Rock Falls is a city in Whiteside County, Illinois

Illinois

Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The population was 9,266 at the 2010 census, down from 9,580. The city is located on the Rock River.

Geography

Rock Falls is located at 41°46′29"N 89°41′29"W (41.774753, -89.691328).

The city is separated from its sister city, Sterling

Sterling, Illinois

Sterling is a city in Whiteside County, Illinois, United States. The population was 15,370 at the 2010 census, down from 15,451 at the 2000 census. Formerly nicknamed "The Hardware Capital of the World", Sterling has long been associated with manufacturing and the steel...

, to the North by the Rock River.

According to the United States Census Bureau

United States Census Bureau

The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...

, the city has a total area of 3.4 square miles (8.8 km²), of which, 3.3 square miles (8.5 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (3.21%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census

Census

A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

of 2000, there were 9,580 people, 3,895 households, and 2,559 families residing in the city. The population density

Population density

Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 was 2,888.0 people per square mile (1,114.1/km²). There were 4,098 housing units at an average density of 1,235.4 per square mile (476.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 91.78% White, 0.88% African American, 0.45% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 4.71% from other races

Race (United States Census)

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 1.92% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.54% of the population.

There were 3,895 households out of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.5% were married couples

Marriage

Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 living together, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.3% were non-families. 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the city the population was spread out with 25.5% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 15.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 90.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $34,442, and the median income for a family was $41,803. Males had a median income of $32,733 versus $21,092 for females. The per capita income

Per capita income

Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

 for the city was $16,524. About 10.3% of families and 11.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.8% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.

Recreation

The city of Rock Falls has 19 parks (over 100 acres) in which one can use baseball diamonds, basketball courts, tennis courts, disc golf, open fields, playground equipment, pavilions, picnic areas, or a bandshell. Also, with the close proximity of the Rock River, the Hennepin Feeder Canal, and a lake in Centennial Park one can use boats ramps, canoes, paddle boats, or engage in fishing.

Airport

The Whiteside County Airport is located about two miles south of town. It is surprisingly large, and offers flight training through Sauk Valley Community College.

Notable people

• Louie Bellson
  Louie Bellson
  Luigi Paulino Alfredo Francesco Antonio Balassoni , better known by the stage name Louie Bellson , was an Italian-American jazz drummer...
  
  , drummer, creator of the double bass drumkit, born in Rock Falls (1924).

Annual events

The city of Rock Falls hosts many annual events each year. One being Louie Bellson

Louie Bellson

Luigi Paulino Alfredo Francesco Antonio Balassoni , better known by the stage name Louie Bellson , was an Italian-American jazz drummer...

 days. Another event is Hennepin Canal

Hennepin Canal

The Hennepin Canal Parkway State Park, also just called the Hennepin Canal, is an abandoned waterway in northwest Illinois, between the Mississippi River at Rock Island and the Illinois River near Hennepin. The entire canal is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.Opened in 1907, the...

 heritage days.

External links

• Rock Falls High School
  Rock Falls High School
  Rock Falls Township High School, better known simply as Rock Falls High School, is a four year public high school located in Rock Falls, Illinois...
  
  
• City Website