Brown County, Wisconsin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Brown County
U.S. county
Brown County Courthouse in Green Bay
Location within the U.S. state of Wisconsin
Wisconsin's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Wisconsin
Founded	1818
Named for	Jacob Brown
Seat	Green Bay
Largest city	Green Bay
Area
• Total	616 sq mi (1,600 km2)
• Land	530 sq mi (1,400 km2)
• Water	86 sq mi (220 km2)  14%
Population  (2020)
• Total	268,740
• Estimate  (2023)	271,417
• Density	507.0/sq mi (195.8/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	8th

Brown County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 268,740, making it the fourth-most populous county in Wisconsin. The county seat is Green Bay. Brown County is part of the Green Bay, WI Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Wisconsin Territory depicted on this 1835 Tourist's Pocket Map Of Michigan, showing a Menominee-filled Brown County, Wisconsin that spans the northern half of the territory.

Brown County is one of Wisconsin's two original counties, along with Crawford County. It originally spanned the entire eastern half of the state when formed by the Michigan Territorial legislature in 1818. It was named for Major General Jacob Brown, a military leader during the War of 1812.

Several towns along the Fox River vied for the position of county seat in Brown County's early years. The first county seat was located at Menomoneeville (now a part of Allouez) in 1824. In 1837, a public referendum relocated the county seat to De Pere. The location was put up for the popular vote again in 1854, resulting in the establishment of the present county seat at Green Bay.

The oldest known tree in Wisconsin, a 1,300 year-old cedar growing on the Niagara Escarpment, was found in Brown County.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 616 square miles (1,600 km²), of which 530 square miles (1,400 km²) is land and 86 square miles (220 km²) (14%) is water.

Major highways

Railroads

• Watco
• Canadian National
• Escanaba and Lake Superior Railroad

Buses

• Green Bay Metro
• List of intercity bus stops in Wisconsin

Climate

Demographics

Birth related statistics

2020 census

As of the census of 2020, the population was 268,740. The population density was 507.0 people per square mile (195.8 people/km²). There were 112,908 housing units at an average density of 213.0 units per square mile (82.2 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 79.2% White, 3.2% Asian, 3.1% Black or African American, 2.8% Native American, 4.4% from other races, and 7.2% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 9.8% Hispanic or Latino of any race.

2010 census

At the 2010 census there were 248,007 people, 98,383 households, and 63,721 families living in the county. The population density was 403 people per square mile (156 people/km²). There were 104,371 housing units at an average density of 170 units per square mile (66 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 86.5% White, 2.2% Black or African American, 2.7% Native American, 2.7% Asian, 0.0004% Pacific Islander, 3.7% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. 7.3% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 98,383 households 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.0% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.2% were non-families. 27.7% of households were one person and 8.9% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.02.

The age distribution was 24.1% under the age of 18, 10.8% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 26.6% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% 65 or older. The median age was 36.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.70 males.

Communities

Brown County Veterans Memorial Arena

Farmland in rural Brown County

The County Executive Troy Streckenbach, Brown County Neville Museum Director, and Mayor Jim Schmitt of Green Bay in front of the dinosaur sculpture.

Cities

• De Pere
• Green Bay (county seat)

Villages

Towns

Census-designated places

• Dyckesville
• Greenleaf

Unincorporated communities

Native American communities

• Oneida Nation of Wisconsin (partial)

Ghost towns/Neighborhoods

• Fort Howard
• Preble

Adjacent counties

• Oconto County – north
• Door County – northeast, shares a short water border within Green Bay
• Kewaunee County – east
• Manitowoc County – southeast
• Calumet County – southwest
• Outagamie County – west
• Shawano County – northwest

Brown County and adjacent counties, in the early morning of January 1, 2018, taken from the International Space Station

Green Bay, center, is the seat of Brown County. The city of Oconto (half cut off at the bottom right) is the county seat of Oconto County. Slightly above and much further right of Oconto is Oconto Falls, also in Oconto County. The somewhat larger city above Oconto Falls is Pulaski, which is in Brown County at the very border with Shawano County. Shawano County extends between Pulaski and past the edge of the photograph.

The large city in the top right is Appleton, the county seat of Outagamie County. To the left of Appleton and across the northern edge of Lake Winnebago is Brillion in Calumet County.

The village directly to the left of Green Bay and its immediate suburbs is Denmark, in Brown County. The smaller communities above and slightly to the left of Denmark (including Cooperstown, Maribel, and Kellnersville) are in Manitowoc County.

Luxembourg (larger village in lower left) and Casco (half cut off at lower far left) are in Kewaunee County.

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Brown (Wisconsin) para niños