Green Lake is a city in

Green Lake County, Wisconsin Green Lake County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 19,018. Its county seat is Green Lake. In 2020, the center of population of Wisconsin was located in Green Lake County, near the c ...

, United States. The population was 960 at the 2010 census. The city is located on the north side of Green Lake. The city of Green Lake is the county seat for the county of Green Lake. The Town of Green Lake is located on the south side of Big Green Lake, opposite the city.

Geography

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 t ...

, the city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water. Green Lake is the second deepest inland lake in Wisconsin, second only to

Wazee Lake Wazee Lake is a lake east of Black River Falls, Wisconsin, in the town of Brockway, Jackson County, Wisconsin, United States. The name "Wazee" means "tall pine" in the Ho-Chunk language. The artificial lake is the deepest lake within the state ...

near

Black River Falls , settlement_type = City , nickname = , motto = , image_skyline = Black River Falls Wisconsin Downtown2 WIS54.jpg , imagesize = , image_caption = Looking west at ...

. Measuring 239 feet deep at its greatest depth, Green Lake is the deepest natural inland lake in the state of Wisconsin.

Demographics

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 in ...

of 2010, there were 960 people, 491 households, and 254 families living in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), 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 ...

was . There were 766 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.8%

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 o ...

, 0.2%

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 ...

, 0.2% Native American, 0.3%

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% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 0.4% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties forme ...

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 were 1.9% of the population. There were 491 households, of which 15.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.3% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 48.3% were non-families. 43.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.88 and the average family size was 2.56. The median age in the city was 50.7 years. 14.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 19.5% were from 25 to 44; 35.1% were from 45 to 64; and 24.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.8% male and 49.2% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,100 people, 523 households, and 300 families living in the city. The

was 787.2 people per square mile (303.4/km²). There were 732 housing units at an average density of 523.8 per square mile (201.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.91%

, 0.18%

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 ...

, 0.09% Native American, 0.27% from

, and 0.55% from two or more races. 0.91% of the population were

of any race. There were 523 households, out of which 20.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.8% were married couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.6% were non-families. 38.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.04 and the average family size was 2.71. In the city, the population was spread out, with 18.5% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 26.8% from 45 to 64, and 22.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.8 males. The median income for a household in the city was $35,435, and the median income for a family was $49,091. Males had a median income of $31,591 versus $23,917 for females. 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 $20,444. About 4.1% of families and 5.9% 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 8.5% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

Tourism

Green Lake is known for its fishing and recreational tourist community during the summer months. Area activities include camping, biking, fishing, hiking, golfing, swimming, and boating. Motorized water sports such as waterskiing, wakeboarding, and tubing are also prevalent. As are sports like sailing, canoeing, and kayaking. The small town has a number of shops and restaurants that serve Green Lake fish. Green Lake is also home to several parks for public enjoyment. * Deacon Mills Park is located on South Lawson Drive at the Marina and has a band shell, picnic facilities, and ice skating in the winter. * Highknocker Park is located in downtown Green lake and had a baseball field and playground equipment. * Friday Club Park is also located downtown and has public tennis courts and a fishing area. * Hattie Sherwood Park is located on the north lakeshore and has a sand swimming beach, a pier, and a camping area. * Sunset Park is located on the east end of Green Lake and has a boat launch, swimming beach, picnic area and pier. Nearby is the Green Lake Conference Center, which was founded by the

American Baptist Churches USA The American Baptist Churches USA (ABCUSA) is a mainline/evangelical Baptist Christian denomination within the United States. The denomination maintains headquarters in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. The organization is usually considered mainl ...

in 1943. Also near the conference center are the Golf Courses of Lawsonia, built on the former estate of Victor F. Lawson, the owner and publisher of the ''

Chicago Daily News The ''Chicago Daily News'' was an afternoon daily newspaper in the midwestern United States, published between 1875 and 1978 in Chicago, Illinois. History The ''Daily News'' was founded by Melville E. Stone, Percy Meggy, and William Doughert ...

