Belvidere, Illinois facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Belvidere
City
Coffee and Cafe - Belvidere, IL
Flag Seal
Nickname(s):  Illinois' City of Murals
Location of Belvidere in Boone County, Illinois.
Location of Illinois in the United States
Country	United States
State	Illinois
County	Boone
Area
• Total	12.38 sq mi (32.06 km2)
• Land	12.14 sq mi (31.44 km2)
• Water	0.24 sq mi (0.61 km2)
Population  (2020)
• Total	25,339
• Density	2,087.06/sq mi (805.85/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP Code(s)	61008
Area code(s)	815
FIPS code	17-05092
Wikimedia Commons	Belvidere, Illinois
Website	City of Belvidere Website

Belvidere is a city in Boone County, Illinois, United States. It's the main city of the county. Belvidere is located by the Kishwaukee River in northern Illinois.

It's known as the 'City of Murals' because of the many public art paintings around town. You can find these murals in the North and South State Street historic districts. These areas are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In these historic districts, you can visit places like the Boone County Museum of History and the Funderburg House Museum. There are also many restaurants, shops, and antique stores. The city also hosts fun events like Heritage Days every year. In 2020, about 25,339 people lived in Belvidere. It is part of the larger Rockford metropolitan area.

Where is Belvidere Located?

Belvidere is located at 42°15′17″N 88°50′39″W / 42.25472°N 88.84417°W / 42.25472; -88.84417. It sits about 800 feet (240 m) above sea level. The city covers about 12.30 square miles (31.86 km²) of land and water. Most of this area, about 12.06 square miles (31.24 km²), is land.

Belvidere is in north-central Illinois, near the state's northern border. It's about 75 miles (121 km) northwest of downtown Chicago. It's also about 12 miles (19 km) east of Rockford. The city grew on both sides of the Kishwaukee River. Belvidere is an industrial city surrounded by farms. The weather here usually has average temperatures of 73 degrees F (23 degrees C) in summer and 24 degrees F (-4 degrees C) in winter.

How Many People Live Here?

In 2020, Belvidere had 25,339 people living in 8,940 households. About 35.5% of these households had children under 18. The average household had about 3 people.

The city's population includes people of many different backgrounds. About 35.91% of the people identified as Hispanic or Latino. The median age in Belvidere was 36.4 years old.

Belvidere's History

Belvidere in 1936

Long ago, before European Americans arrived, the area where Belvidere is now was home to Native American tribes. These tribes were part of the Illinois Confederation. French traders came to this area before the Anglo-Americans.

European Americans first settled here permanently in 1835. Simon P. Doty and Daniel Hilton Whitney were among the first. They called the spot by the Kishwaukee River "Elysian Fields". But many people found this name hard to say or spell. So, the city was later named Belvidere, after a place in Virginia. This name was chosen by Ebenezer Polk, who helped fund the city.

Belvidere first grew on the north side of the Kishwaukee River. In 1851, the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad was built south of the river. This made many businesses move to the south side to be closer to the train. Today, Belvidere's downtown is on the south side.

Big factories grew along the river and railroad. One example was the National Sewing Machine Company. It operated from 1886 to the 1940s.

The 1967 Tornado

On April 21, 1967, a very strong tornado hit Belvidere. It was an F4 tornado, which is very powerful. Twenty-four people died, and many of them were schoolchildren. The tornado hit right when school was ending at Belvidere High School. Many students were waiting outside for their school buses. The tornado overturned or threw 12 of the 16 school buses.

This tornado caused $22 million in damage. It destroyed over 100 homes and injured 500 people. In 2007, a statue was put in front of Belvidere High School to remember those who lost their lives. This tornado is still one of the worst weather disasters to happen at an American school.

The 2009 Explosion

On December 7, 2009, an explosion happened at an NDK America building. A large container broke during a process that grows crystals. Pieces of the container, some weighing tons, flew a long distance. One piece hit another building and injured an employee. Sadly, a truck driver named Ronald Greenfield was killed by a large metal beam. The shockwave from the explosion was felt far away.

The NDK facility was later taken down in 2015. There are no plans to rebuild it.

The 2023 Tornado

On March 31, 2023, another tornado, an EF1, hit Belvidere. It caused the Apollo Theatre to collapse during a concert. This happened even though there were warnings about bad weather. The collapse led to over 40 injuries and one person died.

Culture and Fun Things to See

Belvidere has some interesting buildings. The Pettit Memorial Chapel was designed by famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The Lampert-Wildflower House and the Belvidere Post Office are also special. These buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The city has several parks, like Spencer Park and Belvidere Municipal Park. The Boone County Fairgrounds is also a popular spot. Belvidere is famous for being the "City of Murals" because of its many beautiful wall paintings.

Local Services

Belvidere used to have two hospitals. Now, SwedishAmerican Hospital operates the city's only emergency department.

There are two cemeteries: the Belvidere Cemetery and St. James Catholic Cemetery. The closest airport for small planes is Poplar Grove Airport. The Belvidere Fire Department has two fire stations and one ambulance station. They have 42 full-time staff members.

Schools and Learning

Belvidere has a good school system. It includes two high schools: Belvidere High School and Belvidere North High School. There are also two middle schools and five elementary schools. All these schools are part of the Belvidere Community Unit School District 100.

The Ida Public Library is Belvidere's public library. It was started in 1883. The current building was built in 1912 and has a special room for local history. It also offers computers and internet access.

The Boone County Museum of History opened in 1936. It has over 100,000 items and interactive exhibits. It's a great place to learn about the area's past.

Businesses in Belvidere

Stellantis runs the Belvidere Assembly Plant, which is a car factory. It was built in the mid-1960s. This plant has made different cars over the years, like the Dodge Neon and Jeep Cherokee. The plant was closed for a while, but it is planned to reopen in 2025. It will build a new Ram pickup truck. A new electric vehicle battery plant will also be built here. Even US President Joe Biden has visited this site!

Other big companies like Dean Foods and General Mills also have factories here. General Mills is even building a very large new distribution center. Rock Valley College also opened a new Advanced Technology Center in Belvidere. A new cold storage facility, called "Project Yukon," is also planned. It will be very large and is expected to create many jobs.

Getting Around Belvidere

You can get around Belvidere using the RMTD bus service. Route 24 connects Belvidere to Rockford. The city also has old train lines that are now used by Union Pacific. These lines connect Belvidere to other towns.

Famous People From Belvidere

Images for kids

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  Coffee and Cafe - Belvidere, IL

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  Flag of Belvidere, Illinois

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  Seal of Belvidere, Illinois

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  Location of Belvidere in Boone County, Illinois.

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  Location of Illinois in the United States

See also

In Spanish: Belvidere (Illinois) para niños