Winnebago County, Wisconsin

County in Wisconsin, United States

U.S. county in Wisconsin

Winnebago County

U.S. county

Winnebago County Courthouse

Winnebago County Courthouse

Map of Wisconsin highlighting Winnebago County

Location within the U.S. state of Wisconsin

Wisconsin's location within the U.S.

Country|  United States
State|  Wisconsin
Founded| 1848
Named for| Winnebago people
Seat| Oshkosh
Largest city| Oshkosh
Area

• Total| 579 sq mi (1,500 km2)
• Land| 434 sq mi (1,120 km2)
• Water| 144 sq mi (370 km2)  25%%
Population

(2020)[1]

• Total| 171,730
• Density| 395.1/sq mi (152.5/km2)
Time zone| UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)| UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional districts| 6th, 8th
Website| www.co.winnebago.wi.us

Winnebago County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 171,730. Its county seat is Oshkosh.[2] It was named for the historic Winnebago people, a federally recognized Native American tribe now known as the Ho-Chunk Nation. Chief Oshkosh was a Menominee leader in the area. Winnebago County comprises the Oshkosh-Neenah, WI Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Appleton-Oshkosh-Neenah, WI Combined Statistical Area.

## Contents

* 1 History
* 2 Geography
* 2.1 Adjacent counties
* 2.2 Major highways
* 2.3 Railroads
* 2.4 Buses
* 2.5 Airports
* 3 Demographics
* 3.1 2020 census
* 3.2 2000 census
* 4 Government
* 4.1 Politics
* 5 Communities
* 5.1 Cities
* 5.2 Villages
* 5.3 Towns
* 5.4 Census-designated places
* 5.5 Unincorporated communities
* 5.6 Ghost towns/neighborhoods
* 6 See also
* 7 References
* 8 Further reading
* 9 External links

## History

[edit | edit source]

The region was occupied by several Native American tribes in the period of European encounter, including the Sauk, Fox, Menominee, and Ojibwa (known as Chippewa in the US). French traders from what is now Canada had early interaction with them, as did French Jesuit missionaries, who sought to convert them to Catholicism. European and American settlement encroached on their traditional territories, and the United States negotiated treaties in the mid-19th century to keep pushing the Indians to the west.

Winnebago County was created in 1840 by European Americans and organized in 1848.[3] The name Winnebago is of Algonquin origin, with variations used by the Fox and Potowatomi to refer to the Fox River below Lake Winnebago, which sometimes got muddy and full of fish.[4] It means 'people dwelling by the fetid or ill-smelling water', which may also refer to a sulfur spring.[5] The county seat, Oshkosh, was incorporated as a city in 1853, when it already had a population of nearly 2,800.[6]

Chief Oshkosh was the namesake for the county seat. A leader of the Menominee in the region, he was successful in gaining authorization from the federal government for 2500 of his people to remain in Wisconsin, at a time when the government was pushing for their removal west of the Mississippi River.

## Geography

[edit | edit source]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 579 square miles (1,500 km2), of which 434 square miles (1,120 km2) is land and 144 square miles (370 km2) (25%) is water.[7]

### Adjacent counties

[edit | edit source]

* Waupaca County \- northwest
* Outagamie County \- northeast
* Calumet County \- east
* Fond du Lac County \- south
* Green Lake County \- southwest
* Waushara County \- west

### Major highways

[edit | edit source]

* Interstate 41
* U.S. Highway 10
* U.S. Highway 41
* U.S. Highway 45
* Wisconsin Highway 21
* Wisconsin Highway 26
* Wisconsin Highway 44
* Wisconsin Highway 47
* File:WIS 76.svg Wisconsin Highway 76
* Wisconsin Highway 91
* File:WIS 114.svg Wisconsin Highway 114
* File:WIS 116.svg Wisconsin Highway 116
* File:WIS 441.svg Wisconsin Highway 441

### Railroads

[edit | edit source]

* Canadian National
* Wisconsin and Southern Railroad

### Buses

[edit | edit source]

* GO Transit (Wisconsin)
* Valley Transit (Wisconsin)
* List of intercity bus stops in Wisconsin

### Airports

[edit | edit source]

Wittman Regional Airport (KOSH) serves the county and surrounding communities.

