The Northern Star has served Northern Illinois University and the DeKalb area since 1899. The newspaper is operated and managed by NIU students. Northern Illinois University is located in DeKalb, a growing city of more than 44,000 located just 65 miles west of Chicago and 30 miles southeast of Rockford. The Northern Star circulates 127 days per year, four times a week during fall and spring semester and once a week during the summer term. The newspaper is distributed to more than 80 campus locations, as well as more than 190 high-traffic locations in DeKalb and Sycamore.