Door County, Wisconsin
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Door County is the easternmost
county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...
in the U.S. state of
Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...
. As of the 2020 census, its population was 30,066. Its
seat of government The seat of government is (as defined by ''Brewer's Politics'') "the building, complex of buildings or the city from which a government exercises its authority". In most countries, the nation's Capital city, capital is also seat of its governmen ...
is Sturgeon Bay. It is named after the strait between the Door Peninsula and Washington Island. This dangerous passage, known as Death's Door, contains
shipwrecks A shipwreck is the wreckage of a ship that is located either beached on land or sunken to the bottom of a body of water. It results from the event of ''shipwrecking'', which may be intentional or unintentional. There were approximately thre ...
and was known to Native Americans and early French explorers. The county was created in 1851 and organized in 1861. Nicknamed the "
Cape Cod Cape Cod is a peninsula extending into the Atlantic Ocean from the southeastern corner of Massachusetts, in the northeastern United States. Its historic, maritime character and ample beaches attract heavy tourism during the summer months. The ...
of the Midwest," Door County is a popular
Upper Midwest The Upper Midwest is a northern subregion of the U.S. Census Bureau's Midwestern United States. Although the exact boundaries are not uniformly agreed upon, the region is usually defined to include the states of Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota and Wi ...
vacation destination. Tourism is a major contributor to Door County's economy. It is Wisconsin's forty-fourth largest county in population, but it is the eighth largest in terms of economic impact from tourism (over $600 million in 2023). The county is considered a high-recreation retirement destination by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.


History


Native Americans and French


Porte des Morts legend

Door County's name came from Porte des Morts ("Death's Door"), the passage between the tip of Door Peninsula and Washington Island. The name "Death's Door" came from Native American tales, heard by early French explorers and published in greatly embellished form by Hjalmar Holand, which described a failed raid by the Ho-Chunk (Winnebago) tribe to capture Washington Island from the rival Potawatomi tribe in the early 1600s. It has become associated with shipwrecks within the passage. The earliest known written reference to the legend is from , who termed the peninsula "Cap a la Mort" in 1728.


Settlement and development


19th–20th century settlement

The 19th and 20th centuries saw the immigration and settlement of pioneers, mariners, fishermen, loggers, and farmers. The first white settler was Increase Claflin. In 1851, Door County was separated from what had been Brown County. In 1853, Moravians founded Ephraim after Nils Otto Tank resisted attempts at land ownership reform at the old religious colony near Green Bay. An African-American community and congregation worshiping at West Harbor on Washington Island was described in 1854. Also in 1854 the first post office in the county opened, on Washington Island. In the 19th century, a fairly large-scale immigration of Belgian Walloons populated a small region in the southern portion of the county, including the area designated as the Namur Historic District. They built small roadside votive chapels, some still in use today, and brought other traditions over from Europe such as the Kermiss harvest festival. Shortly after the 1831 Treaty of Washington, the federal government surveyed what is now Door County to determine the value of the timber and to divide up parcels for eventual sale. Following the treaty, land in what is now the county was sold or granted to private citizens. At the time the Homestead Act of 1862 was passed, most of the county's nearly 2,000 farmers were squatters earning most of their revenue from lumber and wood products. The remaining portion of the population consisted of about 1,000 fishermen and their families. Out of the total population of 2,948 people, 170 fought in the
Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
. When the 1871 Peshtigo fire burned the town of Williamsonville, fifty-nine people were killed. The area of this disaster is now Tornado Memorial County Park, named for a fire whirl which occurred there. Altogether, 128 people in the county perished in the Peshtigo fire. and In 1885 or 1886, what is now the Coast Guard Station was established at Sturgeon Bay. The small, seasonally open station on Washington Island was established in 1902.


Early tourism

Even after the Ahnapee and Western extended service to Sturgeon Bay in 1894, many tourists continued taking the
railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...
to Menominee, Michigan to embark on steamships bound for communities in Door County. This route over Green Bay bypassed poor road conditions in the northern part of the county, which persisted until the early 1920s. Only after crushed stone highways were built did motor and horse-drawn coaches become popular for transportation between Sturgeon Bay and the northern part of the peninsula. By 1909 at least 1,000 tourists visited per year, a figure which grew to about 125,000 in 1920, 1 million in 1969, 1.25 million in 1978, and 1.9 million in 1995.


