Editing Portage County, Wisconsin

{{Short description|County in Wisconsin, United States}}
{{Distinguish|Portage, Wisconsin}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox U.S. county
 | county               = Portage County
 | ex image             = Portage County Courthouse, Stevens Point, Wisconsin.jpg
 | ex image cap         = Portage County Courthouse in Stevens Point
 | image_flag           = Flag of Portage County, Wisconsin.png
 | state                = Wisconsin
 | founded year         = 1844
 | founded date         = 
 | largest city wl      = Stevens Point
 | seat wl              = Stevens Point
 | area_total_sq_mi     = 823
 | area_land_sq_mi      = 801
 | area_water_sq_mi     = 22
 | area percentage      = 2.7%
 | population_as_of     = 2020
 | population_total     = 70377
 | population_density_sq_mi = 87.9
 | population_footnotes = <ref name="2020-census-55097" />
 | pop_est_as_of        = 2023
 | population_est       = 71024 {{gain}}
 | time zone            = Central
 | web                  = www.co.portage.wi.gov
 | district             = 3rd
 | named for            = [[Fox–Wisconsin Waterway|the portage]] between the [[Fox River (Green Bay tributary)|Fox]] and [[Wisconsin River|Wisconsin]] Rivers
}}

'''Portage County''' is a [[county (United States)|county]]  in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Wisconsin]]. As of the [https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/portagecountywisconsin 2020 census], the population was 70,377.<ref name="QF">{{cite web|title=State & County QuickFacts|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/55/55097.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=January 23, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160228024159/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/55/55097.html|archive-date=February 28, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> Its [[county seat]] is [[Stevens Point, Wisconsin|Stevens Point]].<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>

Portage County comprises the Stevens Point, WI [[Micropolitan Statistical Area]] and is included in the [[Wausau, Wisconsin|Wausau]]-Stevens Point-[[Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin|Wisconsin Rapids]], WI [[Combined Statistical Area]].

==History==
Portage County was created from the [[Wisconsin Territory]] in 1836 and organized in 1844.<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> Like the city of [[Portage, Wisconsin|Portage]], Portage County is named for the [[Fox–Wisconsin Waterway|portage between the Fox and Wisconsin rivers]]; Portage County originally included the city of Portage and the portage for which it was named, but boundary changes detached the county from its namesake.<ref>{{cite web|title=Wisconsin: Individual County Chronologies|url=http://publications.newberry.org/ahcbp/documents/WI_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm#Individual_County_Chronologies|publisher=The Newberry Library|access-date=April 19, 2013|archive-date=April 14, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170414132220/http://publications.newberry.org/ahcbp/documents/WI_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm#Individual_County_Chronologies|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau|U.S. Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|823|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|801|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|22|sqmi}} (2.7%) 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>

===Major highways===
{|
|
* [[Image:I-39.svg|20px]] [[Interstate 39]]
* [[Image:US 10.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Highway 10]]
* [[Image:US 51.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Highway 51]]
* [[Image:WIS 13.svg|20px]] [[Highway 13 (Wisconsin)]]
* [[Image:WIS 22.svg|20px]] [[Highway 22 (Wisconsin)]]
* [[Image:WIS 34.svg|20px]] [[Highway 34 (Wisconsin)]]
|
* [[Image:WIS 49.svg|20px]] [[Highway 49 (Wisconsin)]]
* [[Image:WIS 54.svg|20px]] [[Highway 54 (Wisconsin)]]
* [[Image:WIS 66.svg|20px]] [[Highway 66 (Wisconsin)]]
* [[Image:WIS 73.svg|20px]] [[Highway 73 (Wisconsin)]]
* [[Image:WIS 161.svg|20px]] [[Highway 161 (Wisconsin)]]
|}

===Railroads===
*[[Canadian National]]

===Buses===
*[[Stevens Point Transit]]

===Airport===
* KSTE - [[Stevens Point Municipal Airport]]

