The Dubuque area is the general area encompassing Dubuque, Iowa. The official population of the Dubuque metro (Dubuque County) was 92,384 as of the 2005 population estimates. Although, if the unofficial counties are included, the area's population is near 190,000. [1]
The Dubuque area is in the Driftless Area. This area was un-affected by glaciers during the last major ice age. Hills, cliffs, and valleys dominate the region. In fact, Dubuque's hills are often compared to those of San Francisco. [2] The Mississippi River separates Iowa from Wisconsin and Illinois, though the two states can be accessed by two bridges. [3] [4]
The areas west of Dubuque have with-held major growth, expansion, and commercialization in the past two decades. With quick access to Dubuque via U.S. Route 20, towns like Asbury, Peosta, and Epworth have expanded.
The area generally includes the towns of:
In Illinois :
In Wisconsin :
In Iowa
Dubuque is a city in and the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. At the time of the 2020 census, the population of Dubuque was 59,667. The city lies at the junction of Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin, a region locally known as the Tri-State Area. It serves as the main commercial, industrial, educational, and cultural center for the area. Geographically, it is part of the Driftless Area, a portion of North America that escaped all three phases of the Wisconsin Glaciation.
Dubuque County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 99,266, making it the eighth-most populous county in Iowa. The county seat is Dubuque. The county is named for Julien Dubuque, the first European settler of Iowa.
Jo Daviess County is the northwesternmost county in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 census, it had a population of 22,035. Its county seat is Galena.
Galena is the largest city in and the county seat of Jo Daviess County, Illinois, with a population of 3,308 at the 2020 census. A 581-acre (235 ha) section of the city is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Galena Historic District. The city is named for the mineral galena, which was in the ore that formed the basis for the region's early lead mining economy.
Epworth is a city in Dubuque County, Iowa, United States. It is part of the Dubuque, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,023 at the 2020 census, up from 1,428 in 2000.
Peosta is a city in Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, and an exurb of the city of Dubuque. It is part of the Dubuque, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,908 in the 2020 census, an increase of 193% from 651 in 2000. Peosta experienced a 70% increase in population (estimated) from 2000 to 2007, making it the state's 10th fastest-growing city during that period. Peosta is currently the sixth-largest city in Dubuque County, but it will likely soon pass Epworth (pop. 1,860) to become the fifth-largest. The community is home to the 2015 ASA D Northern Nationals Men's Slow Pitch Champions, Kass & Company, a large industrial park, the largest campus of Northeast Iowa Community College, and a handful of new commercial businesses. However, the city is increasingly becoming a bedroom community, much like nearby Asbury, made up of suburban subdivisions.
Platteville is the largest city in Grant County, Wisconsin. The population was 11,836 at the 2020 census, up from 11,224 at the 2010 census. Much of this growth is likely due to the enrollment increase of the University of Wisconsin–Platteville. It is the principal city of the Platteville Micropolitan Statistical area, which has an estimated population of 51,938. Platteville is located atop the greater Platte River valley in the southern Driftless Region of Wisconsin, an area known for its karst topography and rolling hills.
Julien Dubuque was a Canadian of Norman origin from the area of Champlain, Quebec who arrived near what now is known as Dubuque, Iowa, which was named after him. He was one of the first European men to settle in the area. He initially received permission from the Mesquakie Indian tribe to mine the lead in 1788, which was confirmed by the Spanish, who gave him a land grant in 1796.
U.S. Highway 151 (US 151) is a United States Numbered Highway that runs through the states of Iowa and Wisconsin. The southern terminus for US 151 is at a junction with Interstate 80 (I-80) in Iowa County, Iowa, and its northern terminus is at Manitowoc, Wisconsin. The route, from south to north follows a northeasterly path through the two states.
