38 replies to this topic

[zebra0278]

I don't know how many people watch Roseanne, but it takes place in "Lanford", Illinois. This is a made up town, but the exterior shot of the neighborhood were from Evansville, Indiana. Eventhough Lanford doesn't really exsist, the show has dropped some clues over the years onto where Lanford would be. Can anybody help me out here? It seems like there is a lot of people from Illinois here and should be able to get this. I think the show does a great job showing the middle-class family from the mid-west.

I remember them saying it was about two hours to Chicago (in the late 80s and early 90s time frame) and they visited Elgin quite often (largest city around them). So, I figure it's out somewhere near Elburn or Sleepy Hollow. I don't know why, but I always try and figure it out whenever the show comes on TV. Anyone have any clue?

[irisheyes99]

I've recently started watching the show again, and I've been trying to figure out the same thing! I grew up in IL and lived in the NW suburbs.

Some clues I've picked up are:
$75 cab ride to Lanford from Rockford
1 hour to Elgin
5 hours to Iowa (I assume that is driving somewhere other than just over the border)
The kids would take a bus to Chicago - not a train (I didn't realize they said it was about 2 hours from Chicago.)
Supposedly it is equadistant (sp?) to Chicago and Rockford.

We also know that it was a blue collar town, jobs were scarce, and there were lots of motorcycle enthusiasts.

They often referenced Iowa, but I don't recall them ever mentioning WI or IN, which makes me think they lived further southwest in the state.

Elburn is a good guess too, but I don't think that it would be Sleepy Hollow - that's too close and pretty much residential. My husband and I have been speculating that it might be Aurora. Aurora fits many of the classifications listed above, with the exception that it would be easier to take the train in to Chicago and not a bus.

What do you think?

[dixiesquare]

try the starved rock , ottawa, lasalle,peru area its in the middle of the northern part of the state lots of little towns like that there . and the only thing that dosnt fit would be the trip to elgin.

but by my guess the northern half of the state is where they would be , and west of us 39 ill 251

[zebra0278]

irisheyes99 said:

I grew up in IL and lived in the NW suburbs.

Me too. Where?

irisheyes99 said:

My husband and I have been speculating that it might be Aurora. Aurora fits many of the classifications listed above, with the exception that it would be easier to take the train in to Chicago and not a bus.

The only other problem with Aurora is Lanford seemed to be a smaller town. I remember seeing an episode after they won the lottery. Roseanne was mad and driving from fast food place to fast food place in her Mercedes Benz. The background scenes reminded me of driving down RT. 64 or RT. 38 through the Geneva / Batavia area.

[laura0414]

I'm from the aurora/elburn area and its only about one hour from chicago from here, so i think that it was farther west closer to towns like ottawa, mendota and earlville :D

[JacobSteinAFM]

That would be cool if it was near Mendota because I was born there.

[blues51]

According to official sources:

Lanford - Hometown of the Connors, a lower-middle class family as seen on the comedy sitcom ROSEANNE/ABC/1988-1997. The town of Lanford was founded on November 11, 1946 and is situated about halfway between Chicago and Rockford. The Conner's lived at 714 Delaware Street (near Third Street).

Monty

[denisetab]

Hi I don't know if this helps, but in one episode I noticed Dan reading a newspaper, titled "DeKalb County Observer"

[txdave]

irisheyes99 said:

They often referenced Iowa, but I don't recall them ever mentioning WI or IN, which makes me think they lived further southwest in the state.

I think the Iowa references in the show had a lot to do with the Tom Arnold influence. He is from there, and while Tom and Roseanne were together, they were even building a house in Iowa.

