Rockford

City and administrative headquarters of Winnebago County, north-central Illinois, USA, on the Rock River, 120 km/75 mi northwest of Chicago; population (2000) 150,100. It is an agricultural market centre with diverse industries, including engineering, and food-processing. Local manufactures include machine tools, screws and fasteners, containers, auto parts, electric motors, metalworking machinery, aviation and space instruments, and air-conditioning equipment, among many other products. The Hennepin Canal links the Rock River to the Illinois River. Rockford's educational institutions include Rockford College (1847), Rock Valley College (1964), and the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford.

Founded in 1834, it was sited at a ford used by the Galena–Chicago stagecoach line. A large part of the population are of Scandinavian descent.