Elkhorn, Wisconsin Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Elkhorn, Wisconsin
City
Loraine Hotel building, downtown Elkhorn
Motto(s): “Living in Harmony”
Location of Elkhorn in Walworth County, Wisconsin.
Country	United States
State	Wisconsin
County	Walworth
Incorporated (village)	March 27, 1857
Incorporated (city)	May 17, 1897
Area
• Total	8.11 sq mi (21.00 km²)
• Land	8.06 sq mi (20.88 km²)
• Water	0.04 sq mi (0.11 km²)
Elevation	1,030 ft (314 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	10,247
• Density	1,242.59/sq mi (479.78/km²)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
Zip Code	53121
Area code(s)	262
FIPS code	55-23300
GNIS feature ID	1564532
Website	www.cityofelkhorn.org

Elkhorn is a city located in Walworth County, Wisconsin, in the United States. It is the main city, or "county seat," of Walworth County. Elkhorn is about 40 miles (64 km) southwest of Milwaukee. In 2020, about 10,247 people lived there.

Elkhorn's Early Days and Growth
Where is Elkhorn Located?
How Many People Live in Elkhorn?
- Elkhorn's Population in 2010
Getting Around Elkhorn
Famous People from Elkhorn
Images for kids
See also

Elkhorn's Early Days and Growth

In 1836, a man named Colonel Samuel Phoenix saw some elk antlers hanging in a tree. He decided to call the area "Elk Horn."

The area was very pretty and had good soil for farming. This led Daniel Bradley, his brother Milo, and LeGrand Rockwell to start a community here. By 1846, enough people lived there (539!) to hold the first town meeting. Elkhorn was chosen as the county seat that same year. This was because of its good location in Walworth County.

Annual Walworth County Fair

In 1851, Elkhorn became home to the Walworth County Fair. This fair is still held every year at the Walworth County Fairgrounds. It is known as the biggest county fair in all of Wisconsin!

Special Water and Christmas Traditions

In the 1870s, people thought that salty water from springs in Elkhorn could help with a health problem called rheumatism.

Elkhorn is also known as the "Christmas Card Town." This name came about before World War II. The city puts up many Christmas decorations around its center. A local artist, Jan Castle Reed, paints a new oil painting every year to celebrate this tradition. These paintings are then made into Christmas cards.

The Beast of Bray Road Folklore

Elkhorn is famous for a local legend called the Beast of Bray Road. This is a story about a creature that some people believe looks like a werewolf. This story has become very popular. It has been featured in books, documentaries, and even a movie from 2005 called The Beast of Bray Road.

Where is Elkhorn Located?

Elkhorn is located at coordinates 42°40′22″N 88°32′25″W / 42.67278°N 88.54028°W / 42.67278; -88.54028.

The United States Census Bureau says that the city covers a total area of about 7.81 square miles (20.23 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 7.76 square miles (20.10 square kilometers), is land. A small part, about 0.05 square miles (0.13 square kilometers), is water.

How Many People Live in Elkhorn?

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1850	42	—
1860	1,081	2,473.8%
1870	1,205	11.5%
1880	1,122	−6.9%
1890	1,447	29.0%
1900	1,731	19.6%
1910	1,707	−1.4%
1920	1,991	16.6%
1930	2,340	17.5%
1940	2,382	1.8%
1950	2,935	23.2%
1960	3,586	22.2%
1970	3,992	11.3%
1980	4,605	15.4%
1990	5,337	15.9%
2000	7,305	36.9%
2010	10,084	38.0%
2020	10,247	1.6%
U.S. Decennial Census

Elkhorn, 11:23:40 PM CDT in 2012 during Expedition 30 at the International Space Station

A census is a count of all the people living in a place. The census helps us understand how many people live in a city and what they are like.

Elkhorn's Population in 2010

In 2010, the census showed that 10,084 people lived in Elkhorn. There were 3,801 households, which are groups of people living together. About 2,514 of these households were families.

The city had about 1,299.5 people per square mile (501.7 people per square kilometer). There were 4,043 housing units, like houses or apartments.

Most people in Elkhorn were White (91.4%). Other groups included African American (1.2%), Native American (0.2%), and Asian (0.7%). About 11.0% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

Many households (38.8%) had children under 18 living with them. About 48.7% were married couples. Some households (12.5%) had a female head without a husband. A small number (4.9%) had a male head without a wife. About 33.9% were not families.

The average age of people in Elkhorn was 34.3 years. About 27.5% of residents were under 18. About 11.9% were 65 years old or older. The population was almost evenly split between males (49.7%) and females (50.3%).

Getting Around Elkhorn

Elkhorn used to be a stop on a train line called the Racine & Southwestern branch. This line was part of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, also known as the Milwaukee Road.

In 1980, the Milwaukee Road company went out of business. The train line was then taken over by another company. Today, the Wisconsin & Southern train company still serves Elkhorn.