Editing Barron County, Wisconsin

{{Short description|County in Wisconsin, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox U.S. county
 | county        = Barron County
 | state             = Wisconsin
 | ex image             = Barron County Government Center.jpg
 | ex image size        = 220px
 | ex image cap         = Barron County Government Center
 | seal                 = 
 | founded year         = 1874
 | founded date         = 
 | seat wl              = Barron
 | largest city wl   = Rice Lake
 | area_total_sq_mi     = 890
 | area_land_sq_mi      = 863
 | area_water_sq_mi     = 27
 | area percentage      = 3.0
 | population_as_of     = 2020
 | population_total     = 46711
 | pop_est_as_of        = 2023
 | population_est       = 46833 {{gain}}
 | density_sq_mi        = auto
 | web  = www.barroncountywi.gov
 | time zone           = Central
 | district             = 7th
 | named for            = [[Henry D. Barron]] }}

'''Barron County''' is a [[County (United States)|county]] located in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Wisconsin]]. As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the population was 46,711.<ref name="2020-census-55005" /> Its [[county seat]] is [[Barron, Wisconsin|Barron]].<ref name="GR6">{{cite web |url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |access-date=June 7, 2011 |title=Find a County |publisher=National Association of Counties |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120712220218/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |archive-date=July 12, 2012 }}</ref> The county was created in 1859 and organized in 1874.<ref name="Newberry"/>

==History==
The county was created in 1859<ref>Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau (comp.) ''[http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/WI/WI-idx?type=goto&id=WI.WIBlueBk1991&page=731&isize=L State of Wisconsin 1991-1992 Blue Book]''. Madison: Author, 1991, p. 731.</ref> as Dallas County (named after Vice President [[George M. Dallas]]), with the county seat located at Barron. It was renamed Barron County on March 4, 1869. The county's name honors Wisconsin lawyer and politician [[Henry D. Barron]], who served as circuit judge of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/dictionary/index.asp?action=view&term_id=2253&keyword=barron |title=''Dictionary of Wisconsin History'' (Wisconsin Historical Society) |access-date=November 5, 2010 |archive-date=August 24, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080824125629/http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/dictionary/index.asp?action=view |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Here's How Iron Got Its Name |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/909510/wisconsin_county_names/|newspaper=The Rhinelander Daily News|date=June 16, 1932|page=2|via = [[Newspapers.com]]|access-date = August 24, 2014}} {{Open access}}</ref> Barron County was organized in 1874.<ref name="Newberry">{{cite web|url=http://publications.newberry.org/ahcbp/documents/WI_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm|title=Wisconsin: Individual County Chronologies|website=Wisconsin Atlas of Historical County Boundaries|publisher=[[Newberry Library|The Newberry Library]]|date=2007|access-date=August 12, 2015|archive-date=April 14, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170414132220/http://publications.newberry.org/ahcbp/documents/WI_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, a community of Russian immigrants moved to Barron County.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Article/CS1855|title = Russians in Wisconsin|date = August 3, 2012}}</ref>

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau|U.S. Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|890|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|863|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|27|sqmi}} (3.0%) is water.<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=http://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/counties_list_55.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=August 2, 2015|date=August 22, 2012|title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files}}</ref>

===Adjacent counties===
{{div col}}
* [[Washburn County, Wisconsin|Washburn County]] – north
* [[Sawyer County, Wisconsin|Sawyer County]] – northeast
* [[Rusk County, Wisconsin|Rusk County]] – east
* [[Chippewa County, Wisconsin|Chippewa County]] – southeast
* [[Dunn County, Wisconsin|Dunn County]] – south
* [[St. Croix County, Wisconsin|St. Croix County]] – southwest
* [[Polk County, Wisconsin|Polk County]] – west
* [[Burnett County, Wisconsin|Burnett County]] – northwest
{{div col end}}

===Major highways===
[[File:Barron County WI sign CTH G.jpg|thumb|right|The county sign for Barron County on County G]]
* [[Image:US 8.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Highway 8]]
* [[Image:US 53.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Highway 53]]
* [[Image:US 63.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Highway 63]]
* [[Image:WIS 25.svg|20px]] [[Highway 25 (Wisconsin)]]
* [[Image:WIS 48.svg|20px]] [[Highway 48 (Wisconsin)]]

===Railroads===
*[[Wisconsin Northern Railroad]]
*[[Canadian National]]

