Rochester, Illinois

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Rochester is a village in Sangamon County, Illinois, United States. According to a special village census held in 2006, the population is 3,442. The population was 2,893 at the 2000 national census. The village was settled in 1819, and is located in Rochester Township.

1 Geography
2 Demographics
3 Parks and Recreation
4 Schools
5 External links

Geography

Rochester is located 4.0 miles outside Springfield, Illinois, down Illinois East State Route 29. The village is exit 96A off Interstate 55.

Rochester is located at 39°45′2″N, 89°32′30″W (39.750625, -89.541587).^GR1 According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 5.5 km² (2.1 mi²). 5.5 km² (2.1 mi²) of it is land and 0.47% is water.

Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 2,893 people, 1,075 households, and 868 families residing in the village. The population density was 529.4/km² (1,372.9/mi²). There were 1,099 housing units at an average density of 201.1/km² (521.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the village was 98.65% White, 0.28% African American, 0.03% Native American, 0.38% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.10% from other races, and 0.52% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.69% of the population.

There were 1,075 households out of which 39.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.7% were married couples living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.2% were non-families. 18.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the village the population was spread out with 27.5% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 29.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.3 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $62,891, and the median income for a family was $73,191. Males had a median income of $50,875 versus $35,944 for females. The per capita income for the village was $26,881. About 0.8% of families and 1.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.3% of those under age 18 and 0.9% of those age 65 or over.

Parks and Recreation

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Located on the northwest side of the village is the Rochester Community Park, erected and operated by the Village of Rochester. The late 1990s saw massive expansion on the park, with the addition of a lighted ballfield, multiple soccer fields, and the Friendship Fort, a massive play-structure built in 1998. The park hosts many village events, including "Sparks In The Park", an annual Independence Day festival with vendors, entertainment, a carnival, and a parade. Spanning three days, the event attracts not only the citizens of Rochester, but visitors from the surrounding areas as well.

Rochester is the southeastern end of the Lost Bridge Trail, a 5.0-mile (8.0 km) trail built by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) atop an abandoned railbed formerly used by the Baltimore and Ohio (B&O) railroad. It is operated jointly by IDNR and the Village of Rochester. The trail crosses the South Fork of the Sangamon River near Rochester, and crosses Sugar Creek near Springfield. Sugar Creek carries the outflow from Lake Springfield, a sizable nearby reservoir. The Lost Bridge trail name recalls IDOT's failure to prevent salvagors affiliated with the B&O from dismantling the Sugar Creek bridge for scrap.

IDOT future plans include extending the trail to Taylorville, Illinois along the same railroad bed, and this was partly realized in a recent extension from the trail's original end at State Rte. 29 and N. Main St., across Rochester, to just past the intersection of State Rte. 29 and State St.

Schools

Rochester's schools are part of District 3A, headed by district superintendent Dr. Thomas Bertrand. The district lists its enrollment for the 2004-2005 school year at 2,003 students, and 2,070 students for the 2005-2006 year.

Rochester High School's enrollment for the 2004-2005 school year was 617 students, and has increased slightly since. The high school's principal is Dennis Canny, the assistant principal is Tim Katzmark, and the activities director is Arnie Spiker. Rochester High School teachers on average make $47,027, while administrators make $79,897 on average.

Rochester High School students test above the Illinois state averages in all categories on the ACT. The average composite score on the ACT for Rochester is 22.2, which exceeds the state average of 20.1. In Illinois, the ACT is required as part of the state's standardized testing program. This information is provided in the school's Illinois School Report Card, which all schools in Illinois are required to release to the public each year.

Construction on a new wing to the high school began in July 2005, and was finished in August of 2006. Demolition of the old Rochester Junior High building also took place in the summer of 2006, and junior high students will occupy most of the new wing until the new junior high facility is fully completed. A new auditorium is also being constructed for the district, and it is scheduled to be completed in early 2007.