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Appleton, Wisconsin
Downtown Appleton viewed from the Fox River
Downtown Appleton viewed from the Fox River
Location of Appleton in Outagamie, Calumet, and Winnebago counties, Wisconsin
Location of Appleton in Outagamie, Calumet, and Winnebago counties, Wisconsin
Appleton, Wisconsin is located in Wisconsin
Appleton, Wisconsin
Appleton, Wisconsin
Location in Wisconsin
Appleton, Wisconsin is located in the United States
Appleton, Wisconsin
Appleton, Wisconsin
Location in the United States
Country  United States
State  Wisconsin
Counties Outagamie, Calumet, Winnebago
Settled 1847
Incorporated 1853 (village)
1857 (city)
Named for Samuel Appleton
Government
 • Type Mayor–council
Area
 • City 25.29 sq mi (65.49 km2)
 • Land 24.79 sq mi (64.20 km2)
 • Water 0.50 sq mi (1.29 km2)  1.97%
Elevation
790 ft (240 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • City 75,644
 • Rank 6th in Wisconsin
 • Density 2,989.15/sq mi (1,154.12/km2)
 • Urban
230,967 (US: 171st)
 • Urban density 2,143.0/sq mi (827.4/km2)
 • Metro
243,147 (US: 194th)
Demonym(s) Appletonians
Time zone UTC−06:00 (CST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−05:00 (CDT)
ZIP Code
54911, 54912, 54913, 54914, 54915, 54919
Area code(s) 920
FIPS code 55-02375
GNIS feature ID 1560914
Major airport Appleton International Airport (ATW)
Major Routes I-41.svg US 10.svg US 41.svg
Public Transit Valley Transit Updated Logo.png

Appleton is a city in Wisconsin, United States. It is the main city of Outagamie County. Small parts of Appleton also reach into Calumet and Winnebago counties. The city is located on the Fox River, just north of Lake Winnebago.

Appleton is about 30 miles (48 km) southwest of Green Bay. It is also about 100 miles (160 km) north of Milwaukee. In 2020, Appleton had a population of 75,644 people. This makes it the sixth-largest city in Wisconsin. The larger Appleton metropolitan area has about 243,147 residents. Appleton is part of a bigger area known as the Fox Cities.

The city was started in the mid-1800s. It grew into an important center for industry and education. Lawrence University was founded here in 1847. Appleton's economy was first known for paper manufacturing. Today, it also has many retail businesses and healthcare services. These include St. Elizabeth Hospital and ThedaCare Regional Medical Center–Appleton. Appleton is also a cultural hub in the Fox River Valley. It has places like the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center and the History Museum at the Castle. This museum celebrates local history and famous people like the magician Harry Houdini. The city also hosts fun events like Octoberfest and the Mile of Music festival.

History of Appleton

Early Native American Life

The land where Appleton is now was once home to the Ho-Chunk and Menominee Native American tribes. The Menominee Nation gave this land to the United States in 1836. In the Menominee language, Appleton is called Ahkōnemeh. This means "watches for them place."

The first European people to settle in Appleton were fur traders. They came to trade with the Native Americans living in the Fox River Valley. One of the first buildings was the White Heron. Hippolyte Grignon built it in 1835 as a home, inn, and trading post.

How Appleton Grew

1805-Appleton, Outagamie County, Wisconsin 1867-PRINT
Appleton, Wisconsin – 1867

Appleton was settled in 1847. It began as three small villages along the Fox River. These villages were Grand Chute, Appleton, and Lawesburg. In 1853, they all joined together to form the Village of Appleton. John F. Johnston was the first resident and village president.

Lawrence University was also founded in 1847. It received money from Amos A. Lawrence. Samuel Appleton, Lawrence's father-in-law, gave $10,000 to the new college library. The town was named Appleton to honor his gift.

The paper industry was very important for Appleton's growth. The first paper mill was built in 1853. To power the paper mills, the nation's first hydroelectric power plant was built. This was the Vulcan Street Plant on the Fox River. It started working on September 30, 1882. This plant also powered the Hearthstone House. This was the first home in the world to get electricity from a central hydroelectric station.

Appleton was also home to other "firsts." In 1886, it had the first successful electric streetcar company. Electric lights replaced gas lamps on College Avenue in 1912. Appleton also had the first telephone in Wisconsin. It was one of the first cities outside the East Coast to have incandescent lights.

Appleton officially became a city on March 2, 1857. Amos Story was its first mayor. The city grew steadily over the years. By 1940, its population was 28,436. In the 1940s and 1950s, Appleton grew even more by adding nearby areas. These included the Glendale, Bell Heights, and Whispering Pines districts.

