Lodi, Wisconsin Facts for Kids

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

Quick facts for kids Lodi, Wisconsin
City
Downtown Lodi on WIS 113
Nickname(s): Home of Susie the Duck
Location of Lodi in Columbia County, Wisconsin
Country	United States
State	Wisconsin
County	Columbia
Founded	1846
Area
• Total	1.73 sq mi (4.48 km²)
• Land	1.73 sq mi (4.48 km²)
• Water	0 sq mi (0 km²)
Population (2020)
• Total	3,189
• Estimate (2021)	3,144
• Density	1,789.35/sq mi (690.85/km²)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
Area code(s)	608
FIPS code	55-45350
Website	[1]

Lodi (pronounced LOH-dye) is a city in Columbia County, Wisconsin, United States. It's a small city with a population of 3,189 people, based on the 2020 census. Lodi is part of the larger Madison metropolitan area, which means it's near the state capital.

History of Lodi, Wisconsin
- Historic Places to Visit
Geography and Nature in Lodi
Population and People of Lodi
Susie the Duck: Lodi's Mascot
Fun and Recreation in Lodi
- Lodi Agricultural Fair
- Ice Age National Scenic Trail
Transportation in Lodi
Notable People from Lodi
Images for kids
See also

History of Lodi, Wisconsin

The beautiful area around Lodi was once home to Native Americans. The first European settlers, Marston and George Bartholomew, arrived in 1845. They claimed land in the area. By 1846, a local government was set up, creating the Pleasant Valley Precinct. The official Town of Lodi was formed in 1849.

Isaac Palmer founded the village of Lodi in 1846. At that time, it was part of the Wisconsin Territory. He named the village after a city called Lodi in Italy. Palmer chose this valley because of its strong water power. A sawmill was built in 1846, using the power of Spring Creek. A grist mill, which grinds grain, followed in 1850.

Historic Places to Visit

Lodi has several places that are important to its history. These include:

Frank T. and Polly Lewis House
Lodi School Hillside Improvement Site
Portage Street Historic District

Geography and Nature in Lodi

Lodi is located at coordinates 43.314296 degrees North and -89.530994 degrees West. The city covers an area of about 1.77 square miles (4.48 square kilometers), and all of it is land.

Spring Creek is a special stream in Lodi. It flows from the Lodi Marsh, through downtown Lodi, and into Lake Wisconsin. This creek is fed by springs, which means parts of it don't freeze in winter. This makes it a home for brown trout and many waterfowl, especially mallard ducks.

The city of Lodi is completely surrounded by the larger town of Lodi.

Population and People of Lodi

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1870	725	—
1880	723	−0.3%
1890	736	1.8%
1900	1,068	45.1%
1910	1,044	−2.2%
1920	1,077	3.2%
1930	1,065	−1.1%
1940	1,116	4.8%
1950	1,416	26.9%
1960	1,620	14.4%
1970	1,831	13.0%
1980	1,959	7.0%
1990	2,093	6.8%
2000	2,882	37.7%
2010	3,050	5.8%
2020	3,189	4.6%
U.S. Decennial Census

In 2010, Lodi had 3,050 people living in the city. There were 1,224 households. About 34% of these households had children under 18 living there. The average household had 2.44 people.

The median age in Lodi was 40.4 years old. About 26.4% of the people were under 18. About 15.5% were 65 years or older.

Susie the Duck: Lodi's Mascot

Susie the Duck has been the official mascot of Lodi since 1948. In downtown Lodi, along Wisconsin Highway 113, there's a small park next to Spring Creek. Visitors can buy dried corn from vending machines to feed the wild ducks.

In this park, there's a small stone basket. Every year, a duck builds a nest there. In 1948, the first mallard duck to nest there was named "Susie" by the police chief's granddaughter.

Lodi celebrates "Susie the Duck Day" every year. A fun part of the celebration is the rubber duck race. Thousands of small rubber ducks are put into the creek. They "race" to a finish line, and people win prizes based on which ducks finish first. The day also includes a parade, activities in Goeres Park, and food stands.

Fun and Recreation in Lodi

Lodi Agricultural Fair

Lodi is one of only three cities in Wisconsin that has its own fair. This fair is free to enter and starts on the first Thursday of July. It runs through Sunday.

You can see many exhibits at the fair. These include farm animals, school artwork, and baking contests. There are also carnival rides and games. Other attractions include tractor pulls, a demolition derby (where cars crash into each other), and live music.

Ice Age National Scenic Trail

A part of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail goes through Lodi. This trail follows the path of glaciers from long ago. The longest section of the trail in the Lodi area is about 6.2 miles (10 kilometers).

You can find other parts of the trail near Lodi too. One section is 1.3 miles long. Another section is 21 miles long and is north of the Merrimac Ferry on Lake Wisconsin.

Transportation in Lodi

Major Highways

Two important highways pass through Lodi:

Wisconsin Highway 60: This road goes west to Prairie du Sac and Sauk City. It goes east to major interstates like I-39 and I-90.
Wisconsin Highway 113: This highway goes south to Dane and Waunakee. It goes north to Lake Wisconsin, the Merrimac Ferry, and Baraboo. This highway also serves as Lodi's Main Street.

Airport

The Lodi Lakeland Airport (FAA ID 9WN5) is a small airport. It's located about 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) north of the city center. This airport is used for general aviation, meaning it's for smaller, private planes.

Railroad

A Wisconsin and Southern (WSOR) train line runs through Lodi. It goes north to Baraboo and Reedsburg. It goes south to Dane, Waunakee, and Madison.

This railroad line was built in 1872. It used to connect Milwaukee and Fond Du Lac. Today, the line is mainly used for cargo. The Lodi Canning Company still uses the train for shipping canned vegetables and other plant products.

Notable People from Lodi

Many interesting people have lived in or were born in Lodi. Some of them include:

Arnie F. Betts, a Wisconsin State Representative
William G. Bissell, a Wisconsin State Senator
Robert Caldwell, a Wisconsin state legislator and former president of Lodi village
Joseph Detmer, an athlete
William S. Dwinnell, a former Minnesota State Senator
Harold Groves, a Wisconsin State legislator
William P. Groves, a Wisconsin State Representative
Scott McCallum, a former Governor of Wisconsin
Albert O'Connor, a Medal of Honor recipient
Wesley L. Packard, a former Wisconsin State Representative and mayor of Lodi
Keith Ripp, a Wisconsin state legislator
Tracy Sachtjen, an Olympic athlete and world champion curler
Tom Wopat, an actor known for The Dukes of Hazzard