Winnebago County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 171,730. Its county seat is Oshkosh. It was named for the historic Winnebago people, a federally recognized Native American tribe now known as the Ho-Chunk Nation. Chief Oshkosh was a Menominee leader in the area. Winnebago County comprises the Oshkosh-

Neenah Neenah () is a city in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, Winnebago County, Wisconsin, in the East North Central States, north central United States. It is situated on the banks of Lake Winnebago, Little Lake Butte des Morts, and the Fox River (Wiscon ...

, WI Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the

Appleton Appleton may refer to: People *Appleton (surname) Places Australia * Appleton Dock Canada * Appleton, Newfoundland and Labrador * Appleton, Ontario United Kingdom * Appleton, a deserted medieval village site in the parish of Flitcham w ...

-Oshkosh-Neenah, WI Combined Statistical Area.

History

The region was occupied by several Native American tribes in the period of European encounter, including the Sauk,

Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...

, Menominee, and

Ojibwa The Ojibwe, Ojibwa, Chippewa, or Saulteaux are an Anishinaabe people in what is currently southern Canada, the northern Midwestern United States, and Northern Plains. According to the U.S. census, in the United States Ojibwe people are one of ...

(known as Chippewa in the US). French traders from what is now Canada had early interaction with them, as did French

Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

missionaries, who sought to convert them to Catholicism. European and American settlement encroached on their traditional territories, and the United States negotiated treaties in the mid-19th century to keep pushing the Indians to the west. Winnebago County was created in 1840 by European Americans and organized in 1848. The name ''Winnebago'' is of Algonquin origin, with variations used by the Fox and Potowatomi to refer to the Fox River below Lake Winnebago, which sometimes got muddy and full of fish. It means 'people dwelling by the fetid or ill-smelling water', which may also refer to a sulfur spring. The county seat, Oshkosh, was incorporated as a city in 1853, when it already had a population of nearly 2,800. Chief Oshkosh was the namesake for the county seat. A leader of the Menominee in the region, he was successful in gaining authorization from the federal government for 2500 of his people to remain in Wisconsin, at a time when the government was pushing for their removal west of the Mississippi River.

Geography

According to the

U.S. 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 county has a total area of , of which is land and (25%) is water.

Adjacent counties

Waupaca County Waupaca County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 51,812. The county seat is Waupaca. The county was created in 1851 and organized in 1853. It is named after the Waupaca River, a Menominee l ...

- northwest *

Outagamie County Outagamie County is a county in the northeast region of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 190,705. Its county seat is Appleton. Outagamie County is included in the Appleton, WI Metropolitan Statistical Are ...

- northeast * Calumet County - east * Fond du Lac County - south * Green Lake County - southwest * Waushara County - west

Major highways

Interstate 41 Interstate 41 (I-41) is a north–south Interstate Highway connecting the interchange of I-94 and U.S. Route 41 (US 41), located south of the Wisconsin–Illinois border at the end of the Tri-State Tollway in metropolitan Ch ...

U.S. Highway 10 U.S. Route 10 or U.S. Highway 10 (US 10) is an east–west United States highway located in the Midwest and Great Lakes regions of the United States. Unlike most U.S. routes with "0" as the last digit of its route number, US 10 ...

U.S. Highway 41 U.S. Route 41, also U.S. Highway 41 (US 41), is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that runs from Miami, Florida, to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Until 1949, the part in southern Florida, from Naples to Mi ...

U.S. Highway 45 U.S. Route 45 (US 45) is a major north-south United States highway and a border-to-border route, from Lake Superior to the Gulf of Mexico. A sign at the highway's northern terminus notes the total distance as . US 45 is notable for incorporatin ...

Wisconsin Highway 21 State Trunk Highway 21 (often called Highway 21, STH-21 or WIS 21) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It runs east–west across the center of the state between Sparta and Oshkosh. The route often serves as a direct route for ...

* Wisconsin Highway 26 *

Wisconsin Highway 44 State Trunk Highway 44 (often called Highway 44, STH-44 or WIS 44) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It runs in a diagonal southwest–northeast direction in east-central Wisconsin from Pardeeville to Oshkosh. Rou ...