The 222 Building, Appleton's tallest, was built in 1952. The Valley Fair Shopping Center, built in 1954, was one of the first enclosed shopping malls in the U.S.

For a period in the past, Appleton had rules that made it difficult for certain groups of people, especially African Americans, to live or stay in the city. This was a time when many places in the U.S. had unfair practices.

Geography and Climate

Appleton Locks 1-3 Historic District September 2013
Appleton Locks 1-3 along the Fox River

Appleton covers about 24.82 square miles (64.28 km²). Most of this area is land, with a small part being water.

Appleton's Weather

Appleton has a humid continental climate. This means it has warm to hot summers and cold winters. It gets a moderate amount of rain and snow compared to other areas near the Great Lakes.

Appleton can have extreme temperatures. The hottest temperature ever recorded was 107°F (42°C) in 1936. The coldest was -32°F (-36°C) in 1929.

Climate data for Appleton, Wisconsin (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1893–present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 55
(13)
68
(20)
83
(28)
89
(32)
95
(35)
101
(38)
107
(42)
103
(39)
101
(38)
89
(32)
75
(24)
64
(18)
107
(42)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 43
(6)
47
(8)
64
(18)
76
(24)
86
(30)
91
(33)
92
(33)
90
(32)
87
(31)
78
(26)
62
(17)
48
(9)
94
(34)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 25.4
(−3.7)
29.1
(−1.6)
40.6
(4.8)
54.0
(12.2)
67.2
(19.6)
77.0
(25.0)
81.5
(27.5)
79.3
(26.3)
71.9
(22.2)
57.8
(14.3)
43.4
(6.3)
30.7
(−0.7)
54.8
(12.7)
Daily mean °F (°C) 17.7
(−7.9)
20.4
(−6.4)
31.4
(−0.3)
44.0
(6.7)
56.8
(13.8)
66.8
(19.3)
71.4
(21.9)
69.5
(20.8)
61.3
(16.3)
48.6
(9.2)
35.5
(1.9)
23.8
(−4.6)
45.6
(7.6)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 10.0
(−12.2)
11.7
(−11.3)
22.1
(−5.5)
33.9
(1.1)
46.4
(8.0)
56.6
(13.7)
61.3
(16.3)
59.8
(15.4)
50.8
(10.4)
39.3
(4.1)
27.6
(−2.4)
16.8
(−8.4)
36.4
(2.4)
Mean minimum °F (°C) −10
(−23)
−7
(−22)
2
(−17)
19
(−7)
31
(−1)
42
(6)
50
(10)
47
(8)
35
(2)
25
(−4)
12
(−11)
−3
(−19)
−14
(−26)
Record low °F (°C) −30
(−34)
−32
(−36)
−21
(−29)
7
(−14)
23
(−5)
34
(1)
41
(5)
35
(2)
25
(−4)
15
(−9)
−7
(−22)
−23
(−31)
−32
(−36)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 1.36
(35)
1.13
(29)
1.92
(49)
3.24
(82)
3.64
(92)
4.65
(118)
3.78
(96)
3.58
(91)
3.18
(81)
2.84
(72)
2.07
(53)
1.76
(45)
33.15
(842)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 12.6
(32)
11.2
(28)
7.2
(18)
4.0
(10)
0.1
(0.25)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.3
(0.76)
2.4
(6.1)
11.6
(29)
49.4
(125)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 9.2 8.5 9.2 11.6 11.9 11.5 11.1 10.5 9.8 10.6 8.8 9.9 122.6
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 8.2 7.7 5.0 2.3 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.2 2.8 7.7 34.0
Source: NOAA

People of Appleton

Historical population
Census Pop.
1860 2,345
1870 4,518 92.7%
1880 8,005 77.2%
1890 11,869 48.3%
1900 15,085 27.1%
1910 16,773 11.2%
1920 19,561 16.6%
1930 25,267 29.2%
1940 28,436 12.5%
1950 34,010 19.6%
1960 48,411 42.3%
1970 56,377 16.5%
1980 58,913 4.5%
1990 65,695 11.5%
2000 70,087 6.7%
2010 72,623 3.6%
2020 75,644 4.2%
U.S. Decennial Census
Appleton-Oshkosh-Neenah CSA
Location of the Appleton–Oshkosh–Neenah CSA and its components:      Appleton Metropolitan Statistical Area      Oshkosh–Neenah Metropolitan Statistical Area

Appleton is the main city of the Appleton–Oshkosh–Neenah CSA. This is a larger area that includes Appleton and Oshkosh–Neenah. In 2010, this combined area had 392,660 people. By 2019, it was estimated to have 409,881 residents.

