Editing Polk County, Wisconsin

{{Short description|County in Wisconsin, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox U.S. county
 | county               = Polk County
 | state                = Wisconsin
 | seal                 = 
 | founded year         = 1853
 | founded date         = 
 | seat wl              = Balsam Lake
 | largest city wl      = Amery
 | area_total_sq_mi     = 956
 | area_land_sq_mi      = 914
 | area_water_sq_mi     = 42
 | area percentage      = 4.4%
 | population_as_of     = 2020
 | population_total     = 44977
 | pop_est_as_of        = 2023
 | population_est       = 45762 {{gain}}
 | population_density_sq_mi = 49.2
 | population_footnotes = <ref name="2020-census-55095" />
 | time zone            = Central
 | web                  = www.co.polk.wi.us
 | footnote             = 
 | ex image             = File:Polk County Courthouse.JPG
 | ex image cap         = [[Polk County Courthouse (Wisconsin)|Old Polk County Courthouse]] and [[Museum]]
 | district             = 7th
 | named for            = [[James K. Polk]]<ref>{{cite book|author=Chicago and North Western Railway Company|title=A History of the Origin of the Place Names Connected with the Chicago & North Western and Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railways|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OspBAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA163|year=1908|page=163}}</ref>
}}

'''Polk County''' is a [[County (United States)|county]]  in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Wisconsin]]. As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the population was 44,977.<ref name="2020-census-55095" />  Its [[county seat]] is [[Balsam Lake, Wisconsin|Balsam Lake]].<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}}</ref> The county was created in 1853 and named for United States President [[James K. Polk]].<ref>{{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 15, 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>

== History ==
After the [[Wisconsin Territory]] was established in 1836, large amounts of [[Native Americans in the United States|American Indian territories]] were ceded to the United states via the [[White Pine Treaty]], formally known as the treaty of St. Peters, much of the land was covered in vast pine forests, and [[logging]] activates began soon after.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-06-12 |title=Jams, Dams, Pines and Pigs: Reflections on the St. Croix Logging Era |url=https://www.stcroix360.com/2014/06/jams-dams-pines-and-pigs-reflections-on-the-st-croix-logging/ |access-date=2024-11-20 |website=St. Croix 360 |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Geography==
{{Stack|[[File:Polk Co WI Pie Chart No Text Version.pdf|thumb|right|Soils of Polk County<ref>Nelson, Steven (2011). ''Savanna Soils of Minnesota.'' Minnesota: Self. pp. 61 - 64. {{ISBN|978-0-615-50320-2}}.</ref>]]}}

According to the [[United States Census Bureau|U.S. Census Bureau]], the county has an area of {{convert|956|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|914|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|42|sqmi}} (4.4%) 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 8, 2015|date=August 22, 2012|title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files}}</ref>

===Adjacent counties===
* [[Burnett County, Wisconsin|Burnett County]] - north
* [[Barron County, Wisconsin|Barron County]] - east
* [[Dunn County, Wisconsin|Dunn County]] - southeast
* [[St. Croix County, Wisconsin|St. Croix County]] - south
* [[Washington County, Minnesota]] - southwest
* [[Chisago County, Minnesota]] - west

===Major highways===
{|
|-valign=top
|
* [[Image:US 8.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Highway 8]]
* [[Image:US 63.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Highway 63]]
* [[Image:WIS 35.svg|20px]] [[Highway 35 (Wisconsin)]]
* [[Image:WIS 46.svg|20px]] [[Highway 46 (Wisconsin)]]
|
* [[Image:WIS 48.svg|20px]] [[Highway 48 (Wisconsin)]]
* [[Image:WIS 65.svg|20px]] [[Highway 65 (Wisconsin)]]
* [[Image:WIS 87.svg|20px]] [[Highway 87 (Wisconsin)]]
* [[Image:WIS 243.svg|20px]] [[Highway 243 (Wisconsin)]]
|}

===Railroads===
*[[Canadian National]]
*[[Minnesota Transportation Museum]]

===Buses===

===Airports===
* [[Amery Municipal Airport]] (KAHH) serves the county and surrounding communities.
* [[L.O. Simenstad Municipal Airport]] (KOEO).