Wisconsin Highway 47 State Trunk Highway 47 (often called Highway 47, STH-47 or WIS 47) is a state highway in the northeastern and northern parts of the US state of Wisconsin that runs in a diagonal northwest–southeast from Menasha to Manitowish. Route descript ...

Wisconsin Highway 76 State Trunk Highway 76 (often called Highway 76, STH-76 or WIS 76) is a state highway in 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 ...

* Wisconsin Highway 91 *

Wisconsin Highway 114 State Trunk Highway 114 (often called Highway 114, STH-114 or WIS 114) is a state highway (US), state highway in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It runs east–west in east central Wisconsin from Neenah, Wisconsin, Neenah to Hilbert, Wisconsin, ...

Wisconsin Highway 116 State Trunk Highway 116 (often called Highway 116, STH-116 or WIS 116) is a state highway in the US state of Wisconsin. It runs in north–south in east central Wisconsin from the unincorporated community of Waukau to Butte des Morts. Route de ...

* Wisconsin Highway 441

Railroads

* Canadian National *

Wisconsin and Southern Railroad The Wisconsin and Southern Railroad is a Class II regional railroad in Southern Wisconsin and Northeastern Illinois currently operated by Watco. It operates former Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (Milwaukee Road) and Chicago ...

Buses

GO Transit (Wisconsin) GO Transit, formerly the Oshkosh Transit System, is the primary provider of mass transportation in Winnebago County, Wisconsin. History Transit service in Oshkosh began in June 1882 when the Oshkosh Street Railway Company began operating six ho ...

Valley Transit (Wisconsin) Valley Transit is a city bus and paratransit commission operated by the city government of Appleton, Wisconsin. It has operated as a bus system since 1930, and has been fully operated by the city since 1978. The system operates across the Fox Ci ...

* List of intercity bus stops in Wisconsin

Airports

Wittman Regional Airport (KOSH) serves the county and surrounding communities.

Brennand Airport Brennand Airport, is a privately owned public use airport located southwest of the central business district of Neenah, a city in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, United States about halfway between Appleton and Oshkosh. The airport is home to E ...

(79C) in the Town of Clayton is a major recreational aircraft hub year-round. Commercial airline service for Winnebago County is provided by Appleton International Airport in the neighboring

Demographics

2020 census

As of the census of 2020, the population was 171,730. The population density was . There were 76,046 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 86.2% White, 3.3%

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 ...

, 3.0% Black or African American, 0.7% Native American, 1.8% from other races, and 5.1% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 4.8% Hispanic or

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.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 156,763 people, 61,157 households, and 39,568 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 64,721 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 94.92% White, 1.12% Black or African American, 0.46% Native American, 1.84%

, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.72% from other races, and 0.92% from two or more races. 1.96% of the population were Hispanic or

of any race. 52.4% were of

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

, 6.2% Irish and 5.7%

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken *Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...

ancestry. 94.6% spoke English, 2.5% Spanish and 1.0% Hmong as their first language. There were 61,157 households, out of which 31.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.00% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 8.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.30% were non-families. 27.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.99. By age, 23.80% of the population was under 18, 11.80% from 18 to 24, 30.40% from 25 to 44, 21.50% from 45 to 64, and 12.50% were 65 or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 99.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.80 males. In 2017, there were 1,833 births, giving a general fertility rate of 56.5 births per 1000 women aged 15–44, the 15th lowest rate out of all 72 Wisconsin counties. Additionally, there were 123 reported induced abortions performed on women of Winnebago County residence in 2017.Reported Induced Abortions in Wisconsin
Office of Health Informatics, Division of Public Health, Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Section: Trend Information, 2013-2017, Table 18, pages 17-18

Government

Winnebago County is governed by the 36-member Winnebago County Board of Supervisors. Supervisors are elected to the board in a

nonpartisan Nonpartisanism is a lack of affiliation with, and a lack of bias towards, a political party. While an Oxford English Dictionary definition of ''partisan'' includes adherents of a party, cause, person, etc., in most cases, nonpartisan refers sp ...

election held the first Tuesday of April in even numbered years and serve two-year terms. The board has several committees. It meets on the third Tuesday of each month at the Winnebago County Courthouse in Oshkosh.

