2000 · DME freight train in · Wikimedia Commons
Byron’s story
191 years in pictures
12 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives.
- 1835Byron is settled
- 2000DME freight train in
- 2007Byron, IL City Hall
ByronIL
A town of 6,410, settled in 1835. Public schools that outperform most of Illinois.
5 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Ben Jacobson (Kranar Drogin) · CC BY 2.5
Population
6,410
−1.1% since 2010
Typical home
$279K
+8.4% in a year
Household income
$90K
median
Median age
39.1
years
Jobs based here
1,447
A commuter town
What makes Byron stand out
The 3 things Byron does most differently from other towns.
ASchool Grade
Schools
#40 for schools in IL
of 384 towns
School Grade A.
100 U.S. towns● Byron
Health
Healthier than 59%
of U.S. towns on CDC estimates
Better than IL on 3 measures, worse on 1.
2000 · DME freight train inHistory
Settled in 1835
12 archive photos, postcards and papers
Archive photos and papers going back 191 years.
A commuter town
88% of working residents leave Byron for work
Where Byron’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
1,447jobs based in Byron
12%of working residents work in town
15 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Byron’s report card
Now in Byron
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Byron is #664 of 691 in IL for “Mildest winters”. Fair?
Your answer becomes a post in Byron’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
Weather
Forecast →63°
Light Rain
H 0° · L 49°
Local news
All →- Riverdale vs Kewanee - Boys Varsity Basketball 12/19/2026 | Live & On DemandNFHS Network · Sep 28
- Riverdale vs EP COOP - Girls Varsity Volleyball 10/01/2026 | Watch Live & On DemandNFHS Network · Sep 20
- Riverdale vs M'mouth-R'ville - Girls Varsity Volleyball 10/20/2026 | Watch Live & On DemandNFHS Network · Sep 19
Upcoming events
Nothing on the calendar.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Byron. Another town gets a different order.
Schools
Byron’s public schools outperform 86% of Illinois districts
The public schools Byron’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 86% of Illinois’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.
ASchool Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mary Morgan Elem Sch | PK–5 | 631 | A |
| Byron Middle School | 6–8 | 366 | A |
| Byron High School 9-12 | 9–12 | 464 | A− |
| OCEC Life Skills | M | — | Not graded |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IL on state tests and graduationAll 4 schools →
Work & commute
About one in eight working residents works right in Byron
Most working residents leave Byron for work: only 12% work in town. The top destinations are Rockford (23%), Byron (11%) and Oregon (4%). Half commute less than 15 miles.
12%work in town
Where working residents work
In Byron12%
Rockford23%
Byron11%
Oregon4%
Chicago4%
15 mi
median commute distance
1,447
jobs based in Byron
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Health
Healthier than 59% of U.S. towns
Byron beats the Illinois average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1.
BHealth Grade
32 measures vs. Illinois
3 better28 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Byron | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 7.6% | 9.9% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 12.9% | 15.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.1% | 7.6% |
Uw Health
12 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
51st
percentile among IL towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Climate
Four seasons, pleasant summers
Byron has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 37 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
37″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter16–33°
Spring38–59°
Summer60–82°
Fall41–62°
Oct 17
typical first frost
Apr 24
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Natural hazards
High risk, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 62% of U.S. communities.
62risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Housing
A typical Byron home is worth about $279K
The typical Byron home is worth about $279,000, up 8.4% in a year, 6% below the Illinois typical home.
$279KZillow home value
Typical home value
Byron$279K
Illinois$298K
+8.4%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Outdoors
2.7% of Byron is conserved land
12 miles of trails across 5 parks and preserves.
2.7%conserved
2.7%
conserved · 651 of 23,688 acres
12 mi
of trails · 0.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Howard Colman Hall Creek Preserve | 6.8 mi | 313 |
| 2. Riverside Park | 0.4 mi | 8 |
| 3. Sunshine Park | 0.3 mi | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Famous people from Byron
8 notable people were born in Byron.
W
Wilson IrvineAmerican artist · 1869–1936
T
Troy DrakeAmerican football player · born 1972
T
Tom BilleterAmerican college basketball coach · born 1961About Byron
City in Illinois, United States
Byron is a city in Ogle County, Illinois, United States, probably best known as the location of the Byron Nuclear Generating Station, one of the last nuclear power plants commissioned in the United States. Byron is located in Byron Township, along the Rock River. As of the 2020 census, Byron had a population of 3,784. The town bills itself as the "Gateway to the Rock River Valley".
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1835
- Population
- 3,784
- Area
- 3.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 728 ft
- ZIP code
- 61010
- Area code
- 815
Byron’s neighbors
5 towns share a border with Byron.
MarionRockvaleWinnebagoLeaf RiverRockfordByron
More about Byron
Still missing for Byron:upcoming events