Plymouth, Wisconsin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Plymouth, Wisconsin
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Downtown Plymouth
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Location of Plymouth in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin.
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Wisconsin |
| County | Sheboygan |
| Area | |
| • Total | 5.43 sq mi (14.06 km2) |
| • Land | 5.35 sq mi (13.85 km2) |
| • Water | 0.08 sq mi (0.20 km2) |
| Elevation | 843 ft (257 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 8,932 |
| • Density | 1,644.9/sq mi (635.28/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| Area code(s) | 920 |
| FIPS code | 55-63700 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1571709 |
| State Highways |    |
Plymouth is a city in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin, United States. It is located along the Mullet River. In 2020, about 8,932 people lived there. Plymouth is part of the Sheboygan, Wisconsin metropolitan area.
The city is often called "The Cheese Capital of the World." This is because it makes a huge amount of cheese. About 40% of all the cheese eaten in the United States comes from Plymouth!
Contents
History of Plymouth
Plymouth was first mapped out in 1835 by engineers from the United States. One of them was named Mullet, and that's how the Mullet River got its name.
The first piece of land was sold to John Law in 1836. He was an Englishman from London. More settlers arrived over time. The town was officially set up on April 3, 1849.
In the 1840s, many families moved to Plymouth from Pennsylvania. Their families had come from New England after the American Revolution. The Thorpe family, for example, came from Hartford, Connecticut. These early settlers helped shape the culture of the area.
The town was named Plymouth after Plymouth, Massachusetts. This is where the Pilgrims landed in 1620.
Native Americans originally called the area Quit Qui Oc, which means "Crooked River." Isaac Thorp settled Plymouth in 1845. The city officially became a city in 1877.
Plymouth is also known as "Hub City." This nickname started in the 1860s. The Schwartz brothers had a shop where they made parts for wagons, like hubs and spokes.
Geography and Climate
Plymouth is located at 43.749277 degrees North and 87.976799 degrees West. The city covers about 5.34 square miles (13.83 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small part being water.
What's the Weather Like?
The weather in Plymouth changes a lot throughout the year. Summers are warm, and winters are cold and snowy.
| Climate data for Plymouth Wastewater Treatment Plant, Wisconsin (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1910–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 60 (16) |
71 (22) |
84 (29) |
89 (32) |
94 (34) |
101 (38) |
107 (42) |
101 (38) |
98 (37) |
88 (31) |
75 (24) |
67 (19) |
107 (42) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 26.3 (−3.2) |
29.7 (−1.3) |
40.5 (4.7) |
53.2 (11.8) |
65.5 (18.6) |
75.7 (24.3) |
80.9 (27.2) |
78.6 (25.9) |
71.8 (22.1) |
58.4 (14.7) |
44.1 (6.7) |
32.1 (0.1) |
54.7 (12.6) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 18.9 (−7.3) |
21.7 (−5.7) |
32.0 (0.0) |
43.7 (6.5) |
55.5 (13.1) |
65.4 (18.6) |
70.6 (21.4) |
68.7 (20.4) |
61.1 (16.2) |
48.8 (9.3) |
36.3 (2.4) |
25.2 (−3.8) |
45.7 (7.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 11.6 (−11.3) |
13.7 (−10.2) |
23.6 (−4.7) |
34.2 (1.2) |
45.4 (7.4) |
55.1 (12.8) |
60.3 (15.7) |
58.8 (14.9) |
50.5 (10.3) |
39.3 (4.1) |
28.5 (−1.9) |
18.3 (−7.6) |
36.6 (2.6) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −29 (−34) |
−27 (−33) |
−18 (−28) |
8 (−13) |
21 (−6) |
30 (−1) |
39 (4) |
36 (2) |
25 (−4) |
6 (−14) |
−7 (−22) |
−20 (−29) |
−29 (−34) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 1.59 (40) |
1.41 (36) |
1.97 (50) |
3.63 (92) |
3.83 (97) |
4.22 (107) |
3.50 (89) |
3.69 (94) |
2.81 (71) |
2.96 (75) |
2.14 (54) |
1.82 (46) |
33.57 (853) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 12.4 (31) |
11.0 (28) |
5.9 (15) |
2.1 (5.3) |
0.2 (0.51) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.1 (0.25) |
2.3 (5.8) |
10.7 (27) |
44.7 (114) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 9.3 | 8.5 | 8.9 | 11.0 | 12.9 | 11.6 | 10.8 | 10.2 | 9.2 | 10.8 | 9.1 | 8.9 | 121.2 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 7.4 | 6.5 | 3.6 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 2.0 | 6.2 | 27.1 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
People of Plymouth
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 1,052 | — | |
| 1890 | 1,503 | 42.9% | |
| 1900 | 2,257 | 50.2% | |
| 1910 | 3,094 | 37.1% | |
| 1920 | 3,415 | 10.4% | |
| 1930 | 3,882 | 13.7% | |
| 1940 | 4,170 | 7.4% | |
| 1950 | 4,543 | 8.9% | |
| 1960 | 5,128 | 12.9% | |
| 1970 | 5,810 | 13.3% | |
| 1980 | 6,027 | 3.7% | |
| 1990 | 6,769 | 12.3% | |
| 2000 | 7,781 | 15.0% | |
| 2010 | 8,445 | 8.5% | |
| 2020 | 8,932 | 5.8% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
As of 2020, Plymouth had 8,932 people living there. There were about 4,011 households. The city has a mix of different people. Most residents are White. There are also people who identify as Black or African American, Native American, Asian, or from two or more races. About 3% of the population is Hispanic or Latino.
