Dodge County, Wisconsin

Dodge County
County
Dodge County Administration building
Location within the U.S. state of Wisconsin
Wisconsin's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 43°25′N88°43′W / 43.42°N 88.71°W / 43.42; -88.71
Country	United States
State	Wisconsin
Founded	1844
Named for	Henry Dodge
Seat	Juneau
Largest city	Beaver Dam
Area
• Total	907 sq mi (2,350 km2)
• Land	876 sq mi (2,270 km2)
• Water	31 sq mi (80 km2)  3.5%
Population  (2020) [1]
• Total	89,396
• Estimate  (2023)	88,231
• Density	102.1/sq mi (39.4/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional districts	5th, 6th
Website	www.co.dodge.wi.gov

Dodge County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 89,396. ^[2] Its county seat is Juneau. ^[3] The county was created from the Wisconsin Territory in 1836 and organized in 1844. ^[4]

Dodge County comprises the Beaver Dam, WI Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Milwaukee–Racine–Waukesha, WI Combined Statistical Area.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 907 square miles (2,350 km²), of which 876 square miles (2,270 km²) is land and 31 square miles (80 km²) (3.5%) is water. ^[5]

The 6,718 acre Beaver Dam Lake and the 2,713 acre Fox Lake are found within the county.

Adjacent counties

• Fond du Lac County – northeast
• Washington County – east
• Waukesha County – southeast
• Jefferson County – south
• Dane County – southwest
• Columbia County – west
• Green Lake County – northwest

National protected area

• Horicon National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Climate

Dodge County Climate chart (explanation) J F M A M J J A S O N D     83     −7 −12     80     −5 −14     82     4 −7     160     17 3     122     22 6     163     26 15     91     25 17     95     24 17     75     21 11     107     15 6     62     7 −3     70     −3 −11 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C █ Precipitation totals in mm Source: [6] Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     3.3     19 10     3.1     23 7     3.2     39 19     6.3     63 37     4.8     72 43     6.4     79 59     3.6     77 63     3.7     75 63     3     70 52     4.2     59 43     2.4     45 27     2.8     27 12 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F █ Precipitation totals in inches

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1840	67		—
1850	19,138		28,464.2%
1860	42,818		123.7%
1870	47,035		9.8%
1880	45,931		−2.3%
1890	44,984		−2.1%
1900	46,631		3.7%
1910	47,436		1.7%
1920	49,742		4.9%
1930	52,092		4.7%
1940	54,280		4.2%
1950	57,611		6.1%
1960	63,170		9.6%
1970	69,004		9.2%
1980	75,064		8.8%
1990	76,559		2.0%
2000	85,897		12.2%
2010	88,759		3.3%
2020	89,396		0.7%
U.S. Decennial Census [7] 1790–1960 [8] 1900–1990 [9] 1990–2000 [10] 2010–2020 [2]

2020 census

As of the census of 2020, ^[1] the population was 89,396. The population density was 102.1 people per square mile (39.4 people/km²). There were 38,123 housing units at an average density of 43.5 units per square mile (16.8 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 88.8% White, 3.1% Black or African American, 0.6% Asian, 0.5% Native American, 2.4% from other races, and 4.6% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 6.1% Hispanic or Latino of any race.

2000 Census Age Pyramid for Dodge County

Dodge County Fairgrounds

Entering Dodge County on US 151

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, ^[11] there were 85,897 people, 31,417 households, and 22,313 families residing in the county. The population density was 97 people per square mile (37 people/km²). There were 33,672 housing units at an average density of 38 units per square mile (15 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 95.28% White, 2.49% Black or African American, 0.40% Native American, 0.34% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.87% from other races, and 0.58% from two or more races. 2.55% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Ancestry-wise, 56.2% were of German, 8.7% Irish, 5.0% English, 4.2% Norwegian and 3.9% selected "United States or American" ancestry. 95.4% spoke English, 2.2% Spanish and 2.0% other Indo-European languages as their language spoken at home. ^[12]

There were 31,417 households, out of which 33.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.60% were married couples living together, 7.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.00% were non-families. 24.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.05. ^[12]

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.80% under the age of 18, 8.30% from 18 to 24, 31.20% from 25 to 44, 21.90% from 45 to 64, and 14.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 109.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 110.80 males.

In 2017, there were 758 births, giving a general fertility rate of 54.0 births per 1000 women aged 15–44, the 12th lowest rate out of all 72 Wisconsin counties. ^[13]

Transportation

Major highways

• Interstate 41
• U.S. Highway 41
• U.S. Highway 151
• Highway 16
• Highway 19
• Highway 26
• Highway 28
• Highway 33
• Highway 49
• Highway 60
• Highway 67
• Highway 68
• Highway 73
• Highway 89
• Highway 175

Railroads

• Amtrak
• Canadian National
• Canadian Pacific
• Union Pacific
• Wisconsin and Southern Railroad

Airport

• Dodge County Airport (KUNU) serves the county and surrounding communities.