20th–21st-century events

In 1913, '' The Old Rugged Cross'' was first sung at the Friends Church in Sturgeon Bay as a duet by two traveling preachers. In 2004, the county began a
sister cities A sister city or a twin town relationship is International relations, a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there ar ...
relationship with Jingdezhen in southeastern China.


Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (80%) is water. It is the largest county in Wisconsin by total area. The county has of shoreline. The county covers the majority of the Door Peninsula. With the completion of the Sturgeon Bay Shipping Canal in 1881, the northern half of the peninsula became an
artificial island An artificial island or man-made island is an island that has been Construction, constructed by humans rather than formed through natural processes. Other definitions may suggest that artificial islands are lands with the characteristics of hum ...
. This canal is believed to have somehow "caused a wonderful increase in the quantity of fish" in nearby waters and also caused a reduction in the sturgeon population in the bay due to changes in the aquatic habitat. The 45th parallel north bisects the "island", and this is commemorated by Meridian County Park.


Climate

The county has a
humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...
(classified as Dfb in
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
) with warm summers and cold snowy winters. Data from the Peninsular Agricultural Research Station north of the city of Sturgeon Bay gives average monthly temperatures ranging from in the summer down to in the winter. The moderating effects of nearby bodies of water reduce the likelihood of damaging late spring freezes. Late spring freezes are less likely to occur than in nearby areas, and when they do occur, they tend not to be as severe.


Attractions

Today, most tourists and summer residents come from the metropolitan areas of
Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...
,
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
, Madison, Green Bay, and the Twin Cities, although Illinois residents are the dominant group both in Door County and farther south along the eastern edge of Wisconsin.


Recreational lands


Lands open to public use

Door County is home to six state parks: Newport State Park, Peninsula State Park, Potawatomi State Park, Whitefish Dunes State Park, Rock Island State Park, and Grand Traverse Island State Park. There are four State Wildlife and Fishery Areas and also State Natural Areas that allow free public access. Additionally, Plum Island and Green Bay National Wildlife Refuge are seasonally open for public recreation.


Waters


Lakes and ponds

Besides Lake Michigan and Green Bay, there are 26 lakes, ponds, or marshes and 37 rivers, creeks, streams, and springs in the county. The two deepest lakes, Mackaysee Lake at and Krause Lake at are on Chambers Island.Before They're Gone
by Roy Lukes, ''Wisconsin Natural Resources'', May–June 1986, Volume 10, Number 3, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, page 8


Living plant collections

Living plant collections include the orchid project at The Ridges Sanctuary in Baileys Harbor and the U.S. Potato Genebank and a public garden in Sevastopol.


Animals


Unique vertebrates

'' Tamias striatus doorsiensis'', a
subspecies In Taxonomy (biology), biological classification, subspecies (: subspecies) is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (Morphology (biology), morpholog ...
of eastern chipmunk, is only found in Door, Kewaunee, Northeastern
Brown Brown is a color. It can be considered a composite color, but it is mainly a darker shade of orange. In the CMYK color model used in printing and painting, brown is usually made by combining the colors Orange (colour), orange and black. In the ...
, and possibly Manitowoc counties.''Tales of the wild: a year with nature'' by Roy Lukes
entry on worldcat.org
, Egg Harbor, Wisconsin: Nature-Wise, 2000, p. 73
In 1999, the Wisconsin Natural Heritage Inventory listed 24 aquatic and 21 terrestrial animals in Door County as "rare."


Birds

, 166 species of birds have been confirmed to live in Door County, excluding birds seen which lack the habitat to nest and must only be passing through.


Other invertebrates

Kangaroo Lake State Natural Area has the largest breeding population of the endangered Hine's Emerald Dragonfly in the world. The Lake Huron locust lives on dunes in the county and is not found anywhere else in the state.


