Rochelle, Illinois

Rochelle, Illinois
City
Downtown Rochelle
Downtown Rochelle
Official seal of Rochelle, Illinois
Seal
Nickname: 
The Hub City
Interactive map of Rochelle, Illinois
Rochelle is located in Illinois
Rochelle
Rochelle
Rochelle is located in the United States
Rochelle
Rochelle
Coordinates: 41°54′24″N 89°01′52″W / 41.90667°N 89.03111°W / 41.90667; -89.03111
CountryUnited States
StateIllinois
CountiesLee, Ogle
TownshipsFlagg, Dement, Alto, Reynolds
Area
[1]
 • Total
13.42 sq mi (34.76 km2)
 • Land13.40 sq mi (34.71 km2)
 • Water0.019 sq mi (0.05 km2)
Elevation
[2]
781 ft (238 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
9,446
 • Density704.9/sq mi (272.16/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
61068, 61069
Area code815
FIPS code17-64746
GNIS feature ID2396392[2]
Websitewww.cityofrochelle.net

Rochelle is a city in Ogle and Lee counties, Illinois, United States.[3] The population was 9,446 at the 2020 census.[4] Rochelle is approximately 80 miles (130 km) west of Chicago and 25 miles (40 km) south of Rockford.

History

Originally named "Lane",[5] the town sits at the intersection of two rail lines, the Burlington Northern Santa Fe and the Union Pacific. Having a number of granaries holding corn, wheat and other crops for shipping eastward, the town was an important rail link for farmers.

After World War II, Rochelle grew, becoming a center for Swift Meat Packing and Del Monte canned vegetables such as asparagus, corn, green beans, and peas.

The community is home to the popular Rochelle Railroad Park where visitors from across the country come to watch passing trains at the intersection of the BNSF and Union Pacific Railroads.

On April 9, 2015, parts of the city suffered damage when an EF4 tornado struck near the outskirts of the town.[6][7]

Geography

Rochelle is located along the Kyte River (commonly, if inaccurately, known to most locals as "Kyte Creek"). It is also located near the junction of Interstates 39 and 88.

According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Rochelle has a total area of 13.32 square miles (34.50 km2), of which 13.30 square miles (34.45 km2) (or 99.86%) is land and 0.02 square miles (0.05 km2) (or 0.14%) is water.[8] Located primarily in Ogle County, a portion extends into neighboring Lee County.[9]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18801,893—
18901,789−5.5%
19002,07315.9%
19102,73231.8%
19203,31021.2%
19303,78514.4%
19404,20011.0%
19505,44929.7%
19607,00828.6%
19708,59422.6%
19808,9824.5%
19908,769−2.4%
20009,4247.5%
20109,5741.6%
20209,446−1.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[10]
2010[11] 2020[12]

Racial and ethnic composition

Rochelle 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 2000[13] Pop 2010[11] Pop 2020[12] % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 7,324 6,918 6,128 77.72% 72.26% 64.87%
Black or African American alone (NH) 92 208 239 0.98% 2.17% 2.53%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 19 21 20 0.20% 0.22% 0.21%
Asian alone (NH) 83 65 73 0.88% 0.68% 0.77%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) 2 1 0 0.02% 0.01% 0.00%
Other race alone (NH) 6 0 15 0.06% 0.00% 0.16%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) 92 107 323 0.98% 1.12% 3.42%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 1,806 2,254 2,648 19.16% 23.54% 28.03%
Total 9,424 9,574 9,446 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Rochelle had a population of 9,446. The median age was 37.1 years. 23.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 16.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 98.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 94.6 males age 18 and over.[14][15]

98.6% of residents lived in urban areas, while 1.4% lived in rural areas.[16]

There were 3,853 households in Rochelle, including 2,256 families. Of all households, 29.6% had children under the age of 18 living in them, 40.3% were married-couple households, 21.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 28.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 33.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[14]

There were 4,175 housing units, of which 7.7% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.9%.[14]

Income and poverty

The median income for a household in the city was $49,413, and the median income for a family was $61,276. Males had a median income of $40,784 versus $27,012 for females. The per capita income for the city was $26,469. About 5.8% of families and 7.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.2% of those under age 18 and 15.8% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Whitcomb Locomotive Works, founded by George Dexter Whitcomb, manufactured industrial locomotives as well as the Partin Palmer automobile, in Rochelle.

Union Pacific's Global III Intermodal Facility, completed in 2003, was Union Pacific's largest intermodal facility upon completion.[17] It closed in 2019.[18]

The Illinois River Energy ethanol plant is located in Rochelle.[19]

The Railroad Museum

Arts and culture

Notable buildings include:

  • William H. Holcomb House
  • City and Town Hall
  • Flagg Township Public Library
  • The Hub Theater

Rochelle Railroad Park is located here.

