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Poplar Grove, Illinois
Motto(s): 
A great place to call home
Location of Poplar Grove in Boone County, Illinois.
Location of Poplar Grove in Boone County, Illinois.
Location of Illinois in the United States
Location of Illinois in the United States
Country United States
State Illinois
County Boone
Townships Poplar Grove, Belvidere
Area
 • Total 7.67 sq mi (19.87 km2)
 • Land 7.66 sq mi (19.85 km2)
 • Water 0.01 sq mi (0.02 km2)
Elevation
876 ft (267 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 5,049
 • Density 658.88/sq mi (254.40/km2)
Time zone UTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP Code(s)
61065
Area codes 815, 779
FIPS code 17-61145
Wikimedia Commons Poplar Grove, Illinois
Website Village of Poplar Grove

Poplar Grove (founded in 1859) is a village located in Poplar Grove and Belvidere Townships, Boone County, Illinois, United States. It is part of the Rockford Metropolitan Statistical Area, and of the gated community Candlewick Lake. The population was 5,023 at the 2010 census, up from 1,368 in 2000.

History

Poplar Grove was named in 1845 for a grove of poplar trees near the original town site. A post office called Poplar Grove has been in operation since 1848.

January 2008 tornado

On January 7, 2008, on an unusually warm day which saw temperatures reach the mid 60s °F, a tornado struck northern Illinois, including Poplar Grove and Candlewick Lake. The tornado severely damaged a favorite local attraction, Edward's Apple Orchard. There was one serious injury reported and the damage was widespread. The tornado was later rated EF4 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. A weather event this big had not occurred in the area since 1967. The tornado was one of the only eight rated EF4 during the time span of the warm weather, which lasted from January 7 to January 10. Although there were no losses, it was still a very severe storm. The following month the cast of the TV show "Storm Chasers" visited Caledonia Elementary School to talk about tornadoes and the effects they have on communities. The students and the "Storm Chasers" were featured on a Rockford's "23 WIFR News" story on the January 2008 tornado.

April 2015 tornadoes

On April 9, 2015 northern Illinois was hit with yet another tornado. This time there were four in the surrounding areas of Rockford, Rochelle, and Belvidere. These tornadoes all broke the record for the last tornado to touch down in the area, and it again destroyed another favorite attraction, The Belvidere Petting Zoo, as well as killing some of the animals. The rest were all rescued by 200 volunteers who showed up to help the day following the tornadoes. It caused a great tragedy in northern Illinois leveling houses and injuring many, though with a minimal amount of loss of lives. The Red Cross foundation was able to help those affected by the outbreak of tornadoes.

Geography

According to the 2010 census, Poplar Grove has a total area of 8.05 square miles (20.85 km2), of which 8.03 square miles (20.80 km2) (or 99.75%) is land and 0.02 square miles (0.05 km2) (or 0.25%) is water.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1880 163
1890 232 42.3%
1900 323 39.2%
1910 297 −8.0%
1920 316 6.4%
1930 349 10.4%
1940 353 1.1%
1950 417 18.1%
1960 460 10.3%
1970 607 32.0%
1980 818 34.8%
1990 743 −9.2%
2000 1,368 84.1%
2010 5,023 267.2%
2020 5,049 0.5%
U.S. Decennial Census

As of the 2010 U.S. census, there were 5,023 people, 653 households, and 670 families residing in the Town. The population density was 304.4 people per square mile (117.6/km2). There were 479 housing units at an average density of 106.6 per square mile (41.2/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 98.46% White, 0.22% Native American, 0.07% Asian, 1.02% from other races, and 0.22% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.83% of the population.

There were 653 households, out of which 45.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.3% were married couples living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.3% were non-families. 13.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.02 and the average family size was 3.30.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 33.5% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 8.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.9 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $56,375, and the median income for a family was $60,800. Males had a median income of $43,125 versus $25,982 for females. The per capital income for the village was $20,493. About 3.5% of families and 4.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.4% of those under age 18 and 2.8% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

  • Rob Sherman (c. 1953 – December 9, 2016), atheist activist, perennial candidate, and businessman who lived in Poplar Grove for a few months before his death.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Poplar Grove (Illinois) para niños

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