Winnebago County, Wisconsin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Winnebago County
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Winnebago County Courthouse
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Location within the U.S. state of Wisconsin
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 Wisconsin's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Wisconsin |
| Founded | 1848 |
| Named for | Winnebago people |
| Seat | Oshkosh |
| Largest city | Oshkosh |
| Area | |
| • Total | 579 sq mi (1,500 km2) |
| • Land | 434 sq mi (1,120 km2) |
| • Water | 144 sq mi (370 km2) 25%% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 171,730 |
| • Estimate
(2023)
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171,735  |
| • Density | 395.1/sq mi (152.5/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional districts | 6th, 8th |
Winnebago County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 171,730. Its county seat is Oshkosh. It was named for the historic Winnebago people, a federally recognized Native American tribe now known as the Ho-Chunk Nation. Chief Oshkosh was a Menominee leader in the area. Winnebago County comprises the Oshkosh-Neenah, WI Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Appleton-Oshkosh-Neenah, WI Combined Statistical Area.
Contents
History
The region was occupied by several Native American tribes in the period of European encounter, including the Sauk, Fox, Menominee, and Ojibwa (known as Chippewa in the US). French traders from what is now Canada had early interaction with them, as did French Jesuit missionaries, who sought to convert them to Catholicism. European and American settlement encroached on their traditional territories, and the United States negotiated treaties in the mid-19th century to keep pushing the Indians to the west.
Winnebago County was created in 1840 by European Americans and organized in 1848. The name Winnebago is of Algonquin origin, with variations used by the Fox and Potowatomi to refer to the Fox River below Lake Winnebago, which sometimes got muddy and full of fish. It means 'people dwelling by the fetid or ill-smelling water', which may also refer to a sulfur spring. The county seat, Oshkosh, was incorporated as a city in 1853, when it already had a population of nearly 2,800.
Chief Oshkosh was the namesake for the county seat. A leader of the Menominee in the region, he was successful in gaining authorization from the federal government for 2500 of his people to remain in Wisconsin, at a time when the government was pushing for their removal west of the Mississippi River.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 579 square miles (1,500 km2), of which 434 square miles (1,120 km2) is land and 144 square miles (370 km2) (25%) is water.
Adjacent counties
- Waupaca County - northwest
- Outagamie County - northeast
- Calumet County - east
- Fond du Lac County - south
- Green Lake County - southwest
- Waushara County - west
Major highways
Interstate 41
U.S. Highway 10
U.S. Highway 41
U.S. Highway 45
Wisconsin Highway 21
Wisconsin Highway 26
Wisconsin Highway 44
Wisconsin Highway 47
Wisconsin Highway 76
Wisconsin Highway 91
Wisconsin Highway 114
Wisconsin Highway 116
Wisconsin Highway 441
Railroads
- Canadian National
- Wisconsin and Southern Railroad
Buses
- GO Transit (Wisconsin)
- Valley Transit (Wisconsin)
- List of intercity bus stops in Wisconsin
Airports
Wittman Regional Airport (KOSH) serves the county and surrounding communities.
Brennand Airport (79C) in the Town of Clayton is a major recreational aircraft hub year-round.
Commercial airline service for Winnebago County is provided by Appleton International Airport in the neighboring Outagamie County.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1840 | 135 | — | |
| 1850 | 10,167 | 7,431.1% | |
| 1860 | 23,770 | 133.8% | |
| 1870 | 37,279 | 56.8% | |
| 1880 | 42,740 | 14.6% | |
| 1890 | 50,097 | 17.2% | |
| 1900 | 58,225 | 16.2% | |
| 1910 | 62,116 | 6.7% | |
| 1920 | 63,897 | 2.9% | |
| 1930 | 76,622 | 19.9% | |
| 1940 | 80,507 | 5.1% | |
| 1950 | 91,103 | 13.2% | |
| 1960 | 107,928 | 18.5% | |
| 1970 | 129,931 | 20.4% | |
| 1980 | 131,703 | 1.4% | |
| 1990 | 140,320 | 6.5% | |
| 2000 | 156,763 | 11.7% | |
| 2010 | 166,994 | 6.5% | |
| 2020 | 171,730 | 2.8% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2020 |
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2020 census
As of the census of 2020, the population was 171,730. The population density was 395.1 people per square mile (152.5 people/km2). There were 76,046 housing units at an average density of 174.9 units per square mile (67.5 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 86.2% White, 3.3% Asian, 3.0% Black or African American, 0.7% Native American, 1.8% from other races, and 5.1% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 4.8% Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Communities
Cities
- Appleton (mostly in Outagamie County and Calumet County)
- Menasha (partly in Calumet County)
- Neenah
- Omro
- Oshkosh (county seat)
Villages
Towns
Census-designated places
Unincorporated communities
- Adella Beach
- Allenville
- Black Wolf
- Black Wolf Point
- Clarks Point
- Decorah Beach
- Elo
- Fairview Beach
- Fisk
- Fitzgerald
- Harbor Springs
- Highland Shore
- Indian Shores
- Island Park
- Larsen
- Lasleys Point
- Leonards Point
- Little Point
- Koro
- Medina Junction
- Melrose Park
- Metz (partial)
- Mikesville
- Nichols Shore Acres
- Oakwood
- Orihula
- Paukotuk
- Piacenza
- Pickett
- Plummer Point
- Point Comfort
- Reighmoor
- Ricker Bay
- Ring
- Rivermoor
- Rush Lake
- Shangri La Point
- Snells
- Sunrise Bay
- Waverly Beach (partial)
- Winnebago
- Zion
- Zittau
Ghost towns/neighborhoods
Notable people
- Martin Madison (born 1854, Winnebago County), South Dakota politician
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Winnebago (Wisconsin) para niños