In 2020, Appleton's population was 75,644. Most people lived in Outagamie County (62,899). Others lived in Calumet County (11,304) and Winnebago County (1,441).

Population Details

In 2020, about 7.3% of the city's population was Hispanic or Latino. Looking at race, 80.1% of people were White. About 6.4% were Asian, and 3.13% were Black or African American.

The average income for a household in Appleton was $61,475 between 2016 and 2020. For families, it was $76,791. About 10.3% of the population lived below the poverty line. This included 15.8% of those under 18 years old. Most adults (92.6%) had finished high school or more. About 33.6% had a bachelor's degree or higher.

Hmong Community

Appleton has a notable Hmong community. In 2022, there were 2,965 Hmong people living in the city. This group makes up over 70% of Appleton's Asian population.

Economy and Jobs

Irving Zuelke Building
Zuelke Building on College Avenue

Appleton has a strong economy with many different types of jobs. As of 2020, some of the largest employers in the city included:

  • St. Elizabeth Hospital/Ascension Health (5,172 employees)
  • Thrivent Financial (2,000 employees)
  • Appleton Area School District (1,918 employees)
  • Miller Electric (1,400 employees)
  • ThedaCare Regional Medical Center–Appleton (1,184 employees)

Several companies have their main offices in Appleton. These include ASP, Inc., Fleet Farm, and Miller Electric.

Healthcare Services

Appleton has two main hospitals that serve the community:

  • ThedaCare Regional Medical Center–Appleton
  • St. Elizabeth Hospital

Arts and Culture

Appleton offers many fun places to visit. The Hearthstone Historic House Museum is a four-story house. It was the first home in the U.S. to be powered by hydroelectricity in 1881. The History Museum at the Castle shows exhibits about the Fox River Valley's past. It has a special area for magician Harry Houdini.

The Fox Cities Exhibition Center is a large place for events and meetings. The Fox Cities Performing Arts Center hosts many shows. These include theater, music, and dance. The Gardens of the Fox Cities is a public garden. It shows off the beautiful plants of Wisconsin. The Trout Museum of Art displays various art exhibits.

Houdini Plaza is a popular spot downtown. It hosts about 55 events each year. These include summer concerts and part of the downtown farmers market.

The Atlas Science Center used to be the Paper Discovery Center. It was a museum about papermaking and the history of the paper industry. It closed in November 2024.

Parks and Recreation

Fox Cities Stadium 2014
Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium

Appleton has many parks for everyone to enjoy. The city has 24 neighborhood parks and four larger community parks. Neighborhood parks are usually 2 to 16 acres in size. Community parks are larger, from 25 to 139 acres. Goodland Field is a historic baseball site. The Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium is home to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers minor league baseball team.

Memorial Park is the biggest community park, covering 139 acres. It has baseball/softball fields, playgrounds, and an indoor ice skating rink. There's also a sledding hill, picnic areas, and a fishing pond. The park hosts a big fireworks show for the 4th of July.

City Park is the oldest park in Appleton, started in 1882. The Trout Museum of Art holds its Art in the Park event here. This show features over 200 artists and attracts many art lovers. Pierce Park hosts weekly Appleton City Band concerts in the summer. It also has the annual Appleton Old Car Show. Pierce Park and Telulah Park both have disc-golf courses. Erb Park and Mead Park have public swimming facilities. Jones Park is the finish line for the Santa Scamper run during the annual Appleton Christmas Parade. It also has an outdoor hockey rink in winter.

City Government

Appleton is run by a mayor and a city council. The mayor chooses people to lead city departments. The city council must approve these choices. The city attorney is elected every four years. The city council has 15 members, called alderpersons. They are elected for two-year terms from different areas of the city.

The current mayor of Appleton is Jake Woodford. He was elected in 2020. The first mayor was Amos Story, elected in 1857. Timothy Hanna was the longest-serving mayor. He served from 1996 to 2020.

Mayors of Appleton

Here is a list of some of Appleton's past mayors:

