Why visit Rockton
Townapedia lists 12 museums and landmarks, 15 parks and trails, 26 places to eat and 1 place to stay in and around town.
Highlights include Rockton Historic District, Chicago & North Western Railway Stone Arch Bridge, Carl & Myrna Nygren Wetland and Macktown County Forest Preserve.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 80°F; January lows average 11°F, and about 36 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Rockton
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Rockton
Rockton is a village in Winnebago County, Illinois. It is located in the Rock River Valley and is part of the Rockford metropolitan area. The population was 7,863 at the time of the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Rockton, Illinois (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks12
Rockton Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
National historic district in Rockton, Illinois
North Blackhawk Boulevard, Rockton
Chicago & North Western Railway Stone Arch Bridge
Bridge · National Register of Historic Places · 4.0 mi
Building in Roscoe, Illinois, United States
H.D. Jameson House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.2 mi
Historic house in Illinois, United States
Lathrop-Munn Cobblestone House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.9 mi
Historic house in Wisconsin, United States
Macktown Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.3 mi
National historic district encompassing the remains of the Macktown settlement in Winnebago County, Illinois
Near East Side Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.2 mi
Historic district in Beloit, Wisconsin
Pearsons Hall of Science
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.2 mi
University building in Beloit, Wisconsin, United States
Logan Museum of Anthropology
Museum · 4.1 mi
Anthropology museum in Beloit, Washington
Coral Cove Family Fun Center
Monument and historic site · 1.6 mi
586 Progressive Lane, South Beloit
Mo 10:00-20:00; Th 16:00-20:00; PH closed; Fr 16:00-21:00; Sa...
Parks, trails and playgrounds15
3 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes26
Yaba Sushi - Roscoe
Restaurant · Sushi, Steak House · 2.1 mi
4817 East Rockton Road, Rockton
Mo-Th 11:00-14:30,16:30-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-14:30,16:30-22:00; PH...
Rockton Inn
Restaurant · Burger, American · 0.6 mi
198 North Blackhawk Boulevard, Rockton
The Mix
Ice cream · 0.5 mi
151 Hawick Street, Rockton
Mo-We 12:00-20:00; Su 12:00-23:15; Th-Fr 08:00-21:00
14 more on the map.
Where to stay1
History
Native American tribes originally inhabited the region. Stephen Mack, Jr. was the first white settler in the Rockton area. He was married to Hononegah, a respected Native American woman from one of the surrounding tribes. His original outpost (c. 1830s) eventually became Macktown. William Talcott arrived to the area later and, after a disagreement with Mack, settled on the other side of the nearby river within the present village of Rockton. Citizens who lived in Macktown would frequently travel across the river to Rockton but in 1851, the bridge from Macktown to Rockton washed away. The bridge had been built with funding from Stephen Mack and its destruction, along with Mack's death in 1850, led citizens to permanently move to Rockton. In northern Illinois, Macktown is the only community from the 1830s that is still standing without subsequent development.
On June 14, 2021, a large explosion and subsequent fire affected the Chemtool Lubrication production plant in Rockton. There were no serious injuries, but an area within a one-mile radius from the fire was evacuated. The massive smoke plume from the fire was reported to be visible up to 75 miles away from Rockton.
From the History section of Rockton, Illinois on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship10
Church of St. Thomas the Apostle
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 4.0 mi
First Congregational Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 4.2 mi
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 3.9 mi
Faith Lutheran Church
Church · Lutheran · 2.5 mi
1305 Blackhawk Boulevard, South Beloit
Prince of Peace Lutheran Church
Church · Lutheran · 1.2 mi
2336 Freeport Road, Rockton
Shopping6
Gas and EV charging4
Schools, colleges and libraries37
Healthcare5
OSF Medical Group: Rockton/Roscoe
Clinic and pharmacy · 2.0 mi
4682 East Rockton Road, Rockton
Stateline Clinic & Immediate Care
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.6 mi
4282 East Rockton Road, Roscoe
Map of Rockton
116 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 25°F | 11°F | 1.6 in | 9.8 in |
| Feb | 29°F | 14°F | 1.5 in | 7.3 in |
| Mar | 42°F | 24°F | 2.1 in | 4.3 in |
| Apr | 55°F | 34°F | 3.7 in | 1.1 in |
| May | 66°F | 46°F | 4.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 76°F | 56°F | 5.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 80°F | 60°F | 3.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 78°F | 58°F | 4.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 71°F | 50°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 58°F | 39°F | 2.8 in | 0.2 in |
| Nov | 43°F | 27°F | 2.4 in | 2.7 in |
| Dec | 30°F | 17°F | 2.0 in | 10.2 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Beloit (4 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
Southern Wisconsin Regional Airport (JVL) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 12 miles away.
- Roscoe 3 mi southeast, about 5 min by car
- Beloit 6 mi northeast, about 9 min by car
- Machesney Park 6 mi south, about 9 min by car
- Loves Park 8 mi southeast, about 13 min by car
- Rockford 13 mi south, about 21 min by car
- Poplar Grove 13 mi southeast, about 21 min by car
- Durand 13 mi west, about 22 min by car
- Belvidere 15 mi southeast, about 25 min by car
- Cherry Valley 15 mi south, about 25 min by car
- Janesville 17 mi north, about 27 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
- Image Hollister-Balsley House C.1854, Boscophotos, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Rockton Tower - panoramio, Corey Coyle, CC BY 3.0
- Lathrop-Munn Cobblestone House, 524 Bluff Street, Beloit, WI, Sa magnuson33, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2013-09-14 St. Paul's Episcopal, 212 W. Grand Ave., Beloit, WI, West, Sa magnuson33, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Near East Side Historic District Beloit WI at 704 Park, Royalbroil, CC BY-SA 3.0
- C&NW Stone Arch Bridge, Roscoe, IL, TheCatalyst31, CC0
- First Congregational Church Beloit WI, Royalbroil, CC BY-SA 3.0
- H.D. Jameson House, TheCatalyst31, CC0
- 2013-09-14 Pearsons Hall of Science, Beloit College, Beloit, WI, Sa magnuson33, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Church of St. Thomas the Apostle, W. View, 822 E. Grand Ave, Beloit, WI, Sa magnuson33, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Image Lally-Goebel House C. 1854, Boscophotos, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Image Jameson House, Boscophotos, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Image Whitman's Trading Post, built 1846, Boscophotos, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Image Stephen Mack House, built 1893, Boscophotos, CC BY-SA 3.0
- South Beloite, Catch the wave swimclub, Karsten11, CC0
- Jeff perry back a bit 3, jim simonson from south beloit illinos, us of a, CC BY 2.0
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