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Vernon County, Wisconsin facts for kids

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Not to be confused with Vernon, Wisconsin.
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Vernon County
U.S. county
Vernon County Courthouse in October 2015
Vernon County Courthouse in October 2015
Map of Wisconsin highlighting Vernon 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 1851
Named for Mount Vernon
Seat Viroqua
Largest city Viroqua
Area
 • Total 816 sq mi (2,110 km2)
 • Land 792 sq mi (2,050 km2)
 • Water 25 sq mi (60 km2)  3.0%%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 30,714
 • Estimate 
(2023)
 31,170 Increase
 • Density 37.640/sq mi (14.533/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 3rd

Vernon County is a place in Wisconsin, a state in the United States. In 2020, about 30,714 people lived there. The main town, or county seat, is Viroqua.

History of Vernon County

Vernon County was first called Bad Ax County. This name was changed on March 22, 1862. Bad Ax County was created on March 1, 1851. It was made from parts of Richland and Crawford counties. The name Vernon was chosen for a special reason. It was picked to remind people of the county's green wheat fields. It also brought to mind Mount Vernon, a famous place.

Geography and Natural Features

The U.S. Census Bureau says Vernon County covers about 816 square miles. Most of this area, about 792 square miles, is land. The rest, about 25 square miles, is water. This means about 3% of the county is water.

Main Roads in Vernon County

  • US 14.svg U.S. Highway 14
  • US 61.svg U.S. Highway 61
  • WIS 27.svg Highway 27 (Wisconsin)
  • WIS 33.svg Highway 33 (Wisconsin)
  • WIS 35.svg Highway 35 (Wisconsin)
  • WIS 56.svg Highway 56 (Wisconsin)
  • WIS 80.svg Highway 80 (Wisconsin)
  • WIS 82.svg Highway 82 (Wisconsin)
  • WIS 131.svg Highway 131 (Wisconsin)
  • WIS 162.svg Highway 162 (Wisconsin)

Transportation Options

  • BNSF (Trains)
  • Scenic Mississippi Regional Transit (Buses)

Airports Serving the County

  • Viroqua Municipal Airport (Y51) helps people travel by air.
  • The Joshua Sanford Field airport used to be open but closed in 2016.

Neighboring Counties

Vernon County shares borders with several other counties:

People and Religion in Vernon County

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1860 11,007 —
1870 18,645 69.4%
1880 23,235 24.6%
1890 25,111 8.1%
1900 28,351 12.9%
1910 28,116 −0.8%
1920 29,252 4.0%
1930 28,537 −2.4%
1940 29,940 4.9%
1950 27,906 −6.8%
1960 25,663 −8.0%
1970 24,557 −4.3%
1980 25,642 4.4%
1990 25,617 −0.1%
2000 28,056 9.5%
2010 29,773 6.1%
2020 30,714 3.2%
2023 (est.) 31,170 4.7%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790–1960 1900–1990
1990–2000 2010–2020

2020 Census Information

In 2020, the county had 30,714 people. There were about 38.8 people per square mile. Most people (95.4%) were White. A small number of people were Black (0.4%), Asian (0.3%), or Native American (0.2%). About 2.9% of people were from two or more races. About 1.5% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

Religious Groups in Vernon County


Circle frame-1.svg

Religion in Vernon County,according to ARDA (2020)      Mainline Protestant Churches (21%)     Evangelical Churches (14.7%)     Anabaptist Churches (Amish and Mennonite) (11.8%)     Catholic Church (6.8%)     Others (1.1%)     None (44.6%)

Economy and Jobs

Vernon County is home to the main office of Organic Valley. This is the world's largest group of family farmers working together.

Parks and Outdoor Fun

Vernon County has many parks run by the county and the state. The Kickapoo Valley Reserve is a huge natural area. It covers 8,600 acres and is located between La Farge and Ontario. Wildcat Mountain State Park is also found in the county.

County Parks and Forests

  • Blackhawk Park
  • Duck Egg County Forest
  • Esofea/Rentz Memorial Park
  • Jersey Valley Park
  • Kooyumjian - Lost Creek County Forest
  • Runge Hollow Recreation Area
  • Sidie Hollow Park
  • Wayside Park & Coon Prairie Trail

Communities in Vernon County

Cities

Villages

Towns

Unincorporated Communities

Gallery

  • RoundBarnHillsboroWisconsin

    Round barn near Hillsboro

  • VernonCountyWisconsinCountrysideWIS80

    Farm and countryside near Hillsboro, along Wisconsin Highway 80

  • Vernon County jail

    Vernon County jail in Viroqua, Wisconsin

See also

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

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