===National protected area===
* [[Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway]] (part)

=== Interstate Park (Wisconsin) ===
{{Main|Interstate Park}}
Established in 1900, the [[Interstate Park|Interstate park]] is part of the [[Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway|Saint Croix National Scenic riverway]], the [[Ice Age National Scientific Reserve]] and is the western most point of the [[Ice Age National Scenic Trail]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Interstate Park {{!}} Wisconsin DNR |url=https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/parks/interstate |access-date=2024-11-19 |website=dnr.wisconsin.gov}}</ref> <gallery>
File:Interstate Park Sign Wisconsin.jpg
File:St Croix Dalles.jpg
File:Fall Colors, Interstate State Park (1502556726).jpg
</gallery>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1860= 1400
|1870= 3422
|1880= 10018
|1890= 12968
|1900= 17801
|1910= 21367
|1920= 26870
|1930= 26567
|1940= 26197
|1950= 24944
|1960= 24968
|1970= 26666
|1980= 32351
|1990= 34773
|2000= 41319
|2010= 44205
|2020= 44977
|estyear=
|estimate=
|estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2020">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/technical-documentation/research/evaluation-estimates/2020-evaluation-estimates/2010s-counties-total.html/|title=County Population Totals: 2010-2020|access-date=June 20, 2021}}</ref>
|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 8, 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 8, 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 8, 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 8, 2015}}</ref> 2010<ref name="QF">{{cite web|title=State & County QuickFacts|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/55/55095.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=January 23, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905192609/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/55/55095.html|archive-date=September 5, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> 2020<ref name="2020-census-55095"/>
}}

===2020 census===
As of the [[2020 United States census|census of 2020]],<ref name="2020-census-55095">{{cite web|title=2020 Decennial Census: Polk County, Wisconsin |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=0500000US55095&y=2020&d=DEC%20Redistricting%20Data%20%28PL%2094-171%29 |website=data.census.gov |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=July 7, 2022}}</ref> the population was 44,977. The [[population density]] was {{convert|49.2|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people&nbsp;|people|}}. There were 24,129 housing units at an average density of {{convert|26.4|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}. The racial makeup of the county was 93.5% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.9% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.5% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.4% [[Black (U.S. Census)|Black]] or [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.8% from [[Race and ethnicity in the United States census|other races]], and 3.9% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 2.1% [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race.

===2000 census===
{{Stack|[[Image:USA Polk County, Wisconsin age pyramid.svg|thumb|left|2000 Census Age Pyramid for Polk County]]}}

As of the [[2000 United States Census|2000 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> there were 41,319 people, 16,254 households, and 11,329 families residing in the county. The [[population density]] was {{convert|45|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people&nbsp;|people|}}. There were 21,129 housing units at an average density of {{convert|23|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}. The racial makeup of the county was 97.64% [[Race (United States Census)|White]], 0.15% [[Race (United States Census)|Black]] or [[Race (United States Census)|African American]], 1.06% [[Race (United States Census)|Native American]], 0.26% [[Race (United States Census)|Asian]], 0.02% [[Race (United States Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.20% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.67% from two or more races. 0.80% of the population were [[Race (United States Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Race (United States Census)|Latino]] of any race. 31.4% were of [[German people|German]], 18.6% [[Norwegian people|Norwegian]], 11.3% [[Swedish people|Swedish]], 5.5% [[Irish people|Irish]] and 5.3% [[United States|American]] ancestry.

There were 16,254 households, out of which 32.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.20% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 7.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.30% were non-families. 25.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.20% under the age of 18, 6.70% from 18 to 24, 27.70% from 25 to 44, 24.30% from 45 to 64, and 15.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 99.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.50 males.

In 2017, there were 400 births, giving a general fertility rate of 56.0 births per 1000 women aged 15–44, the 14th lowest 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>

==Education==
{|
|- valign="top"
|
* [[Amery School District]]
* [[Clayton School District (Wisconsin)|Clayton School District]]
* [[Clear Lake School District]]
* [[Frederic School District]]
|
* [[Luck School District]]
* [[Osceola School District (Wisconsin)|Osceola School District]]
* [[St. Croix Falls School District]]
* [[Unity School District (Wisconsin)|Unity School District]]
|}

==Communities==
[[File:Polk County Wisconsin Sign US8 entering Wisconsin.jpg|thumb|right|The sign for Polk County while entering Wisconsin on US8]]

===Cities===
* [[Amery, Wisconsin|Amery]]
* [[St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin|St. Croix Falls]]