Brennand Airport (79C) in the Town of Clayton is a major recreational aircraft hub year-round.

Commercial airline service for Winnebago County is provided by Appleton International Airport in the neighboring Outagamie County.

## Demographics

[edit | edit source]

Historical population

Census | Pop. |  | %±
1840| 135| | —
1850| 10,167| | 7,431.1%
1860| 23,770| | 133.8%
1870| 37,279| | 56.8%
1880| 42,740| | 14.6%
1890| 50,097| | 17.2%
1900| 58,225| | 16.2%
1910| 62,116| | 6.7%
1920| 63,897| | 2.9%
1930| 76,622| | 19.9%
1940| 80,507| | 5.1%
1950| 91,103| | 13.2%
1960| 107,928| | 18.5%
1970| 129,931| | 20.4%
1980| 131,703| | 1.4%
1990| 140,320| | 6.5%
2000| 156,763| | 11.7%
2010| 166,994| | 6.5%
2020| 171,730| | 2.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]
1790–1960[9] 1900–1990[10]
1990–2000[11] 2010–2020[12]

### 2020 census

[edit | edit source]

As of the census of 2020,[1] the population was 171,730. The population density was 395.1 inhabitants per square mile (152.5/km2). There were 76,046 housing units at an average density of 174.9 per square mile (67.5/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 86.2% White, 3.3% Asian, 3.0% Black or African American, 0.7% Native American, 1.8% from other races, and 5.1% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 4.8% Hispanic or Latino of any race.

File:USA Winnebago County, Wisconsin age pyramid.svg2000 Census Age Pyramid for Winnebago County

### 2000 census

[edit | edit source]

As of the census[13] of 2000, there were 156,763 people, 61,157 households, and 39,568 families residing in the county. The population density was 357 per square mile (138/km2). There were 64,721 housing units at an average density of 148 per square mile (57/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 94.92% White, 1.12% Black or African American, 0.46% Native American, 1.84% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.72% from other races, and 0.92% from two or more races. 1.96% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 52.4% were of German, 6.2% Irish and 5.7% Polish ancestry. 94.6% spoke English, 2.5% Spanish and 1.0% Hmong as their first language.

There were 61,157 households, out of which 31.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.00% were married couples living together, 8.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.30% were non-families. 27.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.99.

By age, 23.80% of the population was under 18, 11.80% from 18 to 24, 30.40% from 25 to 44, 21.50% from 45 to 64, and 12.50% were 65 or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 99.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.80 males.

In 2017, there were 1,833 births, giving a general fertility rate of 56.5 births per 1000 women aged 15–44, the 15th lowest rate out of all 72 Wisconsin counties.[14] Additionally, there were 123 reported induced abortions performed on women of Winnebago County residence in 2017.[15]

## Government

[edit | edit source]

Winnebago County is governed by the 36-member Winnebago County Board of Supervisors. Supervisors are elected to the board in a nonpartisan election held the first Tuesday of April in even numbered years and serve two-year terms. The board has several committees. It meets on the third Tuesday of each month at the Winnebago County Courthouse in Oshkosh.

### Politics

[edit | edit source]

Winnebago County has become a swing county in recent decades. It has voted for the winning presidential candidate in every election since 1980, except in 1992 when it supported George Bush, and in 2020, when it supported Donald Trump.

United States presidential election results for Winnebago County, Wisconsin[16][17] Year  | Republican | Democratic | Third party

