It is named after the strait between the Door Peninsula and Washington Island. This dangerous passage, known as Death's Door, contains shipwrecks and was known to Native Americans and early French explorers. The county was created in 1851 and organized in 1861.[4]
Nicknamed the "Cape Cod of the Midwest," Door County is a popular Upper Midwest vacation destination.
Door County's name came from Porte des Morts ("Death's Door"), the passage between the tip of Door Peninsula and Washington Island.[5] The name "Death's Door" came from Native American tales, heard by early French explorers and published in greatly embellished form by Hjalmar Holand, which described a failed raid by the Ho-Chunk (Winnebago) tribe to capture Washington Island from the rival Pottawatomi tribe in the early 1600s. It has become associated with shipwrecks within the passage.[6] The earliest known written reference to the legend is from Emmanuel Crespel [fr], who termed the peninsula "Cap a la Mort" in 1728.[7]
The 19th and 20th centuries saw the immigration and settlement of pioneers, mariners, fishermen, loggers, and farmers. The first white settler was Increase Claflin.[8] In 1851, Door County was separated from what had been Brown County.[9] In 1853, Moravians founded Ephraim after Nils Otto Tank resisted attempts at land ownership reform at the old religious colony near Green Bay.[10] An African-American community and congregation worshiping at West Harbor on Washington Island was described in 1854.[11] Also in 1854 the first post office in the county opened, on Washington Island.[12] In the 19th century, a fairly large-scale immigration of BelgianWalloons populated a small region in the southern portion of the county,[13] including the area designated as the Namur Historic District. They built small roadside votive chapels, some still in use today,[14] and brought other traditions over from Europe such as the Kermiss harvest festival.[15]
Shortly after the 1831 Treaty of Washington,[16] the federal government surveyed what is now Door County to determine the value of the timber and to divide up parcels for eventual sale.[17][18] Following the treaty, land in what is now the county was sold or granted to private citizens.[19]
At the time the Homestead Act of 1862 was passed, most of the county's nearly 2,000 farmers were squatters earning most of their revenue from lumber and wood products. The remaining portion of the population consisted of about 1,000 fishermen and their families. Out of the total population of 2,948 people, 170 fought in the Civil War.[20]
When the 1871 Peshtigo fire burned the town of Williamsonville, fifty-nine people were killed. The area of this disaster is now Tornado Memorial County Park, named for a fire whirl which occurred there.[21][22][23] Altogether, 128 people in the county perished in the Peshtigo fire.[9][10]
Even after the Ahnapee and Western extended service to Sturgeon Bay in 1894, many tourists continued taking the railroad to Menominee, Michigan[a] to embark on steamships bound for communities in Door County. This route over Green Bay bypassed poor road conditions in the northern part of the county, which persisted until the early 1920s. Only after crushed stone highways were built did motor and horse-drawn coaches become popular for transportation between Sturgeon Bay and the northern part of the peninsula.[28][9] By 1909 at least 1,000 tourists visited per year,[29] a figure which grew to about 125,000 in 1920,[30] 1 million in 1969,[31] 1.25 million in 1978,[32] and 1.9 million in 1995.[33]
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,370 square miles (6,100 km2), of which 482 square miles (1,250 km2) is land and 1,888 square miles (4,890 km2) (80%) is water.[36] It is the largest county in Wisconsin by total area. The county has 298 miles (480 km) of shoreline.[37]
The county covers the majority of the Door Peninsula. With the completion of the Sturgeon Bay Shipping Canal in 1881,[38] the northern half of the peninsula became an artificial island.[39] This canal is believed to have somehow "caused a wonderful increase in the quantity of fish" in nearby waters[40] and also caused a reduction in the sturgeon population in the bay due to changes in the aquatic habitat.[41] The 45th parallel north bisects the "island", and this is commemorated by Meridian County Park.[42][43]
The county has a humid continental climate (classified as Dfb in Köppen) with warm summers and cold snowy winters. Data from the Peninsular Agricultural Research Station north of the city of Sturgeon Bay gives average monthly temperatures ranging from 68.7 °F (20.4 °C) in the summer down to 18.0 °F (−7.8 °C) in the winter. The moderating effects of nearby bodies of water reduce the likelihood of damaging late spring freezes. Late spring freezes are less likely to occur than in nearby areas, and when they do occur, they tend not to be as severe.[44]
Today, most tourists and summer residents come from the metropolitan areas of Milwaukee, Chicago, Madison, Green Bay, and the Twin Cities,[45] although Illinois residents are the dominant group both in Door County and farther south along the eastern edge of Wisconsin.[46]
