Belvidere, Illinois
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See also: Belvedere
Belvidere is a city located in Boone County, Illinois. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 20,820. It is the county seat of Boone CountyTemplate:GR.
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Geography
ILMap-doton-Belvidere.PNG
Location of Belvidere, Illinois
Belvidere is located at 42°15'17" North, 88°50'39" West (42.254758, -88.844093)Template:GR, and sits at an altitude that is approximately 800 feet above sea level. Located in north central Illinois, Belvidere is approximately 75 miles northwest of the downtown of Chicago, Illinois, and approximately 12 miles east of Rockford, Illinois. Belvidere is divided by the Kishwaukee River.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 23.6 km² (9.1 mi²). 23.5 km² (9.1 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.55% water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 20,820 people, 7,531 households, and 5,324 families residing in the city. The population density is 886.3/km² (2,295.3/mi²). There are 7,970 housing units at an average density of 339.3/km² (878.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 84.53% White, 1.15% African American, 0.37% Native American, 0.45% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 11.57% from other races, and 1.92% from two or more races. 20.07% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 7,531 households out of which 38.7% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.9% are married couples living together, 11.9% have a female householder with no husband present, and 29.3% are non-families. 24.8% of all households are made up of individuals and 11.2% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.73 and the average family size is 3.26.
In the city the population is spread out with 29.7% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 31.2% from 25 to 44, 18.1% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 32 years. For every 100 females there are 97.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 94.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $42,529, and the median income for a family is $50,601. Males have a median income of $37,116 versus $24,454 for females. The per capita income for the city is $17,804. 10.0% of the population and 7.8% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 12.0% of those under the age of 18 and 8.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
History
Early Belvidere
The location where Belvidere now sits was first settled in 1835 by a Mr. Whitney, who in tribute named the place Elysian Fields. The name was later changed to Belvidere by a Mr. Peck.
Belvidere was originally built on the north side of the Kishwaukee River. In 1851, a railroad was built south of the river, the business section followed to the south side of the river, where Belvidere's "downtown" is now located.
1967 Tornado
On April 21, 1967 a devastating tornado struck Belvidere. Twenty-four lives were lost in the tornado, many of whom were schoolchildren. The F4 tornado struck at the end of the school day of Belvidere High School, while many children including those that attend area grade schools were waiting on school buses outside of the high school. Out of sixteen school buses outside of the high school, twelve were overturned or thrown. The tornado did US$ 22 million in damage, demolished over 100 homes, and injured over 300.
External links
1967 Tornado (http://www.district100.net/67tornado/)