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Byron is a city in
Ogle County Ogle County is a county in the northern part of the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 United States Census, it had a population of 53,497. Its county seat is Oregon, and its largest city is Rochelle. Ogle County comprises Rochelle, ...
,
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
,
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, probably best known as the location of the
Byron Nuclear Generating Station The Byron Nuclear Generating Station is a nuclear power plant located in Ogle County, Illinois, east of the Rock River. The reactor buildings were constructed by Commonwealth Edison and house two Westinghouse Four-Loop pressurized water reac ...
, one of the last
nuclear power plant A nuclear power plant (NPP) is a thermal power station in which the heat source is a nuclear reactor. As is typical of thermal power stations, heat is used to generate steam that drives a steam turbine connected to a electric generator, generato ...
s commissioned in the United States. Byron is located in Byron Township, along the Rock River. The population was 3,753 at the 2010 census, up from 2,917 at the 2000 census. The town bills itself as the "Gateway to the Rock River Valley".


History

The city that is now Byron was founded when a settler rode through the area on his way from
Galena Galena, also called lead glance, is the natural mineral form of lead(II) sulfide (PbS). It is the most important ore of lead and an important source of silver. Galena is one of the most abundant and widely distributed sulfide minerals. It cryst ...
to Midway.Sherman, Ardis L. "Reflections - Byron, Illinois 1835-1976," Byron, Illinois, 1976, pg. 3, Library of Congress Catalog No. 76-20318, Retrieved August 22, 2007.


Geography

Byron is located in Byron Township at the junction of
Illinois Route 72 Illinois Route 72 is an east–west state road in northern Illinois. It runs from the intersection with Illinois Route 73 north of Lanark east to Illinois Route 43 (Harlem Avenue) in Chicago. This is a distance of . Route description Illin ...
and
Illinois Route 2 Illinois Route 2 (IL 2) is a north–south state highway in northern Illinois. It currently starts at Illinois Route 40 in Sterling and ends at the Wisconsin state line in South Beloit, very near the intersection with U.S. Route 51, Illinois ...
. Byron's topography includes a man-made
prairie Prairies are ecosystems considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and a composition of grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the ...
and the Rock River that passes through the town. It is generally flat and is ideal for farming in most regions. According to the 2010 census, Byron has a total area of , of which (or 99.94%) is land and (or 0.06%) is water. Byron's average temperature in the spring tends to be 50-65 degrees with considerable rain. Summer tends to be 75-100 degrees with moderate humidity. Fall tends to be 35-65 degrees with leaves falling in mid-October. Winter tends to be cold, with temperatures averaging from freezing to ten or fifteen degrees below freezing in January. The
Iowa, Chicago, and Eastern Railroad The Iowa, Chicago and Eastern Railroad (IC&E) was a Class II railroad operating in the north central United States. It has been controlled by the Canadian Pacific Railway and operated as a part of its system since October 30, 2008. Formerly, th ...
passes by the town as well.


Economy

The
Byron Nuclear Generating Station The Byron Nuclear Generating Station is a nuclear power plant located in Ogle County, Illinois, east of the Rock River. The reactor buildings were constructed by Commonwealth Edison and house two Westinghouse Four-Loop pressurized water reac ...
, currently owned by
Exelon Corporation Exelon Corporation is an American Fortune 100 energy company headquartered in Chicago, Illinois and incorporated in Pennsylvania. It generates revenues of approximately $33.5 billion and employs approximately 33,400 people. Exelon is the largest ...
, is just south of Byron. It began operations in 1985, after ten years of construction. The station provides a great deal of the electricity used in northern Illinois.


Demographics

As of the
census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2000, there were 2,917 people, 1,119 households, and 747 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 1,166 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.70%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 0.41%
African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.14% Native American, 0.31%
Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.31% from
other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 1.13% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...
of any race were 1.54% of the population. According to a special census taken in 2006, the population of the city has increased to 3,779 since the 2000 census. There were 1,119 households, out of which 38.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.4% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.2% were non-families. 28.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.15. In the city, the population was spread out, with 30.2% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 17.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.5 males. The median income for a household in the city was $37,027, and the median income for a family was $46,250. Males had a median income of $40,568 versus $23,221 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...
for the city was $17,164. About 6.9% of families and 7.8% of the population were below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 8.3% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.


