Highest-rated bars in Rockford, according to Tripadvisor

Over the years, Tripadvisor has become the world's largest travel resource with 37.7 unique online visitors in the U.S. alone.

When the site was founded in 2000, the founders' goal was to provide travelers with an online platform to exchange reviews of destinations and hospitality businesses such as hotels and restaurants. Travelers from all over the world continue to use the site and app to determine where to stay, learn about the under-the-radar gems in their chosen destination, and where to eat, based on other travelers' reviews.

For hotels and restaurants, reviews can boost foot traffic to a location. But at times, they can be misleading in that they disproportionately cover more touristy areas while ignoring some local gems. In New York City, for example, a majority of highly rated bars were located in the Theater District—likely due to all the tourists who flock there and are more inclined to leave reviews.

Stacker compiled a list of the highest rated bars and pubs in Rockford on Tripadvisor. Tripadvisor rankings factor in the average rating and number of reviews. Some bars on the list may have recently closed.