Education

Rochelle Community Consolidated District 231 includes the majority of Rochelle and some areas just outside town.[20] Schools in that district include:

  • Abraham Lincoln Elementary
  • Central Elementary
  • Floyd J. Tilton Elementary
  • Phillip May Elementary
  • Rochelle Middle School

Pieces of Rochelle in Ogle County extend into Creston Community Consolidated School District 161 and Kings Consolidated School District 144. Rochelle Township High School District 212, which covers all of Rochelle in Ogle County,[20] operates Rochelle Township High School.

St. Paul Lutheran School enrolls children from age three, up through the eighth grade.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Rochelle owns and operates Rochelle Municipal Airport.

Hub

Rochelle is known as the "Hub City" because of its location at the intersection of several major transportation routes. The first transcontinental highway in the United States, the Lincoln Highway, passed through Rochelle, as did US-51, one of the first highways to go the full north–south length of the United States. Both these roads have diminished in importance (and are now state highways 38 and 251, respectively), but Rochelle continues to be crossed by major highways, especially Interstates 88 and 39. Besides roadways, Rochelle is also crossed by two major rail lines; the Union Pacific Railroad and BNSF Railway mainlines cross inside of the city limits.[21] The effect, as seen on a map, was one of the spokes of an old wagon wheel meeting at the "hub", and thus the nickname was born.

Several businesses carry the moniker "Hub City", including furniture stores, shopping centers, realty firms, dry cleaners, and many others. Additionally, he local high school's teams are known as the "Hubs".[22][23]

Rochelle was once a stop for passenger trains operated by the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy, and its successor, the Burlington Northern, such as North Coast Limited. The town saw its last passenger train in 1971, and in 2007, the depot, which had been built in 1921, was demolished.

Notable people

  • Joan Allen, actress
  • Joanna Baker, professor of ancient languages
  • Delos W. Baxter, Illinois state senator, lawyer, and mayor of Rochelle
  • Stan Campbell, pro football player
  • Mabel Craft Deering, journalist, born in Rochelle[24][25][26]
  • Don Fischer, radio voice of Indiana Hoosiers
  • William Gehring, Professor of Cognitive Psychology
  • Lloyd Ingraham, actor
  • Paul R. Lawrence, Harvard professor and pioneer of contingency theory
  • William W. May, American athlete, competed in the 1908 London Olympics[27]
  • Abram B. Steele, lawyer and politician
  • Judith C. Toth, member of the Maryland House of Delegates (1975–1990)
  • Daniel Van Kirk, comedian

See also

References

  1. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  2. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Rochelle, Illinois
  3. ^ Geography Division (April 12, 2021). 2020 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP (INDEX): Rochelle city, IL (PDF) (Map). U.S. Census Bureau. p. 3 (PDF p. 4/6). Retrieved June 26, 2025.
  4. ^ "Rochelle city, Illinois". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  5. ^ "Rochelle Finds Benefit in Its Nickname". January 24, 2013.
  6. ^ "Severe weather: Tornadoes hit Iowa, Illinois, Ohio; CNN; April 9, 2015". CNN. April 9, 2015. Archived from the original on April 10, 2015. Retrieved April 10, 2015.
  7. ^ "Tornadoes touch down, leave 1 dead in Fairdale; ABC7; April 9, 2015". Archived from the original on April 13, 2015. Retrieved April 10, 2015.
  8. ^ US Census Bureau. "Gazetteer Files". Census.gov. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  9. ^ "Lee County Districts". Lee County, Illinois. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
  10. ^ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". US Census Bureau.
  11. ^ a b "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Rochelle city, Illinois". United States Census Bureau.
  12. ^ a b "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Rochelle city, Illinois". United States Census Bureau.
  13. ^ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Rochelle city, Illinois". United States Census Bureau.
  14. ^ a b c "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
  15. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
  16. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
  17. ^ Malone, Frank (2003). "Design for decongestion". Railway Age.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  18. ^ "Union Pacific Railroad services to leave Rochelle in July". May 2, 2019. Archived from the original on May 4, 2019. Retrieved May 4, 2019.
  19. ^ "Farmers, ethanol makers likely OK with no subsidy - Peoria, IL - pjstar.com". Archived from the original on June 24, 2011. Retrieved June 21, 2011.
  20. ^ a b Geography Division (December 22, 2020). 2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Ogle County, IL (PDF) (Map). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved June 26, 2025. - Text list
  21. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 15, 2011. Retrieved March 28, 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  22. ^ "RTHS-Community Campus". Archived from the original on January 29, 2010. Retrieved March 28, 2010.
  23. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on July 23, 2004. Retrieved March 28, 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  24. ^ California State Library, 1906
  25. ^ "The High School," Oakland Daily Evening Tribune, June 2, 1888, image 3
  26. ^ "Popular Member of Junior League to Wed Mr. Howe," The San Francisco Examiner, August 22, 1931, image 6
  27. ^ "Fighting Illini At The Olympics".
Wikimedia Commons logo
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rochelle, Illinois.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.