Chippewa County, Wisconsin
Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox U.S. county
Chippewa County (Template:IPAc-en) is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is named for the historic Chippewa people, also known as the Ojibwe, who long controlled this territory. As of the 2020 census, the population was 66,297.<ref name="2020-census-55017" /> Its county seat is Chippewa Falls.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref> The county was founded in 1845 from Crawford County,<ref name="founded">Template:Cite web</ref> then in the Wisconsin Territory, and organized in 1853.<ref>Taken from Wisconsin Blue Book 1991-1992 p. 731; cited there as from "Wisconsin Historical Records, Origin and Legislative History of County Boundaries in Wisconsin, 1942."</ref><ref>When Counties Originated from rootsweb.com's Oconto County, Wisconsin webpage Template:Webarchive.</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Chippewa County is included in the Eau Claire, WI Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the Eau Claire-Menomonie, WI Combined Statistical Area.
Geography
[edit]According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (3.2%) is water.<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref>
Parts of northern Chippewa county are covered with choppy hills dimpled by kettle lakes and bogs—the terminal moraine left by the last glacier.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The Ice Age Trail threads through some of this country, providing public foot-access to these unusual landforms.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Adjacent counties
[edit]- Rusk County – north
- Taylor County – east
- Clark County – southeast
- Eau Claire County – south
- Dunn County – west
- Barron County – northwest
Major highways
[edit]Railroads
[edit]Buses
[edit]Airports
[edit]- KEAU - Chippewa Valley Regional Airport
- 4WI9 - Cornell Municipal Airport
Demographics
[edit]2020 census
[edit]As of the census of 2020,<ref name="2020-census-55017">Template:Cite web</ref> the population was 66,297. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 28,688 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 91.8% White, 1.6% Black or African American, 1.5% Asian, 0.5% Native American, 0.6% from other races, and 4.0% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 1.9% Hispanic or Latino of any race.
2000 census
[edit]As of the census<ref name="GR8">Template:Cite web</ref> of 2000, there were 55,195 people, 21,356 households, and 15,013 families residing in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 22,821 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 97.85% White, 0.16% Black or African American, 0.32% Native American, 0.89% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.17% from other races, and 0.60% from two or more races. 0.52% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 44.1% were of German, 15.8% Norwegian and 5.8% Irish ancestry.
There were 21,356 households, out of which 33.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.30% were married couples living together, 8.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.70% were non-families. 24.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.50% under the age of 18, 7.70% from 18 to 24, 28.20% from 25 to 44, 23.10% from 45 to 64, and 14.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.00 males.
In 2017, there were 624 births, giving a general fertility rate of 59.7 births per 1000 women aged 15–44, the 26th lowest rate out of all 72 Wisconsin counties.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Additionally, there were fewer than five reported induced abortions performed on women of Chippewa County residence in 2017.<ref>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>
Economy
[edit]The largest employers in Chippewa County are:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1 | TTM Advanced Circuits |
2 | Chippewa Falls Public Schools |
3 | Saint Joseph's Hospital |
4 | Wisconsin Department of Corrections |
5 | Wal-Mart |
6 | Mason Companies Inc |
7 | Chippewa County |
8 | Mayo Health System |
9 | Silicon Graphics International |
10 | Cooperative Educational Service Agency #10 |
Library
[edit]The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire's Special Collections and Archives, located on the fifth floor of McIntyre Library, houses an extensive collection of public records, books and collections relating to Chippewa County. In addition to vital records (birth and marriage) dating to 1907, there are also naturalization records, census records, and civil and circuit court records. These resources are very popular with local genealogists.
Within the local history collection, there are books about immigration to the region, logging, church and cemetery records, reminiscences by local residents, and a number of histories and biographies compiled by local historians.
Special Collections and Archives also houses numerous archives files which relate to Chippewa County. There are many collections which pertain to logging, the railway industry and agriculture.
The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire's Special Collections and Archives also includes information for Buffalo, Clark, Eau Claire, Rusk and Taylor counties.
Communities
[edit]Cities
[edit]- Bloomer
- Chippewa Falls (county seat)
- Cornell
- Eau Claire (mostly in Eau Claire County)
- Stanley (partly in Clark County)
Villages
[edit]- Boyd
- Cadott
- Lake Hallie
- New Auburn (partly in Barron County)
Towns
[edit]- Anson
- Arthur
- Auburn
- Birch Creek
- Bloomer
- Cleveland
- Colburn
- Cooks Valley
- Delmar
- Eagle Point
- Edson
- Estella
- Goetz
- Hallie
- Howard
- Lafayette
- Lake Holcombe
- Ruby
- Sampson
- Sigel
- Tilden
- Wheaton
- Woodmohr
Census-designated places
[edit]Other unincorporated communities
[edit]- Albertville
- Anson
- Arnold
- Bateman
- Brownville
- Cobban
- Colburn
- Crescent
- Drywood
- Eagle Point
- Eagleton
- Edson
- Howard
- Huron
- Maple Hill
- Old Albertville
- Pine Grove
- Ruby
- Tilden
Politics
[edit]Template:PresHead Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresFoot At the presidential level, Chippewa County leans Republican; however, Barack Obama won the county in 2008. In 2024, Donald Trump received 60.8 percent of the vote, the best result for a Republican in the county since Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1952.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]Further reading
[edit]- Forrester, George (ed.) Historical and Biographical Album of the Chippewa Valley Wisconsin. Chicago: A. Warner, 1891–2.
- Randall, Thomas E. History of the Chippewa Valley. Eau Claire, Wis.: Free Press, 1875.
External links
[edit]- Chippewa County government website
- Old plat maps: 1873 1880 1888 1902 1913 1920
- Chippewa County map from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation
- Chippewa County Historical Society
- University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Special Collections and Archives Template:Webarchive
Template:Eau Claire, Wisconsin Template:Chippewa County, Wisconsin Template:Wisconsin