Rockford travel guide
Rockford Tourism | Rockford Guide
You're Going to Love Rockford
With a population of 152,871, Rockford is a must-see destination in Illinois, United States. It is among the most popular tourist destinations in the country. Rockford deserves at least 2 full days for you to see its main sights.
Activities & attractions in Rockford
Where to Eat in Rockford
If you’re looking for affordable options, The Norwegian (1402 N Main St) and GreenFire Restaurant Bar & Bakery (6795 East Riverside Blvd.) are great picks.
When to visit Rockford
Looking for warm weather? Then head to Rockford in July, when the average temperature is 75.2 °F, and the highest can go up to 86 °F. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as 14 °F, with an average temperature of 23 °F. You’re likely to see more rain in June, when precipitation is around 4.1″. In contrast, February is usually the driest month of the year in Rockford, with an average rainfall of 1.6″.
How to Get to Rockford
Plane
When flying to Rockford, you’ll arrive at Chicago Greater Rockford (RFD), which is located 5 miles from the city center. The shortest domestic flight to Rockford departs from Fort Lauderdale and takes around 3h 10m.
Train
Amtrak is the only carrier operating train routes to Rockford. The train journey from Rockford to Milwaukee takes 1h 19m and costs around $19 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from South Bend, expect to pay about $24 for a 1h 54m trip.
Car
Another option to get to Rockford is to pick up a car rental from Chicago, which is about 80 miles from Rockford. You’ll find branches of Routes Car & Truck Rentals and Kyte, among others, in Chicago.
Bus
Several bus lines operate bus routes to Rockford, including Bus, Amtrak and FlixBus. From Milwaukee, the bus ride to Rockford takes 80 miles and will cost you around $76. From Milwaukee, the ticket costs about $38 for a journey of 80 miles. The most popular bus station is Rockford Van Galder Bus Station, located 7 miles from downtown Rockford. Rockford Van Galder is also a commonly used station, and is 0.6 miles from the city center.
Airlines serving Rockford
Where to stay in popular areas of Rockford
Most booked hotels in Rockford
Renting a car in Rockford
Renting a car in Rockford costs $53 per day, on average, or $106 if you want to rent if for 2 days. Budget, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Hertz are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to rent a car in Rockford is the Hertz branch at 7549 Walton Street, which is 6 miles from the city center.
It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 15% cheaper than airport locations in Rockford.
Expect to pay $3.94 per gallon in Rockford (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $47.24 and $62.99. The most frequently booked car type in Rockford is Supplier choice (Class Special Car or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Mini rental cars (Fiat 500 or similar) are, on average, 62% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.