Stoughton, Wisconsin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Stoughton, Wisconsin
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Location of Stoughton in Dane County, Wisconsin
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Wisconsin |
| County | Dane |
| Area | |
| • Total | 6.35 sq mi (16.45 km2) |
| • Land | 6.02 sq mi (15.58 km2) |
| • Water | 0.33 sq mi (0.86 km2) |
| Elevation | 876 ft (267 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 13,173 |
| • Estimate
(2021)
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13,085 |
| • Density | 2,179.49/sq mi (841.54/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP Code |
53589
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| Area code(s) | 608 |
| FIPS code | 55-77675 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1574965 |
Stoughton is a city located in Dane County, Wisconsin, USA. It sits along the Yahara River, about 20 miles southeast of Madison, the state capital. In 2020, about 13,173 people lived there. Stoughton is part of the larger Madison area.
Stoughton is famous for its Norwegian history. Every year, the city celebrates Syttende Mai, which is Norway's Constitution Day. This celebration includes performances by the Stoughton Norwegian Dancers, a group from Stoughton High School. You can also see Norwegian flags and souvenirs all over town.
Contents
History of Stoughton
Stoughton was started in 1847 by Luke Stoughton. He was an Englishman from Vermont. Many Norwegian immigrants moved to the town between 1865 and the early 1900s.
Stoughton is known as the birthplace of the "coffee break." The city even has a small parade each year to celebrate this special fact. For a long time, Stoughton was the second-largest and most important city in Dane County, after Madison.
In 1919, the Stoughton Wagon Company started making custom wagon bodies. They put these bodies on Model T car frames. By 1929, Ford was selling the most station wagons.
Geography and Climate
Where is Stoughton Located?
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city covers about 5.09 square miles. Of this area, 4.92 square miles is land, and 0.17 square miles is water.
What is the Weather Like?
Stoughton has a climate with warm summers and cold winters. The hottest temperature ever recorded was 103°F (39°C). The coldest temperature ever recorded was -35°F (-37°C). The city gets about 37.79 inches of rain and 35.5 inches of snow each year.
| Climate data for Stoughton Wastewater Treatment Plant, Wisconsin (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1949–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 56 (13) |
70 (21) |
82 (28) |
92 (33) |
96 (36) |
101 (38) |
103 (39) |
103 (39) |
98 (37) |
89 (32) |
77 (25) |
66 (19) |
103 (39) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 27.2 (−2.7) |
31.4 (−0.3) |
43.5 (6.4) |
57.2 (14.0) |
69.4 (20.8) |
79.3 (26.3) |
82.9 (28.3) |
81.0 (27.2) |
74.2 (23.4) |
60.8 (16.0) |
45.6 (7.6) |
32.6 (0.3) |
57.1 (13.9) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 18.5 (−7.5) |
22.0 (−5.6) |
33.5 (0.8) |
45.8 (7.7) |
57.7 (14.3) |
68.0 (20.0) |
71.9 (22.2) |
69.8 (21.0) |
62.1 (16.7) |
49.7 (9.8) |
36.2 (2.3) |
24.4 (−4.2) |
46.6 (8.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 9.7 (−12.4) |
12.5 (−10.8) |
23.4 (−4.8) |
34.4 (1.3) |
46.0 (7.8) |
56.8 (13.8) |
60.9 (16.1) |
58.7 (14.8) |
50.0 (10.0) |
38.6 (3.7) |
26.8 (−2.9) |
16.2 (−8.8) |
36.2 (2.3) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −35 (−37) |
−33 (−36) |
−16 (−27) |
2 (−17) |
22 (−6) |
34 (1) |
41 (5) |
38 (3) |
19 (−7) |
12 (−11) |
−12 (−24) |
−29 (−34) |
−35 (−37) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 1.62 (41) |
1.68 (43) |
2.20 (56) |
3.94 (100) |
4.28 (109) |
5.22 (133) |
3.79 (96) |
4.26 (108) |
3.54 (90) |
2.98 (76) |
2.51 (64) |
1.77 (45) |
37.79 (960) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 10.4 (26) |
10.6 (27) |
4.5 (11) |
0.7 (1.8) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.4 (1.0) |
1.3 (3.3) |
7.6 (19) |
35.5 (90) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 7.4 | 7.2 | 7.7 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 11.0 | 8.5 | 9.0 | 8.3 | 8.6 | 7.7 | 7.9 | 105.6 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 5.1 | 4.7 | 1.9 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 1.1 | 4.5 | 17.9 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
People of Stoughton
Population Growth Over Time
The population of Stoughton has grown a lot since it was founded. In 1850, only 70 people lived there. By 2020, the population had grown to 13,173 people.
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1850 | 70 | — | |
| 1870 | 985 | — | |
| 1880 | 1,353 | 37.4% | |
| 1890 | 2,470 | 82.6% | |
| 1900 | 3,431 | 38.9% | |
| 1910 | 4,761 | 38.8% | |
| 1920 | 5,101 | 7.1% | |
| 1930 | 4,497 | −11.8% | |
| 1940 | 4,743 | 5.5% | |
| 1950 | 4,833 | 1.9% | |
| 1960 | 5,555 | 14.9% | |
| 1970 | 6,096 | 9.7% | |
| 1980 | 7,589 | 24.5% | |
| 1990 | 8,786 | 15.8% | |
| 2000 | 12,354 | 40.6% | |
| 2010 | 12,611 | 2.1% | |
| 2020 | 13,173 | 4.5% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
Who Lives in Stoughton? (2020 Census)
In 2020, there were 13,173 people living in Stoughton. There were 5,262 households and 3,296 families. Most people (96.6%) were White. About 1.9% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
About 26.5% of the people were under 18 years old. About 17.5% were 65 years or older. More than half of the population (52.0%) was female. Also, 601 veterans lived in the city.