Besides Lake Michigan and Green Bay, there are 26 lakes, ponds, or marshes and 37 rivers, creeks, streams, and springs in the county.[51] The two deepest lakes, Mackaysee Lake at 26 feet (8 m) and Krause Lake at 24 feet (7 m) are on Chambers Island.[52]
Tamias striatus doorsiensis, a subspecies of eastern chipmunk, is only found in Door, Kewaunee, Northeastern Brown, and possibly Manitowoc counties.[56]
In 1999, the Wisconsin Natural Heritage Inventory listed 24 aquatic and 21 terrestrial animals in Door County as "rare."[57]
As of 2018[update], 166 species of birds have been confirmed to live in Door County, excluding birds seen which lack the habitat to nest and must only be passing through.[58]
Scandinavian heritage-related attractions include The Clearing Folk School, two stave churches,[71] structures in Rock Island State Park furnished with rune-inscribed furniture,[72] and Al Johnson's Swedish Restaurant, which features goats on its grassy roof. In Ephraim, the Village Hall, the Moravian and Lutheran churches, and the Peter Peterson House are listed in the National Register of Historic Places, as is the L. A. Larson & Co. Store building in Sturgeon Bay. Although fish boils have been attributed to Scandinavian tradition,[73] several ethnicities present on the peninsula have traditions of boiling fish. The method common in the county is similar to that of Native Americans.[74][d]
Door County's economy is considered a "forestry-related tourism"-based economy.[79] In 2020, the total gross domestic product (GDP) of the county was $1.39 billion, with the $274 million manufacturing industry overtaking real estate and rental and leasing that year to become the leading industry in the county at 19.7% of the overall GDP.[80]
WIS 57 in March (here concurrent with the Door County National Scenic Byway)
WIS 42 near Gills Rock in October
The combined WIS 42/WIS 57 separates again at a junction in Sevastapol. Following this separation, WIS 42 continues along the western side of the peninsula and sees more traffic than WIS 57,[82] which continues along the eastern side. The two highways combine again at a junction in Liberty Grove.
Door County Coastal Byway (WIS 42 and WIS 57) north of Sturgeon Bay to Northport is classified as a Wisconsin Scenic Byway[83] and National Scenic Byway.[84]
There are five rustic roads in the county.[85] In addition to state-recognized rustic roads, Liberty Grove manages a heritage roads program. As of 2019[update] there were 12 heritage roads in the town.[86]
There are 230.8 miles (371.4 km)[87] of snowmobile trails,[88][89] which are opened as trails are groomed.[90]
The Ahnapee State Trail connects Sturgeon Bay to Kewaunee, winter snowmobile access is dependent on weather and trail grooming.[91] Although the Ice Age Trail coincides with most of the Ahnapee State Trail, the Ice Age Trail forks away in the City of Sturgeon Bay and reaches its northern terminus at Potawatomi State Park.[92] Mountain bike trails are located in three of the state parks.[93][94]
Sturgeon Bay Bridge (also called Michigan Street Bridge), truss structure, Scherzer-type, double-leaf, rolling-lift bascule with overhead counter-weights[97]
Oregon Street Bridge (reinforced concrete slab, rolling lift bascule girder with mechanical driven center locks)[98]
Bayview Bridge (monolithic concrete placed on structural deck with steel girder superstructure, open grating on deck, bascule)[99]
A daily private shuttle service operates between Green Bay–Austin Straubel International Airport and Sturgeon Bay.[100] The nearest intercity bus stop with regular service is in Green Bay.[101] There are multiple private and public ground transportation services within the county, but none with regularly scheduled stops for the general public.[102][103]
Door County Memorial Hospital Heliport, allows for air ambulance service to the hospital from remote areas of the county[107] and for flying patients to Green Bay.
Washington Island is served by two ferry routes operating between the Door Peninsula and Detroit Harbor. One route is a 30-minute ride on a freight, automobile, and passenger ferry that departs from the Northport Pier at the northern terminus of WIS 42. This ferry makes approximately 225,000 trips per year.[100] Another route is a 20- minute ride on a passenger-only ferry which departs from the unincorporated community of Gills Rock.[114]
Rock Island State Park is reachable by the passenger ferry Karfi from Washington Island.[115] During winter Rock Island is potentially accessible via snowmobile and foot traffic.
Although Chambers Island has no regularly scheduled ferry, there are boat operators which transport people to the island on call from Fish Creek.
As of the census of 2020,[119] the population was 30,066. The population density was 62.4 people per square mile (24.1 people/km2). There were 23,738 housing units at an average density of 49.3 units per square mile (19.0 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 92.3% White, 0.5% Black or African American, 0.5% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 1.6% from other races, and 4.6% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 3.8% Hispanic or Latino of any race.