Mayors of Appleton, Wisconsin, since incorporation
Order Term start Term end Mayor Notes
1 1857 1859 Story, AmosAmos Story
2 1859 1860 Foster, AlvinAlvin Foster
3 1860 1862 Bateman, Robert R.Robert R. Bateman
4 1862 1865 Johnson, WilliamWilliam Johnson
5 1865 1866 Mason, R. Z.R. Z. Mason
6 1866 1867 Gilmore, JamesJames Gilmore
7 1867 1868 Bateman, Robert R.Robert R. Bateman
8 1868 1870 Richmond, George N.George N. Richmond
9 1870 1871 Smith, Augustus L.Augustus L. Smith
10 1871 1872 Richmond, George N.George N. Richmond
11 1872 1873 Goff, E. C.E. C. Goff
12 1873 1875 Willy, S. R.S. R. Willy
13 1875 1875 Esselburn, PeterPeter Esselburn
14 1875 1877 Harriman, J. E.J. E. Harriman
15 1877 1878 Marston, Joseph H.Joseph H. Marston
16 1878 1879 Ryan, JamesJames Ryan
17 1879 1880 Clark, Orson W.Orson W. Clark
18 1880 1882 Pierce, HumphreyHumphrey Pierce
19 1882 1883 Marston, Joseph H.Joseph H. Marston
20 1883 1887 Richmond, G. N.G. N. Richmond
21 1887 1889 Winslow, RushRush Winslow
22 1889 1892 Levings, Alfred H.Alfred H. Levings
23 1892 1893 Winslow, RushRush Winslow
24 1893 1894 Pierce, HumphreyHumphrey Pierce
25 1894 1897 Thom, PeterPeter Thom
26 1897 1900 Erb Jr., HermanHerman Erb Jr.
27 1900 1904 Hammel, DavidDavid Hammel
28 1904 1906 Harriman, Frank W.Frank W. Harriman
29 1906 1908 Hammel, DavidDavid Hammel
30 1908 1910 Wolter, Bernard C.Bernard C. Wolter
31 1910 1913 Canavan, James V.James V. Canavan Died in office, Dec. 1913.
32 1914 1917 Knuppel, AugustAugust Knuppel Won Feb. 1914 special election.
33 1917 1918 Faville, JohnJohn Faville
34 1918 1922 Hawes, J. AustinJ. Austin Hawes
35 1922 1924 Reuter, HenryHenry Reuter
36 1924 1926 Goodland Jr., JohnJohn Goodland Jr.
37 1926 1930 Rule, AlbertAlbert Rule
38 1930 1946 Goodland Jr., JohnJohn Goodland Jr.
39 1946 1958 Roemer, RobertRobert Roemer
40 1958 1966 Mitchell, ClarenceClarence Mitchell
41 1966 1972 Buckley, GeorgeGeorge Buckley
42 1972 1980 Sutherland, JamesJames Sutherland
43 1980 1992 Johnson, DorothyDorothy Johnson
44 1992 1996 DeBroux, RichardRichard DeBroux
45 1996 2020 Hanna, TimothyTimothy Hanna
46 2020 Current Woodford, JakeJake Woodford

Government Representation

Appleton is represented in the United States Senate by Ron Johnson and Tammy Baldwin. In the United States House of Representatives, Appleton is represented by Tony Wied. He has represented Wisconsin's 8th district since November 2024.

Education in Appleton

The Appleton Area School District serves the city. It has three high schools, four middle schools, and seventeen elementary schools. There are also sixteen charter schools. The main public high schools are Appleton East, Appleton North, and Appleton West.

Appleton also has private high schools. These include the Catholic Xavier High School and Fox Valley Lutheran High School. There are also charter high schools like Fox Cities Leadership Academy and Tesla Engineering.

Lawrence University, a private liberal arts college, is in Appleton. Fox Valley Technical College is also located here. Other colleges like Concordia University Wisconsin have branch campuses in the city.

Appleton is becoming a leader in technology education for kids. The Appleton Youth Education Initiative works with big companies like Microsoft and Plexus Corp. They organize events like the Appleton Tech Clinic and HackAppleton. HackAppleton is a popular annual event where students create new tech projects.

The Appleton Public Library serves the city and nearby areas. It started in 1897. As of 2010, it has over 600,000 items. The library offers free Wi-Fi and other services.

Transportation and Infrastructure

Getting Around Appleton

The city owns Valley Transit, which is a bus system for the Fox Valley area. For travel to other cities, you can use Amtrak Thruway or Lamers Bus Lines. These go to places like Green Bay, Madison, and Chicago.

In April 2021, electric scooters became available for rent in Appleton. However, the city ended its partnership with the scooter company in 2024.

Major roads that go through Appleton include:

  • Interstate 41
  • US 10
  • US 41
  • WIS 47
  • WIS 96
  • WIS 125
  • WIS 441

Railways

Appleton has several railway lines. These were once main lines for different railway companies. Now, all train services are run by Canadian National Railway. Appleton does not have passenger train service for travel between cities. However, studies are looking into bringing Amtrak service to the Fox Cities and Green Bay.

Airport Access

The Appleton International Airport is about 6 miles (9.7 km) west of downtown Appleton. It has four major airlines. The airport serves over one million passengers each year.

Famous People from Appleton

Sister Cities

Appleton has "sister city" relationships with two other cities around the world:

See also

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