Rock County, Wisconsin sprawls throughout 726 square miles of the vibrant Janesville metropolitan area.  Located in the south-central section of WI, Rock County residents have easy access to amenities on either side of the Wisconsin-Illinois border.  Rock County’s centralized locale affords career, cultural and educational opportunities.

Rock County (2000 Census: pop. 152,307), shows an unofficial growth of 4.5% within 2 years (est. 159,153 for 2003).  Cities in Rock County, WI include Edgerton, Evansville and Turtle. 

Edgerton, known as “Tobacco City U.S.A.”, continues to operate as a center for tobacco production in the region.  Edgerton is home to nearly 5,000 residents.  Evansville, population 4,039, features a beautiful historic district with an impressive collection of architecture popular from the 1840s to the early 1900s.  The Village of Turtle, population 2,444, contains a portion of the City of Beloit.  Beloit and Janesville are the largest urban areas within Rock County.

The City of Beloit, population 35,775, is home to Beloit College, renowned for its prehistoric Indian mounds.  Beloit also operates a small campus of the Blackhawk Technical College, whose main facility lies between Beloit and Janesville.  Well-known employers located in Beloit include Hormel, Frito Lay and Regal Beloit.  This dynamic city has u-pick orchards and farms, a winery and several interesting museums, including the Angel Museum, the Hanchett-Bartlett Homestead, the Logan Museum of Anthropology and the Wright Museum of Art.  The Beloit Snappers, a Midwest League baseball club, also call Beloit home.

Janesville, population of nearly 60,000, is the seat and the center of commerce for Rock County.  Located in the heart of the county, this captivating community is home to twenty-percent of WI’s buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  The Columbus Circle neighborhood and the Lincoln-Tallman House, built in 1857, are among the listed sites.    Rotary Gardens, a stunning botanical garden and a park system that includes more than 2,000 acres highlight the natural splendor of Janesville.  Popular Janesville attractions include Gray Brewing Company, Helen Jeffris Wood Museum Center, the Rock County Historical Museum and Skelly’s Farm Market.  The Rock Aqua Jays, a U.S. national water ski team, call Traxler Park in Janesville home.  Rock County’s campus of the University of Wisconsin lies on the southwest side of Janesville. 

Rock County boasts a stable economy with a diverse industrial and manufacturing base of industry.  Residents earn a median household income that exceeds the national average.  The largest companies providing employment in the county include Mercy Health System, General Motors and the Janesville School District, respectively.