===Adjacent counties===
* [[Marathon County, Wisconsin|Marathon County]] - north
* [[Shawano County, Wisconsin|Shawano County]] - northeast
* [[Waupaca County, Wisconsin|Waupaca County]] - east
* [[Waushara County, Wisconsin|Waushara County]] - southeast
* [[Adams County, Wisconsin|Adams County]] - southwest
* [[Wood County, Wisconsin|Wood County]] - west

===Wildlife refuges===
* [[Buena Vista Marsh, Wisconsin|Buena Vista Marsh]]
* [[Dewey Marsh, Wisconsin|Dewey Marsh]]
* [[Mead Wildlife Area]]
* [[Paul J. Olson Wildlife Area]]

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1840= 1623
|1850= 1250
|1860= 7507
|1870= 10634
|1880= 17731
|1890= 24798
|1900= 29483
|1910= 30945
|1920= 33649
|1930= 33827
|1940= 35800
|1950= 34858
|1960= 36964
|1970= 47541
|1980= 57420
|1990= 61405
|2000= 67182
|2010= 70019
|2020= 70377
|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 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"/> 2020<ref name="2020-census-55097" />
}}

===2020 census===
As of the [[2020 United States census|census of 2020]],<ref name="2020-census-55097">{{cite web|title=2020 Decennial Census: Portage County, Wisconsin |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=0500000US55097&y=2020&d=DEC%20Redistricting%20Data%20%28PL%2094-171%29 |website=data.census.gov |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=July 5, 2022}}</ref> the population was 70,377. The [[population density]] was {{convert|87.9|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people&nbsp;|people|}}. There were 31,148 housing units at an average density of {{convert|38.9|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}. The racial makeup of the county was 89.5% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 3.2% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 1.3% [[Black (U.S. Census)|Black]] or [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.4% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 1.3% from [[Race and ethnicity in the United States census|other races]], and 4.2% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 3.7% [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race.

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

===2000 census===
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 67,182 people, 25,040 households, and 16,501 families residing in the county. The [[population density]] was {{convert|83|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people&nbsp;|people|}}. There were 26,589 housing units at an average density of {{convert|33|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}. The racial makeup of the county was 95.73% [[Race (United States Census)|White]], 0.32% [[Race (United States Census)|Black]] or [[Race (United States Census)|African American]], 0.36% [[Race (United States Census)|Native American]], 2.25% [[Race (United States Census)|Asian]], 0.04% [[Race (United States Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.43% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.86% from two or more races. 1.44% of the population were [[Race (United States Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Race (United States Census)|Latino]] of any race. 32.8% were of [[polish people|Polish]], 31.6% [[german people|German]], 5.4% [[norwegian people|Norwegian]] and 5.0% [[irish people|Irish]] ancestry. 93.9% spoke [[english language|English]], 1.7% [[Spanish language|Spanish]], 1.6% [[polish language|Polish]] and 1.3% [[hmong language|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 [[Marriage|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.

In 2017, there were 674 births, giving a general fertility rate of 46.4 births per 1000 women aged 15–44, the third 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 19, 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>
{{clear left}}

==Communities==
[[File:Portage County Wisconsin Fairgrounds.jpg|thumb|right|Fairgrounds]]
[[File:Portage County Wisconsin Grandstands.jpg|thumb|right|Grandstands at the county fairgrounds]]
[[File:Amherst Speedway Four Cylinder race cars.jpg|thumb|right|4 cylinder stock cars racing at the county fairgrounds]]

===City===
* [[Stevens Point, Wisconsin|Stevens Point]] (county seat)

===Villages===
{{div col}}
* [[Almond, Wisconsin|Almond]]
* [[Amherst, Wisconsin|Amherst]]
* [[Amherst Junction, Wisconsin|Amherst Junction]]
* [[Junction City, Wisconsin|Junction City]]
* [[Milladore, Wisconsin|Milladore]] (mostly in [[Wood County, Wisconsin|Wood County]])
* [[Nelsonville, Wisconsin|Nelsonville]]
* [[Park Ridge, Wisconsin|Park Ridge]]
* [[Plover, Wisconsin|Plover]]
* [[Rosholt, Wisconsin|Rosholt]]
* [[Whiting, Wisconsin|Whiting]]
{{div col end}}

