Portage County, Wisconsin

Not to be confused with Portage, Wisconsin.

Portage County
County
Portage County Courthouse in Stevens Point
Flag
Location within the U.S. state of Wisconsin
Wisconsin's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 44°29′N89°30′W / 44.48°N 89.5°W / 44.48; -89.5
Country	United States
State	Wisconsin
Founded	1844
Named after	the portage between the Fox and Wisconsin Rivers
Seat	Stevens Point
Largest city	Stevens Point
Area
• Total	823 sq mi (2,130 km2)
• Land	801 sq mi (2,070 km2)
• Water	22 sq mi (60 km2)  2.7%
Population  (2020) [1]
• Total	70,377
• Estimate  (2023)	71,024
• Density	87.9/sq mi (33.9/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	3rd
Website	www.co.portage.wi.gov

Portage County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 70,377. ^[2] Its county seat is Stevens Point. ^[3]

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

History

Portage County was created from the Wisconsin Territory in 1836 and organized in 1844. ^[4] Like the city of Portage, Portage County is named for the 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. ^[5]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 823 square miles (2,130 km²), of which 801 square miles (2,070 km²) is land and 22 square miles (57 km²) (2.7%) is water. ^[6]

Major highways

Interstate 39 U.S. Highway 10 U.S. Highway 51 Highway 13 (Wisconsin) Highway 22 (Wisconsin) Highway 34 (Wisconsin)

Highway 49 (Wisconsin) Highway 54 (Wisconsin) Highway 66 (Wisconsin) Highway 73 (Wisconsin) Highway 161 (Wisconsin)

Railroads

• Canadian National

Buses

• Stevens Point Transit

Airport

• KSTE - Stevens Point Municipal Airport

Adjacent counties

• Marathon County - north
• Shawano County - northeast
• Waupaca County - east
• Waushara County - southeast
• Adams County - southwest
• Wood County - west

Wildlife refuges

• Buena Vista Marsh
• Dewey Marsh
• Mead Wildlife Area
• Paul J. Olson Wildlife Area

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1840	1,623		—
1850	1,250		−23.0%
1860	7,507		500.6%
1870	10,634		41.7%
1880	17,731		66.7%
1890	24,798		39.9%
1900	29,483		18.9%
1910	30,945		5.0%
1920	33,649		8.7%
1930	33,827		0.5%
1940	35,800		5.8%
1950	34,858		−2.6%
1960	36,964		6.0%
1970	47,541		28.6%
1980	57,420		20.8%
1990	61,405		6.9%
2000	67,182		9.4%
2010	70,019		4.2%
2020	70,377		0.5%
U.S. Decennial Census [7] 1790–1960 [8] 1900–1990 [9] 1990–2000 [10] 2010 [2] 2020 [1]

2020 census

As of the census of 2020, ^[1] the population was 70,377. The population density was 87.9 people per square mile (33.9 people/km²). There were 31,148 housing units at an average density of 38.9 units per square mile (15.0 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 89.5% White, 3.2% Asian, 1.3% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 1.3% from other races, and 4.2% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 3.7% Hispanic or Latino of any race.

2000 Census Age Pyramid for Portage County

2000 census

As of the census ^[11] of 2000, there were 67,182 people, 25,040 households, and 16,501 families residing in the county. The population density was 83 people per square mile (32 people/km²). There were 26,589 housing units at an average density of 33 units per square mile (13 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 95.73% White, 0.32% Black or African American, 0.36% Native American, 2.25% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.43% from other races, and 0.86% from two or more races. 1.44% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 32.8% were of Polish, 31.6% German, 5.4% Norwegian and 5.0% Irish ancestry. 93.9% spoke English, 1.7% Spanish, 1.6% Polish and 1.3% 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 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. ^[12]

Communities

Fairgrounds

Grandstands at the county fairgrounds

4 cylinder stock cars racing at the county fairgrounds

City

• Stevens Point (county seat)

Villages

• Almond
• Amherst
• Amherst Junction
• Junction City
• Milladore (mostly in Wood County)
• Nelsonville
• Park Ridge
• Plover
• Rosholt
• Whiting