Culture


Lighthouses and historical sites

Including both Lake Michigan and Green Bay shorelines, there are 50 total lights and lighthouses, besides lighted buoys. Out of these, there are 10 historically significant lighthouse structures and sets of lights still serving as navigational lights. Most of them were built during the 19th century and are listed in the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
: Baileys Harbor Range Lights, Cana Island Lighthouse, Chambers Island Lighthouse, Eagle Bluff Lighthouse, Pilot Island Lighthouse, Plum Island Range Lights, Pottawatomie Lighthouse, and Sturgeon Bay Canal Lighthouse. Other functioning historic lighthouses in the county include the Sherwood Point Lighthouse and the
Sturgeon Bay Canal North Pierhead Light The Sturgeon Bay Canal North Pierhead Light is a lighthouse located on Sturgeon Bay in Door County, Wisconsin, Door County, Wisconsin. Painted red, the light is situated on the north pier of the southern entrance to the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal. ...
.More Door County Lighthouses
. Door County Maritime Museum an
Wisconsin Coastal Lighthouses Tour
electronic map, Wisconsin Coastal Management Program
The Boyer Bluff Light is mounted on an 80-foot skeletal tower.Boyer Bluff (Wisconsin)
''United States Lighthouse Society''
In addition, the Baileys Harbor Light is a non-functioning 19th century lighthouse. Thirteen historical sites are marked in the state maritime trail for the area in addition to nine roadside historical markers. In Sturgeon Bay, the tugboat '' John Purves'' is operated as a museum ship. Including lighthouses, the county has 72 properties and districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places. There are 214 known confirmed and unconfirmed shipwrecks listed for the county, including the SS ''Australasia'', ''
Christina Nilsson Christina Nilsson, Countess de Casa Miranda, also called Christine Nilsson (20 August 1843 – 22 November 1921) was a Swedish operatic dramatic coloratura soprano. Possessed of a pure and brilliant voice (B3-F6), first three then two and a ha ...
'', '' Fleetwing'', SS ''Frank O'Connor'', '' Grape Shot'', '' Green Bay'', ''
Hanover Hanover ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Lower Saxony. Its population of 535,932 (2021) makes it the List of cities in Germany by population, 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-l ...
'', '' Iris'', SS ''Joys'', SS ''Lakeland'', '' Meridian'', '' Ocean Wave'', and '' Success''. The SS ''Louisiana'' sank during the
Great Lakes Storm of 1913 The Great Lakes Storm of 1913, historically referred to as the Big Blow, the Freshwater Fury and the White Hurricane, was a blizzard with hurricane-force winds that devastated the Great Lakes Basin in the Midwestern United States and Southwest ...
. Some shipwrecks are used for wreck diving.


Scandinavian heritage

Scandinavian heritage-related attractions include The Clearing Folk School, two stave churches, structures in Rock Island State Park furnished with rune-inscribed furniture, and Al Johnson's Swedish Restaurant, which features goats on its grassy roof. In Ephraim, the Village Hall, the Moravian and
Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...
churches, and the Peter Peterson House are listed in the National Register of Historic Places, as is the L. A. Larson & Co. Store building in Sturgeon Bay. Although fish boils have been attributed to Scandinavian tradition, several ethnicities present on the peninsula have traditions of boiling fish. The method common in the county is similar to that of Native Americans.


Industry

In Sturgeon Bay, industrial tourism includes tours of the Bay Shipbuilding Company, CenterPointe Yacht Services and other manufacturers.


Radio stations


Economy

Door County's economy is considered a "forestry-related tourism"-based economy. In 2020, the total
gross domestic product Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the total market value of all the final goods and services produced and rendered in a specific time period by a country or countries. GDP is often used to measure the economic performanc ...
(GDP) of the county was $1.39 billion, with the $274 million manufacturing industry overtaking real estate and rental and leasing that year to become the leading industry in the county at 19.7% of the overall GDP.


Transportation


Land

According to the
Wisconsin Department of Transportation The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) is a governmental agency of the U.S. state of Wisconsin responsible for planning, building and maintaining the state's highways. It is also responsible for planning transportation in the sta ...
(WisDOT), in 2021 Door County had of roadways. The combined WIS 42/WIS 57 separates again at a junction in Sevastapol. Following this separation, WIS 42 continues along the western side of the peninsula and sees more traffic than WIS 57, which continues along the eastern side. The two highways combine again at a junction in Liberty Grove. * Wisconsin Highway 42 (WIS 42) * Wisconsin Highway 57 (WIS 57) * Door County Coastal Byway (WIS 42 and WIS 57) north of Sturgeon Bay to Northport is classified as a Wisconsin Scenic Byway and National Scenic Byway. There are five rustic roads in the county. In addition to state-recognized rustic roads, Liberty Grove manages a heritage roads program. there were 12 heritage roads in the town. There are of snowmobile trails, which are opened as trails are groomed.


