Tunnel City, Wisconsin Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Tunnel City, Wisconsin
Census-designated place
Tunnel City
Tunnel City, Wisconsin Location in Wisconsin
Country	United States
State	Wisconsin
County	Monroe
Area
• Total	0.80 km² (0.310 sq mi)
• Land	0.80 km² (0.310 sq mi)
• Water	0 km² (0 sq mi)
Elevation	320 m (1,060 ft)
Population (2010)
• Total	106
• Density	132.0/km² (341.9/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	54662
Area code(s)	608
GNIS feature ID	1575713

Tunnel City is a small community in Monroe County, Wisconsin, United States. It is called Tunnel City because of the train tunnels that go through a nearby hill. It is not a city with its own government, but a "census-designated place." This means it is a special area the government counts for population information.

Train Tunnels of Tunnel City
Population of Tunnel City
Images for kids
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Train Tunnels of Tunnel City

Tunnel City is famous for its train tunnels. These tunnels helped trains travel across Wisconsin. Over the years, different railroad companies have used and updated them.

First Tunnel: Milwaukee Road

The first tunnel was built by the La Crosse and Milwaukee railroad. It was finished in 1858. This tunnel was the last part of the train route from Milwaukee to La Crosse, Wisconsin. The train station here was simply named "Tunnel."

This first tunnel was updated in 1861. Later, in 1874, a new tunnel was built right next to it. This new tunnel is still used today.

Who Owns the Tunnels Now?

Today, the Canadian Pacific Railway owns the 1874 tunnel. They bought the railroad assets from the Milwaukee Road in 1985. The Canadian Pacific Railway also lets Amtrak's Empire Builder passenger train use the tracks. However, the Empire Builder does not stop in Tunnel City.

In 1993, the tunnel was made taller. This allowed for "double stack" trains. These trains carry two shipping containers stacked on top of each other. This helps move more goods at once.

Chicago and North Western Tunnel

Another railroad company, the Chicago and North Western, built a third tunnel in 1910. This tunnel was also west of Tunnel City and ran next to the Milwaukee Road tunnels.

In March 1973, this 1910 tunnel collapsed. Heavy snow and wet ground caused the collapse. After this, the Chicago and North Western trains started using the older Milwaukee tunnel.

Today, the Union Pacific Railroad owns the Chicago and North Western lines. They have special permission to use the Canadian Pacific tracks from Tunnel City. This permission started after the 1973 tunnel collapse.

Population of Tunnel City

According to the 2010 census, 106 people lived in Tunnel City. The area of Tunnel City is about 0.310 square miles (0.80 km2). All of this area is land.