Towns

• Alban
• Almond
• Amherst
• Belmont
• Buena Vista
• Carson
• Dewey
• Eau Pleine
• Grant
• Hull
• Lanark
• Linwood
• New Hope
• Pine Grove
• Plover
• Sharon
• Stockton

Census-designated places

• Bancroft
• Polonia

Unincorporated communities

• Alban
• Arnott
• Badger
• Blaine
• Casimir
• Coddington
• Custer
• Dopp
• Ellis
• Esker
• Fancher
• Garfield
• Heffron (partial)
• Keene
• Kellner (partial)
• Little Waupon
• Jordan
• Meehan
• Mill Creek Community
• New Hope
• North Star
• Peru
• Rocky Run
• Stockton
• Torun
• West Almond
• West Bancroft

Ghost town/neighborhood

• Lake Emily

Politics

United States presidential election results for Portage County, Wisconsin ^[13]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
1892	2,291	44.75%	2,570	50.21%	258	5.04%
1896	3,537	53.81%	2,890	43.97%	146	2.22%
1900	3,285	54.60%	2,633	43.77%	98	1.63%
1904	3,633	61.09%	2,168	36.46%	146	2.46%
1908	3,269	56.42%	2,362	40.77%	163	2.81%
1912	1,932	36.37%	2,301	43.32%	1,079	20.31%
1916	2,520	44.52%	3,000	53.00%	140	2.47%
1920	5,527	65.39%	2,656	31.42%	269	3.18%
1924	2,854	27.76%	2,010	19.55%	5,416	52.68%
1928	5,161	43.03%	6,764	56.39%	70	0.58%
1932	3,434	26.79%	9,195	71.72%	191	1.49%
1936	3,969	26.74%	10,576	71.25%	299	2.01%
1940	5,670	35.63%	10,148	63.78%	94	0.59%
1944	5,405	38.27%	8,678	61.44%	42	0.30%
1948	5,424	39.33%	8,154	59.13%	213	1.54%
1952	8,499	52.83%	7,537	46.85%	51	0.32%
1956	8,320	54.08%	7,010	45.56%	56	0.36%
1960	6,436	37.92%	10,516	61.96%	20	0.12%
1964	4,579	27.75%	11,887	72.05%	32	0.19%
1968	6,180	36.10%	10,014	58.49%	927	5.41%
1972	9,346	40.04%	13,564	58.11%	431	1.85%
1976	9,520	36.28%	15,912	60.65%	805	3.07%
1980	10,465	34.09%	16,443	53.56%	3,794	12.36%
1984	13,605	48.28%	14,399	51.10%	175	0.62%
1988	12,057	42.25%	16,317	57.18%	161	0.56%
1992	10,914	32.37%	15,553	46.13%	7,249	21.50%
1996	9,631	32.18%	15,901	53.13%	4,396	14.69%
2000	13,214	39.14%	17,942	53.15%	2,604	7.71%
2004	16,546	42.47%	21,861	56.11%	554	1.42%
2008	13,810	35.03%	24,817	62.95%	795	2.02%
2012	16,615	42.24%	22,075	56.12%	647	1.64%
2016	17,305	44.84%	18,529	48.02%	2,755	7.14%
2020	19,299	47.53%	20,428	50.31%	876	2.16%
2024	20,987	48.52%	21,503	49.71%	768	1.78%

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

1. "2020 Decennial Census: Portage 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 February 28, 2016. Retrieved January 23, 2014.
3. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. 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 15, 2015.
5. "Wisconsin: Individual County Chronologies". The Newberry Library. Archived from the original on April 14, 2017. Retrieved April 19, 2013.
6. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
7. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
8. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
9. Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 8, 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 8, 2015.
11. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved May 14, 2011.
12. "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.
13. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved November 9, 2020.

Further reading

• 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. Our County, Our Story: Portage County, Wisconsin . Stevens Point: Portage County Board of Supervisors, 1959.
• 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: 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

• Portage County government website
• Old plat maps: 1876 1895 ca 1904 1915 1930 1947
• Portage County map from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation
• Portage County Business Council, Inc.
• Portage County Historical Society

44°29′N89°30′W / 44.48°N 89.50°W / 44.48; -89.50