|
|
|

No. | % | No. | % | No. | %
2020 | 47,796  | 50.83% | 44,060  | 46.86%  | 2,176  | 2.31%
2016 | 43,445  | 49.86% | 37,047  | 42.52%  | 6,643  | 7.62%
2012 | 42,122  | 47.24%  | 45,449  | 50.97% | 1,602  | 1.80%
2008 | 37,946  | 43.28%  | 48,167  | 54.94% | 1,564  | 1.78%
2004 | 46,542  | 52.53% | 40,943  | 46.21%  | 1,111  | 1.25%
2000 | 38,330  | 50.38% | 33,983  | 44.67%  | 3,767  | 4.95%
1996 | 27,880  | 42.73%  | 29,564  | 45.31% | 7,803  | 11.96%
1992 | 33,709  | 43.56% | 27,234  | 35.19%  | 16,443  | 21.25%
1988 | 35,085  | 54.82% | 28,508  | 44.54%  | 410  | 0.64%
1984 | 39,014  | 62.74% | 22,791  | 36.65%  | 378  | 0.61%
1980 | 34,286  | 53.28% | 24,203  | 37.61%  | 5,864  | 9.11%
1976 | 32,149  | 55.35% | 24,485  | 42.16%  | 1,448  | 2.49%
1972 | 29,488  | 57.28% | 20,450  | 39.72%  | 1,544  | 3.00%
1968 | 25,361  | 53.84% | 18,605  | 39.50%  | 3,138  | 6.66%
1964 | 21,084  | 47.03%  | 23,636  | 52.72% | 115  | 0.26%
1960 | 28,598  | 61.72% | 17,656  | 38.11%  | 80  | 0.17%
1956 | 28,759  | 71.44% | 11,115  | 27.61%  | 380  | 0.94%
1952 | 28,172  | 68.17% | 13,016  | 31.49%  | 140  | 0.34%
1948 | 17,165  | 55.18% | 13,116  | 42.16%  | 829  | 2.66%
1944 | 19,310  | 59.56% | 12,841  | 39.61%  | 269  | 0.83%
1940 | 18,697  | 54.14% | 15,570  | 45.08%  | 268  | 0.78%
1936 | 11,679  | 36.93%  | 18,522  | 58.57% | 1,420  | 4.49%
1932 | 11,505  | 41.31%  | 15,591  | 55.98% | 756  | 2.71%
1928 | 16,191  | 61.10% | 9,995  | 37.72%  | 315  | 1.19%
1924 | 11,239  | 48.70% | 1,801  | 7.80%  | 10,038  | 43.50%
1920 | 12,035  | 69.53% | 3,397  | 19.63%  | 1,876  | 10.84%
1916 | 5,923  | 50.49% | 5,242  | 44.69%  | 566  | 4.82%
1912 | 1,922  | 17.01%  | 4,631  | 41.00% | 4,743  | 41.99%
1908 | 6,797  | 52.24% | 5,511  | 42.36%  | 703  | 5.40%
1904 | 7,720  | 62.63% | 4,006  | 32.50%  | 600  | 4.87%
1900 | 7,467  | 55.67% | 5,605  | 41.78%  | 342  | 2.55%
1896 | 7,898  | 59.23% | 5,089  | 38.17%  | 347  | 2.60%
1892 | 5,354  | 45.06%  | 5,893  | 49.60% | 635  | 5.34%

## Communities

[edit | edit source]

### Cities

[edit | edit source]

* Appleton (mostly in Outagamie County and Calumet County)
* Menasha (partly in Calumet County)
* Neenah
* Omro
* Oshkosh (county seat)

### Villages

[edit | edit source]

* Fox Crossing
* Winneconne

### Towns

[edit | edit source]

* Algoma
* Black Wolf
* Clayton
* Neenah
* Nekimi
* Nepeuskun
* Omro
* Oshkosh
* Poygan
* Rushford
* Utica
* Vinland
* Winchester
* Winneconne
* Wolf River

### Census-designated places

[edit | edit source]

* Butte des Morts
* Eureka
* Waukau
* Winchester

### Unincorporated communities

[edit | edit source]

* Adella Beach
* Allenville
* Black Wolf
* Black Wolf Point
* Clarks Point
* Decorah Beach
* Elo
* Fairview Beach
* Fisk
* Fitzgerald
* Harbor Springs
* Highland Shore
* Indian Shores
* Island Park
* Larsen
* Lasleys Point
* Leonards Point
* Little Point
* Koro
* Medina Junction
* Melrose Park
* Metz (partial)
* Mikesville
* Nichols Shore Acres
* Oakwood
* Orihula
* Paukotuk
* Piacenza
* Pickett
* Plummer Point
* Point Comfort
* Reighmoor
* Ricker Bay
* Ring
* Rivermoor
* Rush Lake
* Shangri La Point
* Snells
* Sunrise Bay
* Waverly Beach (partial)
* Winnebago
* Zion
* Zittau

