BlockBefore

Harlem, Illinois

20 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1918 and the latest in 1993. It stands in Harlem Township. It lies in ZIP code area 61111. The Survey maps it on the Rockford North quadrangle. It stands 755 feet above sea level.

Harlem within Winnebago County

Topographic sheets covering this place

10 surveys from 20 printed sheets

Matched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.

In the county-history sources

1,362 words on this township

The county-history sources names this settlement in its chapter on Harlem Township. These are the passages that mention it, exactly as the scans read.

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on Harlem Township - it names this place 7 more 7 times.

Fires near this place

4 since 2003

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 4 fires within 5 miles of Harlem between 2003 and 2004, burning about 4 acres in total. None started naturally. 1 was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause Fires
Missing data/not specified/undetermined3
Arson/incendiarism1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
26 September 2004Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreIllinois State Fire Marshal's Officenot named
18 September 2004Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreIllinois State Fire Marshal's Officenot named
16 February 2003Arson/incendiarism2.0 acresIllinois State Fire Marshal's Officenot named
16 February 2003Missing data/not specified/undetermined2.0 acresIllinois State Fire Marshal's Officenot named

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Winnebago County

Mines and quarries near this place

10 of 16 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 16 workings within 5 miles of Harlem: 11 past producers, 4 producers, 1 plant. 5 still produce. What was taken out: Stone, Crushed/Broken, Sand and Gravel, Construction. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Anderson PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Grover PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Larson Brothers Pit No. 2Sand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
North Shore S & G PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Porter PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Racetrack PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Cooling QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer
Genestra QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
H. Webster QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Johns QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer

Every working recorded in Winnebago County

Storms near this place

15 since 2008

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Harlem in 15 storm reports between 2008 and 2026: 7 thunderstorm wind, 4 hail, 1 lightning, 1 funnel cloud. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
May 2011LightningHarlem$400,000A two story, eight unit apartment building was struck by lightning. The roof was engulfed in flames and the building was a total loss. All of the 15 occupants were able to exit the building safely and no injuries were reported.
November 2010Thunderstorm WindHarlem$50,000Thunderstorm wind damage occurred near McFarland and Thomas Drive in Loves Park where shingles were blown off roofs and fascia was damaged on several houses.
July 2011Thunderstorm WindHarlem$3,000High winds blew down several power lines along Alpine Road just north of East Riverside Boulevard.
April 2026Flash FloodHarlem-At least one basement was flooded in Machesney Park.
March 2025Thunderstorm WindHarlem-Sign damage and downed power poles were reported near the Blain's Farm and Fleet on Riverside Blvd in Rockford.
April 2023HailHarlem-Quarter size hail was reported between Loves Park and Rock Cut State Park.
June 2023HailHarlem-A photo was shared of quarter size hail near the intersection of Spring Creek Road and Perryville Road.
August 2021Thunderstorm WindHarlem-An 8 inch diameter tree was blown down along Spring Brook Road, west of Mulford Road.
July 2019FloodHarlem-Photos showed Saturn Street was flooded.
September 2018Funnel CloudHarlem-Two spotters observed a funnel cloud in Rock Cut State Park, north of Harlem Road. After discussion with employees at the park, it was determined that this funnel cloud did not touch the ground.
May 2017Thunderstorm WindHarlem-Trees and power lines were blown down.
July 2011Thunderstorm WindHarlem-A wind gust to 71 mph was measured near Interstate 90 and Riverside Boulevard.
June 2008Thunderstorm WindHarlem-Trees were blown down near Harlem Avenue and Alpine Road.
July 2008HailHarlem-Quarter size hail was reported in Loves Park.
July 2025HailHarlem-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Winnebago County

Nearest settlements

The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.

Map PlaceDistance Sheets
Forest Hills Village0.5 miles20
Machesney Park1.2 miles20
North Park1.8 miles20
Loves Park2.6 miles20
Genet3.1 miles20
Latham Park3.1 miles20
Sturbridge Village3.1 miles20
Samuelson Corners3.1 miles20

Elsewhere

Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.

Wikipedia article on HarlemAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q20657830The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0).

Provenance

This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 409785. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.

Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.