Ashland County, Wisconsin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ashland County
U.S. county
Ashland County Courthouse
Location within the U.S. state of Wisconsin
Wisconsin's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Wisconsin
Founded	March 27, 1860
Named for	Henry Clay's farm Ashland
Seat	Ashland
Largest city	Ashland
Area
• Total	2,292 sq mi (5,940 km2)
• Land	1,045 sq mi (2,710 km2)
• Water	1,247 sq mi (3,230 km2)  54%
Population  (2020)
• Total	16,020
• Density	6.990/sq mi (2.6987/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	7th

Ashland County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2010 census, the population was 16,020. Its county seat is Ashland. The county was formed on March 27, 1860, from La Pointe County.

History

Ashland County was named in honor of the Lexington estate of Kentucky statesman Henry Clay, as one of the founders of the city of Ashland was an admirer of Clay.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,292 square miles (5,940 km²), of which 1,045 square miles (2,710 km²) is land and 1,247 square miles (3,230 km²) (54%) is water. It is the second-largest county in Wisconsin by total area. The Apostle Islands are a small group of islands in Lake Superior, off the Bayfield Peninsula with the majority of the islands located in Ashland County — only Sand, York and Raspberry Islands are in Bayfield County.

Adjacent counties

Major highways

Airports

• John F. Kennedy Memorial Airport (KASX) serves the county and surrounding communities.
• Major Gilbert Field Airport (4R5) enhances county service.

National protected area

• Apostle Islands National Lakeshore (part)
• Chequamegon National Forest (part)

Demographics

2000 Census Age Pyramid for Ashland County

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 16,157 people living in the county. 84.6% were White, 11.1% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.3% Black or African American, 0.3% of some other race and 3.3% of two or more races. 1.9% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race). 25.6% were of German, 7.6% Finnish, 6.8% American, 6.5% Irish and 5.3% Norwegian ancestry.

As of the census of 2000, there were 16,866 people, 6,718 households, and 4,279 families living in the county. The population density was 16 people per square mile (6/km²). There were 8,883 housing units at an average density of 8 per square mile (3/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 87.10% White, 0.21% Black or African American, 10.35% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.29% from other races, and 1.69% from two or more races. 1.11% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 27.8% were of German, 8.4% Finnish, 7.4% Polish, 7.4% Norwegian, 7.3% Swedish and 5.4% Irish ancestry. 96.6% spoke English as their first language. The reservation of the Bad River Chippewa Band is partially located in the county.

There were 6,718 households, out of which 30.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.60% were married couples living together, 10.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.30% were non-families. 30.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.40% under the age of 18, 11.20% from 18 to 24, 25.80% from 25 to 44, 21.70% from 45 to 64, and 15.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 97.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.10 males.

Communities

Ashland County, Wisconsin from 1895 U.S. Atlas

Entrance sign on U.S. Route 2

Cities

• Ashland (county seat; partly in Bayfield County)
• Mellen

Village

• Butternut

Towns

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Ashland (Wisconsin) para niños