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. 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 to Midway. Geography Byron is located in Byron Township at the junction of Illinois Route 72 and Illinois Route 2. Byron's topography includes a man-made prairie 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 passes by the town as well. Economy The Byron Nuclear Generating Station, currently owned by Exelon Corporation, 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 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, 0.41% African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.31% from other races, and 1.13% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino 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 living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.2% were non-families. 28.8%