Columbus is a

city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

in Columbia (mostly) and

Dodge Dodge is an American brand of automobiles and a division of Stellantis, based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Dodge vehicles have historically included performance cars, and for much of its existence Dodge was Chrysler's mid-priced brand above P ...

Counties in the south-central part of the U.S. state of

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

. The population was 5,540 at the 2020 census. All of this population resided in the Columbia County portion of the city. Columbus is located about northeast of

Madison Madison may refer to: People * Madison (name), a given name and a surname * James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States Place names * Madison, Wisconsin, the state capital of Wisconsin and the largest city known by this ...

on the Crawfish River. The Columbia County portion of the city lies within the

Madison Metropolitan Statistical Area The Madison, Wisconsin, metropolitan area, also known as Greater Madison, is the metropolitan area surrounding the city of Madison, Wisconsin. Madison is the state capital of Wisconsin and is Wisconsin's second largest city (after Milwaukee), and t ...

while the Dodge County portion is a part of the Milwaukee-Waukesha-Racine CSA. Nearly all of the city is located within the town of Columbus in Columbia County, though a small portion lies within the town of Elba in Dodge County.

History

H. A. Whitney, a Yankee peddler from Vermont, moved to Columbus in 1845 and constructed the first wood frame store building in the community on the land where the Whitney now stands. The building served as a combination store/tavern/rooming house and post office, with Whitney as the first postmaster. In 1857, the building burned down and was replaced by the current Whitney Hotel in 1858. This cream brick,

Italianate-style The Italianate style was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. Like Palladianism and Neoclassicism, the Italianate style drew its inspiration from the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian ...

hotel's third floor ballroom was heated by six wood-burning stoves. The local newspaper reported on a ball there in 1863, "if you ever hear of a ball by Fuller, ask no questions, but go at once, and enjoy yourselves, and for one night forget the 'fear of the draft'". During the 1880s, The Whitney hosted traveling health practitioners whose expertise ranged from "delivering a 40-foot long tape worm" to a local couple to curing piles. Near the turn of the 20th century, the ballroom was turned into an apartment, and from then on served as commercial, professional, and apartment space. In the 1950s, a restaurant and bar occupied the first floor of the building. From the 1960s to the present, a succession of owners occupied the building and maintenance was deferred. In the 1950s, the building fell into disrepair and as a result of its continued decline, faced demolition in 1990. In February 1991, Heartland Properties, Inc. helped local citizens create the Columbus Downtown Development Corporation (CDDC), which served as the developer to restore the Whitney. Today, the Whitney provides affordable housing for eight households and 1,570 square feet of downtown retail space for local businesses, including the ''Daily Citizen'' newspaper.

Geography

Columbus is located at (43.337366, -89.022753). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water.

Climate

Demographics

In 1900, 2,349 people lived in Columbus, Wisconsin; in 1910, there were 2,523 residents.

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, 5,540 people were living in Columbus, Wisconsin. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was . There were 2,444 housing units at an average density of . Ethnically, the population was 5.2%

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race. When grouping both Hispanic and non-Hispanic people together by race, the city was 90.5%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 1.5%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.8%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.1% Native American, 0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 1.7% from other races, and 5.4% from two or more races. According to the

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is a demographics survey program conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the decennial census, such as ancestry, citizenship, educati ...

estimates for 2016-2020, the median income for a household in the city was $65,029, and the median income for a family was $81,413. Male full-time workers had a median income of $54,328 versus $42,118 for female workers. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $33,946. About 3.3% of families and 3.9% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 2.9% of those under age 18 and 4.4% of those age 65 or over. Of the population age 25 and over, 94.4% were high school graduates or higher and 36.1% had a bachelor's degree or higher.

