Calumet County, Wisconsin Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Calumet County

U.S. county

Calumet County Courthouse

Flag

Location within the U.S. state of Wisconsin

Wisconsin's location within the U.S.

Country

United States

State

Wisconsin

Founded

1850

Seat

Chilton

Largest city

Chilton

Area

• Total

397 sq mi (1,030 km²)

• Land

318 sq mi (820 km²)

• Water

79 sq mi (200 km²) 20%

Population

(2020)

• Total

52,442

• Estimate

(2023)

53,199

• Density

164.8/sq mi (63.6/km²)

Time zone

UTC−6 (Central)

• Summer (DST)

UTC−5 (CDT)

Congressional district

8th

A fun day at the 2006 Calumet County Fair

Calumet County is a county in the state of Wisconsin, USA. It is home to over 52,000 people. The main city and county seat is Chilton. The county was officially formed in 1850.

Calumet County is part of a larger area that includes the cities of Appleton, Oshkosh, and Neenah. A special area called The Holyland is also partly located here.

Discovering Calumet County's Past

The name "Calumet" comes from a French word. It means a special ceremonial pipe used by Native Americans. They used these pipes during important meetings on the east side of Lake Winnebago.

Early Native American Settlements

In the 1830s, the U.S. government moved several Native American groups to this area. These included the Brothertown Indians, Oneida Indians, and Stockbridge-Munsee Indians. They came from New York and New England. These groups had already moved once before. They shared land on the Oneida reservation.

European Settlers Arrive

Many of the first European settlers came from Germany in the 1840s. They settled in the southern part of the county, known as the Holyland region. The county was officially set up on February 5, 1850.

Exploring Calumet County's Geography

Calumet County covers about 397 square miles. About 318 square miles are land, and 79 square miles are water. This means about 20% of the county is water. It is one of the smallest counties in Wisconsin.

The western border of the county is mostly in Lake Winnebago. The Niagara Escarpment is a long ridge of rock that runs through the county. It was shaped by huge sheets of ice called glaciers long ago.

Neighboring Counties

Calumet County shares its borders with several other counties:

Brown County to the northeast
Manitowoc County to the east
Sheboygan County to the southeast
Fond du Lac County to the southwest
Winnebago County to the west
Outagamie County to the northwest

Calumet County's Climate

Weather chart for Calumet County

-8

-13

-6

-12

-6

132

116

127

104

125

-2

-8

-12

temperatures in °C
precipitation totals in mm

Imperial conversion

J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
2.8 18 9	3 21 10	3.2 34 21	5.2 61 34	4.6 70 45	5 79 57	4.1 81 63	4.1 77 61	3.3 72 52	4.9 55 39	3 41 28	2.6 18 10
temperatures in °F precipitation totals in inches

People of Calumet County

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1840	275	—
1850	1,743	533.8%
1860	1,895	8.7%
1870	12,335	550.9%
1880	16,632	34.8%
1890	16,639	0.0%
1900	17,078	2.6%
1910	16,701	−2.2%
1920	17,228	3.2%
1930	16,848	−2.2%
1940	17,618	4.6%
1950	18,840	6.9%
1960	22,268	18.2%
1970	27,604	24.0%
1980	30,867	11.8%
1990	34,291	11.1%
2000	40,631	18.5%
2010	48,971	20.5%
2020	52,442	7.1%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2020

Population in 2020

In 2020, Calumet County had 52,442 residents. This means there were about 165 people living in each square mile. Most people living here are White (88.7%). There are also people of Asian (2.4%), Black (0.8%), and Native American (0.5%) backgrounds. About 5.4% of the population is Hispanic or Latino.

Calumet County's Economy

Calumet County is a very important place for farming, especially for dairy. There are more cows and calves than people in the county!

Farming and Dairy Industry

As of 2010, there were 28,600 dairy cows and 65,000 total cattle. Farmers own about 73% of the land in the county. Around 2,400 people work in farming. Agriculture brings in a lot of money for the county, about $338 million in economic activity. Most farms (99.3%) are owned by families.

In 1931, the state of Wisconsin said Calumet County was one of the most important places for making American cheese.

Getting Around Calumet County

Main Roads

U.S. Highway 10
U.S. Highway 151
Highway 32 (Wisconsin)
Highway 55 (Wisconsin)
Highway 57 (Wisconsin)
Highway 114 (Wisconsin)
Highway 441 (Wisconsin)

No major interstate highways run through Calumet County. However, several U.S. routes cross the area. U.S. Route 10 goes east to west across the northern part. U.S. Route 151 runs north to south. State highways like 55, 32, and 57 also help people travel.

Trains and Buses

Wisconsin and Southern Railroad
Canadian National
Valley Transit (Wisconsin) buses also serve the area.

Airport and Waterways

The New Holstein Municipal Airport helps people travel by air. It is near New Holstein.

Lake Winnebago forms most of the county's western border. Early explorers likely used the lake and the Fox River to enter the area. The Manitowoc River and Sheboygan River also flow through the county. They eventually reach Lake Michigan.

Fun Things to Do in Calumet County

County Parks and Fairgrounds

Calumet County has three county parks. It also has two harbors managed by the county.

The Calumet County Fairgrounds hosts the annual county fair. In 2006, they celebrated their 150th fair! The fairgrounds also used to have exciting dirt track stock car races on summer Friday nights.

Enjoying Lake Winnebago

Lake Winnebago is a big part of life in Calumet County. People love to go boating and fishing on the lake in summer. In winter, it becomes a popular spot for ice fishing. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources even manages a special sturgeon spearing season in February.