Belvidere is a city in Boone County, Illinois, United States. It is the main city, or county seat, of Boone County. The city is located on the Kishwaukee River in northern Illinois. Belvidere is known as the 'City of Murals' because it has many public art paintings. These murals are found in the North and South State Street historic districts. These areas are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The historic districts are home to places like the Boone County Museum of History and the Funderburg House Museum. You can also find restaurants, bars, and unique shops there. Fun events like Heritage Days happen every year. In 2020, about 25,339 people lived in Belvidere. The city is part of the Rockford metropolitan area.

History of Belvidere
- Early Settlement and Naming
- Major Events in Belvidere
Geography of Belvidere
People of Belvidere (Demographics)
Economy and Jobs
Culture and Attractions
Education in Belvidere
City Services and Transportation
- Health and Safety Services
Notable People from Belvidere
See also

History of Belvidere

Belvidere in 1936

Before European Americans arrived in the 1800s, this area was home to Native American tribes. These tribes were part of the Illinois Confederation. French traders came to the area before the Anglo-Americans. Sadly, many Native Americans died from new diseases brought by the Europeans.

Early Settlement and Naming

The first permanent European American settlers arrived in 1835. Their names were Simon P. Doty and Daniel Hilton Whitney. They first called the spot next to the Kishwaukee River "Elysian Fields." This name comes from Greek mythology. Many new residents found the name hard to say or spell. So, the city was later named after Belvidere, Virginia. This was the former home of 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 caused many businesses to move to the south side. They wanted to be closer to the railway for transportation. Today, Belvidere's downtown area is on the south side.

Big industries grew along the river and railroad. One example was the National Sewing Machine Company. It operated from 1886 to the 1940s. In 1906, a former female sheriff named Sarah Ames moved to South Dakota. She named her new home after Belvidere. Belvidere, South Dakota is still a small town today.

Major Events in Belvidere

1967 Tornado

On April 21, 1967, a very strong tornado hit Belvidere. Twenty-four people died, and many were schoolchildren. The tornado was an F4 tornado. It struck at the end of the school day at Belvidere High School. Many children were waiting outside for school buses. Out of sixteen school buses, twelve were flipped over or thrown by the tornado. The tornado caused $22 million in damage. It destroyed over 100 homes and injured 500 people. In 2007, a statue was placed in front of Belvidere High School. It honors those who lost their lives.

This tornado is still one of the worst weather disasters at an American school.

2009 Explosion

On December 7, 2009, an explosion happened at an NDK America building. A large container broke during a crystal-growing process. Pieces of the container, some weighing tons, flew a long distance. One piece hit a building and injured an employee. A truck driver named Ronald Greenfield was refueling nearby. He was hit and killed by a large support beam. The shockwave from the explosion was felt far away. No NDK employees were injured.

The Chemical Safety Board investigated the accident. They found that cracks had formed in the crystal-growing containers. NDK management had been warned many times about safety. The NDK facility was taken down in 2015.

2023 Tornado

On March 31, 2023, an EF1 tornado hit Belvidere. It caused the Apollo Theatre to collapse. This happened during a concert. Over 40 people were injured, and one person died.

Geography of Belvidere

Belvidere covers about 12.30 square miles (32.06 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small part being water.

The city is in north central Illinois. It is about 75 miles (121 km) northwest of downtown Chicago. It is also about 12 miles (19 km) east of Rockford.

Belvidere grew on both sides of the Kishwaukee River. It is an industrial town surrounded by farms. The city is the county seat of Boone County. The county had over 52,000 people in 2006. The city is about 800 feet (244 meters) above sea level. Summers average 73 degrees F (23 degrees C), and winters average 24 degrees F (-4 degrees C). The city gets about 33.3 inches (84.6 cm) of rain and 35.3 inches (89.7 cm) of snow each year.

People of Belvidere (Demographics)

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1850	1,003	—
1860	2,446	143.9%
1870	3,231	32.1%
1880	2,951	−8.7%
1890	3,867	31.0%
1900	6,937	79.4%
1910	7,253	4.6%
1920	7,804	7.6%
1930	8,123	4.1%
1940	8,094	−0.4%
1950	9,422	16.4%
1960	11,223	19.1%
1970	14,061	25.3%
1980	15,176	7.9%
1990	15,958	5.2%
2000	20,820	30.5%
2010	25,585	22.9%
2020	25,339	−1.0%
U.S. Decennial Census 2010 2020

In 2020, Belvidere had 25,339 people living in 8,940 households. About 35.5% of households had children under 18. The average household size was 3.38 people.