U.S. Route 20 (US 20) in the U.S. state of Illinois is a major arterial highway that runs from the Iowa state line at East Dubuque at the northwestern tip of Illinois to the Indiana state line at Chicago south of the Chicago Skyway, a distance of 233.93 miles (376.47 km). For its entire length, US 20 is designated as the General Ulysses S. Grant Highway, often abbreviated the U.S. Grant Memorial Highway. However, this name is only commonly used west of Elgin. US 20 bypasses the city of Elgin on a freeway known as the Elgin Bypass or Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Highway. From Elgin to Melrose Park, US 20 follows Lake Street. It then follows Mannheim Road and, further south, La Grange Road. US 20 also follows 95th Street as it turns east through Chicago's southwestern suburbs. It ultimately leaves Illinois on Indianapolis Boulevard.
Iowa Highway 32 (Iowa 32), also known as the Northwest Arterial, was a state highway that ran through the northwest quadrant of Dubuque. At just over 5 miles (8.0 km) long, it was among the shortest state highways in the state. The highway began at U.S. Highway 20 in Dubuque and ended at US 52 / Iowa 3 in Sageville. With the exception of a small portion at the northern end, the entire highway was within the Dubuque city limits.
U.S. Highway 20 (US 20) in Iowa is a major east–west artery which runs across the state, separating the northern third of Iowa from the southern two-thirds. It enters Iowa from Nebraska, concurrent with Interstate 129 (I-129) and US 75, crossing the Missouri River at Sioux City. US 20 runs in a more-or-less straight line across Iowa, paralleling 42° 27' N. It leaves Iowa in Dubuque by crossing the Mississippi River into Illinois. Since October 2018, US 20 is a four-lane divided highway for its entire length in Iowa.
Catfish Creek is a 21.2-mile-long (34.1 km) tributary of the upper Mississippi River in Dubuque County, Iowa. The governments within the watershed have a say in the managing body of the creek, the Catfish Creek Watershed Management Authority. The authority's goal is to promote education on managing the system and fixing issues like the environment.
Dunleith Township is one of twenty-three townships in Jo Daviess County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,820 and it contained 1,713 housing units. It was formed from Menominee Township on March 2, 1865.
U.S. Highway 52 is a 166-mile-long (267 km) United States Numbered Highway in northeast Iowa. The route begins at the Dale Gardner Veterans Memorial Bridge over the Mississippi River between Sabula and Savanna, Illinois. From Sabula, it heads north along the Mississippi towards Bellevue and Dubuque. At Dubuque, US 52 briefly shares an expressway with US 61 and US 151 before joining the Southwest Arterial, another expressway diverting traffic around the southern edge of Dubuque.
Western Dubuque High School is a four-year public high school located in Epworth, Iowa. It is one of two high schools in the Western Dubuque Community School District, and enrolls 935 students in grades 9-12. The school's mascot is the Bobcat, and it competes in class 3A of the Mississippi Valley Conference.
The Mines of Spain State Recreation Area and E. B. Lyons Nature Center is a state park in Dubuque County, Iowa, United States. It is near Dubuque, the eleventh-largest city in the state. The park features picnic areas, 15 miles (24 km) of walking/hiking trails, 4 miles (6.4 km) of ski trails, and the Betty Hauptli Bird and Butterfly Garden. It also includes archaeological sites of national importance as an early lead mining and smelting venture led by French explorer Julien Dubuque, as well as Dubuque's gravesite. These sites were collectively designated a National Historic Landmark District as Julien Dubuque's Mines.
Dick's Supermarket, also known as Brodbeck Enterprises Inc., was a regional chain of grocery stores in Southwestern Wisconsin founded by Richard Brodbeck. Dick's was based in Platteville, Wisconsin, where its main store was located. Dick's also operated a bakery in Platteville where most of the chain's baked goods were produced. There were also Dick's supermarkets in the small Town of Lancaster, Monroe, Darlington, Dodgeville, and a number of other small towns in Southwestern Wisconsin; as well as Galena, Illinois and Maquoketa, Iowa. Each Dick's supermarket included an in-house floral shop called the Blooming Basket, and the chain had a loyalty program called Dick's Savings Club.
Edward Eugene Burns was an American lawyer from Platteville, Wisconsin who served as a Republican member of the Wisconsin State Senate.