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Lafayette County, Wisconsin facts for kids

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Lafayette County
U.S. county
Lafayette County Courthouse in 1982
Map of Wisconsin highlighting Lafayette County
Location within the U.S. state of Wisconsin
Map of the United States highlighting Wisconsin
Wisconsin's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Wisconsin
Founded 1846
Named for Marquis de Lafayette
Seat Darlington
Largest city Darlington
Area
 • Total 635 sq mi (1,640 km2)
 • Land 634 sq mi (1,640 km2)
 • Water 1.0 sq mi (3 km2)  0.2%%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 16,611
 • Estimate 
(2023)
 16,945 Increase
 • Density 26.2/sq mi (10.1/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 2nd

Lafayette County, sometimes spelled La Fayette County, is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It was part of the Wisconsin Territory at the time of its founding. As of the 2020 census, the population was 16,611. Its county seat is Darlington. The county was named in honor of the Marquis de Lafayette, the French general who rendered assistance to the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. The courthouse scenes from the 2009 film Public Enemies were filmed at the Lafayette County Courthouse in Darlington.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 635 square miles (1,640 km2), of which 634 square miles (1,640 km2) is land and 1.0 square mile (2.6 km2) (0.2%) is water.

Major highways

  • US 151.svg U.S. Highway 151
  • WIS 11.svg Highway 11 (Wisconsin)
  • WIS 23.svg Highway 23 (Wisconsin)
  • WIS 78.svg Highway 78 (Wisconsin)
  • WIS 81.svg Highway 81 (Wisconsin)
  • WIS 126.svg Highway 126 (Wisconsin)

Buses

  • List of intercity bus stops in Wisconsin

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1850 11,531 —
1860 18,134 57.3%
1870 22,659 25.0%
1880 21,279 −6.1%
1890 20,265 −4.8%
1900 20,959 3.4%
1910 20,075 −4.2%
1920 20,002 −0.4%
1930 18,649 −6.8%
1940 18,695 0.2%
1950 18,137 −3.0%
1960 18,142 0.0%
1970 17,456 −3.8%
1980 17,412 −0.3%
1990 16,076 −7.7%
2000 16,137 0.4%
2010 16,836 4.3%
2020 16,611 −1.3%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790–1960 1900–1990
1990–2000 2010 2020

2020 census

As of the census of 2020, the population was 16,611. The population density was 26.2 people per square mile (10.1 people/km2). There were 7,156 housing units at an average density of 11.3 units per square mile (4.4 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 91.7% White, 0.3% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.2% Black or African American, 3.7% from other races, and 3.9% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 6.6% Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Communities

Cities

Villages

Towns

Census-designated places

Other unincorporated communities

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Lafayette (Wisconsin) para niños

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