German Community
Plymouth is known for having a large number of people with German heritage. About 55% of the population has German roots. In 2023, about 5,006 people identified as German American.
Economy and Jobs
Plymouth has a long and important history in the cheese industry. It used to be where cheese prices were set for the whole country. Today, it's known as "The Cheese Capital of the World." Four big cheese companies have facilities here:
- Sargento
- Masters Gallery
- Sartori
- Great Lakes Cheese
Plymouth also has a lively downtown area. You can find unique shops, restaurants, and boutiques there. The city works to bring in new businesses and help existing ones grow.
Tourism is also a big part of Plymouth's economy. Many visitors come to enjoy events and explore the area. The city is close to the Kettle Moraine National Forest, which offers many outdoor activities.
Arts and Culture
One of Plymouth's most famous landmarks is Antoinette the cow. She is a 20-foot-tall fiberglass statue. Antoinette was put up in 1977 to celebrate the city's 100th birthday. She honors the area's dairy farming history. She is named after Jack Anton, who helped make the statue happen.
Every New Year's Eve, Plymouth has a special event called the Sartori Big Cheese Drop. It's a fun way to celebrate the city's cheese heritage.
You can also see over 25 murals painted on buildings downtown. These murals show scenes from Plymouth's history. They were painted by a group of artists called the Walldogs.
Parks and Recreation
Plymouth is a great place for outdoor fun. It's located near the Kettle Moraine State Forest. The city has 17 parks where you can play baseball, soccer, or frisbee golf. You can also go biking, swimming, or enjoy nature walks.
You can take a self-guided walking tour of historic downtown Plymouth. This tour includes more than 50 old homes and buildings. Two of these are even listed on the national Register of Historic Places.
During the summer, free concerts are held every Thursday night at Plymouth City Park. The Plymouth Arts Center also hosts music and theater shows throughout the year.
The Sheboygan County Fair happens every year in Plymouth around Labor Day weekend.
Other fun events include:
- The Cheese Festival in early June
- The PAC's Cheese Capital Jazz and Blues Crawl for the Arts Fundraiser in August
- The Mill Street Festival in July
- Road America races and special events
- A Holiday Gathering Christmas Parade
If you like golf, there's a 9-hole course called Evergreen Golf Course. Plymouth Dirt Track Racing happens all summer at the Sheboygan County Fair Park.
The Plymouth Aquatic Center at City Park has a pool with waterslides and a sand play area. Plymouth High School also has an indoor pool that is open to the community.
In winter, you can go downhill skiing at Nutt Hill in Plymouth, once there's enough snow.
Education
The Plymouth Joint School District serves students in Plymouth and Cascade. It has three elementary schools, one middle school, and Plymouth High School. The high school has about 800 students.
There are also two private schools: St. John the Baptist Catholic School and St. John Lutheran School. They serve children from 3-K through eighth grade.
Transportation
Plymouth is located along State Highways 57, 67, and 23. This makes it easy to travel to and from the city.
Trains also serve Plymouth through the Wisconsin and Southern Railway Company. The Sheboygan County Memorial Airport is about seven miles away. This airport is mainly used for business travel. It can handle large aircraft.
Plymouth is less than an hour's drive from bigger cities like Milwaukee and Green Bay.
Utilities
Plymouth Utilities provides electricity, water, and sewer services to the city. Natural gas is provided by Wisconsin Public Service. For phone and internet, Frontier Communications and Spectrum are available.
Notable People
- Daniel P. Anderson, a judge
- Vera Eugenia Andrus, an artist
- Theodore Benfey, a Wisconsin State Senator
- Bill B. Bruhy, a Wisconsin State Representative and former Mayor of Plymouth
- Tony Evers, the current Governor of Wisconsin
- Emil Fischer, a former Green Bay Packers President
- Val Heim, a baseball player
- Beau Hoopman, a United States Olympic Rower
- Frederick W. Krez, a Wisconsin State Representative
- Edwin J. Larson, a Wisconsin State Representative
- Walt Lautenbach, a basketball player
- Major C. Mead, a Wisconsin State Senator
- Bill Prietzel, a racing driver
- Otto Puhlman, a Wisconsin State Representative
- Patrick Henry Smith, a Wisconsin State Senator
- Tyler Vorpagel, a Wisconsin State Representative
- Allen F. Warden, a Wisconsin State Representative
See also
In Spanish: Plymouth (Wisconsin) para niños