As of the 2000 census,[120] there were 27,961 people, 11,828 households, and 7,995 families residing in the county. The population density was 58 people per square mile (22 people/km2).[121] There were 19,587 housing units at an average density of 41 units per square mile (16 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 97.84% White, 0.19% Black or African American, 0.65% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.33% from other races, and 0.69% from two or more races. 0.95% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 39.4% were of German and 10.3% Belgian ancestry. A small pocket of Walloon speakers forms the only Walloon-language region outside of Wallonia and its immediate neighbors.[122][123]
Out of a total of 11,828 households, 58.10% were married couples living together, 6.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.40% were non-families. 28.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.84.[124]
For every 100 females there were 97.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.50 males. 22.10% of the population was under the age of 18,[131] a decrease from 25.9% being under the age of 18 in the 1990 census.[132]) Additionally, 6.10% were aged from 18 to 24, 25.40% from 25 to 44, and 27.70% from 45 to 64.[131]
In 2020, there were 208 felony cases prosecuted by the county,[87] up from 195 cases in 2019 and 171 in 2018. No trials were held concerning any of the felony cases in 2020.[87] In 2019, 3 cases went to trial, down from 6 in 2018.[134]
The county has been a focus of sex-trafficking enforcement efforts.[135] From 2015 to 2020 there were no reports of sex-trafficking in the county.[136]
In 2014, the voluntary intoxication defense in Wisconsin was repealed due to outcry following its use during a trial in Door County. Initially the trial ended with a hung jury but a retrial resulted in a conviction.[137][138]
The county had voted for the winning candidate in every presidential election since 1996, up until 2024. President Clinton was the last candidate, up until 2024, to win nationally without carrying Door County in the 1992 presidential election. Donald Trump, in the 2024 election, also failed to win Door County, while winning the national election.[152][153]
It is one of only nine counties to have voted for Obama in 2008 and 2012, Trump in 2016, Biden in 2020, and Harris in 2024.[g]
^Gardner Swamp Wildlife Area, Mud Lake Wildlife Area, Reibolts Creek Public Access, and Schuyler Creek State Fishery Area
^Access to SNAs depends on ownership, but most are free and open to the public. Complex ownership complicates a straightforward listing of the parks, as besides the land trust, the Nature Conservancy manages five preserves in the county.
^ abc"Chapter 3: Historical and Cultural Resources". Door County Comprehensive Plan 2030(PDF). Vol. II, Resource Report. Table 3.1: Timeline of Historic Events in Door County. pp. 19–20. Archived from the original(PDF) on January 13, 2020.
^Holand, Hjalmar Rued (1933). "Chapter VII: Belgian Characteristics and Customs"(PDF). Wisconsin's Belgian community: an account of the early events in the Belgian settlement in northeastern Wisconsin with particular reference to the Belgians in Door County. pp. 82 ff. Archived(PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. See also the Table of Contents for the entire book.
^"Fifty Cents an Acre". Door County Advocate. Vol. 76, no. 3. March 26, 1937. p. 4. Archived from the original on August 9, 2021. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
^Transportation Profile Draft(PDF). Door County Comprehensive Plan 2030 Transportation Advisory Workgroup. p. 5. Archived from the original(PDF) on January 13, 2020.
^"2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on September 4, 2015. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
^Bertrand, Gerard; Lang, Jean; Ross, John (January 1976). "Section 6.1: Early History". The Green Bay Watershed: Past/Present/Future. Technical report / University of Wisconsin—Madison Sea Grant Program; no.29. University of Wisconsin Sea Grant College Program. p. 142. Technical Report #229.
^Lyttle, Bethany (September 11, 2008). "The Cape Cod of the Midwest". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 22, 2017. Retrieved September 25, 2008.
^Light List, Volume VII: Great LakesArchived January 31, 2022, at the Wayback Machine, United States Coast Guard, 33 of the lights are listed from pages 187–191 (pages 243–247 of the pdf); 17 of them are listed from pages 195–198 (pages 251–254 of the pdf), 2022
^The Björklunden stave church is called Boynton Chapel and it is just south of Baileys Harbor. The Washington Island Stavkirke is part of and adjacent to Trinity Lutheran Church on Washington Island.
^Whisked Away to Rock Island by Benson Gardner, Portal Wisconsin, 2010; the page links to a panoramic tour of the boathouse
^Door Co.(PDF) (Map). 1:100,000. Madison: Wisconsin Department of Transportation. January 2021. Archived(PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved August 1, 2021.
^Anatomy of Door County: A Traffic Safety Summary(PDF). Wisconsin Traffic Operations and Safety Laboratory. p. 3, fig. 1: Traffic Volume on the State Trunk Network Door County, WI; p. 15, fig. 13: Door County Fatalities and Serious Injuries (2014–2017) with Map of Hospitals.
^ ab"Chapter 7: Transportation"(PDF). Door County Comprehensive Plan, 2030. Vol. II, Resource Report. October 27, 2009. p. 176, Table 7.6: Transportation Service Providers, Door County. Archived from the original(PDF) on April 10, 2019.
^Busch, Pam; Goode, Mariah; Kerwin, Rebecca (2020). Door County Coordinated Public Transportation Plan 2021–2024. Door County Transportation and Land Use Services Departments. Table in Appendix B: Door County Transportation Providers and Services, pp. 16–18.
^Maps of borders along county waters are available on the Selection Map at data.census.gov
^"Robert C. Bassett". Arlington National Cemetery. Archived from the original on February 1, 2020. Bassett, who was born in Sturgeon Bay on March 2, 1911
^Costello, Rory. "Gene Brabender". Society for American Baseball Research.