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2010, there were 4,991 people, 2,123 households, and 1,336 families living in the city. The

was . There were 2,287 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.7%

, 0.9%

, 0.3% Native American, 0.6%

, 1.1% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races.

of any race were 3.3% of the population. There were 2,123 households, of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.5% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.1% were non-families. 30.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.91. The median age in the city was 38.3 years. 24.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.7% were from 25 to 44; 27.2% were from 45 to 64; and 14.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.8% male and 51.2% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 4,479 people, 1,843 households, and 1,194 families living in the city. The

was 1,122.7 people per square mile (433.4/km²). There were 1,927 housing units at an average density of 483.0 per square mile (186.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.28%

, 0.36%

, 0.22% Native American, 0.31%

, 0.02%

, 0.29% from other races, and 0.51% from two or more races.

of any race were 0.98% of the population. There were 1,843 households, out of which 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.0% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.2% were non-families. 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.98. In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.0% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 17.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $42,667, and the median income for a family was $52,604. Males had a median income of $36,518 versus $22,891 for females. The

for the city was $21,435. About 3.7% of families and 5.4% of the population were below the

, including 4.0% of those under age 18 and 11.7% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Columbus is served by the

Columbus School District The Columbus School District encompasses an area of approximately in Columbia, Dodge and Dane counties. Located in the south central Wisconsin city of Columbus, the district is approximately northwest of Milwaukee, northeast of Madison and s ...

, which operates an elementary school, a middle school, and a high school: *Columbus Elementary School (K-2) *Columbus Intermediate School (3-5) *Columbus Middle School (6-8) *Columbus High School (9-12) Other schools in Columbus: * St. Jerome Catholic School, Roman Catholic, grades K-8 * Zion Lutheran School, WELS (

Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS), also referred to simply as the Wisconsin Synod, is an American Confessional Lutheran denomination of Christianity. Characterized as theologically conservative, it was founded in 1850 in Milwaukee ...

), grades K-8 * Wisconsin Academy, Seventh Day Adventist, grades 9-12

Transportation

Columbus is served by

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...

's '' Empire Builder'' between Chicago and Seattle, with a train stopping at the

station Station may refer to: Agriculture * Station (Australian agriculture), a large Australian landholding used for livestock production * Station (New Zealand agriculture), a large New Zealand farm used for grazing by sheep and cattle ** Cattle statio ...

in each direction every day. Freight railroad services are provided by the

Soo Line Railroad The Soo Line Railroad is the primary United States railroad subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway , one of seven U.S. Class I railroads, controlled through the Soo Line Corporation. Although it is named for the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sa ...

, a legal U.S. alias of the

Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway (french: Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique) , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadi ...

. Columbus is also served by Lamers Bus Service which provides a Connect to Madison, Wisconsin from Amtrak. Lamers Bus Columbus, Wisconsin

* List of intercity bus stops in Wisconsin

Highways

Columbus is served by

US 151 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 terminu ...

. Columbus is almost halfway on the US 151 freeway/expressway between

and Fond du Lac. There are 3 exits on the freeway that serve Columbus. The exits are Wis 73/Business US 151 Park Ave (Exit 115), Wis 16/Wis 60 James St (Exit 118) and Wis 73/Business US 151 Ludington St (Exit 120). Columbus is also served by 4 state highways. *

Wis 16 State Trunk Highway 16 (often called Highway 16, STH-16 or WIS 16) is a Wisconsin state highway running from Pewaukee across the state to La Crosse. Much of its route in the state parallels the former mainline of the Milwaukee Road and curr ...

runs northwest towards

Portage Portage or portaging (Canada: ; ) is the practice of carrying water craft or cargo over land, either around an obstacle in a river, or between two bodies of water. A path where items are regularly carried between bodies of water is also called a ...

and east with

Wis 60 State Trunk Highway 60, often called Highway 60, STH-60 or WIS 60, is a state highway in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It runs east–west in southern Wisconsin from Prairie du Chien on the Mississippi River at the Iowa state line to the ...

for several miles before heading to

Watertown Watertown may refer to: Places in China In China, a water town is a type of ancient scenic town known for its waterways. Places in the United States *Watertown, Connecticut, a New England town **Watertown (CDP), Connecticut, the central village ...

