Mayor’s Message: Welcome to Rock Falls

Rock Falls prides itself on our hard-working, friendly people and businesses that are both capable and willing to serve and help you in any way. Founded on the south bank of the Rock River in eastern Whiteside County in 1867 by A.P. Smith, we are on your way no matter where your destination.

Centrally located between the Iowa/Illinois Quad Cities to our southwest and Rockford on our northeast, Rock Falls is located at the intersection of Illinois Routes 30 and 40 and is adjacent to Interstate 88 with two interchanges. Downtown Chicago is only two hours away and the western suburbs are only an hour’s drive.

Enjoy a variety of comfortable motel accommodations with access to a relaxing peaceful stroll down the historical Hennepin Canal. We also offer camping facilities, whether it is on a lake or swimming pool. For your dining pleasure, we offer fast food, as well as, the well-known Candlelight Inn and the brand new All American Grill, along with a number of authentic ethnic and family restaurants. The Rock River remains our community’s most valuable recreational asset. Home to some of the world’s best cat fishing, which has been featured on television outdoor shows, the Rock River is also a quiet Mecca for recreational boating. The historical Hennepin Canal runs through the city’s east side with strolling and bike paths. The Coloma Park District offers peaceful, scenic park views with tennis courts, ball diamonds, soccer fields, picnic shelters, canoes and paddle boats and plenty of parking.

Our clubs and organizations are second to none. Without their helping hands and monetary support, Rock Falls would not be as successful as it has been. Pulling together, we recently completed the construction of a new, state-of-the-art library, a centerpiece of our municipal complex. Rock Falls has a wide variety of churches and denominations to choose from.

Our public and privately funded Rock Falls Chamber of Commerce and the Rock Falls Community Development Corporation have been essential to helping our community’s businesses and industries grow. We are especially proud of our city-owned utilities – water, wastewater and electric – and soon-to-be broadband services, all offered at a reasonable cost. We are proud of the quality of education offered by the Rock Falls Elementary and Middle School system, with over 1,000 students, are feeder schools for Rock Falls High School. In 2004, over 83 percent of high school seniors went on to colleges and universities. Rock Falls excels not only academically, but also in basketball, baseball and softball. During the summer of 2005, the Rock Falls Little League Girls (9- 10-yr., 12- 13- yr. and 16- 18-yr.) were Illinois State Champions. We are large enough to offer a wide variety of educational opportunities to our students, but small enough to provide a small school nurturing environment. Rock Falls is very proud of its workforce, the schools, healthcare facilities, recreation, clubs and organizations and most importantly, its people. By pulling together, we are making things happen in Rock Falls.

I invite and encourage YOU to stop and enjoy our town. We’re on the WAY! Find out why we are ‘Proud of our Past’ and confident of our Future!!