Rockton, Illinois facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rockton
Village
George H. Hollister House in the Rockton Historic District
Location of Rockton in Winnebago County, Illinois.
Location of Illinois in the United States
Country	United States
State	Illinois
County	Winnebago
Township	Rockton
Area
• Total	7.08 sq mi (18.33 km2)
• Land	6.86 sq mi (17.77 km2)
• Water	0.21 sq mi (0.55 km2)
Elevation	738 ft (225 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	7,863
• Density	1,145.88/sq mi (442.43/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP Code(s)	61072
Area code(s)	815
FIPS code	17-65156
Website	http://www.rocktonvillage.com/

Rockton is a village located in Winnebago County, Illinois, in the United States. It sits in the beautiful Rock River Valley and is part of the larger Rockford area. In 2020, about 7,863 people lived there.

Where is Rockton Located?

Rockton is found at coordinates 42°27′3″N 89°3′50″W / 42.45083°N 89.06389°W / 42.45083; -89.06389. It covers a total area of about 7.08 square miles (18.33 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 6.86 square miles (17.77 square kilometers), is land. The rest, about 0.21 square miles (0.55 square kilometers), is water.

A Look Back: Rockton's History

Long ago, Native American tribes lived in the area where Rockton is now. The first European settler was Stephen Mack, Jr.. He arrived around the 1830s. Stephen Mack Jr. was married to Hononegah, a respected Native American woman. His early settlement became known as Macktown.

Later, a man named William Talcott came to the area. He settled on the other side of the river from Macktown. This new settlement grew into what we now call Rockton. People from Macktown often crossed the river to visit Rockton. However, in 1851, the bridge connecting the two places washed away. Stephen Mack Jr. had helped fund this bridge. After the bridge was gone and Mack died in 1850, many people moved permanently to Rockton. Today, Macktown is special because it's the only community from the 1830s in northern Illinois that still stands without being built over.

On June 14, 2021, a big event happened in Rockton. There was a large explosion and a fire at the Chemtool Lubrication production plant. Luckily, no one was seriously hurt. However, people living within one mile of the fire had to leave their homes for safety. The huge cloud of smoke from the fire could be seen from as far as 75 miles away!

Who Lives in Rockton?

In 2010, there were 7,685 people living in Rockton. The population density was about 1,505 people per square mile. Most residents were White (91.80%). Other groups included African American (1.40%), Asian (1.10%), and Native American (0.1%). About 3.60% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

Many households in Rockton have children. About 42.3% of homes had kids under 18 living there. Most households (65.2%) were married couples. The average household had about 2.72 people. The average family had about 3.18 people.

The median age in the village was 35 years old. This means half the people were younger than 35 and half were older. About 31.1% of the population was under 18 years old.

The median income for a household in Rockton was $57,292. For families, the median income was $62,863. Only a small number of families (1.4%) and people (1.3%) lived below the poverty line.

Famous People from Rockton

• Scott Hall: A talented jazz trumpeter, teacher, and composer.
• Julie Harshbarger: A professional football kicker.

Images for kids

• 

  Rockton's water tower

See also

In Spanish: Rockton (Illinois) para niños