Byron, Illinois: Gateway to the Rock River Valley (Glow-in-the-Dark Edition)

Welcome to Byron, Illinois, population 3,784 as of the 2020 census, a small city in Ogle County about 17 miles southwest of Rockford. It is also, depending on who you ask, the gateway to a very large cooling tower. We're here to talk about both.

A Quick History Lesson (No Radiation Required)

Byron was settled in the 1830s. That's a long time to be a quiet Midwestern town before the world started asking, "Wait, isn't that the one with the nuclear plant?"

The town shares a name with the Romantic poet George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron, author of Don Juan and Childe Harold's Pilgrimage. The poet was famously "mad, bad, and dangerous to know." Byron, Illinois is more "mildly concerned, mostly fine, and dangerous to Google at 2 a.m."

The town sits along the Rock River, which is genuinely pretty. Locals will tell you the river is the main draw. The nuclear plant will tell you it also needs the river. Everyone gets along.

The Nuclear Elephant in the Room

Byron is probably best known as the home of the Byron Nuclear Generating Station, one of the later nuclear power plants completed in the United States. It is now branded the Byron Clean Energy Center, and the name change is the most successful rebrand since Prince became a symbol.

The plant is the town's economic backbone. So when we joke about Tiger Pride being "powered by uranium," we are only slightly exaggerating the tax base.

Meanwhile, the tritium groundwater saga that RoastMyTown poked at is a real thing residents have followed for years. Bring a water bottle, ask questions, and don't let anyone call your tap water "spicy."

Downtown Byron: One Block of Big Dreams

Byron's downtown is charming in the way a very small thing can be charming. Come in October and the town has clearly decided October means chili, and it's committed.

If you want culture, the Byron Museum has you covered. That's a legitimately cozy way to spend an autumn afternoon, and nobody will ask you to evacuate.

Friday Night Lights, Tiger Edition

Here's where Byron stops being a joke and starts being terrifying. Byron High School's teams are the Tigers, and their football program is a legitimate powerhouse. They've made multiple state championship appearances in recent years.

The hype is current, too. Your Friday night ticket might be an investment.

And if football isn't your thing, there's always the music programs. Byron: tackling, tickling the ivories, and tolerating a reactor.

Should You Visit Byron, Illinois?

Yes, absolutely. Come for the Rock River scenery, the football, the chili, and the quilts. Stay for the surprisingly friendly locals, who will happily tell you where to park and which chili to vote for. Just don't ask the cooling towers for directions. They only produce steam, and also very mixed feelings.

Think we were too nice? See the full roast on RoastMyTown.com.