===Buses===

===Airports===
* KRPD - [[Rice Lake Regional Airport]] serves Barron County.
* KUBE - [[Cumberland Municipal Airport (Wisconsin)|Cumberland Municipal Airport]] is located three miles south of Cumberland.
* Y23 - [[Chetek Municipal–Southworth Airport]] also serves the county and surrounding communities.
* 9Y7 - [[Barron Municipal Airport]] enhances county service.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1860= 13
|1870= 538
|1880= 7024
|1890= 15416
|1900= 23677
|1910= 29114
|1920= 34281
|1930= 34301
|1940= 34289
|1950= 34703
|1960= 34270
|1970= 33955
|1980= 38730
|1990= 40750
|2000= 44963
|2010= 45870
|2020= 46711
|estyear=
|estimate=
|estref=
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=U.S. Decennial Census|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=August 2, 2015}}</ref><br />1790–1960<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu|title=Historical Census Browser|publisher=University of Virginia Library|access-date=August 2, 2015}}</ref> 1900–1990<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/wi190090.txt|title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990|publisher=United States Census Bureau|editor-last=Forstall|editor-first=Richard L.|date=March 27, 1995|access-date=August 2, 2015}}</ref><br />1990–2000<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live|title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000|publisher=United States Census Bureau|date=April 2, 2001|access-date=August 2, 2015}}</ref> 2010<ref name="QF">{{cite web|title=2020 Census Population and Housing Map|url=https://public.tableau.com/shared/SZSWFGNSB?:display_count=y&:origin=viz_share_link&:embed=y|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=December 5, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211205200056/https://public.tableau.com/shared/SZSWFGNSB?:showVizHome=no|archive-date=December 5, 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> 2020<ref name="2020-census-55005" />
}}

===2020 census===
As of the [[2020 United States census|census of 2020]],<ref name="2020-census-55005">{{cite web|title=2020 Decennial Census: Barron County, Wisconsin |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=0500000US55005&y=2020&d=DEC%20Redistricting%20Data%20%28PL%2094-171%29 |website=data.census.gov |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=July 6, 2022}}</ref> the population was 46,711. The [[population density]] was {{convert|54.1|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people&nbsp;|people|}}. There were 23,779 housing units at an average density of {{convert|27.6|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}. The racial makeup of the county was 91.1% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 1.8% [[Black (U.S. Census)|Black]] or [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 1.0% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.7% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 1.2% from [[Race and ethnicity in the United States census|other races]], and 4.2% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 2.7% [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race.

===2000 census===
{{Stack|[[Image:USA Barron County, Wisconsin age pyramid.svg|thumb|left|2000 Census Age Pyramid for Barron County]]}}
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR8">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=May 14, 2011 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref> of 2000, there were 44,963 people, 17,851 households, and 12,352 families residing in the county. The [[population density]] was {{convert|52|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people&nbsp;|people|}}. There were 20,969 housing units at an average density of {{convert|24|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}. The racial makeup of the county was 97.69% [[Race (United States Census)|White]], 0.14% [[Race (United States Census)|Black]] or [[Race (United States Census)|African American]], 0.81% [[Race (United States Census)|Native American]], 0.32% [[Race (United States Census)|Asian]], 0.04% [[Race (United States Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.32% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.69% from two or more races. 0.96% of the population were [[Race (United States Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Race (United States Census)|Latino]] of any race. 34.4% were of [[German people|German]], 21.8% [[Norwegian people|Norwegian]] and 5.3% [[Irish people|Irish]] ancestry.

There were 17,851 households, out of which 31.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.90% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 8.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.80% were non-families. 25.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.97.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.30% under the age of 18, 8.10% from 18 to 24, 26.80% from 25 to 44, 23.40% from 45 to 64, and 16.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 98.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.00 males.

In 2017, there were 504 births, giving a general fertility rate of 70.6 births per 1000 women aged 15–44, the 15th highest rate out of all 72 Wisconsin counties.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/publication/p01161-2019-tb.xlsx |title=Annual Wisconsin Birth and Infant Mortality Report, 2017 P-01161-19 (June 2019): Detailed Tables |access-date=June 20, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190619175940/https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/publication/p01161-2019-tb.xlsx |archive-date=June 19, 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Additionally, there were fewer than five reported induced abortions performed on women of Barron County residence in 2017.<ref>[https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/publications/p45360-17.pdf Reported Induced Abortions in Wisconsin], Office of Health Informatics, Division of Public Health, Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Section: Trend Information, 2013-2017, Table 18, pages 17-18</ref>

