Pecatonica, Illinois
Pecatonica is a village of 2,024 people in Winnebago County, Illinois, founded in 1869.
Why visit Pecatonica
Townapedia lists 1 museum or landmark, 3 parks and trails and 2 places to eat in and around town.
Highlights include William H. Roberts House and Winnebago County Fairgrounds.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 82°F; January lows average 11°F, and about 34 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Pecatonica
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Pecatonica
Pecatonica is a village in Winnebago County, Illinois, United States. It is part of the Rockford, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,090 at the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Pecatonica, Illinois (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks1
William H. Roberts House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic house in Illinois, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds3
Restaurants and cafes2
Rosie’s Coffee Company
Cafe · Coffee Shop, Pastry, Tea
507 Main Street, Pecatonica
Mo-Fr 06:30-17:00; Sa 08:00-15:00; Su closed
Churches and places of worship6
History
The village was named after the Pecatonica River, which forms its northern border. The word Pecatonica is an anglicization of two Algonquian language words; Bekaa (or Pekaa in certain dialects), which means slow and niba, which means water; forming the conjunction Bekaaniba or Slow Water. Civil War records from the state of Illinois include soldiers from "Lysander", the area's common name before incorporation by rail speculators.
The Galena and Chicago Union Railroad, later the Chicago & North Western Railroad, came through in 1853 from Chicago and continued to Freeport, Illinois. That sparked the town to be the center of commerce for western Winnebago County. The Village of Pecatonica was incorporated in 1869, built on territory rightfully owned by Indians and previously deeded to the Reed family by US President James K. Polk. C.W. Knowlton opened his first bank here in 1882 and built a Queen Anne Victorian house on Main Street, on the hill overlooking the business district. This house still stands, after having been restored starting in the mid-1980s.
From the History section of Pecatonica, Illinois on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Shopping3
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries6
Map of Pecatonica
22 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28°F | 11°F | 1.6 in | 9.7 in |
| Feb | 33°F | 15°F | 1.6 in | 8.5 in |
| Mar | 45°F | 26°F | 2.1 in | 3.8 in |
| Apr | 58°F | 36°F | 3.7 in | 0.8 in |
| May | 70°F | 48°F | 4.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 79°F | 59°F | 5.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 82°F | 62°F | 4.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 81°F | 60°F | 4.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 74°F | 51°F | 4.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 62°F | 39°F | 3.0 in | 0.2 in |
| Nov | 46°F | 28°F | 2.4 in | 2.6 in |
| Dec | 33°F | 18°F | 1.8 in | 8.9 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Freeport Waste Wtp (13 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
Winnebago County has had 12 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for snowstorms.
- 2024-09-20: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Floodng (Flood)
- 2020-03-26: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2013-05-10: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Flood)
- 2011-03-17: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm (Snowstorm)
- 2010-08-19: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Albertus Airport (FEP) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 12 miles away.
- Durand 9 mi north, about 14 min by car
- Freeport 14 mi west, about 23 min by car
- Byron 14 mi south, about 22 min by car
- Rockford 15 mi east, about 25 min by car
- Machesney Park 17 mi east, about 28 min by car
- Loves Park 18 mi east, about 30 min by car
- Mount Morris 18 mi south, about 30 min by car
- Roscoe 19 mi northeast, about 31 min by car
- Davis Junction 19 mi southeast, about 31 min by car
- Beloit 23 mi northeast, about 37 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
- Pecatonica, IL Pecatonica Township 02, Ben Jacobson ( Kranar Drogin ), CC BY 2.5
- Pecatonica Il Roberts House3, IvoShandor, CC BY 2.5
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