Westby, Wisconsin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Westby, Vernon County, Wisconsin
City
Nickname(s):  Co-op City
Location of Westby in Vernon County, Wisconsin.
Country	United States
State	Wisconsin
County	Vernon
Incorporated	1896
Area
• Total	2.69 sq mi (6.98 km2)
• Land	2.69 sq mi (6.96 km2)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.02 km2)
Elevation	1,299 ft (396 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	2,332
• Density	868.2/sq mi (335.2/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	54667
Area code(s)	608
FIPS code	55-85475
GNIS feature ID	1576571
Website	https://www.cityofwestby.org

Westby is a city in Vernon County, Wisconsin, United States. In 2020, about 2,332 people lived there. The name "Westby" comes from Norwegian and means "Western city."

History of Westby

The Thoreson Museum, home of the Westby Area Historical Society.

Westby was named after Ole T. Westby. He owned a general store and fought for the Union in the American Civil War. Many of the first settlers in Westby came from Biri, Norway, which was Ole T. Westby's hometown.

The Westby Coon-Prairie Lutheran Church was built in Westby in 1851. Trains started coming to Westby in 1879 with the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad. Another railroad, the La Crosse and Southeastern, began service in 1905. Today, neither of these train lines still operates in Westby. The old train station was taken down in 1970.

Geography of Westby

Westby is located at 43°39′14″N 90°51′33″W / 43.65389°N 90.85917°W / 43.65389; -90.85917. It sits near where the Bad Axe River begins.

The city covers a total area of about 2.60 square miles (6.73 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 2.59 square miles (6.71 square kilometers), is land. A very small part, about 0.01 square miles (0.03 square kilometers), is water.

People of Westby

In 2020, the population of Westby was 2,332 people. This means there were about 868 people living in each square mile.

Most people in Westby are White. There are also smaller groups of people from Asian, Black, Pacific Islander, and other backgrounds. About 1.9% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

In 2010, there were 2,200 people living in Westby. There were 929 households, which are groups of people living together. About 29.5% of these households had children under 18. Many households were married couples living together.

The average age in Westby in 2010 was 41.5 years old. About 24.8% of the people were under 18. About 20.8% were 65 years old or older. The city had slightly more females than males.

Economy of Westby

Downtown Westby.

The Uff Da Shoppe, a unique store downtown.

Westby's economy has always been strong in farming. It is known for its many cooperative businesses. These are businesses owned and run by their members, like farmers or customers. Westby is sometimes called "Co-op City" because it still has seven cooperatives.

Some important cooperatives include the Westby Cooperative Creamery, which makes dairy products. Others are Vernon Telephone Cooperative, Heartland Country Coop, Westby Coop Credit Union, and Vernon Electric Cooperative. Another big local business is Accelerated Genetics, which helps farmers with animal breeding.

In the past, Tobacco was a very important crop in Westby. Tobacco from Vernon County was used for the outside wrapper of cigars. In the 1930s, about 120 people worked in the tobacco warehouse.

Westby has its own weekly newspaper called the Westby Times. The town's Norwegian heritage is clear in the name of a local store, the Uff Da Shoppe.

The Westby Cooperative Creamery building.

Transportation in Westby

You can catch a bus in Westby to go to nearby cities like La Crosse or Viroqua. Buses run seven times a day in each direction.

Festivals in Westby

The Westby Norseman statue.

Westby is home to one of the biggest ski jumping hills in the United States. The Snowflake Ski Club holds a big ski jumping event every year in late January or early February. Ski jumpers from all over the world come to compete. The event also includes a parade and a contest to choose "Snowflake" royalty.

Westby's most popular event is the Syttende Mai festival. This three-day event happens in mid-May. It celebrates Westby's Norwegian roots. "Syttende Mai" means "Seventeenth of May" in Norwegian. It's a holiday celebrating Norway's independence and the signing of its constitution.

At the festival, you can find shops selling Norwegian products and food stands. A fun part of the festival is the troll hunt. A small troll doll is hidden in the city. Each day, a clue is posted downtown until someone finds the troll. The person who finds it wins $50!

Recently, Westby has also started holding a town festival to celebrate Leif Erikson Day.

Gallery

Westby High School

Water tower

Westby City Hall

Notable people

See also

In Spanish: Westby (Wisconsin) para niños