### Ghost towns/neighborhoods

[edit | edit source]

* Delhi
* Menasha (former)

## See also

[edit | edit source]

* National Register of Historic Places listings in Winnebago County, Wisconsin

## References

[edit | edit source]

1. ^ a b "2020 Decennial Census: Winnebago County, Wisconsin". data.census.gov. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. ^ "Wisconsin: Individual County Chronologies". Wisconsin Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library. 2007. Archived from the original on April 14, 2017. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
4. ^ "Winnebago", Dictionary.com
5. ^ "Winnebago Took Its Name from an Indian Tribe". The Post-Crescent. December 28, 1963. p. 14. Retrieved August 25, 2014 - via Newspapers.com.
6. ^ City of Oshkosh. About Us.
7. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
8. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
9. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
10. ^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
11. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
12. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 24, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2014.
13. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
14. ^ "Annual Wisconsin Birth and Infant Mortality Report, 2017 P-01161-19 (June 2019): Detailed Tables". Archived from the original on June 19, 2019. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
15. ^ Reported Induced Abortions in Wisconsin, Office of Health Informatics, Division of Public Health, Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Section: Trend Information, 2013-2017, Table 18, pages 17-18
16. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
17. ^ The leading "other" candidate, Progressive Theodore Roosevelt, received 4,098 votes, while Socialist candidate Eugene Debs received 478 votes, Prohibition candidate Eugene Chafin received 146 votes, and Independent candidate Arthur Reimer received 21 votes.

## Further reading

[edit | edit source]

* Commemorative Biographical Record of the Fox River Valley Counties of Brown, Outagamie and Winnebago. Chicago: J. H. Beers, 1895.
* Lawson, Publius V. (ed.) History, Winnebago County, Wisconsin: Its Cities, Towns, Resources, People. Chicago: C. F. Cooper, 1908.

## External links

[edit | edit source]

* Winnebago County official website
* Winnebago County map from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation

Places adjacent to Winnebago County, Wisconsin

| Waupaca County |  | Outagamie County

|
|

|  |
Waushara County |

Winnebago County, Wisconsin

| Calumet County
|  |
Green Lake County | Fond du Lac County |

* v
* t
* e

Appleton–Oshkosh–Neenah / Fox Cities metropolitan area, Wisconsin

Core cities|

* Appleton°
* Neenah°
* Oshkosh°

Largest municipalities
over 10,000 in 2010|

* Fox Crossing‡
* Grand Chute*
* Greenville*
* Harrison*
* Kaukauna°
* Little Chute‡
* Menasha°

Municipalities
under 10,000 in 2010|

* Apple Creek†
* Buchanan*
* Butte des Morts†
* Center*
* Clayton*
* Combined Locks‡
* Darboy†
* Dundas†
* Forest Junction§
* Freedom*
* Harbor Springs†
* Harrison‡
* Hortonville‡
* Kaukauna*
* Kimberly‡
* Mackville†
* Neenah*
* Omro°
* Omro*
* Oshkosh*
* Sherwood‡
* Vandenbroek*
* Winchester§
* Winchester*
* Winnebago†
* Winneconne‡
* Winneconne*
* Woodville*
* Wrightstown‡^

Counties|

* Outagamie
* Winnebago
* Calumet

* *town
* ‡village
* °city
* §CDP
* †unincorporated community
* ^partial

* v
* t
* e

Municipalities and communities of Winnebago County, Wisconsin, United States

County seat: Oshkosh

Cities|

* Appleton‡
* Menasha‡
* Neenah
* Omro
* Oshkosh

File:Map of Wisconsin highlighting Winnebago County.svg

Villages|

* Fox Crossing
* Winneconne

Towns|

* Algoma
* Black Wolf
* Clayton
* Neenah
* Nekimi
* Nepeuskun
* Omro
* Oshkosh
* Poygan
* Rushford
* Utica
* Vinland
* Winchester
* Winneconne
* Wolf River

