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Rockford
Welcome sign along Williams Mill Road
Welcome sign along Williams Mill Road
Official seal of Rockford
Seal
Location of Rockford in Blount County, Tennessee.
Location of Rockford in Blount County, Tennessee.
Country United States
State Tennessee
County Blount
Incorporated 1970
Named for A ford over the Little River
Government
 • Type City Council
Area
 • Total 3.20 sq mi (8.29 km2)
 • Land 3.18 sq mi (8.24 km2)
 • Water 0.02 sq mi (0.05 km2)
Elevation
925 ft (282 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 822
 • Density 258.25/sq mi (99.70/km2)
Time zone UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
37853
Area code(s) 865
FIPS code 47-64160
GNIS feature ID 2404636
Website https://www.rockfordtn.com/

Rockford is a city in Blount County, Tennessee. Its population was 822 at the 2020 census. It is included in the Knoxville, Tennessee Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Rockford is named for a river ford used by early 19th-century settlers and merchants travelling between Knoxville and Maryville. As its name implies, the ford was unusually rocky, and thus preferred by travellers, as large amounts of silt and sand made much of the Little River difficult to cross. The community was called "Rocky Ford" by the early 1800s.

Rockford Manufacturing Company - NARA - 281429
Rockford Manufacturing Company in 1942

Since the 1900s, the community has been the site of the Rockford Manufacturing Company, a yard cordage factory, and its adjacent and hazardous low head dam, formerly used to power the factory and now poses nothing more than a dangerous feature on the Little River, having been the site of numerous fatalities.

Rockford incorporated as a city in the early 1970s to avoid being annexed by Alcoa or Maryville, both of which were growing rapidly.

Geography

Rockford is located in northern Blount County. The Little River, which rises in the Great Smoky Mountains and empties into the Tennessee River, passes through the city.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.2 square miles (8.3 km2), of which 0.023 square miles (0.06 km2), or 0.69%, is water.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by relatively high temperatures and evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Rockford has a Humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Climate data for Rockford, Tennessee
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 8
(47)
11
(51)
16
(60)
22
(71)
26
(79)
29
(85)
31
(88)
31
(88)
28
(82)
22
(72)
16
(60)
10
(50)
21
(69)
Average low °C (°F) −1
(30)
0
(32)
4
(40)
9
(49)
14
(57)
18
(64)
20
(68)
19
(67)
17
(62)
9
(49)
4
(40)
0
(32)
9
(49)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 120
(4.7)
110
(4.2)
130
(5)
97
(3.8)
100
(4)
100
(4)
110
(4.5)
86
(3.4)
79
(3.1)
71
(2.8)
97
(3.8)
110
(4.3)
1,200
(47.4)
Source: Weatherbase

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1880 144
1980 567
1990 646 13.9%
2000 798 23.5%
2010 856 7.3%
2020 822 −4.0%
Sources:

As of the census of 2000, there were 798 people, 317 households, and 245 families residing in the city. The population density was 259.2 inhabitants per square mile (100.1/km2). There were 362 housing units at an average density of 117.6 per square mile (45.4/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 96.74% White, 1.13% African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.38% Asian, and 1.63% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.75% of the population.

There were 317 households, out of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.1% were married couples living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.4% were non-families. 18.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.84.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.8% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 26.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $43,816, and the median income for a family was $50,074. Males had a median income of $34,583 versus $26,250 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,938. About 6.9% of families and 8.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.9% of those under age 18 and 4.2% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Rockford has one public school, Rockford Elementary School, a K-5 elementary school that is part of the Blount County Schools system. The school is located at 2738 Williams Mill Road.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Rockford (Tennessee) para niños

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