Dixon City Councilman Mike Venier introduces the first speaker during the Gateway Project groundbreaking ceremony on April 28, 2022. Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com
Dixon has much to offer its nearly 16,000 residents, including educational options, convenient access to health care, beautiful parks, historic sites and scores of activities. The county seat of Lee County, Dixon has been a center of commerce since its inception in the late 1820s. It was named after its founder, John Dixon, who operated a ferry service across the Rock River. Today, Dixon’s economic base is supported by government, agriculture, service and retail, as well as by major manufacturers, including Raynor Garage Doors, Bonnell Industries, UPM Raflatac Inc., BorgWarner Inc., Donaldson Co., Dixon Direct, SGS Refrigeration and Sewer Equipment Co. of America. After years of planning and preparation, the goal of bringing new development to the Interstate 88 corridor finally came to fruition. The city is moving forward on its Gateway Project, which will bring a new hotel, gas station, restaurants and shops to the city, on a 27-acre stretch of land along South Galena Avenue, across from Walmart between Keul and Bloody Gulch roads. Plans call for the construction of a dozen buildings, and the project is expected to create more than
600 jobs and $1 million a year in new tax revenue. Work is expected to wrap up by November 2022. KSB Hospital, another large employer, offers comprehensive health services in Dixon and the surrounding area. The 80-bed, acute-care facility is highly rated for patient experience. Residents have educational choices in Dixon, including the public school system and three parochial schools. Sauk Valley Community College, ranked highly for tuition affordability, is located between Dixon and Sterling. More than 30 churches of several denominations support the spiritual needs of Dixon’s residents. Among the town’s claims to fame is its connection to the late President Ronald Reagan, who lived in Dixon as a boy. The Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home, where he and his family lived from 1920 to 1923, at 816 S. Hennepin Ave., became a National Historic Site in 1982 and welcomes visitors from across the U.S.
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Get To Know Us: Dixon | 2022-23
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