Winnebago County
Winnebago County, Illinois: solar permitting grade B (score 36/100, Moderate Risk). Score has been stable over the last 12 months. Primary-source ordinance and board-vote data on SitePath.
Public summary
| Grade | B · Moderate Risk · Score 36/100 |
| Population | 285,417 |
| Solar ordinance | Active, restrictive solar ordinance |
| Active moratorium | None on record |
| Regulatory trajectory | Stable (no material ordinance movement) |
| 12-month score movement | Stable |
| Last verified | 2026-05-02 |
Developer outlook
Winnebago County presents moderate permitting risk; conditions are generally workable for utility-scale solar with standard due-diligence preparation. Illinois's state RPS policy provides a supportive macro backdrop for renewables, even where individual county ordinances are restrictive. Market saturation is elevated in this area — expect competition for prime land parcels and interconnection capacity.
Local intel
On file: named opposition groups
Cities, towns & townships
Local governments in Winnebago County. An incorporated city, town or village can adopt its own zoning, separate from the county’s.
- Loves Park citypartly in this county
- Rockford citypartly in this county
- South Beloit city
- Cherry Valley villagepartly in this county
- Durand village
- Machesney Park village
- New Milford village
- Pecatonica village
- Rockton village
- Roscoe village
- Winnebago village
- Burritt township
- Cherry Valley township
- Durand township
- Harlem township
- Harrison township
- Laona township
- Owen township
- Pecatonica township
- Rockford township
- Rockton township
- Roscoe township
- Seward township
- Shirland township
Show all
- Winnebago township
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Boone County · ≈17 miC43—
- Ogle County · ≈22 miC43—
- Rock County, WI · ≈23 miD56—
- Stephenson County · ≈26 miB39—
- Green County, WI · ≈33 miB34—
- McHenry County · ≈36 miD65—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Winnebago County ranks #14 of 102 ranked Illinois counties (1 = lowest permitting risk). Lowest-risk in Illinois: DeWitt County (A · 26), Bureau County (A · 26), Edgar County (A · 28). See all Illinois county grades →
Want the full record?
Setback distances, board vote histories, source documents, and ordinance amendments are available in the full county profile. The map is free; a walkthrough shows you the underlying record.
About this score
Every U.S. county is scored 0–100 on solar permitting risk (lower is friendlier to development). The grade is a weighted composite of compliance stringency, market saturation, regulatory trajectory, and data uncertainty. Every figure traces back to a primary government document. Read the full methodology →
Related reading
SitePath Intelligence is a research platform. Data verified as of 2026-05-02. Scores update on a quarterly review cycle.