===Villages===
{{div col}}
* [[Balsam Lake, Wisconsin|Balsam Lake]] (county seat)
* [[Centuria, Wisconsin|Centuria]]
* [[Clayton (village), Wisconsin|Clayton]]
* [[Clear Lake, Wisconsin|Clear Lake]]
* [[Dresser, Wisconsin|Dresser]]
* [[Frederic, Wisconsin|Frederic]]
* [[Luck, Wisconsin|Luck]]
* [[Milltown, Wisconsin|Milltown]]
* [[Osceola, Wisconsin|Osceola]]
* [[Turtle Lake, Wisconsin|Turtle Lake]] (mostly in [[Barron County, Wisconsin|Barron County]])
{{div col end}}

===Towns===
{{div col|colwidth=12em}}
* [[Alden, Wisconsin|Alden]]
* [[Apple River, Wisconsin|Apple River]]
* [[Balsam Lake (town), Wisconsin|Balsam Lake]]
* [[Beaver, Polk County, Wisconsin|Beaver]]
* [[Black Brook, Wisconsin|Black Brook]]
* [[Bone Lake, Wisconsin|Bone Lake]]
* [[Clam Falls, Wisconsin|Clam Falls]]
* [[Clayton, Polk County, Wisconsin|Clayton]]
* [[Clear Lake (town), Wisconsin|Clear Lake]]
* [[Eureka, Polk County, Wisconsin|Eureka]]
* [[Farmington, Polk County, Wisconsin|Farmington]]
* [[Garfield, Polk County, Wisconsin|Garfield]]
* [[Georgetown, Polk County, Wisconsin|Georgetown]]
* [[Johnstown, Polk County, Wisconsin|Johnstown]]
* [[Laketown, Wisconsin|Laketown]]
* [[Lincoln, Polk County, Wisconsin|Lincoln]]
* [[Lorain, Wisconsin|Lorain]]
* [[Luck (town), Wisconsin|Luck]]
* [[McKinley, Polk County, Wisconsin|McKinley]]
* [[Milltown (town), Wisconsin|Milltown]]
* [[Osceola, Polk County, Wisconsin|Osceola]]
* [[St. Croix Falls (town), Wisconsin|St. Croix Falls]]
* [[Sterling, Polk County, Wisconsin|Sterling]]
* [[West Sweden, Wisconsin|West Sweden]]
{{div col end}}

===Census-designated place===
* [[Lewis, Wisconsin|Lewis]]

===Unincorporated communities===
{{div col|colwidth=12em}}
* [[Atlas, Wisconsin|Atlas]]
* [[Bunyan, Wisconsin|Bunyan]]
* [[Clam Falls (community), Wisconsin|Clam Falls]]
* [[Cushing, Wisconsin|Cushing]]
* [[Deronda, Wisconsin|Deronda]]
* [[East Farmington, Wisconsin|East Farmington]]
* [[Eureka Center, Wisconsin|Eureka Center]]
* [[Fox Creek, Wisconsin|Fox Creek]]
* [[Horse Creek, Wisconsin|Horse Creek]]
* [[Indian Creek, Wisconsin|Indian Creek]]
* [[Joel, Wisconsin|Joel]]
* [[Lamar, Wisconsin|Lamar]]
* [[Little Falls, Polk County, Wisconsin|Little Falls]]
* [[Lykens, Wisconsin|Lykens]]
* [[McKinley (community), Wisconsin|McKinley]]
* [[Nye, Wisconsin|Nye]]
* [[Pole Cat Crossing, Wisconsin|Pole Cat Crossing]] (partial)
* [[Range, Wisconsin|Range]]
* [[Richardson, Wisconsin|Richardson]]
* [[Sand Lake, Polk County, Wisconsin|Sand Lake]]
* [[Ubet, Wisconsin|Ubet]]
* [[Wanderoos, Wisconsin|Wanderoos]]
* [[West Denmark, Wisconsin|West Denmark]]
* [[West Sweden (community), Wisconsin|West Sweden]]
* [[Wolf Creek, Wisconsin|Wolf Creek]]
{{div col end}}

==Notable residents==
* [[Arnold Franz Brasz]] (1888–1966), a prominent painter, sculptor, and printmaker was born in Polk County on July 19, 1888
* [[George A. Nelson]] (1873–1962), the 1936 [[Socialist Party of America]] nominee for vice president of the United States, was born in rural Polk County and was a dairy farmer there.

