Portage County, Wisconsin
| Portage County, Wisconsin | |
 Location in the state of Wisconsin |
|
 Wisconsin's location in the U.S. |
|
| Founded | 1841 [1] |
|---|---|
| Seat | Stevens Point |
| Largest city | Stevens Point |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
823 sq mi (2,132 km²) 806 sq mi (2,088 km²) 16 sq mi (41 km²), 2 |
| Population - (2010) - Density |
70,019 83/sq mi (32/km²) |
| Time zone | Central: UTC-6/-5 |
| Website | www.co.portage.wi.us |
Portage County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2010, the population was 70,019, up from 67,182 in 2000. Its county seat is Stevens Point.[2] The United States Census Bureau's Stevens Point Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Portage County.
Contents |
History [edit]
Like the city of Portage, Portage County is named for the portage between the Fox and Wisconsin rivers; Portage County originally included the portage and Portage but boundary changes detached the county from its namesake.[3]
Geography [edit]
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 823 square miles (2,131 km²), of which 806 square miles (2,088 km²) is land and 16 square miles (43 km²) (2.00%) is water.
Major highways [edit]
Adjacent counties [edit]
- Marathon County - north
- Shawano County - northeast
- Waupaca County - east
- Waushara County - southeast
- Adams County - southwest
- Wood County - west
Natural Wildlife refuges [edit]
Demographics [edit]
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1850 | 1,250 |
|
|
| 1860 | 7,507 | 500.6% | |
| 1870 | 10,634 | 41.7% | |
| 1880 | 17,731 | 66.7% | |
| 1890 | 24,798 | 39.9% | |
| 1900 | 29,483 | 18.9% | |
| 1910 | 30,945 | 5.0% | |
| 1920 | 33,649 | 8.7% | |
| 1930 | 33,827 | 0.5% | |
| 1940 | 35,800 | 5.8% | |
| 1950 | 34,858 | −2.6% | |
| 1960 | 36,964 | 6.0% | |
| 1970 | 47,541 | 28.6% | |
| 1980 | 57,420 | 20.8% | |
| 1990 | 61,405 | 6.9% | |
| 2000 | 67,182 | 9.4% | |
| 2010 | 70,019 | 4.2% | |
| Est. 2012 | 70,433 | 0.6% | |
| [4][5][6] | |||
As of the census[7] of 2000, there were 67,182 people, 25,040 households, and 16,501 families residing in the county. The population density was 83 people per square mile (32/km²). There were 26,589 housing units at an average density of 33 per square mile (13/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 95.73% White, 0.32% Black or African American, 0.36% Native American, 2.25% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.43% from other races, and 0.86% from two or more races. 1.44% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 32.8% were of Polish, 31.6% German, 5.4% Norwegian and 5.0% Irish ancestry according to Census 2000. 93.9% spoke English, 1.7% Spanish, 1.6% Polish and 1.3% Hmong as their first language.
There were 25,040 households out of which 32.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.10% were married couples living together, 7.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.10% were non-families. 24.50% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.07.
In the county, the population was spread out with 24.10% under the age of 18, 16.20% from 18 to 24, 27.70% from 25 to 44, 21.10% from 45 to 64, and 10.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 99.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.80 males.
Cities, villages, and towns [edit]
|
Unincorporated communities [edit]
Ghost towns [edit]
See also [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ Origins of Portage County
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
- ^ "Wisconsin: Individual County Chronologies". The Newberry Library. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
- ^ census.gov - WI Counties 1900-1990
- ^ City of Stevens Point Comprehensive Plan 2005 - Population and housing methodologies - Appendix D, p.2 - accessed 2012-03-12
- ^ Portage County Historical Society of Wisconsin - county time line, 1827 thru 1998 - accessed 2012-03-12
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
External links [edit]
- Portage County
- Portage County Business Council, Inc.
- Portage County Historical Society
- Stevens Point Area (Portage County) Genealogical Society
- Local Histories of Dane, Portage, Wood, and Sauk Counties
- Rotary Club of Stevens Point, WI
- PEOPLE & PLACES OF PORTAGE COUNTY: Collections of Genealogy & History
 |
Marathon County | Shawano County | |
|
| Wood County |  |
Waupaca County | ||
|
||||
 |
||||
| Adams County | Waushara County |
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
