Princeton, Wisconsin Facts for Kids

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

Quick facts for kids Princeton, Wisconsin
City
Wis-23 and Wis-73 junction in town
Location of Princeton in Green Lake County, Wisconsin.
Country	United States
State	Wisconsin
County	Green Lake
Area
• Total	1.64 sq mi (4.26 km²)
• Land	1.55 sq mi (4.02 km²)
• Water	0.09 sq mi (0.24 km²)
Elevation	770 ft (230 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	1,267
• Density	772.6/sq mi (297.4/km²)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
Area code(s)	920
FIPS code	55-65600

Princeton is a city in the western part of Green Lake County, Wisconsin, United States. In 2020, about 1,267 people lived there. The city is located within the larger Town of Princeton. The Fox River flows right through the city, splitting it into an east and west side.

History of Princeton
Geography of Princeton
Population in Princeton
- Princeton's Population in 2010
Places of Worship in Princeton
Getting Around Princeton
Culture and Fun in Princeton
Famous People from Princeton
Images for kids
See also

History of Princeton

Princeton got its first post office in 1849. The city was named after Princeton, Massachusetts. On March 4, 1920, the village leaders decided to make Princeton a city. The state approved this, and Princeton officially became a city. Before this, it was known as "Pleasant Valley" and was part of Marquette County.

Geography of Princeton

Princeton covers a total area of about 1.64 square miles (4.26 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 1.54 square miles (4.02 square kilometers), is land. The rest, about 0.10 square miles (0.24 square kilometers), is water.

Population in Princeton

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1870	705	—
1880	961	36.3%
1890	986	2.6%
1900	1,202	21.9%
1910	1,269	5.6%
1920	1,275	0.5%
1930	1,183	−7.2%
1940	1,247	5.4%
1950	1,371	9.9%
1960	1,509	10.1%
1970	1,446	−4.2%
1980	1,479	2.3%
1990	1,458	−1.4%
2000	1,504	3.2%
2010	1,214	−19.3%
2020	1,267	4.4%
U.S. Decennial Census

Princeton's Population in 2010

In 2010, there were 1,214 people living in Princeton. There were 551 households, and 312 of them were families. The city had about 788 people per square mile (304 people per square kilometer).

The average age of people in Princeton was 44.7 years old. About 22.9% of the residents were under 18 years old. Also, 20.9% were 65 years or older. There were slightly more females (53.4%) than males (46.6%) living in the city.

Places of Worship in Princeton

St. John's Lutheran Church in Princeton, WI

Princeton has two main churches. St. John's Lutheran Church is on the east side of town. St. John the Baptist Catholic Church is located on the west side.

Getting Around Princeton

Princeton is served by two main state highways: WIS 23 and WIS 73. These roads meet along Fulton Street and Main Street.

WIS 23 goes west towards Montello and east towards Green Lake.
WIS 73 goes north towards Neshkoro and Wautoma, and south towards Randolph.

Other county roads like Green Lake County Hwys. D, J, and T also enter the city. Water Street is the main street in Downtown Princeton.

Culture and Fun in Princeton

Princeton Flea Market

Princeton's flea market

Princeton is famous for its flea market, which happens every Saturday from mid-April to mid-October. It's known as "Wisconsin’s Largest Weekly Outdoor Flea Market." You can visit for free and parking is also free. There are lots of places to shop and many food options. Local groups sell snacks from a historic food stand in the park. Other sellers offer foods like egg rolls and fresh donuts.

Shopping in Princeton

Around the year 2000, downtown Princeton got a fresh new look. Many old buildings were fixed up and became home to artists and unique shops. After a few years of changes, new businesses started opening in 2012. This brought downtown Princeton back to life. Some travel websites even suggest Princeton for its well-preserved downtown and special shopping experiences.

Muk Luks Slippers

A company called Handcraft Co. started making a special knitted slipper sock with a leather sole in Princeton in the late 1930s. These slippers, called "Muk Luks," became very popular in the 1940s and 1950s. Famous people like Audrey Hepburn and President Eisenhower even wore them! At one point, the company had over 450 workers in three factories. The Muk Luks brand was sold in the 1970s, but Handcraft Co. kept making socks until the late 1990s.