The city's population includes people of different ages. About 24.2% were under 18. About 14.8% were 65 or older. The average age was 36.4 years.

The median income for a household was $52,609. For families, it was $67,518. About 13.5% of the population lived below the poverty line.

**Belvidere city, Illinois – Racial and ethnic composition**
*Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.*
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2010	Pop 2020	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	16,527	14,296	64.60%	56.42%
Black or African American alone (NH)	599	706	2.34%	2.79%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	35	39	0.14%	0.15%
Asian alone (NH)	243	259	0.95%	1.02%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	0	4	0.00%	0.02%
Other race alone (NH)	23	86	0.09%	0.34%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	320	850	1.25%	3.35%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	7,838	9,099	30.64%	35.91%
Total	25,585	25,339	100.00%	100.00%

Economy and Jobs

Stellantis runs the Belvidere Assembly Plant, which builds cars. This plant was built in the mid-1960s. It used to make cars like the Dodge Neon and Jeep Cherokee. The plant stopped making cars in February 2023. However, as of July 2025, Stellantis has agreed to reopen the plant in 2025. It will build a new Ram pickup truck. An electric vehicle battery plant will also be built there. Important people like US President Joe Biden and UAW President Shawn Fain have visited the site.

Other companies like Dean Foods and General Mills also have factories in Belvidere. General Mills is building a very large distribution center. This will bring many new jobs to the city.

Rock Valley College opened its new Advanced Technology Center in Belvidere. This center cost over $9 million.

A new cold storage facility called "Project Yukon" is also being built. It will be very large and is expected to create up to 700 jobs.

Culture and Attractions

Belvidere has several 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 important. These buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The city has parks like Spencer Park and Belvidere Municipal Park. The Boone County Fairgrounds also hosts events. Belvidere is famous as the "City of Murals" because of its many beautiful wall paintings.

Education in Belvidere

Belvidere is part of the Belvidere Community Unit School District 100. The district has two high schools: Belvidere High School and Belvidere North High School. There are also two middle schools and five elementary schools. Washington Academy is a special STEM academy.

The Ida Public Library is Belvidere's public library. It started in 1883. The current building was built in 1912. It has books for adults and children. It also has a special room for local history and family research.

The Boone County Museum of History began in 1936. It has over 100,000 historical items. You can see interactive displays and use a research library. The museum is in a three-story building in downtown Belvidere.

City Services and Transportation

The RMTD offers bus service. Route 24 connects Belvidere to Rockford.

Belvidere has old train lines that were used for transportation. Train service is planned to start again in Belvidere in 2027. This will be part of the Rockford Intercity Passenger Rail project. It will connect Rockford to Chicago. The trains will run twice a day and be operated by Metra.

Health and Safety Services

Belvidere used to have two hospitals. Both closed in the late 1900s. In 2008, SwedishAmerican Hospital opened a new building. In 2009, they reopened the former Highland Hospital. It now has the city's only emergency department.

The Belvidere Fire Department has two fire stations and one ambulance station. They have 42 full-time staff members.

The nearest airport for small planes is Poplar Grove Airport. It used to be called Belvidere Airport.

Notable People from Belvidere

Frank Bishop, a baseball player for the Chicago Browns.
Emory S. Bogardus, a sociologist who studied society.
Joe Charboneau, a baseball player for the Cleveland Indians.
Judith Ford, who was crowned Miss America in 1969.
Charles Eugene Fuller, a U.S. Congressman.
Jeanne Gang, an award-winning architect.
Stephen Augustus Hurlbut, a politician and Civil War commander.
Noyes L. Jackson, an Illinois politician.
Lowell Holden Parker, a Wisconsin legislator.
Bessie Leach Priddy, an educator and social reformer.
Amanda Levens, a college basketball player and coach.
Fred Schulte, a baseball outfielder.
Kurt Sellers, a wrestler.
James A. Slater, an entomologist (insect expert).
Roger Charles Sullivan, an Illinois politician.
Scott Taylor, a professional off-road racing driver.
James Waddington, a Wisconsin State Senator.
Ronald A. Wait, an Illinois State Representative.

Belvidere, Illinois facts for kids

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