Non-motorized

* The Ahnapee State Trail connects Sturgeon Bay to Kewaunee, winter snowmobile access is dependent on weather and trail grooming. Although the Ice Age Trail coincides with most of the Ahnapee State Trail, the Ice Age Trail forks away in the City of Sturgeon Bay and reaches its northern terminus at Potawatomi State Park. Mountain bike trails are located in three of the state parks. * WIS 42 and WIS 57 are part of the
Lake Michigan Circle Tour The Great Lakes Circle Tour is a designated scenic road system connecting all of the Great Lakes and the Saint Lawrence River, St. Lawrence River. It consists of routes for circumnavigating the lakes, either individually or collectively. It was ...
. * Egg Harbor operates a free public
bicycle-sharing system A bicycle-sharing system, bike share program, public bicycle scheme, or public bike share (PBS) scheme, is a shared transport service where bicycles are available for shared use by individuals at low cost. The programmes themselves include both ...
, limited to daylight hours within the village during the tourist season.


Bridges across Sturgeon Bay

* Sturgeon Bay Bridge (also called Michigan Street Bridge), truss structure, Scherzer-type, double-leaf, rolling-lift bascule with overhead counter-weights * Oregon Street Bridge (reinforced concrete slab, rolling lift bascule girder with mechanical driven center locks) * Bayview Bridge (monolithic concrete placed on structural deck with steel girder superstructure, open grating on deck, bascule)


Ground transportation

A daily private shuttle service operates between Green Bay–Austin Straubel International Airport and Sturgeon Bay. The nearest intercity bus stop with regular service is in Green Bay. There are multiple private and public ground transportation services within the county, but none with regularly scheduled stops for the general public.


Air

There are eleven airports in the county, including private or semi-public airports. * Door County Cherryland Airport (KSUE), medium general aviation, public use * Ephraim–Gibraltar Airport (3D2), small general aviation, public use * Washington Island Airport (2P2), small general aviation, public use * Crispy Cedars Airport, Brussels (7WI8), private * Door County Memorial Hospital Heliport, allows for air ambulance service to the hospital from remote areas of the county and for flying patients to Green Bay. * Chambers Island Airport, private * Five other small airports


Water


Ferries

* Washington Island is served by two ferry routes operating between the Door Peninsula and Detroit Harbor. One route is a 30-minute ride on a freight, automobile, and passenger ferry that departs from the Northport Pier at the northern terminus of WIS 42. This ferry makes approximately 225,000 trips per year. Another route is a 20- minute ride on a passenger-only ferry which departs from the unincorporated community of Gills Rock. * Rock Island State Park is reachable by the passenger ferry ''Karfi'' from Washington Island. During winter Rock Island is potentially accessible via snowmobile and foot traffic. * Although Chambers Island has no regularly scheduled ferry, there are boat operators which transport people to the island on call from Fish Creek.


Boat ramps and marinas

* There are 30 public boat access sites in the county. The Lake Michigan State Water Trail follows most county shorelines.


Population and its health


Demographics


2020 census

As of the census of 2020, the population was 30,066. The
population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...
was . There were 23,738 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 92.3%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 0.5%
Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...
or
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.5% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 1.6% from other races, and 4.6% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 3.8%
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race.


2000 Census

As of the 2000 census, there were 27,961 people, 11,828 households, and 7,995 families residing in the county. The
population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...
was . There were 19,587 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 97.84% White, 0.19% Black or African American, 0.65% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.33% from other races, and 0.69% from two or more races. 0.95% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 39.4% were of German and 10.3% Belgian ancestry. A small pocket of Walloon speakers forms the only Walloon-language region outside of
Wallonia Wallonia ( ; ; or ), officially the Walloon Region ( ; ), is one of the three communities, regions and language areas of Belgium, regions of Belgium—along with Flemish Region, Flanders and Brussels. Covering the southern portion of the c ...
and its immediate neighbors. Out of a total of 11,828 households, 58.10% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 6.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.40% were non-families. 28.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.70% 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 2.84. For every 100 females there were 97.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.50 males. 22.10% of the population was under the age of 18,Wisconsin: 2000 Summary Population and Housing Characteristics
2000 Census of Population and Housing, November 2002, ''US Census Bureau'', pages 10–11 (pages 23–24 of the pdf)
a decrease from 25.9% being under the age of 18 in the 1990 census.) Additionally, 6.10% were aged from 18 to 24, 25.40% from 25 to 44, and 27.70% from 45 to 64.


