About Rockford, Illinois

Rockford College’s hometown is Rockford, Illinois, a metro area of 375,000 people situated along the Rock River midway between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi.

The city offers a rich cultural life, with resident dance and theatre companies, several choral organizations, the Rockford Symphony Orchestra, and 10 museums, including the Burpee Museum of Natural History and the Rockford Art Museum. Art exhibits, festivals, and shows are scheduled year ‘round, and the Rock River itself provides a wealth of recreational venues in all seasons.

Rockford even has pro sports – AHL hockey, NISL soccer, minor-league baseball and football – and so many fairways that Golf Digest has called this the nation’s best mid-size city for golf. The local park system – a model for many other cities – includes several paved bike and jogging trails and 12 public and private golf courses.

For college students, Rockford offers jobs, internships, service opportunities, and scores of restaurants, theatres, clubs, coffeehouses, museums, gardens, and galleries.

Rockford is just a 90-minute drive from Chicago, Milwaukee, and Madison, with easy access to interstate highways and tollways. Locally, the Chicago Rockford Airport provides daily flights to various cities. O’Hare International Airport is just 50 minutes away by car, and bus service between Rockford and the airport is available.

Learn more about Rockford, Illinois, with the Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau.