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Cambridge, Wisconsin
Village
Downtown Cambridge looking west on Highway 12
Downtown Cambridge looking west on Highway 12
Location of Cambridge in Jefferson County, Wisconsin.
Location of Cambridge in Jefferson County, Wisconsin.
Country  United States
State  Wisconsin
Counties Dane, Jefferson
Government
 • Type Village Board of Trustees
Area
 • Total 1.48 sq mi (3.83 km2)
 • Land 1.47 sq mi (3.81 km2)
 • Water 0.01 sq mi (0.02 km2)
Elevation
850 ft (259 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 1,638
 • Density 1,042.80/sq mi (402.54/km2)
Time zone UTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
Area code(s) 608
FIPS code 55-12225
GNIS feature ID 1562561
CambridgeWisconsinWIS134SouthTerminus
Looking east while entering Cambridge on Highway 12/18

Cambridge is a village in Dane (mostly) and Jefferson counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 1,638 at the 2020 census. Of this, 1,539 were in Dane County, and 99 were in Jefferson County.

The Dane County portion of Cambridge is part of the Madison Metropolitan Statistical Area, while the Jefferson County portion is part of the WatertownFort Atkinson Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Settlement-1890

Cambridge settlement dates back to October 15, 1847 when farmer Joseph Keyes filed plans with the Register of Deeds of Dane County. The first structure in the area was a dam on the northern part of the Koshkonong River. By the late 1880s, Cambridge had grown into a community of about 700 people with shops, hotels, and a post office. Future inventor Ole Evenrude lived there. In 1890 a devastating fire broke out, destroying most of the businesses and parts of Main Street.

Oldest Scandanavian Methodist Church
Oldest Scandinavian Methodist Church
Lake Ripley in Cambridge, WI
Lake Ripley in Cambridge, WI

1900s-2000s

The town was rebuilt by 1910, following the fire, and the invention of the automobile ignited tourism and nearby Lake Ripley became a destination for many Chicago travelers.

Rowe Pottery
Rowe Pottery, a staple of downtown Cambridge, Wisconsin.

During the 1980s-1990s, Cambridge was known as the "salt glaze pottery capital of the world" because of the potteries located there.

2000s-present

After Cambridge lost much of its pottery draw the city began to draw mountain bikers from southeastern Wisconsin. CamRock Park offers trails for hiking, cross-country skiing, and an 11-mile mountain bike track.

Race Car
Matt Kenseth museum race car.

Geography

Cambridge is located at 43°0′15″N 89°1′2″W / 43.00417°N 89.01722°W / 43.00417; -89.01722 (43.004089, -89.017201).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 1.44 square miles (3.73 km2), of which 1.43 square miles (3.70 km2) is land and 0.01 square miles (0.03 km2) is water. Koshkonong Creek runs through the center of the village, flowing south to Lake Koshkonong.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1880 303
1890 452 49.2%
1910 507
1920 490 −3.4%
1930 500 2.0%
1940 577 15.4%
1950 552 −4.3%
1960 605 9.6%
1970 689 13.9%
1980 844 22.5%
1990 963 14.1%
2000 1,101 14.3%
2010 1,457 32.3%
2020 1,638 12.4%
U.S. Decennial Census

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 1,457 people, 615 households, and 397 families living in the village. The population density was 1,018.9 inhabitants per square mile (393.4/km2). There were 654 housing units at an average density of 457.3 per square mile (176.6/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 96.8% White, 0.9% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.7% of the population.

There were 615 households, of which 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.4% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 35.4% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.93.

The median age in the village was 41.3 years. 24.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.1% were from 25 to 44; 30.2% were from 45 to 64; and 14.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 48.2% male and 51.8% female.

Notable people

  • Carolyn Blanchard Allen, Wisconsin state representative
  • Arthur Davidson, one of four original founders of Harley-Davidson
  • Ole Evinrude, inventor of the outboard marine engine and founder of Evinrude
  • Matt Kenseth, 2003 NASCAR champion
  • Christopher Legreid, Wisconsin State Representative
  • John W. Porter, Wisconsin State Representative
  • Jason Schuler, former NASCAR driver

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Cambridge (Wisconsin) para niños

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