CDPs|

* Butte des Morts
* Eureka
* Waukau
* Winchester

Other
communities|

* Allenville
* Black Wolf
* Black Wolf Point
* Clarks Point
* Elo
* Fisk
* Fitzgerald
* Harbor Springs
* Highland Shore
* Indian Shores
* Island Park
* Larsen
* Lasleys Point
* Leonards Point
* Little Point
* Koro
* Medina Junction
* Metz‡
* Mikesville
* Oakwood
* Orihula
* Paukotuk
* Piacenza
* Pickett
* Plummer Point
* Point Comfort
* Ricker Bay
* Reighmoor
* Ring
* Rivermoor
* Rush Lake
* Shangri La Point
* Snells
* Sunrise Bay
* Waverly Beach‡
* Winnebago
* Zion
* Zittau

Former
communities|

* Delhi
* Menasha (former town)

Indian reservation|

* Menominee Indian Reservation‡

Footnotes|

‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

* United States portal

* v
* t
* e

State of Wisconsin

Madison (capital)

Topics|

* Outline
* Agriculture
* Dairy industry
* Geography
* Islands
* Lakes
* Governors
* Delegations
* History
* People
* Sports
* Symbols
* Tourist attractions

Society|

* Administrative divisions
* Crime
* Culture
* Demographics
* Economy
* Education
* Politics

Regions|

* Apostle Islands
* Central Plain
* Chippewa Valley
* Door Peninsula
* Driftless Area
* Eastern Ridges and Lowlands
* Fox River Valley
* Great River Road
* Lake Superior Lowland
* Northern Highland
* Western Upland

Major metropolitan areas
(pop. over 500,000)|

* Chicago metropolitan area
* Madison metropolitan area
* Milwaukee metropolitan area
* Twin Cities metropolitan area

Largest cities
(pop. over 50,000)|

* Appleton
* Eau Claire
* Green Bay
* Janesville
* Kenosha
* La Crosse
* Madison
* Milwaukee
* Oshkosh
* Racine
* Waukesha
* West Allis

Smaller cities
(pop. 15,000 to 50,000)|

* Beaver Dam
* Beloit
* Brookfield
* Cudahy
* De Pere
* Fitchburg
* Fond du Lac
* Franklin
* Greenfield
* Hartford
* Hudson
* Kaukauna
* Manitowoc
* Marshfield
* Menasha
* Menomonie
* Mequon
* Middleton
* Muskego
* Neenah
* New Berlin
* Oak Creek
* Oconomowoc
* Onalaska
* River Falls
* Sheboygan
* South Milwaukee
* Stevens Point
* Sun Prairie
* Superior
* Watertown
* Wausau
* Wauwatosa
* West Bend
* Wisconsin Rapids

Largest villages
(pop. over 15,000)|

* Ashwaubenon
* Bellevue
* Caledonia
* Fox Crossing
* Germantown
* Howard
* Menomonee Falls
* Mount Pleasant
* Pleasant Prairie

Counties|

* Adams
* Ashland
* Barron
* Bayfield
* Brown
* Buffalo
* Burnett
* Calumet
* Chippewa
* Clark
* Columbia
* Crawford
* Dane
* Dodge
* Door
* Douglas
* Dunn
* Eau Claire
* Florence
* Fond du Lac
* Forest
* Grant
* Green
* Green Lake
* Iowa
* Iron
* Jackson
* Jefferson
* Juneau
* Kenosha
* Kewaunee
* La Crosse
* Lafayette
* Langlade
* Lincoln
* Manitowoc
* Marathon
* Marinette
* Marquette
* Menominee
* Milwaukee
* Monroe
* Oconto
* Oneida
* Outagamie
* Ozaukee
* Pepin
* Pierce
* Polk
* Portage
* Price
* Racine
* Richland
* Rock
* Rusk
* Sauk
* Sawyer
* Shawano
* Sheboygan
* St. Croix
* Taylor
* Trempealeau
* Vernon
* Vilas
* Walworth
* Washburn
* Washington
* Waukesha
* Waupaca
* Waushara
* Winnebago
* Wood

Coordinates: 44°04′N 88°38′W﻿ / ﻿44.06°N 88.64°W﻿ / 44.06; -88.64
*[Pop.]: Population
*[%±]: Percent change
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template