==Communities==

===Cities===
* [[Barron, Wisconsin|Barron]] (county seat)
* [[Chetek, Wisconsin|Chetek]]
* [[Cumberland, Wisconsin|Cumberland]]
* [[Rice Lake, Wisconsin|Rice Lake]]

===Villages===
* [[Almena, Wisconsin|Almena]]
* [[Cameron, Barron County, Wisconsin|Cameron]]
* [[Dallas, Wisconsin|Dallas]]
* [[Haugen, Wisconsin|Haugen]]
* [[New Auburn, Wisconsin|New Auburn]] (mostly in [[Chippewa County, Wisconsin|Chippewa County]])
* [[Prairie Farm, Wisconsin|Prairie Farm]]
* [[Turtle Lake, Wisconsin|Turtle Lake]] (partly in [[Polk County, Wisconsin|Polk County]])

===Towns===
{{div col|colwidth=12em}}
* [[Almena, Barron County, Wisconsin|Almena]]
* [[Arland, Wisconsin|Arland]]
* [[Barron, Barron County, Wisconsin|Barron]]
* [[Bear Lake, Barron County, Wisconsin|Bear Lake]]
* [[Cedar Lake, Barron County, Wisconsin|Cedar Lake]]
* [[Chetek, Barron County, Wisconsin|Chetek]]
* [[Clinton, Barron County, Wisconsin|Clinton]]
* [[Crystal Lake, Barron County, Wisconsin|Crystal Lake]]
* [[Cumberland, Barron County, Wisconsin|Cumberland]]
* [[Dallas, Barron County, Wisconsin|Dallas]]
* [[Dovre, Barron County, Wisconsin|Dovre]]
* [[Doyle, Barron County, Wisconsin|Doyle]]
* [[Lakeland, Barron County, Wisconsin|Lakeland]]
* [[Maple Grove, Barron County, Wisconsin|Maple Grove]]
* [[Maple Plain, Barron County, Wisconsin|Maple Plain]]
* [[Oak Grove, Barron County, Wisconsin|Oak Grove]]
* [[Prairie Farm, Barron County, Wisconsin|Prairie Farm]]
* [[Prairie Lake, Barron County, Wisconsin|Prairie Lake]]
* [[Rice Lake, Barron County, Wisconsin|Rice Lake]]
* [[Sioux Creek, Barron County, Wisconsin|Sioux Creek]]
* [[Stanfold, Barron County, Wisconsin|Stanfold]]
* [[Stanley, Barron County, Wisconsin|Stanley]]
* [[Sumner, Barron County, Wisconsin|Sumner]]
* [[Turtle Lake, Barron County, Wisconsin|Turtle Lake]]
* [[Vance Creek, Barron County, Wisconsin|Vance Creek]]
{{div col end}}

===Census-designated place===
* [[Barronett, Barron County, Wisconsin|Barronett]]

===Unincorporated communities===
{{div col|colwidth=18em}}
* [[Angus, Wisconsin|Angus]]
* [[Arland (community), Wisconsin|Arland]]
* [[Brill, Wisconsin|Brill]]
* [[Campia, Wisconsin|Campia]]
* [[Canton, Barron County, Wisconsin|Canton]]
* [[Comstock, Wisconsin|Comstock]]
* [[Dobie, Barron County, Wisconsin|Dobie]]
* [[Graytown, Wisconsin|Graytown]] (part)
* [[Hillsdale, Wisconsin|Hillsdale]]
* [[Horseman, Wisconsin|Horseman]]
* [[Lehigh, Wisconsin|Lehigh]]
* [[Mikana, Wisconsin|Mikana]]
* [[Poskin, Wisconsin|Poskin]]
* [[Reeve, Wisconsin|Reeve]]
* [[Sumner (community), Barron County, Wisconsin|Sumner]]
* [[Twin Town, Wisconsin|Twin Town]]
* [[Tuscobia, Wisconsin|Tuscobia]]
* [[Wickware, Wisconsin|Wickware]]
{{div col end}}

==Politics==
Barron County has been a longtime swing county, though it tended to more often vote Republican. The last Democrat to win the county was [[Barack Obama]] in 2008 and since then it has been consistently Republican. [[Donald Trump]]'s performances in 2020 and subsequently in 2024 were the best by a Republican since the 1952 landslide election.<ref>https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/</ref>

