▁major ▁route ▁between ▁Boston ▁and ▁Seattle . ▁I - 3 9 ▁extends ▁from ▁Rock ford ▁to ▁Blo om ington , ▁where ▁it ▁links ▁with ▁I - 7 4 ▁and ▁I - 5 5 . ▁From ▁Free port , ▁U . S . ▁ 2 0 ▁continues ▁west ▁to ▁Gal ena , ▁and ▁the ▁metropol itan ▁area ▁of ▁Dub u que , ▁Iowa . ▁ ▁The ▁area ▁code ▁for ▁Free port ▁is ▁ 8 1 5 ▁with ▁an ▁overlay ▁area ▁code ▁of ▁ 7 7 9 ▁. ▁ ▁Cl imate ▁and ▁flo oding ▁The ▁P ec aton ica ▁River ▁has ▁flo oded ▁Free port ▁seven ▁times ▁since ▁May ▁ 2 0 1 7 . ▁The ▁necessary ▁flo od ▁clean up ▁has ▁cost ▁the ▁city ▁more ▁than ▁$ 1 . 5 ▁million . ▁ ▁The ▁frequency ▁of ▁severe ▁weather ▁events ▁appears ▁to ▁be ▁increasing . ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁State ▁Cl imat ologist , ▁" the ▁number ▁of ▁days ▁Free port ▁has ▁experienced ▁heavy ▁ra inf all ▁has ▁stead ily ▁increased ▁every ▁de cade ▁since ▁ 1 9 4 9 ." ▁The ▁city ▁is ▁seeking ▁fund ing ▁to ▁buy ▁out ▁homes ▁in ▁flo od - pr one ▁neighborhood s . ▁One ▁study ▁estimates ▁that ▁for ▁" every ▁$ 1 ▁communities ▁like ▁Free port ▁spend ▁to ▁re loc ate ▁their ▁residents ▁they ▁will ▁save ▁$ 6 ▁in ▁future ▁clean ▁ups ." ▁ ▁Dem ograph ics ▁ ▁As ▁of ▁the ▁census ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁there ▁were ▁ 2 6 , 4 4 3 ▁people