Do You Think Rockford Is A Suburb Or A City? (Chicago: suburbs, farm)

[KevK]

I had this friendly debate with a relative. He thinks Rockford is a town totally removed from Chicago because it has its own TV stations and a water park. I told him that "you don't escape the gravitational pull of Chicago being that close. He said they have their own suburbs like Marengo. I say those too are suburbs of Chicago. What do you think?

[prairiestate]

Rockford is a fully independent city. It is it's own media market and almost no one in the area commutes to Chicago to work. The primary factor determining suburban status are the commuting patterns, though what media market it is in is a good indicator as well. This is why Northwest Indiana is part of suburban Chicago. Water parks are irrelevant. Marengo is, officially at least (per the US Census Bureau), a suburb of Chicago, as is all of McHenry County. Unofficially, it's a grey area since it is likely easier to commute to Rockford, and they may pull in some Rockford tv and radio stations. Rockford does have it's own suburbs, such as Machesney Park, Loves Park, and Cherry Valley.

[Lookout Kid]

Rockford is not a suburb of Chicago now, but it could be in the future depending on how we handle sprawl from this point forward. In that case Rockford would start to resemble Aurora, Joliet, and Elgin.

It may bruise Rockford's ego a bit, but that town could benefit from stronger physical and economic ties to Chicago.

[Chicagoland60426]

No Rockford have its own news channel and too much farm land separating it. I wouldn't want it to become a suburb. Chicago already have 300, no need for more. Try feeling up Will County, Kane, and Mchenry first, before thinking about more sprawl.

[Opkl]

Originally Posted by Chicagoland60426

No Rockford have its own news channel and too much farm land separating it. I wouldn't want it to become a suburb. Chicago already have 300, no need for more. Try feeling up Will County, Kane, and Mchenry first, before thinking about more sprawl.

Isn't Rockford 150 miles from Chicago?

[US-Traveller]

Rockford is increasingly becoming a suburb of Chicago. Right now I consider it a satellite city.

[mh7]

Rockford is a suburb of Chicago in the same way Milwaukee is...not at all.

[cubssoxfan]

Originally Posted by Opkl

Isn't Rockford 150 miles from Chicago?

No, according to Rand McNally 2009 Road Atlas it is 84 miles. Rockford's economy developed on it's own instead of being dependent on Chicago. As mentioned it has its own media and there is still too much empty land between the Chicago suburbs and Rockford for it to be considered a suburb.

[Drover]

A suburb of what?

[edsg25]

Yes. Rockford is a Chicago suburb. So are New York and Los Angeles. If we get the Olympics, we can add London, Paris, and Hong Kong to Chicagoland status.