Economy and Jobs
Stoughton is home to Stoughton Trailers, a big company that makes semi-trailers. This company has been owned locally for over 50 years. Their large factory builds everything from small parts to full dry vans.
Stoughton Trailers is one of the biggest truck trailer makers in North America. It is also the only American company that still makes 53-foot "intermodal" freight containers. These containers are used to ship goods all over the world.
Another major employer in Stoughton is Uniroyal Engineered Products. They are known for making Naugahyde, a type of artificial leather. Stoughton also has printing companies and factories that make food, chemicals, and other products. The US offices for North American Fur Auctions are also located here.
Stoughton Utilities provides electricity, water, and sewer services to the city. It is a utility company owned by the city itself.
Arts, Culture, and Events
The Coffee Break Story
The idea of a "coffee break" is said to have started in Stoughton. This happened when many immigrant men worked at T. G. Mandt's wagon factory. Their wives helped fill jobs at tobacco warehouses. They agreed to work if they could go home each morning and afternoon. This was to do chores and, of course, drink coffee. Stoughton celebrates this history every summer with the Stoughton Coffee Break Festival.
Victorian Holiday Weekend
The first weekend in December is Stoughton's Victorian Holiday Weekend. This event celebrates the city's old Victorian homes and buildings. It includes a Victorian Holiday Ball with old-fashioned dances. There is also a show of the Nutcracker Ballet or A Christmas Carol (they switch each year). Other activities include carriage rides and parades.
Syttende Mai Festival
The weekend closest to May 17 is Stoughton's Syttende Mai festival. This day celebrates Norwegian Constitution Day. The festival has parades, an art fair, and Norwegian dance shows. There are also races and other fun events. The Stoughton Chamber of Commerce has organized this festival every year since 1967.
In 2004, a Norwegian TV crew visited Stoughton. They wanted to see how Norwegian culture is still celebrated in the US. Their documentary, Ja, de elsker (Yes, they love), was shown in Norway.
Education in Stoughton
Stoughton is served by the Stoughton Area School District. This district covers most of southeastern Dane County. It also includes a small part of Rock County. The district has three elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school.
There are no colleges or universities directly in the city. However, a UW science lab operates in rural Stoughton.
Media and Entertainment
Local News and TV
The weekly Stoughton Courier-Hub newspaper is published every Thursday. It started in 1969.
WSTO TV is a local cable TV channel. It is operated by the City of Stoughton's Information Technology/Media Services Department. This channel provides public, educational, and government programs.
Stoughton Opera House
The Stoughton Opera House has 495 seats. It hosts about 30 traveling musical, comedy, and other shows each year.
Transportation Around Stoughton
Roads and Highways
Stoughton is near Interstate 39 (I-39) and I-90. These highways run together and have two exits about 5 miles from the city. US Highway 51 comes from Madison. It goes along the west side of town, then through downtown. US Highway 14 has an exit for Stoughton at Wisconsin Highway 138. WIS-138 connects to Stoughton from Oregon.
Airports
A small airport for general aviation is located about 2 miles east of the city. For bigger flights, people use Dane County Regional Airport.
Famous People from Stoughton
- Ole Amundsen Buslett, author
- John Edward Erickson, former Governor of Montana
- Jerry Frei, football coach
- Gale Gillingham, Green Bay Packer Hall of Fame player
- Russell Hellickson, Olympic silver medalist in wrestling
- Bob Homme, star of the Canadian TV show The Friendly Giant
- Henry Huber, former Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin
- Justin Jacobs, scientist and statistician for the Orlando Magic
- Ole C. Lee, Wisconsin State Representative
- Thomas A. Loftus, former US ambassador to Norway
- Louis K. Luse, Wisconsin State Representative and lawyer
- Per Lysne, artist
- Alonzo J. Mathison, Wisconsin State Representative
- John McCarthy, Nebraska politician
- John E. McCoy, U.S. Air National Guard general
- Henry Everett McNeil, writer
- William P. Murphy, Nobel Prize winner
- Truman O. Olson, Medal of Honor recipient
- Andrew Rein, Olympic silver medalist in wrestling
- Ole K. Roe, Wisconsin State Representative
- Christopher J. Rollis, Wisconsin State Representative and newspaper editor
- Rudy Silbaugh, Wisconsin State Representative
- Carl W. Thompson, Wisconsin State Senator
- Charles D. Wells, Wisconsin State Representative
- Norman Wengert, political scientist
- Wayne W. Wood, Wisconsin State Representative
- Ralph Wise Zwicker, U.S. Army Major General
Images for kids
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Former Stoughton High School building, built 1892-1893
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Syttende Mai Parade
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Milwaukee Road Stoughton depot
See also
In Spanish: Stoughton (Wisconsin) para niños