Communities

Cities

• Beaver Dam
• Columbus (mostly in Columbia County)
• Fox Lake
• Hartford (part; mostly in Washington County)
• Horicon
• Juneau (county seat)
• Mayville
• Watertown (mostly in Jefferson County)
• Waupun (partly in Fond du Lac County)

Villages

• Brownsville
• Clyman
• Hustisford
• Iron Ridge
• Kekoskee
• Lomira
• Lowell
• Neosho
• Randolph (partly in Columbia County)
• Reeseville
• Theresa

Towns

• Ashippun
• Beaver Dam
• Burnett
• Calamus
• Chester
• Clyman
• Elba
• Emmet
• Fox Lake
• Herman
• Hubbard
• Hustisford
• Lebanon
• LeRoy
• Lomira
• Lowell
• Oak Grove
• Portland
• Rubicon
• Shields
• Theresa
• Trenton
• Westford
• Williamstown

Census-designated places

• Ashippun
• Burnett
• Lebanon

Unincorporated communities

• Alderley
• Astico
• Atwater
• Beaver Edge
• Clyman Junction
• Danville
• Delbern Acres
• East Waupun
• Farmersville
• Fox Lake Junction
• Herman Center
• Hochheim
• Huilsburg
• Knowles
• LeRoy
• Leipsig
• Lost Lake
• Lyndon Dale
• Minnesota Junction
• Nasbro
• Neda
• North Lowell
• Oak Grove
• Old Ashippun
• Old Lebanon
• Portland (partial)
• Richwood
• Rolling Prairie
• Rubicon
• Saylesville
• South Beaver Dam
• South Randolph
• Sugar Island
• Sunset Beach
• Theresa Station
• Woodland

Ghost town

• Clason Prairie

Gallery

• 
  Dodge County Fairgrounds
• 
  Dodge County Historical Society
• 
  Downtown Beaver Dam, Wisconsin
• 
  Watertown Riverwalk

Politics

United States presidential election results for Dodge County, Wisconsin ^[14]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	31,355	64.73%	16,356	33.77%	725	1.50%
2016	26,635	61.83%	13,968	32.42%	2,475	5.75%
2012	25,211	56.67%	18,762	42.17%	515	1.16%
2008	23,015	53.74%	19,183	44.80%	625	1.46%
2004	27,201	61.35%	16,690	37.64%	445	1.00%
2000	21,684	57.52%	14,580	38.67%	1,437	3.81%
1996	12,890	43.81%	12,625	42.91%	3,907	13.28%
1992	14,971	41.93%	11,438	32.03%	9,300	26.04%
1988	17,003	56.81%	12,663	42.31%	261	0.87%
1984	20,458	64.41%	11,052	34.80%	251	0.79%
1980	19,435	57.70%	11,966	35.53%	2,281	6.77%
1976	17,335	54.79%	13,643	43.12%	663	2.10%
1972	17,068	61.54%	9,898	35.69%	771	2.78%
1968	14,909	57.88%	8,948	34.74%	1,901	7.38%
1964	10,772	40.95%	15,497	58.91%	39	0.15%
1960	17,152	62.84%	10,113	37.05%	30	0.11%
1956	17,569	72.10%	6,704	27.51%	93	0.38%
1952	19,298	73.28%	7,001	26.58%	37	0.14%
1948	10,831	56.15%	8,212	42.58%	245	1.27%
1944	14,102	64.44%	7,667	35.04%	114	0.52%
1940	14,651	61.41%	8,948	37.50%	260	1.09%
1936	6,829	30.22%	14,782	65.41%	988	4.37%
1932	4,936	23.34%	15,874	75.06%	338	1.60%
1928	9,660	49.71%	9,536	49.07%	238	1.22%
1924	5,167	30.45%	2,019	11.90%	9,785	57.66%
1920	11,354	77.46%	2,293	15.64%	1,011	6.90%
1916	4,887	50.66%	4,519	46.85%	240	2.49%
1912	2,559	29.26%	5,246	59.97%	942	10.77%
1908	4,015	39.66%	5,883	58.12%	225	2.22%
1904	4,248	44.91%	5,005	52.91%	206	2.18%
1900	4,780	44.35%	5,813	53.93%	185	1.72%
1896	5,610	51.55%	4,900	45.03%	372	3.42%
1892	2,653	27.33%	6,810	70.14%	246	2.53%

Since 1940, Dodge County has been a Republican stronghold in presidential elections. It has voted Republican in every election in that span with the exception of the 1964 landslide victory of Democrat Lyndon B. Johnson. Only six other times in that span has the Democratic candidate obtained at least 40% of the vote.

Historically, Dodge County had been a major stronghold of the Democratic Party in Wisconsin, from the establishment of the state, in 1848, until the 1910s, when a combination of World War I and the rise of the progressive faction of Republicans began to eat into the Democratic vote in the county. A significant factor in the switch was the anti-war attitude among the county's large German American population. Democratic president Woodrow Wilson and Wisconsin's Democratic U.S. senator Paul O. Husting (who was actually from Dodge County) supported the declaration of war against Germany in 1917, while progressive Republican leader Robert M. La Follette was one of only six senators who voted against the resolution. In the next presidential election, Dodge County gave 77% of its votes to the Republican nominee—the largest majority the county has given to either party in the last 130 years.

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Dodge County, Wisconsin

References

1. "2020 Decennial Census: Dodge County, Wisconsin". data.census.gov. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved July 5, 2022.
2. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
3. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
4. "Wisconsin: Individual County Chronologies". Wisconsin Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library. 2007. Archived from the original on April 14, 2017. Retrieved August 13, 2015.
5. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
6. "NASA Earth Observations Data Set Index". NASA. Archived from the original on April 7, 2019. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
7. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
8. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
9. Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
10. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
11. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved May 14, 2011.
12. "Dodge County, Wisconsin Demographics tables DP-1, DP-2 Profile of Selected Social Characteristics: 2000" (PDF). US Census. 2000. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 6, 2008. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
13. "Annual Wisconsin Birth and Infant Mortality Report, 2017 P-01161-19 (June 2019): Detailed Tables". Archived from the original on June 19, 2019. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
14. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved November 11, 2020.

Further reading

• Hubbell, Homer Bishop. Dodge County, Wisconsin: Past and Present . Chicago: S. J. Clarke, 1913.

External links

• Dodge County official website
• Dodge County map from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation
• Dodge County Tourism Association
• Beaver Dam Area Chamber of Commerce

43°25′N88°43′W / 43.42°N 88.71°W / 43.42; -88.71