===Towns===
{{div col|colwidth=18em}}
* [[Alban, Wisconsin|Alban]]
* [[Almond (town), Wisconsin|Almond]]
* [[Amherst (town), Wisconsin|Amherst]]
* [[Belmont, Portage County, Wisconsin|Belmont]]
* [[Buena Vista, Portage County, Wisconsin|Buena Vista]]
* [[Carson, Wisconsin|Carson]]
* [[Dewey, Portage County, Wisconsin|Dewey]]
* [[Eau Pleine, Portage County, Wisconsin|Eau Pleine]]
* [[Grant, Portage County, Wisconsin|Grant]]
* [[Hull, Portage County, Wisconsin|Hull]]
* [[Lanark, Wisconsin|Lanark]]
* [[Linwood, Wisconsin|Linwood]]
* [[New Hope, Wisconsin|New Hope]]
* [[Pine Grove, Portage County, Wisconsin|Pine Grove]]
* [[Plover, Portage County, Wisconsin|Plover]]
* [[Sharon, Portage County, Wisconsin|Sharon]]
* [[Stockton, Wisconsin|Stockton]]
{{div col end}}

===Census-designated places===
* [[Bancroft, Wisconsin|Bancroft]]
* [[Polonia, Wisconsin|Polonia]]

===Unincorporated communities===
{{div col|colwidth=12em}}
* [[Alban (community), Wisconsin|Alban]]
* [[Arnott, Wisconsin|Arnott]]
* [[Badger, Wisconsin|Badger]]
* [[Blaine (Portage County), Wisconsin|Blaine]]
* [[Casimir, Wisconsin|Casimir]]
* [[Coddington, Wisconsin|Coddington]]
* [[Custer, Wisconsin|Custer]]
* [[Dopp, Wisconsin|Dopp]]
* [[Ellis, Wisconsin|Ellis]]
* [[Esker, Wisconsin|Esker]]
* [[Fancher,Wisconsin|Fancher]]
* [[Garfield, Portage County, Wisconsin|Garfield]]
* [[Heffron, Wisconsin|Heffron]] (partial)
* [[Keene, Wisconsin|Keene]]
* [[Kellner, Wisconsin|Kellner]] (partial)
* [[Little Waupon, Wisconsin|Little Waupon]]
* [[Jordan, Portage County, Wisconsin|Jordan]]
* [[Meehan, Wisconsin|Meehan]]
* [[Mill Creek Community, Wisconsin|Mill Creek Community]]
* [[New Hope (community), Wisconsin|New Hope]]
* [[North Star, Wisconsin|North Star]]
* [[Peru, Portage County, Wisconsin|Peru]]
* [[Rocky Run, Wisconsin|Rocky Run]]
* [[Stockton (community), Wisconsin|Stockton]]
* [[Torun, Wisconsin|Torun]]
* [[West Almond, Wisconsin|West Almond]]
* [[West Bancroft, Wisconsin|West Bancroft]]
{{div col end}}

===Ghost town/neighborhood===
* [[Lake Emily, Wisconsin|Lake Emily]]