Law and government

Byron is divided into four
ward Ward may refer to: Division or unit * Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward * Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...
s, each of which elects two
alderman An alderman is a member of a Municipal government, municipal assembly or council in many Jurisdiction, jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council membe ...
, giving the city an eight-member council. The eight members of the council are organized into five
committee A committee or commission is a body of one or more persons subordinate to a deliberative assembly. A committee is not itself considered to be a form of assembly. Usually, the assembly sends matters into a committee as a way to explore them more ...
s with specific responsibilities, necessarily, given the number of council members, committee memberships overlap. Elected separately, by the whole city, is the
mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...
. The mayor's powers include the right to appoint members of the five standing committees, and to preside over council meetings. He may also call special meetings of the council. The mayor receives an annual salary of $9000. The city also has other elected officials, including a city clerk and a treasurer. There are also unelected paid positions; these are filled by appointment of the mayor. These include the comptroller and the city attorney. Despite the fact that Byron has a mayor-council system of government, the municipal code for Byron contains a provision whereby a city administrator ''may'' be appointed, if the mayor and council so desire. To date, this provision has not been placed into effect.


Festivals/traditions

* Turkey Testicle Festival is an annual tradition since 1979. *ByronFest is a carnival held throughout downtown Byron, and other venues, each year in mid-July.


Notable people

*
Trisha Paytas Trisha Paytas (; born May 8, 1988) is an American YouTuber and singer. Her YouTube channel consists of a wide variety of content including lifestyle-oriented vlogs, music videos, and mukbangs. As of July 2022, she has accumulated roughly 5 mil ...
, an American YouTuber, model, and singer. *
Troy Drake Troy Adam Drake (born May 15, 1972) is a former American football offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Redskins. He played college football at Indiana University Bloomington I ...
, an offensive tackle with NFL's
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
and
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
*
Tom Billeter Tom Billeter (born February 12, 1961) is an American college basketball coach, currently the head coach at Augustana University in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He previously has been the head coach at North Dakota State University, as well as holdin ...
, men's basketball head coach for
Augustana University Augustana University is a private Lutheran university in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The university identifies 1860 as the year of its founding, the same as its Rock Island, Illinois Swedish-heritage sister school, Augustana College. It derives ...
since 2003 *
Wilson Irvine Wilson Henry Irvine (28 February 1869 – 1936) was a master American Impressionist landscape painter. Although most closely associated with the Old Lyme, Connecticut art colony headed by Florence Griswold, Irvine spent his early career near Ch ...
, painter * Joseph Medill McCormick, congressman and senatorReflections - Byron, Illinois 1835-1976 Retrieved on August 7, 2007 * Francis K. Newcomer, Brigadier general in the
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
, Governor of the
Panama Canal Zone The Panama Canal Zone ( es, Zona del Canal de Panamá), also simply known as the Canal Zone, was an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the Isthmus of Panama, that existed from 1903 to 1979. It was located within the terr ...
from 1948 to 1952 * Albert Goodwill Spalding, professional baseball player, manager and co-founder of A.G. Spalding sporting goods company


Education

There are three schools: Mary Morgan Elementary School, Byron Middle School, and Byron High School (pre-K-12) serving approximately 2,500 students. Byron High School placed fourth in the Illinois State Finals Academic Challenge in 2001. Mary Morgan Elementary School was named as an "Exemplary High Performing Schools" by the U.S. Department of Education's National Blue Ribbon Schools Program, awarded in 2017.


See also

* Soldier's Monument (Byron, Illinois)


Notes


External links


Byron Official WebsiteCity LimitsUS Census
{{authority control Cities in Illinois Cities in Ogle County, Illinois Populated places established in 1835 Rockford metropolitan area, Illinois 1835 establishments in Illinois