.'' The Dartford Cemetery, located in Green Lake, has been a focus of reported paranormal activity in the area. Some visitors to the cemetery claim to have been tripped by ghosts or "pushed off" the mausoleum when sitting or standing on it, even seeing apparitions of child victims who died of a disease (possibly

polio Poliomyelitis, commonly shortened to polio, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. Approximately 70% of cases are asymptomatic; mild symptoms which can occur include sore throat and fever; in a proportion of cases more severe s ...

) or a Native American chief. These sightings and experiences have been featured in the episode "Legend Trippers" of the Discovery Channel's ''

A Haunting ''A Haunting'' is an American paranormal drama anthology television series that depicts eyewitness accounts of alleged possession, exorcism, and ghostly encounters. The program features narrations, interviews, and dramatic re-enactments based on ...

'' series.

Education

Peace Lutheran School WELS Green Lake WI

Peace Lutheran School is a K-8 Christian school of the

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 Milwauke ...

(WELS) in Green Lake.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Green Lake is served by the state highways of

WIS 23 State Trunk Highway 23 (often called Highway 23, STH-23 or WIS 23) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The route is signed as a north–south route from Shullsburg to Wisconsin Dells and as an east–west route from Wisconsin Del ...

and

WIS 49 State Trunk Highway 49 (often called Highway 49, STH-49 or WIS 49) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It runs north–south in central and southeast Wisconsin from Wittenberg to Lomira. The highway was initially designated ...

as well as Business 23. Business 23 runs through town while Wis 23 bypasses Green Lake on the north side. Wis 23 heads west to

Princeton Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ni ...

. Wis 49 heads north to

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...

. Wis 23 East and Wis 49 South head to

Ripon Ripon () is a cathedral city in the Borough of Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England. The city is located at the confluence of two tributaries of the River Ure, the Laver and Skell. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, the city ...

. Green Lake County Hwy A also enters town.

Notable people

* Elda Emma Anderson, physicist * Halbert W. Brooks, Wisconsin State Representative *

Adrian Karsten Adrian Kennedy Karsten (March 13, 1960 – September 2, 2005) was an American sports reporter, best known for his work as a college football sideline reporter for ESPN. He was also known for wearing his trademark suspenders. Reporting career ...

, sports television reporter * Samuel Owens, Wisconsin State Representative and architect * L. E. Potter,

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

State Senator *

Janika Vandervelde Janika Vandervelde (born 1955) is an American composer, pianist, and music educator. Her work, notable for its feminist and ecological themes, has won numerous awards. Known for her music for orchestra, chorus, chamber ensembles and the stage, ...

, composer *

Shannon Whirry Shannon Whirry is an American actress. Career A native from Green Lake, Wisconsin, where she was the salutatorian of her 1983 high school graduating class, in 1985 Whirry was accepted to study at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, one of onl ...

, Actress

Popular culture

* A season 4 episode of the Discovery Channel series ''

'', called ''Legend Trippers'', takes place in Green Lake and the nearby town of Montello.

Gallery

File:GreenLakeVillageHallWisconsin.jpg, Green Lake Village Hall File:GreenLakeWisconsinPanarama.jpg, Panorama over Green Lake just off Business 23 File:GreenLakeWisconsinCourthouseNovember2010.jpg, Green Lake County Courthouse in downtown Green Lake File:GreenLakeWisconsinCityWelcomeSign.jpg, City welcome sign File:GreenLakeWisconsinDowntownEast.jpg, Looking east in downtown Green Lake File:GreenLakeWisconsinWelcomeSign.jpg, West side welcome sign on Business 23 File:ThrashersOperaHouseGreenLakeWisconsin.jpg, Thrasher's Opera House

References

External links

*
City of Green LakeGreen Lake Chamber of Commerce website
{{authority control Cities in Wisconsin Cities in Green Lake County, Wisconsin County seats in Wisconsin