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Portage County, Wisconsin facts for kids

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Portage County
Portage County Courthouse in Stevens Point
Portage County Courthouse in Stevens Point
Flag of Portage County
Flag
Map of Wisconsin highlighting Portage 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 1844
Named for the portage between the Fox and Wisconsin Rivers
Seat Stevens Point
Largest city Stevens Point
Area
 • Total 823 sq mi (2,130 km2)
 • Land 801 sq mi (2,070 km2)
 • Water 22 sq mi (60 km2)  2.7%%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 70,377
 • Estimate 
(2023)
71,024 Increase
 • Density 87.9/sq mi (33.9/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 3rd

Portage County is a county located in the state of Wisconsin in the United States. It's a place where many people live and work. As of the 2020 census, about 70,377 people called Portage County home. The main city and where the county government is located is Stevens Point.

Portage County is part of a larger area that includes Stevens Point. This area is important for jobs and businesses. It also connects to other nearby cities like Wausau and Wisconsin Rapids.

History of Portage County

Portage County was officially created in 1836, when Wisconsin was still a territory. It started to organize its own government in 1844. The county gets its name from a special place called a "portage." A portage is a path where people used to carry their boats and goods between two rivers. In this case, it was between the Fox River and the Wisconsin River.

Even though the county is named after this portage, the actual path and the city of Portage are no longer inside Portage County. The county's borders changed over time.

Geography and Nature

Portage County covers a total area of about 823 square miles. Most of this area, about 801 square miles, is land. The rest, about 22 square miles, is water. This means about 2.7% of the county is covered by water, like rivers and lakes.

How to Get Around Portage County

There are many important roads and ways to travel through Portage County.

Major Roads and Highways

  • I-39.svg Interstate 39
  • US 10.svg U.S. Highway 10
  • US 51.svg U.S. Highway 51
  • WIS 13.svg Highway 13 (Wisconsin)
  • WIS 22.svg Highway 22 (Wisconsin)
  • WIS 34.svg Highway 34 (Wisconsin)
  • WIS 49.svg Highway 49 (Wisconsin)
  • WIS 54.svg Highway 54 (Wisconsin)
  • WIS 66.svg Highway 66 (Wisconsin)
  • WIS 73.svg Highway 73 (Wisconsin)
  • WIS 161.svg Highway 161 (Wisconsin)

Trains, Buses, and Air Travel

  • Trains: The Canadian National railway line runs through the county.
  • Buses: Stevens Point Transit provides bus services for people to travel within the Stevens Point area.
  • Airport: The Stevens Point Municipal Airport (KSTE) is available for air travel.

Neighboring Counties

Portage County shares its borders with several other counties:

Special Natural Areas

Portage County is home to several wildlife refuges and natural areas. These places help protect different plants and animals.

People of Portage County

The number of people living in Portage County has changed over many years.

Historical population
Census Pop.
1840 1,623
1850 1,250 −23.0%
1860 7,507 500.6%
1870 10,634 41.7%
1880 17,731 66.7%
1890 24,798 39.9%
1900 29,483 18.9%
1910 30,945 5.0%
1920 33,649 8.7%
1930 33,827 0.5%
1940 35,800 5.8%
1950 34,858 −2.6%
1960 36,964 6.0%
1970 47,541 28.6%
1980 57,420 20.8%
1990 61,405 6.9%
2000 67,182 9.4%
2010 70,019 4.2%
2020 70,377 0.5%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790–1960 1900–1990
1990–2000 2010 2020

In 2020, the population was 70,377 people. This means there were about 87.9 people living in each square mile. There were also many homes, with about 31,148 housing units. Most people in the county are White (89.5%). Other groups include Asian (3.2%), Black or African American (1.3%), and Native American (0.4%). About 3.7% of the population is of Hispanic or Latino background.

USA Portage County, Wisconsin age pyramid
2000 Census Age Pyramid for Portage County

Cities, Towns, and Villages

Portage County has one main city and many smaller communities.

City

  • Stevens Point (This is the county seat, where the main government offices are.)

Villages

Towns

Other Communities

Census-designated places

These are areas that are like towns but are only recognized for census (population counting) purposes.

Unincorporated communities

These are smaller communities that don't have their own local government like a city or village.

Ghost town/neighborhood

  • Lake Emily (This is a place that used to be a community but is no longer populated.)

Images for kids

See also

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

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Portage County, Wisconsin Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.