Belvidere, Illinois
Belvidere is a city of 24,752 people in Boone County, Illinois, founded in 1835.
Why visit Belvidere
Townapedia lists 12 museums and landmarks, 22 parks and trails, 36 places to eat, 2 places to stay and 3 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Apollo Theater, Lampert-Wildflower House, Belvidere North State Street Historic District and Tot Lot Park.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 84°F; January lows average 14°F, and about 37 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Belvidere
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Belvidere
Belvidere () is a city in and the county seat of Boone County, Illinois, United States. It is settled on the Kishwaukee River in far northern Illinois. The population was 25,339 at the 2020 census. Belvidere is part of the Rockford metropolitan area.
From the Wikipedia article Belvidere, Illinois (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do3
R J Daniels
Farm and orchard · 1.9 mi
8094 Fairgrounds Road, Belvidere
The Farmette Grangette
Farm and orchard · 2.0 mi
1764 Squaw Prairie Road, Belvidere
Museums and landmarks12
Lampert-Wildflower House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.4 mi
Historic house in Illinois, United States
401 East Lincoln Avenue, Belvidere
Belvidere North State Street Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.3 mi
Historic district in Illinois, United States
Belvidere South State Street Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.5 mi
Historic district in the USA
Old Belvidere High School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.5 mi
High school in Belvidere, Illinois
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United States Post Office
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.5 mi
Government building in Belvidere, Illinois
Boone County Historical Museum
Museum · 2.5 mi
314 South State Street
Tu-Fr 09:00-17:00; Sa 09:00-15:00
Parks, trails and playgrounds22
Ballard Farm Conservation Area
Hiking and trails · 2.0 mi
7431 Shaw Road, Belvidere
10 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes36
Sips & Sprinkles
Restaurant · American, Ice Cream · 2.4 mi
221 West Locust Street, Belvidere
Mo-Su 07:00-22:00
Backstop Bar & Grill
Diner · American · 2.8 mi
1800 Union Avenue, Belvidere
Mo-Su 12:00-02:00
Ned's Diner
Diner · American · 0.9 mi
2132 North State Street, Belvidete
Sa-Th 06:00-15:00; Fr 06:00-21:00
Coach’s Corner Bar & Grill
Bar and pub · 2.6 mi
622 South State Street
Mo-Fr 11:00-24:00; Su 11:00-24:00; Sa 11:00-02:00; PH open
Bravo
Restaurant · Italian · 1.6 mi
1474 North State Street, Belvidere
Uncle John's
Diner · American · 3.2 mi
1053 Logan Avenue, Belvidere
Maggio's
Restaurant · 1.2 mi
2195 North State Street, Belvidere
24 more on the map.
History
Before the arrival of the mostly Anglo-Americans in the 19th century, this area was long occupied by the Illinois Confederation, a loose grouping of up to 12 to 15 Native American tribes. The main tribes were the Cahokia, Kaskaskia, Michigamea, Peoria, and Tamaroa. After trading, warfare and other encounters with French traders, who entered this area before the Anglo-Americans, their numbers declined. In large part due to the high mortality from new infectious diseases, which adversely affected Native Americans across the continent.
The area developed as Belvidere was first settled by European Americans in 1835: Simon P. Doty and Daniel Hilton Whitney. They named this location next to the Kishwaukee River as "Elysian Fields" from Greek mythology. Because new residents could not pronounce or spell the proposed name, the city was eventually renamed after Belvidere, Virginia, the former home of Ebenezer Polk, a railroad lawyer and major financial founder in the city.
Belvidere originally developed on the north side of the Kishwaukee River. In 1851 the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad was built south of the river, stimulating the relocation of much of the business section to the south side of the river, giving access to railway transportation. Belvidere's downtown is now on the south side.
From the History section of Belvidere, Illinois on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay2
Americas Best Value Inn
Motel and hotel · 1.6 mi
1605 North State Street, Belvidere
Churches and places of worship20
Pettit Memorial Chapel
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 2.1 mi
Apostolic Christian Church
Church · Protestant · 1.0 mi
8675 Town Hall Road, Belvidere
Belvidere Seventh-Day Adventist Church
Church · Seventh Day Adventist · 2.2 mi
230 Van Buren Street, Belvidere
Church of the Holy Trinity
Church · Episcopal · 2.3 mi
217 East Hurlbut Street, Belvidere
Shopping7
Gas and EV charging11
Schools, colleges and libraries19
Healthcare10
Belvidere Family Practice Rockford Health Physicians
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.5 mi
1669 Henry Luckow Drive, Belvidere
Swedish American Medical Center / Belvidere
Clinic and pharmacy · 2.9 mi
1625 South State Street, Belvidere
Crusader Community Health Belvidere
Clinic and pharmacy · 3.3 mi
1050 Logan Avenue, Belvidere
Ultrasound Of Belvidere
Clinic and pharmacy · 3.2 mi
1006 Logan Avenue, Belvidere
Map of Belvidere
142 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29°F | 14°F | 1.6 in | 10.9 in |
| Feb | 33°F | 18°F | 1.6 in | 8.5 in |
| Mar | 46°F | 28°F | 2.4 in | 4.9 in |
| Apr | 60°F | 38°F | 3.8 in | 0.9 in |
| May | 71°F | 50°F | 4.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 81°F | 60°F | 5.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 84°F | 64°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 82°F | 62°F | 4.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 75°F | 54°F | 3.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 62°F | 42°F | 2.6 in | 0.2 in |
| Nov | 47°F | 30°F | 2.3 in | 2.3 in |
| Dec | 34°F | 20°F | 1.9 in | 9.4 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Rockford Gtr Rockford Ap 72543 (12 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Boone County has had 7 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for snowstorms.