Politics

Winnebago County has become a swing county in recent decades. It has voted for the winning presidential candidate in every election since 1980, except in 1992 when it supported

George Bush George Bush most commonly refers to: * George H. W. Bush (1924–2018), 41st president of the United States and father of the 43rd president * George W. Bush (born 1946), 43rd president of the United States and son of the 41st president Georg ...

, and in 2020, when it supported Donald Trump.

Communities

Cities

(mostly in

and Calumet County) *

Menasha Menasha () is a city in Calumet and Winnebago counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 18,268 at the 2020 census. Of this, 15,144 were in Winnebago County, and 2,209 were in Calumet County. The city is located mostly in Winne ...

(partly in Calumet County) *

* Omro * Oshkosh (county seat)

Villages

* Fox Crossing * Winneconne

Towns

* Algoma * Black Wolf * Clayton *

* Nekimi * Nepeuskun * Omro * Oshkosh * Poygan * Rushford * Utica * Vinland *

Winchester Winchester is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs Nation ...

* Winneconne * Wolf River

Census-designated places

Butte des Morts Butte Des Morts (in French, hill of the dead) is a region of northeastern Wisconsin, in Winnebago County, containing two known lakes: Little Lake Butte des Morts, and Lake Butte des Morts. Little Lake Butte des Morts lies between the Menasha region ...

* Eureka * Waukau *

Unincorporated communities

* Adella Beach * Allenville * Black Wolf * Black Wolf Point * Clarks Point * Decorah Beach *

Elo Elo or ELO may refer to: Music * Electric Light Orchestra, a British rock music group ** ''The Electric Light Orchestra'' (album), the group's debut album ** ''ELO 2'', the group's second album * ELO Part II, an offshoot band of Electric Light ...

* Fairview Beach * Fisk *

Fitzgerald The FitzGerald/FitzMaurice Dynasty is a noble and aristocratic dynasty of Cambro-Norman, Anglo-Norman and later Hiberno-Norman origin. They have been peers of Ireland since at least the 13th century, and are described in the Annals of the ...

Harbor Springs Harbor Springs is a city and resort community in Emmet County, Michigan. The population was 1,194 in the 2010 census. Harbor Springs is in a sheltered bay on the north shore of the Little Traverse Bay on Lake Michigan. The Little Traverse Li ...

* Highland Shore * Indian Shores * Island Park *

Larsen __NOTOC__ Larsen may refer to: People * Larsen (surname) Geography * Larsen Bay, in Alaska, United States * Larsen Channel, in Antarctica * Larsen Ice Shelf, in Antarctica * Larsen Islands, in Antarctica * Cape Larsen and Larsen Bay in American Sa ...

* Lasleys Point * Leonards Point * Little Point *

Koro Koro may refer to: Geography *Koro Island, a Fijian island *Koro Sea, in the Pacific Ocean *Koro, Ivory Coast *Koro, Mali *Koro, Wisconsin, United States, an unincorporated community Languages *Koro language (India), an endangered language spoken ...

* Medina Junction * Melrose Park * Metz (partial) * Mikesville * Nichols Shore Acres * Oakwood * Orihula * Paukotuk * Piacenza *

Pickett Pickett is an English surname. It is a variant form of Pigott. Notable people with the surname include: * Adarius Pickett (born 1996), American football player * Albert J. Pickett (1810–1858), American historian * Allison Deforest Pickett (190 ...

* Plummer Point * Point Comfort * Reighmoor * Ricker Bay *

Ring Ring may refer to: * Ring (jewellery), a round band, usually made of metal, worn as ornamental jewelry * To make a sound with a bell, and the sound made by a bell :(hence) to initiate a telephone connection Arts, entertainment and media Film and ...

* Rivermoor * Rush Lake * Shangri La Point * Snells * Sunrise Bay * Waverly Beach (partial) *

Winnebago Winnebago can refer to: * The exonym of the Ho-Chunk tribe of Native North Americans with reservations in Nebraska, Iowa, and Wisconsin ** Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, a federally recognized tribe group in the state ** The Winnebago language of the ...

* Zion * Zittau

Ghost towns/neighborhoods

* Delhi * Menasha (former)

References

External links

Winnebago County official website

Winnebago County map
from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation {{Coord, 44.06, -88.64, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-WI_source:UScensus1990 1848 establishments in Wisconsin Populated places established in 1848 Wisconsin placenames of Native American origin