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Elevation

Elevation of Rockford

717ft

above sea level · 219 m

Rockford is a city in Illinois with 147,384 people, the 5th most populous in the state. Of the 249 US cities with 100,000 to 250,000 people, it’s the 87th highest.

By the Mapsfera Team

Elevation profile

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Place facts

Coordinates
42.27° N · 89.09° W
In degrees, minutes and seconds: 42° 16′ 16″ N · 89° 5′ 38″ W
UTM coordinates
16T · 327,315 E · 4,682,003 N
Zone 16 · NAD83, the official US datum
County
Winnebago County
The city spans 2 counties; its reference point is in this one
State
Illinois
IL · capital: Springfield
Time zone
Central Time
UTC−6 · UTC−5 in summer (daylight saving time)
Population (2025)
147,384 people
65.4 sq mi of land · 2,254 people/sq mi
Elevation model
USGS 3DEP, 1 m grid
Lidar from March 2018: the ground height at the city’s reference point.

Population

Rockford had 147,384 residents on July 1, 2025, according to Census Bureau estimates, 1.1% fewer than in April 2020, when it had 149,036. Its 65.4 sq mi of land work out to 2,254 people/sq mi; the state average is 229 people/sq mi.

It’s the 5th most populous of the 1,461 places the Census counts in Illinois (cities, towns and CDPs), after Chicago (2,731,585), and holds 1.2% of the state’s population.

The city spreads across 2 counties. By population: Winnebago County (147,384); no one lives in its part of Ogle County. Its reference point, where we measure the elevation, is in Winnebago County.

Compared with US cities of 100,000 to 250,000

Rockford sits at 717 ft (219 m) above sea level. Of the 249 US cities with 100,000 to 250,000 people, the highest is Lakewood (5,520 ft) and the lowest is Fort Lauderdale (3 ft). The average is 862 ft: Rockford is 145 ft below it.

The state capital, Springfield, is 173 mi away in a straight line and 117 ft lower than Rockford.

The nearest city with more than 250,000 people is Madison (Wisconsin), 58 mi away in a straight line and 158 ft higher.

Of the 8 cities in Illinois with a page, Rockford is the 2nd highest: the highest is Elgin (740 ft) and the lowest is Peoria (502 ft).

The highest point in Illinois is Charles Mound, at 1,235 ft according to the USGS: 518 ft above Rockford, 61 mi away in a straight line.

  1. 85 Elgin 740 ft
  2. 86 Round Rock 732 ft
  3. 87 Rockford 717 ft
  4. 88 Naperville 709 ft
  5. 89 Columbia 707 ft

Each color band is 500 m (1,640 ft), the same colors as the map. See the full list

Nearest cities with a page

Tools for this place

Elevation profile Draw a route from Rockford and see how much it climbs and drops. Elevation of a point Compare the elevation of Rockford with any other point on the map. Map of Winnebago County The county on the map with all its cities and towns, ready to print or download. Time zone The time right now in Rockford and its clock changes. What county am I in? See which county, city and ZIP code you’re in, from your location. Blank map of Illinois counties Print it blank, with names or to color in.

Step-by-step guide How to find the elevation of any place

Frequently asked questions

What people most often ask about the elevation of Rockford.

What is the elevation of Rockford?

Rockford is 717 feet (219 m) above sea level. That’s the ground height from the USGS 3DEP elevation model at the city’s reference point in the official gazetteer (GNIS). The city doesn’t have a single elevation: it rises and falls from one neighborhood to another.

What are the coordinates of Rockford?

Latitude 42.27113 and longitude -89.09400, in decimal degrees (42° 16′ 16″ N · 89° 5′ 38″ W). In UTM, zone 16: 327,315 E and 4,682,003 N, on NAD83.

How does Rockford rank among the highest US cities of its size?

It’s the 87th highest of the 249 US cities with 100,000 to 250,000 people. The highest is Lakewood (5,520 ft) and the lowest is Fort Lauderdale (3 ft).

What county is Rockford in?

Several: Winnebago County and Ogle County. Most of its people live in Winnebago County.

Which is higher, Rockford or Springfield?

Rockford. Rockford sits at 717 ft and Springfield at 600 ft: a difference of 117 ft, 173 mi apart in a straight line.

How is elevation measured?

Elevation is the height above mean sea level. In the US the official reference is the NAVD88 vertical datum. Summits are surveyed on the ground, with leveling and precise GPS. The USGS 3DEP is an elevation model of the whole country, largely from 1-meter lidar: it gives the ground height at every point. That’s why it can differ by a few feet from the official figure of a sharp summit.

Sources

  • USGS 3DEP (EPQS service) The elevation: the ground height at the reference point. Public domain.
  • USGS GNIS (official gazetteer) The city’s reference point (“Populated Place”). Public domain.
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 estimates Population, land area (2025 Gazetteer) and counties. Public domain.
  • TIGERweb (U.S. Census Bureau) Which county and city the point falls in. Public domain.
  • timezone-boundary-builder The point’s time zone (ODbL, © OpenStreetMap contributors).
  • Terrain Tiles, OpenStreetMap and OpenFreeMap The relief shading and the base map (ODbL).

Methodology and sources · Spotted a mistake? Let us know