==Politics==
From its founding in 1853 through 1928, Polk County was a strongly Republican county in presidential elections, never once backing the Democratic candidate. The only two times in that span it did not support the Republican candidate were in 1912 when former Republican [[Theodore Roosevelt]] won the county as the [[Progressive Party (United States, 1912–1920)|Progressive]] candidate and in 1924 when [[Progressive Party (United States, 1924–1934)|Progressive]] and native Wisconsinite [[Robert M. La Follette]] won the county. Then, between 1932 and 2012, Polk County was a very consistently competitive county that leaned slightly Republican. Only two candidates in that span won at least 60% of the county's vote, [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]] in his 1952 landslide and [[Lyndon B. Johnson]] in his 1964 landslide. Polk County took a rightward turn in 2016, when [[Donald Trump]] won over 60% of the county's vote with a winning margin of over 27%, the best margin of victory in the county since 1928 with the exception of Johnson in 1964. Trump won in 2020 with the exact same margin of victory of over 27% while increasing his vote share to nearly 63%. In 2024, Trump once again improved on his previous performance, taking nearly 65% of Polk County's vote and defeating [[Kamala Harris]] by more than a 30% margin.

=== Election results ===
{{PresHead|place=Polk County, Wisconsin|source=<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>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|18,296|9,567|359|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|16,611|9,370|390|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|13,810|7,565|1,370|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|2012|Republican|12,094|10,073|406|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|2008|Republican|11,282|10,876|485|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|2004|Republican|12,095|11,173|235|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|2000|Republican|9,557|8,961|1,244|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1996|Democratic|5,387|8,334|2,692|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1992|Democratic|5,446|7,746|4,879|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1988|Democratic|6,866|8,981|128|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|8,106|8,034|129|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1980|Democratic|7,207|7,607|1,482|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1976|Democratic|6,159|8,485|280|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|6,567|5,738|228|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1968|Republican|5,583|5,179|671|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|3,754|7,215|34|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1960|Republican|6,387|5,148|30|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1956|Republican|5,894|4,985|27|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1952|Republican|6,966|4,274|42|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1948|Democratic|3,974|5,330|268|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1944|Republican|5,329|4,489|127|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1940|Republican|6,031|4,979|238|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|3,596|5,618|1,285|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|3,425|5,421|386|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1928|Republican|6,905|2,177|108|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1924|Progressive (Wisconsin)|2,793|317|4,324|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1920|Republican|4,796|752|412|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1916|Republican|2,080|1,713|269|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1912|Progressive|848|830|1,447|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1908|Republican|2,788|816|267|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1904|Republican|2,985|296|208|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1900|Republican|2,735|694|101|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1896|Republican|2,861|891|85|Wisconsin}}
{{PresFoot|1892|Republican|1,477|585|386|Wisconsin}}
==See also==
* [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Polk County, Wisconsin]]
* [[St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
* Prentice, Worthy A. ''[http://content.wisconsinhistory.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/wch/id/66143/rec/3 Reminiscences of Early Pioneer Days in Polk County]''. Balsam Lake, Wis,: Polk County Ledger, n.d..

==External links==
* [http://www.co.polk.wi.us/ Polk County website]
* [http://wisconsindot.gov/Documents/travel/road/hwy-maps/county-maps/polk.pdf Polk County map] from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation
* [http://www.polkcountyedc.com/polk Polk County Economic Development Corporation]
* [http://www.polkcountytourism.com/ Polk County Tourism]

{{Geographic Location
|Centre    = Polk County, Wisconsin
|North     = [[Burnett County, Wisconsin|Burnett County]]
|Northeast =
|East      = [[Barron County, Wisconsin|Barron County]]
|Southeast = [[Dunn County, Wisconsin|Dunn County]]
|South     = [[St. Croix County, Wisconsin|St. Croix County]]
|Southwest = [[Washington County, Minnesota]]
|West      = [[Chisago County, Minnesota]]
|Northwest =
}}

{{Polk County, Wisconsin}}
{{Wisconsin}}

{{coord|45.46|-92.44|display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-WI_source:UScensus1990}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Polk County, Wisconsin| ]]
[[Category:1853 establishments in Wisconsin]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1853]]