Indiana was referenced at least once. When Roseanne was explaining how she actually seduced Dan, she explained that her Mom had been in Indiana - not home fighting with Roseanne as she had led Dan to believe

[txdave]

denisetab said:

Hi I don't know if this helps, but in one episode I noticed Dan reading a newspaper, titled "DeKalb County Observer"

In the "gay bar" episode, the newspaper that Dan was reading headlined with something about Sycamore - the town in DeKalb County

[Keef Jones]

I'll tell you my answer and then I'll explain why. The city Rosanne lives in, I believe would be a small town called Earlville, Illinois. I think this because in one episode Dan is reading a Dekalb County Newspaper. So I hopped on mapquest, knowing that the Sandwich shop was off Route 41, I looked for that route in Dekalb County. And keeping in mind it's about 2 hours from Chicago, and halfway between Chicago and Rockford. It fits it all. It has the right location, size, route 41. And I browsed through the city of Earlville on a street level, and there is a 3rd street, there is a Country Club. The street they live on is by 3rd Ave. and on Delaware, but I could not find Delaware St. I think the street they live on is made up, there is no Delaware Street anywhere in Illinois. But yes, Earlville which is in Dekalb County.

[RoseanneFan]

I just watched the tornado episode of Roseanne and Darlene says they live in Fulton county. When the radio announcer says the tornado is headed down highway 36, Darlene exclaims "It's coming straight for us!"

I'm also pretty sure I've heard them refer to dekalb as "Up in dekalb" which makes me think they're south of it.

We Roseanne fans may have to face that there might be some mixed messages over the years as to where Lanford actually is. I think that somewhere between Rockford and Chicago just doesn't sound right and am more inclined to agree that it might be near Earlville. That just feels right to me.

[Bartman63]

Keef Jones said:

I'll tell you my answer and then I'll explain why. The city Rosanne lives in, I believe would be a small town called Earlville, Illinois. I think this because in one episode Dan is reading a Dekalb County Newspaper. So I hopped on mapquest, knowing that the Sandwich shop was off Route 41, I looked for that route in Dekalb County. And keeping in mind it's about 2 hours from Chicago, and halfway between Chicago and Rockford. It fits it all. It has the right location, size, route 41. And I browsed through the city of Earlville on a street level, and there is a 3rd street, there is a Country Club. The street they live on is by 3rd Ave. and on Delaware, but I could not find Delaware St. I think the street they live on is made up, there is no Delaware Street anywhere in Illinois. But yes, Earlville which is in Dekalb County.

I grew up in Paw Paw, which is about nine (9) miles from Earlville and one (1) mile from DeKalb county. Earlville is actually in LaSalle county. (Paw Paw is in Lee county) Also there is no Route 41 near Earlville, Route 34 runs through it.

[dixiesquare]

there is no Delaware Street anywhere in Illinois.


yes there is , there is one in downtown chicago . but it is know as delaware pl.

[za85ck]

The house is located in Evansville, IN on Runnymeade Ave. It's actually up for sale as I speak, for 126,000 clams!
http://www.realtor.com/realestate/evansville-in-47714-1096719412/

[beauluby]

They live in Fulton County. There is such a county in West Central Illinois, just Southwest of Peoria. It is approximately 2 hours from Chicago and about the same distance from Rockford.

[Bartman63]

Peoria is atleast 3 hours, or more, from Chicago, depending on which way one travels.

[beauluby]

Okay, I just checked it out on Google Maps. Peoria to Chicago: 2 hrs 49 mins. Peoria to Rockford: 2 hrs 39 mins.

[TakkunEG]

za85ck said:

The house is located in Evansville, IN on Runnymeade Ave. It's actually up for sale as I speak, for 126,000 clams!
http://www.realtor.com/realestate/evansville-in-47714-1096719412/

This is what they used for just exterior shots, right? IIRC, the show was filmed on an LA backlot.

Looks like it's dropped to $79,900. Man, real estate must be taking a hit. We just dropped the price on our land too. Buyers' market. :D

[panth0r]

That's amazing, surprised it's not a selling point, actually, it was an Emmy-award winning show, no? Got the box and catching up on the series, gotta say, great show.