rock Valley College. More than 200 medical students attend the University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford.
From PolishFest to Food Truck Tuesdays
Notable events in the city include the Polish Fest, presented by St. Stanislaus Kostka Church; The Olympic Tavern's Picklefest; and CRE8IV: The Festival, a mural and sculpture extravaganza. The first official Rockford Area Pride Parade took to the streets in June 2024. "Stroll on State is our holiday festival, 82,000 people come out,” Martin says. “It feels magical. They transform the downtown area into a winter wonderland, and it’s free to the community."
Events in Rockford are spurred on by the GO Team, a group of 40 ambassadors. “These are people who are passionate and vibrant in our community who I pair up with new people coming into Rockford, so they’re like their first friend when they get here,” Martin says. "It’s to make it so you're not just clocking in and out of work, this is home for you.”
Rockford City Market is a weekly event well attended by locals next to the Rock River.
Coronado Performing Arts Center offers weekly shows on weekends during the summer.
Rockford offers many public events including Food Truck Tuesdays near the Rock River.
Japanese Summer Festival offers a great show at Japanese Anderson Gardens in Jacoby Heights.
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RMTD buses, I-90, and an international airport
Rockford is about 90 miles from both Milwaukee and Chicago; the three equidistant locations form a triangle. Road congestion is an ongoing issue in northern Illinois because of this regional proximity. The Illinois State Toll Highway Authority instituted a $1.8 billion improvement plan with Interstate 90 upgrades that have included lane widening and "green lanes" to encourage carpooling. And as soon as 2027, Metra connections from Rockford to Chicago are slated to return for the first time since 1984.
Local commuting is not as difficult. “It takes about 20 minutes to get anywhere in Winnebago County,” Martin says, “So if you were working downtown you could make it to your kid’s soccer game.” The Rockford Mass Transit District provides public bus service; a ridership of over 941,000 was counted in 2022. Kindergarten through 12th grade students ride for free, and college students can get the U-Pass for $27 a month. The Downtown Transit Center and East Side Transit Center are convenient hubs with indoor waiting areas and ticket windows, as well as Greyhound buses to Chicago. Rockford also has a city-wide bicycle and active transportation program and is investing in becoming more bike-friendly. Additions like street striping and route signage have increased safety.
Chicago Rockford International Airport is about 6 miles south of downtown, with non-stop destinations to Las Vegas, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Cancun, Jamaica and a few Florida locations. The city is about 74 miles from Chicago O’Hare International Airport.
River District development and locally owned restaurants
Rockford's restored downtown includes the River District, a walkable environment with offices, boutiques, cafes and bars tracing the Rock River. Attractions include the Coronado Performing Arts Center, a silent movie house-turned-theater with ornate 1920s architecture and a spot on the National Register of Historic Places. What was once the Amerock factory building is now Embassy Suites by Hilton Rockford Riverfront, complete with corporate spaces and a rooftop bar. “It has the best view of the city,” says Whitney Martin, director of Made for Rockford, a campaign focused on attracting talent and families to the city. “I take everyone there when they visit.”
Other upcoming transformations include Coleman Yards—26 acres of residential, commercial and retail space—and Davis Park, an $11 million dollar project with splash pads, a skate park, and an open canopy stage. “All of that used to be factories, they were eyesores and now they’re being reinvented,” Martin says. “And we're preserving history. It’s an easy sell when I'm doing the tour, because I can say, ‘This is here now, and this is what’s to come.’”
The rest of Rockford has its fair share of new development, the biggest being Hard Rock Casino Rockford on the east end, with a 250-room attached hotel projected for 2025. The city's family-owned restaurants, neighborhood dives and other small businesses stand alone along major roads or sit side-by-side in historic areas like the Midtown District. Schnucks has the biggest grocery store presence, with locations east and west of the river. Big-box stores like Target and Walmart can be found farther east near CherryVale Mall.
The Prairie Street Brewing Company is located near the Rock River for a dining treat.
Inzombia Cafe is located in the River District of Haight Village Historic District.
The Norwegian in Jacoby Heights is open for breakfast and lunch in a hip, relaxed atmosphere.
Enjoy retail options like the Music Box and salons in the River District of Prairie Hill.
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Keith Creek flooding and crime statistics in Rockford
Homebuyers considering Rockford should be aware that the area has sustained flood damage from serious incidents in 2006, 2007 and 2024. A culprit has been Keith Creek, which runs south and west in Rockford, passing through residential neighborhoods, industrial properties, golf courses and parks before converging with the Rock River. Aiming to mitigate flooding, the city's goals include redevelopment initiatives, an improved greenway and enhanced drainage infrastructure. Rockford is also susceptible to dangerous conditions caused by strong thunderstorms in spring and early summer. In the winter, residents stay prepared for severe snowstorms and blizzards.
According to the Rockford Police Department, from 2022 to 2023, violent crime rates decreased by 20%, but property crime rates went up by 3%. The department's Community Services Unit partners with residents and area business owners to address crime and quality of life. The Rockford Park District Police Department also assists with law enforcement, patrolling public property on ATVs, bicycles, segways and snowmobiles as needed. The department also maintains a presence at over 500 public events each year.
On average, homes in Rockford, IL sell after 23 days on the market compared to the national average of 49 days. The median sale price for homes in Rockford, IL over the last 12 months is $167,000, up 8% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
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