- 2020-03-26: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2011-03-17: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm (Snowstorm)
- 2008-03-13: Record Snow And Near Record Snow (Snowstorm)
- 2006-12-29: Snow (Snowstorm)
- 2005-09-07: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (Hurricane)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Chicago Rockford International Airport (RFD) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 12 miles away.
- Rockford 9 mi west, about 14 min by car
- Algonquin 30 mi east, about 48 min by car
- Elgin 33 mi southeast, about 53 min by car
- Barrington 40 mi east, about 1 h by car
- Batavia 41 mi southeast, about 1 h by car
- Bartlett 42 mi southeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Antioch 44 mi east, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Aurora 46 mi southeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Arlington Heights 48 mi east, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Naperville 52 mi southeast, about 1 h 30 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Belvidere IL United States Post Office1, IvoShandor, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Belvidere North State Street Historic District, Teemu08, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Belvidere IL 'City of Murals' Walking Tour - panoramio (2), RSchulenburg, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Belvidere IL 'City of Murals' Walking Tour - panoramio, RSchulenburg, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Belvidere IL 'City of Murals' Walking Tour - panoramio (6), RSchulenburg, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Belvidere IL 'City of Murals' Walking Tour - panoramio (1), RSchulenburg, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Fire Station in Downtown Belvidere, IL along the Kishwaukee River - panoramio, RSchulenburg, CC BY-SA 3.0
- CollapsedApolloTheatreBelvidere, National Weather Service Chicago, Illinois, Public domain
- Chrysler Belvidere Assembly Plant Tower - panoramio, Corey Coyle, CC BY 3.0
- Belvidere Assembly Plant South Summer 2026 West End, Morlack7, CC0
- Belvidere Assembly Plant South Summer 2026, Morlack7, CC0
- Belvidere IL 'City of Murals' Walking Tour - panoramio (5), RSchulenburg, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Belvidere IL 'City of Murals' Walking Tour - panoramio (3), RSchulenburg, CC BY-SA 3.0
- United States Post Office-Belvidere (7919230702), Teemu008 from Palatine, Illinois, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Belvidere IL 'City of Murals' Walking Tour - panoramio (4), RSchulenburg, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Belvidere Il Lampert Wildflower House4, IvoShandor, CC BY 2.5
- Belvidere High School, Teemu08, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Belvidere South State Street Historic District, Teemu08, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Belvidere IL United States Post Office9, IvoShandor, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Belvidere IL Pettit Chapel17, IvoShandor, CC BY 2.5
- Original Baltic Mill, Waynemegaman, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Pettit Memorial Chapel (7938046226), Teemu008 from Palatine, Illinois, CC BY-SA 2.0
- 225 North State Street (7937914806), Teemu008 from Palatine, Illinois, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Floyd Hopkins Block (7937909994), Teemu008 from Palatine, Illinois, CC BY-SA 2.0
- 219 North State Street (7937916914), Teemu008 from Palatine, Illinois, CC BY-SA 2.0
- 122 West Lincoln Avenue (7937923414), Teemu008 from Palatine, Illinois, CC BY-SA 2.0
- 211 North State Street (7937918668), Teemu008 from Palatine, Illinois, CC BY-SA 2.0
- 209 North State Street (7937919614), Teemu008 from Palatine, Illinois, CC BY-SA 2.0
- L. S. Longcor Block (7937908654), Teemu008 from Palatine, Illinois, CC BY-SA 2.0
- 134 North State Street (7937920634), Teemu008 from Palatine, Illinois, CC BY-SA 2.0
- 132 North State Street (7937921224), Teemu008 from Palatine, Illinois, CC BY-SA 2.0
- 130 North State Street (7937921720), Teemu008 from Palatine, Illinois, CC BY-SA 2.0
- W. W. Brittan Building (7937925432), Teemu008 from Palatine, Illinois, CC BY-SA 2.0
- 118 North State Street (7937924208), Teemu008 from Palatine, Illinois, CC BY-SA 2.0
- 129 North State Street (7937922882), Teemu008 from Palatine, Illinois, CC BY-SA 2.0
- 117 East Lincoln Avenue (7937915628), Teemu008 from Palatine, Illinois, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Apollo Theatre's roof on State street, National Weather Service Chicago, Illinois, Public domain
- Apollo Theatre (7937912186), Teemu008 from Palatine, Illinois, CC BY-SA 2.0
- 107 North State Street (7937913104), Teemu008 from Palatine, Illinois, CC BY-SA 2.0
- G. J. Schlenks Brewery (7937909418), Teemu008 from Palatine, Illinois, CC BY-SA 2.0
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