==Politics==
{{PresHead|place=Portage County, Wisconsin|source=<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|first=David|last=Leip|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=November 9, 2020}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Democratic|20,987|21,503|768|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|2020|Democratic|19,299|20,428|876|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|2016|Democratic|17,305|18,529|2,755|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|2012|Democratic|16,615|22,075|647|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|2008|Democratic|13,810|24,817|795|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|2004|Democratic|16,546|21,861|554|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|2000|Democratic|13,214|17,942|2,604|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1996|Democratic|9,631|15,901|4,396|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1992|Democratic|10,914|15,553|7,249|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1988|Democratic|12,057|16,317|161|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1984|Democratic|13,605|14,399|175|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1980|Democratic|10,465|16,443|3,794|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1976|Democratic|9,520|15,912|805|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1972|Democratic|9,346|13,564|431|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1968|Democratic|6,180|10,014|927|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|4,579|11,887|32|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1960|Democratic|6,436|10,516|20|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1956|Republican|8,320|7,010|56|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1952|Republican|8,499|7,537|51|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1948|Democratic|5,424|8,154|213|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1944|Democratic|5,405|8,678|42|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1940|Democratic|5,670|10,148|94|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|3,969|10,576|299|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|3,434|9,195|191|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1928|Democratic|5,161|6,764|70|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1924|Progressive (Wisconsin)|2,854|2,010|5,416|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1920|Republican|5,527|2,656|269|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1916|Democratic|2,520|3,000|140|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1912|Democratic|1,932|2,301|1,079|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1908|Republican|3,269|2,362|163|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1904|Republican|3,633|2,168|146|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1900|Republican|3,285|2,633|98|Wisconsin}}
{{PresRow|1896|Republican|3,537|2,890|146|Wisconsin}}
{{PresFoot|1892|Democratic|2,291|2,570|258|Wisconsin}}

Portage County has been reliably Democratic in presidential elections since Dwight Eisenhower's win in 1956. However, recent elections have suggested that the county is turning into a battleground area, with Donald Trump holding the margin in the county to within 4%.

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

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* ''[http://content.wisconsinhistory.org/cdm/ref/collection/wch/id/5650 Commemorative Biographical Record of the Upper Wisconsin Counties of Waupaca, Portage, Wood, Marathon, Lincoln, Oneida, Vilas, Langlade and Shawano]''. Chicago: J. H. Beers, 1895.
* Rosholt, Malcolm. ''[http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/WI/WI-idx?type=header&id=WI.RosholtPort Our County, Our Story: Portage County, Wisconsin]''. Stevens Point: Portage County Board of Supervisors, 1959.
* ''[http://content.wisconsinhistory.org/cdm/ref/collection/wch/id/37312 A Standard History of Portage County, Wisconsin]''. Chicago: Lewis Publishing Company, 1919.
* ''Kisti's Royal Garden'' by Walther Lysne and Robin Lysne (Walther's granddaughter),  (Santa Cruz, CA: [https://robinlysne.com/ Blue Bone Books], 2023) uses diaries and historical records to tell the true story of Kisti Lysne (1824-1890), her Norwegian family, and the native [[Ho-Chunk]] (Winnebago) people in the Portage County, WI area.

==External links==
{{Commons category|Portage County, Wisconsin}}
* [http://www.co.portage.wi.us/ Portage County government website]
* Old plat maps: [https://www.pocolibrary.org/1876-portage-county-plat-map 1876] [https://content.wisconsinhistory.org/digital/collection/maps/id/26552/rec/3 1895] [https://content.wisconsinhistory.org/digital/collection/maps/id/18989/rec/6 ca 1904] [https://content.wisconsinhistory.org/digital/collection/maps/id/26512/rec/2 1915] [https://www.spagswi.org/maps/1930plat-maps.html 1930] [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/AODE3BWSHNURZP8P 1947]
* [http://wisconsindot.gov/Documents/travel/road/hwy-maps/county-maps/portage.pdf Portage County map] from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation
* [http://www.portagecountybiz.com/ Portage County Business Council, Inc.]
* [http://www.pchswi.org/ Portage County Historical Society]

{{Geographic Location
|Centre    = Portage County, Wisconsin
|North     = [[Marathon County, Wisconsin|Marathon County]]
|Northeast = [[Shawano County, Wisconsin|Shawano County]]
|East      = [[Waupaca County, Wisconsin|Waupaca County]]
|Southeast = [[Waushara County, Wisconsin|Waushara County]]
|South     =
|Southwest = [[Adams County, Wisconsin|Adams County]]
|West      = [[Wood County, Wisconsin|Wood County]]
|Northwest =
}}

{{Portage County, Wisconsin}}
{{Wisconsin}}

{{coord|44.48|-89.50|display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-WI_source:UScensus1990}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Portage County, Wisconsin| ]]
[[Category:1844 establishments in Wisconsin Territory]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1844]]