{{PresHead|place=Barron County, Wisconsin|source1=<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|last=Leip|first=David|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=February 8, 2021}}</ref>|source2=<ref>The leading "other" candidate, [[Progressive Party (United States, 1912)|Progressive]] [[Theodore Roosevelt]], received 968 votes, while Socialist candidate [[Eugene V. Debs|Eugene Debs]] received 265 votes, [[Prohibition Party|Prohibition]] candidate [[Eugene W. Chafin|Eugene Chafin]] received 253 votes, and [[Independent politician|Independent]] candidate [[Arthur Reimer]] received 5 votes.</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|16,726|8,941|1,142|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|15,803|9,194|349|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|13,614|7,889|1,168|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|2012|Republican|11,443|10,890|359|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|2008|Democratic|10,457|12,078|351|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|2004|Republican|12,030|11,696|211|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|2000|Republican|9,848|8,928|1,128|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1996|Democratic|6,158|8,025|3,008|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1992|Democratic|6,572|8,063|5,595|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1988|Democratic|8,527|8,951|92|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|9,587|8,061|124|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1980|Republican|8,791|8,654|1,240|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1976|Democratic|7,393|8,678|311|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|8,418|5,376|251|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1968|Republican|7,526|5,183|880|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|5,701|8,332|23|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1960|Republican|8,640|6,464|41|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1956|Republican|8,634|5,419|73|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1952|Republican|10,013|4,902|66|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1948|Democratic|5,516|6,148|352|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1944|Republican|7,137|5,585|101|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1940|Republican|7,806|6,183|238|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|5,067|7,419|869|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|3,852|7,413|436|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1928|Republican|8,455|3,185|106|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1924|Progressive (Wisconsin)|2,703|377|6,100|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1920|Republican|6,887|742|547|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1916|Republican|2,746|1,863|388|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1912|Republican|1,414|1,065|1,491|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1908|Republican|3,247|1,266|373|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1904|Republican|3,575|625|366|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1900|Republican|2,950|943|161|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1896|Republican|2,772|1,324|186|Wisconsin}}
{{PresFoot|1892|Republican|1,818|767|584|Wisconsin}}

==See also==
* [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Barron County, Wisconsin]]
*[[List of counties in Wisconsin]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
* Curtiss-Wedge, Franklin. (comp.) ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=0dk4AQAAMAAJ&q=History+of+Barron+County%2C+Wisconsin History of Barron County Wisconsin]''. Minneapolis: H. C. Cooper Jr., 1922.

==External links==
{{Commons category|Barron County, Wisconsin}}
* [http://www.barroncountywi.gov/ Barron County website]
* Old plat maps: [https://content.wisconsinhistory.org/digital/collection/maps/id/23273/rec/15 1888] [https://content.wisconsinhistory.org/digital/collection/maps/id/23165/rec/17 1903] [https://content.wisconsinhistory.org/digital/collection/maps/id/21733/rec/14 1914] [https://content.wisconsinhistory.org/digital/collection/maps/id/17307/rec/9 ca. 1918] [https://historicmapworks.com/Atlas/US/31165/Barron+County+1942/ 1942] [https://historicmapworks.com/Atlas/US/21804/ 1956] [https://historicmapworks.com/Atlas/US/11409/ 1966] [https://historicmapworks.com/Atlas/US/11410/ 1978] [https://historicmapworks.com/Atlas/US/10000/ 1986]
* [http://wisconsindot.gov/Documents/travel/road/hwy-maps/county-maps/barron.pdf Barron County map] from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation

{{Geographic Location
|Centre    = Barron County, Wisconsin
|North     = [[Washburn County, Wisconsin|Washburn County]]
|Northeast = [[Sawyer County, Wisconsin|Sawyer County]]
|East      = [[Rusk County, Wisconsin|Rusk County]]
|Southeast = [[Chippewa County, Wisconsin|Chippewa County]]
|South     = [[Dunn County, Wisconsin|Dunn County]]
|Southwest = [[St. Croix County, Wisconsin|St. Croix County]]
|West      = [[Polk County, Wisconsin|Polk County]]
|Northwest = [[Burnett County, Wisconsin|Burnett County]]
}}

{{Barron County, Wisconsin}}
{{Wisconsin}}
{{Authority control}}

{{Coord|45.42|-91.85|display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-WI_source:UScensus1990}}

[[Category:Barron County, Wisconsin| ]]
[[Category:1874 establishments in Wisconsin]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1874]]