Green Lake, Wisconsin Facts for Kids

This page is about the city. For the adjacent town, see Green Lake (town), Wisconsin.

Quick facts for kids Green Lake, Wisconsin
City
Looking north at downtown Green Lake
Location of Green Lake in Green Lake County, Wisconsin.
Green Lake, Wisconsin Location in Wisconsin Show map of Wisconsin Green Lake, Wisconsin Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Wisconsin
County	Green Lake
Area
• Total	1.88 sq mi (4.86 km²)
• Land	1.85 sq mi (4.79 km²)
• Water	0.03 sq mi (0.07 km²)
Elevation	804 ft (245 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	960
• Density	541.08/sq mi (208.98/km²)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP Code	54941
Area code(s)	920
FIPS code	55-31300
GNIS feature ID	1565822

Green Lake is a city in Green Lake County, Wisconsin, United States. It is also the county seat, which means it's where the main government offices for the county are located. In 2020, about 1,001 people lived here.

The city of Green Lake is on the north side of a large body of water called Green Lake. There's also a separate area called the Town of Green Lake on the south side of the lake.

Geography of Green Lake
People of Green Lake
- Population in 2010
Fun Things to Do in Green Lake
Learning in Green Lake
Getting Around Green Lake
- Transportation Routes
Famous People from Green Lake
Images for kids
See also

Geography of Green Lake

Green Lake is a small city with a total area of about 2.06 square miles (5.34 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, but a small part is water.

The lake itself, Green Lake, is very special. It is the deepest natural inland lake in the state of Wisconsin. It goes down to about 239 feet (73 meters) at its deepest point. This makes it a popular spot for many water activities!

A beautiful view of Green Lake, Wisconsin.

Another scenic view of Green Lake, Wisconsin.

People of Green Lake

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1880	241	—
1890	204	−15.4%
1900	450	120.6%
1910	563	25.1%
1920	456	−19.0%
1930	569	24.8%
1940	661	16.2%
1950	728	10.1%
1960	953	30.9%
1970	1,109	16.4%
1980	1,208	8.9%
1990	1,064	−11.9%
2000	1,100	3.4%
2010	960	−12.7%
2020	1,001	4.3%
U.S. Decennial Census

Population in 2010

In 2010, there were 960 people living in Green Lake. These people lived in 491 households. About 15% of these households had children under 18 years old. Many people lived alone, especially those who were 65 or older.

The average age of people in the city was about 50.7 years old. About 14% of residents were under 18, and about 24% were 65 or older.

Fun Things to Do in Green Lake

Tourism and Activities

Green Lake is a popular place for tourists, especially in the summer. People come here for fishing and other fun outdoor activities. You can go camping, biking, hiking, golfing, swimming, and boating.

The lake is great for water sports like waterskiing, wakeboarding, and tubing. You can also enjoy quieter activities like sailing, canoeing, and kayaking. The town has many shops and restaurants, some of which serve local fish.

One of the oldest businesses is Wallenfangs of Green Lake. It started in 1975 as a cheese shop and ice cream parlor. Today, it also has a gallery with art and furniture.

Parks for Everyone

Green Lake has several parks where you can relax and have fun:

Deacon Mills Park: This park is by the marina. It has a band shell for music, picnic areas, and you can even ice skate there in winter.
Highknocker Park: Located downtown, this park has a baseball field and playground equipment.
Friday Club Park: Also downtown, it offers public tennis courts and a spot for fishing.
Hattie Sherwood Park: This park is on the north side of the lake. It has a sandy swimming beach, a pier, and a camping area.
Sunset Park: On the east end of Green Lake, this park has a boat launch, a swimming beach, a picnic area, and a pier.

Nearby Attractions

Close to Green Lake is the Green Lake Conference Center. It was started by the American Baptist Churches USA in 1943. There are also the Golf Courses of Lawsonia nearby. These golf courses were built on the land that used to belong to Victor F. Lawson, who owned a famous newspaper called the Chicago Daily News.

The Dartford Cemetery in Green Lake is known for local stories and legends. Some visitors have reported unusual experiences there. These stories have even been featured on a TV show called A Haunting on the Discovery Channel.

Learning in Green Lake

Green Lake High School

Peace Lutheran School

The Green Lake School District manages education in the city. Both Green Lake Elementary School and Green Lake Secondary School are in the same building. This school district is unique because it is the only one in Wisconsin that offers the International Baccalaureate World School program for all grades, from 4K (pre-kindergarten) to 12th grade.

There is also Peace Lutheran School, which is a Christian school for students from kindergarten to 8th grade. It is part of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS).

Getting Around Green Lake

Transportation Routes

Green Lake is connected by several state highways. WIS 23 and WIS 49 are the main ones. There's also Business 23, which runs through the center of town. WIS 23 goes around the north side of Green Lake.

WIS 23 heads west towards Princeton.
WIS 49 heads north towards Berlin.
If you go east on WIS 23 or south on WIS 49, you will reach Ripon.
Green Lake County Highway A also comes into town.

Famous People from Green Lake

Many interesting people have connections to Green Lake:

Elda Emma Anderson: A physicist who studied science.
Halbert W. Brooks: A representative in the Wisconsin State government.
Adrian Karsten: A sports reporter for television.
Samuel Owens: A Wisconsin State Representative and an architect (someone who designs buildings).
L. E. Potter: A state senator in Minnesota.
Janika Vandervelde: A composer who writes music.
Shannon Whirry: An actress.