. *

heads west to Lodi and east to Hustiford. *

Wis 73 State Trunk Highway 73 (often called Highway 73, STH-73 or WIS 73) is a state highway in the central part of the US state of Wisconsin that runs mostly north–south from Ingram to near Edgerton. The exception is in Wood and Adams cou ...

runs south to Marshall and north to

Randolph Randolph may refer to: Places In the United States * Randolph, Alabama, an unincorporated community * Randolph, Arizona, a populated place * Randolph, California, a village merged into the city of Brea * Randolph, Illinois, an unincorporated commun ...

. *

Wis 89 State Trunk Highway 89 (often called Highway 89, STH-89 or WIS 89) is a state highway in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It travels south to north from near Delavan to Columbus Columbus is a Latinized vers ...

heads south to

Waterloo Waterloo most commonly refers to: * Battle of Waterloo, a battle on 18 June 1815 in which Napoleon met his final defeat * Waterloo, Belgium, where the battle took place. Waterloo may also refer to: Other places Antarctica *King George Island (S ...

and Fort Atkinson. * Business

is cosigned with

through Columbus.

Historic buildings

* Adolphus and Sarah Ingalsbe House * Albert M. and Alice Bellack House * Columbus City Hall * Columbus Post Office * Columbus Fireman's Park Complex * Columbus Public Library * E. Clarke and Julia Arnold House * F. A. Chadbourn House * Farmers and Merchants Union Bank * Frances Kurth Sharrow House * Fred and Lucia Farnham House *

George Griswold House The George Griswold House is located in Columbus, Wisconsin, United States. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. Additionally, it is listed on the Wisconsin State Register of Historic Places. History The house was con ...

* Gov. James T. Lewis House * Holsten Family Farmstead * John A. and Maggie Jones House * Kurth Brewery * Reinhard and Amelia Schendel House * Whitney Hotel Building * Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church and Parsonage * Amtrak station (1906) * Chapel Street Water Tower

Attractions

* Christopher Columbus Museum Christopher Columbus Museum Columbus Wisconsin1

* Farmers and Merchants Union Bank, a "jewel box" bank building designed by architect Louis Sullivan

Events

The Redbud Festival is held in May around Mother's Day. Each year, the community crowns a prince and princess during the budding of the "Columbus Wisconsin Strain" of the redbud tree ('' cercis canadensis''). The festival includes brats, music, and trees in full bloom.

Movie set

Downtown Columbus was used to film several scenes for the 2009

Johnny Depp John Christopher Depp II (born June 9, 1963) is an American actor and musician. He is the recipient of multiple accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award, in addition to nominations for three Academy Award ...

movie '' Public Enemies''. The Farmers & Merchants Union Bank is featured in the film.

Notable people

* Michael Adams, Wisconsin state representative and businessman *

Charles L. Dering Charles Lewis Dering (December 3, 1836 – April 10, 1921) was an American lawyer and politician. Biography Charles L. Dering was born in Sunbury, Pennsylvania on December 3, 1836. He moved to New Diggings, Wisconsin in 1849. Dering went to wh ...

, Wisconsin State Senator'Wisconsin bluebook 1880,' Biographical Sketch of Charles Dering, pg. 505 *

Francis Fagan Francis Louis Fagan (August 25, 1918 – February 27, 1945) was a captain in the United States Marine Corps during World War II. Early life and education Fagan was born in Marshall, Wisconsin, the son of Edward and Alma Fagan. His official re ...

, Navy Cross recipient * Harmon J. Fisk, Wisconsin state representative *

William M. Griswold William M. Griswold (February 7, 1823October 10, 1889) was an American lawyer, Republican politician, and Wisconsin pioneer. He served four years in the Wisconsin State Senate and three years in the State Assembly, representing Columbia County. ...

, Wisconsin state senator *

Joshua James Guppey Joshua James Guppey (August 27, 1820December 8, 1893) was an American lawyer, politician, and Wisconsin pioneer. He served as a Union Army officer in the American Civil War, and received an honorary brevet to the rank of brigadier general. Bio ...

