Rochelle is a city in Ogle County, Illinois. The population was 9,446 at the 2020 census. Rochelle is approximately west of Chicago and south of Rockford. History Originally named Hickory Grove, the town sits at the intersection of two rail lines, the Burlington Northern Santa Fe and the Union Pacific. Having a number of granaries holding corn, wheat and other crops for shipping eastward, the town was an important rail link for farmers. After World War II, Rochelle grew, becoming a center for Swift Meat Packing and Del Monte canned vegetables such as asparagus, corn, green beans, and peas. The community is home to the popular Rochelle Railroad Park where visitors from across the country come to watch passing trains at the intersection of the BNSF and Union Pacific Railroads; the Chicagoland Skydiving Center and Flight Deck Restaurant where diners watch jumpers jump from a perfectly good airplane; and the Kennay Farms Distillery just west of Rochelle. On April 9, 2015, parts of the city suffered damage when an EF4 tornado struck near the outskirts of the town. Geography Rochelle is located along the Kyte River (commonly, if inaccurately, known to most locals as "Kyte Creek"). It is also located near the junction of Interstates 39 and 88. According to the 2010 census, Rochelle has a total area of , of which (or 99.85%) is land and (or 0.15%) is water. Demographics 2020 census Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race. 2000 Census As of the census of 2000, there were 9,424 people, 3,688 households, and 2,415 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 3,895 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 86.81% White, 1.14% African American, 0.49% Native American, 0.92% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 8.69% from other races, and 1.93% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 19.16% of the population. There were 3,688 households, out of which 33.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.7% were married couples living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.5% were non-families. Of all households 29.3% were made up of individuals, and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years