An urban town is a proposed classification for

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

s in the

state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

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 ...

, similar to the urban townships of

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 ...

and

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

. The concept, originally proposed in 2001, as AB501, limited the classification to towns with over 7,500 people. The proposal has gained support from such organizations as the

Wisconsin Towns Association The Wisconsin Towns Association (WTA) is an organization of Wisconsin's 1,259 towns. Founded in 1947, it is a non-profit and non-partisan association. It is based out of Shawano, Wisconsin Shawano (pronounced SHAW-no) is a city in Shawano County ...

. The impetus that originally spawned the concept of urban towns was an effort to stem annexation of

urban Urban means "related to a city". In that sense, the term may refer to: * Urban area, geographical area distinct from rural areas * Urban culture, the culture of towns and cities Urban may also refer to: General * Urban (name), a list of people ...

ized areas in

unincorporated area An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

by cities and villages across county lines. Obtaining "urban town" status effectively freezes the town's boundaries. While urban towns would have substantially greater zoning and regulatory rights than "rural towns", the status would not confer "incorporated" status on the municipality, freeing them from several responsibilities incumbent upon incorporated municipal governments, thus distinguishing them from the

incorporated town An incorporated town is a town that is a municipal corporation. Canada Incorporated towns are a form of local government in Canada, which is a responsibility of provincial rather than federal government. United Kingdom United States An in ...

s of

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...

. In the time since the idea was originally proposed, many of the towns that would have been affected have since incorporated, but 2004 population estimates indicate that a number of towns that would have been ineligible in 2001, now are. As of March 2007, the eligible include: *

Delafield (town), Wisconsin The Town of Delafield is located in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 8,095 at the 2020 census. The City of Delafield is adjacent to the town. The unincorporated community of Buena Vista is located in the town. Histor ...

(Waukesha County) * Genesee, Wisconsin (Waukesha County) *

Grand Chute, Wisconsin Grand Chute (French: ''great fall'' or "large rapids") is a town in Outagamie County, Wisconsin, United States. The unincorporated community of Apple Creek is partially located in the town. With a population of 22,249, Grand Chute was the larg ...

(Outagamie County) *

Grand Rapids, Wisconsin Grand Rapids is a town in Wood County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 7,801 at the 2000 census. The census-designated place of Lake Wazeecha is located in the town. The unincorporated community of Kellner is located also partially ...

(Wood County) *

Greenville, Wisconsin Greenville is a village in Outagamie County, Wisconsin. It is one of 18 communities that form the basis of the Fox Cities, the third largest metropolitan area in Wisconsin. The population was 12,619 in 2020. History The town was founded in 18 ...

(Outagamie County) * Harrison, Calumet County, Wisconsin *

Lisbon, Waukesha County, Wisconsin Lisbon is a town in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 9,359 at the 2000 census. The unincorporated community of Lake Five is located in the town. The unincorporated community of Colgate is also located partially in ...

Menasha (town), Wisconsin Menasha was a town in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, United States, west of the Fox River across from the city of Menasha, Wisconsin. The population was 18,498 at the 2010 census, making it the second most populous town in the state of Wisconsin ...

(Winnebago County) * Merton (town), Wisconsin (Waukesha County) *

Norway, Wisconsin Norway is a town in Racine County, Wisconsin, United States. The census-designated place of Wind Lake, Wisconsin is in the town of Norway. The unincorporated communities of North Cape and Union Church are also located partially in the town. His ...

(Racine County) * Oconomowoc (town), Wisconsin (Waukesha County) * Rib Mountain, Wisconsin (Marathon County) * Salem, Kenosha County, Wisconsin *

Somers, Wisconsin Somers is a village in Kenosha County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 8,402 at the 2020 census. Somers has a post office with ZIP code 53171. The former unincorporated communities of Berryville, Central Park, and Kellogg's Corners ...

(Kenosha County) *

Springfield, Dane County, Wisconsin The Town of Springfield is located in Dane County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 2,929 at the time of the 2020 census. The unincorporated communities of Ashton, Ashton Corners, Kingsley Corners, Martinsville, and Springfield Cor ...

* Waukesha (town), Wisconsin (Waukesha County) If current trends continue, over a dozen other towns will fit the population requirements by the 2010 census.

Notes

Urban Types of administrative division {{Wisconsin-stub