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

general * William Jones, Wisconsin state representative *

Frank Lange Frank Herman Lange (October 28, 1883 – December 26, 1945) was a pitcher and pinch hitter in Major League Baseball. He played for the Chicago White Sox.

, major league baseball player *

James T. Lewis James Taylor Lewis (October 30, 1819August 5, 1904) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 9th Governor of Wisconsin (1864–1866). Prior to his election as governor, he was the 7th Secretary of State of Wisconsin (1862&n ...

, governor of Wisconsin *

Lewis Ludington Lewis Ludington (June 25, 1786 – September 3, 1857) was a real estate developer and the founder of Columbus, Wisconsin. He was an American businessman of the nineteenth century that had general merchandising stores in Milwaukee and New York s ...

, founded the city *

Heather Miller Heather Miller may refer to: * Heather Miller (athlete) (born 1987), American athlete * Heather Miller (businessperson) (born 1966), American businesswoman {{disambiguation ...

, Olympic athlete * Peter Morris, major league baseball player *

Bob Poser John Falk "Bob" Poser (March 16, 1910 – May 21, 2002) was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. He played for the Chicago White Sox and St. Louis Browns. Although Poser was listed as a pitcher, he was a good hitting outfielder in the minor leagu ...

, major league baseball player *

Frederick J. Stare Fredrick John Stare (April 11, 1910 – April 4, 2002) was an American nutritionist regarded as one of the country's most influential teachers of nutrition. Life and career Stare was born in Columbus, Wisconsin, and educated in chemistry a ...

, nutritionist * Samuel R. Webster, Wisconsin state representative * Russel R. Weisensel, Wisconsin state representative * E. W. Ziebarth, radio broadcaster

Gallery

File:Columbus Wisconsin 11.jpg, Columbus, Wisconsin before the storm

Columbus Downtown Historic District The Columbus Downtown Historic District is located in Columbus, Wisconsin. History The district is the old commercial heart of town around the junction of Dickason Blvd and James St, including many cream brick buildings built by Richard Vanake ...

File:ColumbusWisconsinDowntown1WIS60WIS16.jpg, Downtown Columbus on

Highway 60 The following highways are numbered 60: International * AH60, Asian Highway 60 * European route E60 Australia * Bruxner Highway * Dawson Highway (Rolleston to Gladstone) - Queensland State Route 60 Brazil * BR-060 Canada * Alberta Highway 60 ...

/ 16 - a portion of the

File:ColumbusWisconsinDowntown2WIS73.jpg, Downtown Columbus on Highway 73 File:Dix Street-Warner Street HD.jpg, A portion of the Dix Street-Warner Street Historic District File:Holsten Family Farmstead May2012 Columbia County Wisconsin.jpg, A portion of the Holsten Family Farmstead File:John A and Maggie Jones House.jpg, John A. and Maggie Jones House File:PrairieStreetHistoricDistrict615.jpg, A house within the Prairie Street Historic District File:SouthDickasonBlvdHistoricDistrictHouse.jpg, A house within the South Dickason Boulevard Residential Historic District File:EClarkeJuliaArnoldHouseColumbusWisconsin.jpg, E. Clarke and Julia Arnold House File:Albert M and Alice Bellack House.jpg, Albert M. and Alice Bellack House File:FAChadborneHouseSept2009.jpg, F. A. Chadbourn House File:ColumbusWisconsinCityHall.jpg, Columbus City Hall File:Columbus Fireman's Park Complex October 2012.jpg, Columbus Fireman's Park Complex File:ColumbusWisconsinPostOffice.jpg, Columbus Post Office File:ColumbusWisconsinPublicLibrarySign.jpg, Columbus Public Library

References

External links

City of Columbus

Columbus Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce
* Sanborn fire insurance maps
18851892189819041915
{{authority control Cities in Wisconsin Cities in Columbia County, Wisconsin Cities in Dodge County, Wisconsin