Rochester, Illinois facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rochester
Village
Rochester
Location of Rochester in Sangamon County, Illinois.
Location of Illinois in the United States
Country	United States
State	Illinois
County	Sangamon
Settled	1819; 206 years ago (1819)
Area
• Total	2.65 sq mi (6.86 km2)
• Land	2.65 sq mi (6.85 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.01 km2)
Elevation	570 ft (170 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	3,863
• Density	1,459.94/sq mi (563.75/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP Code(s)	62563
Area code(s)	217
FIPS code	17-64759
Website	Rochester Web Site

Rochester is a village located in Sangamon County, Illinois, United States. It's a suburb of the larger city of Springfield, Illinois. The village was first settled way back in 1819.

In 2020, about 3,863 people lived in Rochester. It is part of the wider Springfield metropolitan area.

Where is Rochester Located?

Rochester is found about 4 miles (6.4 km) southeast of Springfield, Illinois. You can get there by taking Illinois State Route 29. If you're on Interstate 55, you would take exit 96A.

The village is located at specific geographic coordinates: 39°45′2″N 89°32′30″W. According to the 2010 census, Rochester covers a total area of about 2.43 square miles (6.29 square kilometers). Almost all of this area is land, with only a tiny bit being water.

How Many People Live Here?

The population of Rochester has grown quite a bit over the years. Here's a quick look at how many people have lived in the village during different census years:

In 2000, there were 2,893 people living in Rochester. These people lived in 1,075 households, with 868 of those being families. The population density was about 1,373 people per square mile (530 people per square kilometer).

Many households (39.4%) had children under 18 living with them. Most households (70.7%) were married couples. The average household had 2.69 people, and the average family had 3.05 people.

The population was spread out by age. About 27.5% of residents were under 18. About 11.3% were 65 years or older. The average age in the village was 40 years old.

Fun Things to Do: Parks and Recreation

Rochester has a great place for outdoor fun called the Rochester Community Park. The village built and runs this park. In the late 1990s, the park got much bigger. They added a lighted baseball field, several soccer fields, and a huge play area called the Friendship Fort in 1998.

The park is a hub for many village events. One popular event is "Sparks In The Park." This is an annual festival held around Independence Day. It features vendors, entertainment, a carnival, and a parade. The event lasts for three days and brings in visitors from all around.

Rochester is also at one end of the Lost Bridge Trail. This trail is 5.0 miles (8.0 km) long. It was built on an old railroad track that was once used by the Baltimore and Ohio (B&O) railroad. The trail is managed by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and the Village of Rochester.

The Lost Bridge Trail crosses the South Fork of the Sangamon River near Rochester. It also crosses Sugar Creek, which flows from Lake Springfield. The trail's name, "Lost Bridge," comes from a time when a bridge over Sugar Creek was taken apart for scrap metal.

There are plans to make the trail even longer. The goal is to extend it all the way to Taylorville, Illinois. Part of this extension has already happened, stretching the trail further through Rochester.

Learning in Rochester: Schools

The schools in Rochester are part of District 3A. Dr. Dan Cox is the superintendent, who leads the district. For the 2015-2016 school year, about 2,322 students were enrolled in the district.

Rochester High School had 785 students in the 2015–2016 school year. The principal was Brent Ashbaugh, and Jamie Toland was the assistant principal. Teachers at Rochester High School earned about $48,052 on average. Administrators earned about $87,488 on average. There were about 13 students for every staff member.

Rochester High School students, like others in Illinois, no longer have to take certain state tests. The PARCC test is the new standard. In the first year of this new test, 91.9% of freshmen were on track to graduate. This was higher than the statewide average of 82.4%. In 2016, Rochester's overall graduation rate was 99%.

New construction at the high school started in July 2005. A new wing was finished in August 2006. The old Rochester Junior High building was torn down in the summer of 2006. Junior high students used the new high school wing until their new building was ready. A new auditorium was also built for the district. It was finished in early 2007. The new junior high building was completed by January 2008. The new auditorium was ready for the spring musical, The Wizard of Oz, in 2008.

Sports Achievements

Rochester High School teams have won many state championships! Here are some of their big wins:

• 2007: Girls soccer team won the 2A State Championship.
• 2010: Football team was undefeated and won the Class 4A State Championship.
• 2011: Football team won the 4A State Championship for the second year in a row.
• 2012: Football team won the 4A State Championship for a third year in a row.
• 2013: Football team won the 4A State Championship for the fourth year in a row.
• 2014: Football team won the 4A State Championship for the fifth year in a row.
• 2015: Girls golf team won the Class A State Championship.
• 2015: Girls soccer team won the 2A State Championship.
• 2016: Girls soccer team won the 2A State Championship for the second year in a row.
• 2016: Football team won the 4A State Championship for the sixth time in seven years.
• 2017: Football team won the 4A State Championship for the seventh time in eight years.
• 2019: Football team won the 5A State Championship. This was due to changes in how teams were grouped because of the Chicago Teachers Strike.
• 2023: Football team won the 4A State Championship, which was their ninth in school history!

See also

In Spanish: Rochester (Illinois) para niños