Crime

In 2020, there were 208 felony cases prosecuted by the county, up from 195 cases in 2019 and 171 in 2018. No trials were held concerning any of the felony cases in 2020. In 2019, 3 cases went to trial, down from 6 in 2018. The county has been a focus of sex-trafficking enforcement efforts. From 2015 to 2020 there were no reports of sex-trafficking in the county. In 2014, the voluntary intoxication defense in Wisconsin was repealed due to outcry following its use during a trial in Door County. Initially the trial ended with a
hung jury A hung jury, also called a deadlocked jury, is a judicial jury that cannot agree upon a verdict after extended deliberation and is unable to reach the required unanimity or supermajority. A hung jury may result in the case being tried again. Thi ...
but a retrial resulted in a conviction.


Communities


Incorporated communities


City

* Sturgeon Bay (county seat)


Villages

* Egg Harbor * Ephraim * Forestville * Sister Bay


Towns

* Baileys Harbor ( Cana Island is in the Town of Baileys Harbor) *
Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...
* Clay Banks * Egg Harbor * Forestville * Gardner *
Gibraltar Gibraltar ( , ) is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory and British overseas cities, city located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Bay of Gibraltar, near the exit of the Mediterranean Sea into the A ...
(the Strawberry Islands,
Hat A hat is a Headgear, head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorpor ...
,
Horseshoe A horseshoe is a product designed to protect a horse hoof from wear. Shoes are attached on the palmar surface (ground side) of the hooves, usually nailed through the insensitive hoof wall that is anatomically akin to the human toenail, altho ...
, and Chambers Island are in the Town of Gibraltar) * Jacksonport * Liberty Grove ( Gravel Island, Spider Island, and the Sister Islands are in the Town of Liberty Grove) * Nasewaupee * Sevastopol * Sturgeon Bay * Union * Washington Island


Unincorporated communities

*
Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...
* Carlsville * Carnot * Detroit Harbor * Fish Creek * Gills Rock * Idlewild *
Institute An institute is an organizational body created for a certain purpose. They are often research organisations (research institutes) created to do research on specific topics, or can also be a professional body. In some countries, institutes ca ...
* Jacksonport * Juddville * Kolberg * Maplewood *
Namur Namur (; ; ) is a city and municipality in Wallonia, Belgium. It is the capital both of the province of Namur and of Wallonia, hosting the Parliament of Wallonia, the Government of Wallonia and its administration. Namur stands at the confl ...
* North Bay * Northport * Peninsula Center * Rosiere (partially in Kewaunee County) * Rowleys Bay * Salona * Shoemaker Point * Valmy * Vignes * Washington * West Jacksonport * Whitefish Bay * Baileys Harbor * Ellison Bay * Little Sturgeon


Former communities


Absorbed into Sturgeon Bay

* Sawyer * Stevens Hill


Sites used as parks

* Rock Island (settlement on island), now Rock Island State Park * Newport (community), now Newport State Park * Williamsonville, now Tornado Memorial County Park


Adjacent counties


By land

* Kewaunee County - south


In Green Bay

* Brown County - southwest * Oconto County - west * Marinette County - northwest *
Menominee County, Michigan Menominee County ( ) is a county located in the Upper Peninsula in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the population was 23,502. The county seat is Menominee. The county's name comes from an Ojibwe word meaning "wild rice eat ...
- northwest


Along the Rock Island Passage

* Delta County, Michigan - north;
Eastern Time Zone The Eastern Time Zone (ET) is a time zone encompassing part or all of 23 U.S. states, states in the eastern part of the United States, parts of eastern Canada, and the state of Quintana Roo in Mexico. * Eastern Standard Time (EST) is five ...


In Lake Michigan

*
Leelanau County, Michigan Leelanau County ( ) is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 22,301. Since 2008, the county seat has been located within Suttons Bay Townshi ...
- northeast and east; Eastern Time Zone * Benzie County, Michigan - southeast; Eastern Time Zone


Notable people

* Robert C. Bassett (1911–2000), U.S. presidential advisor * Jule Berndt (1924–1997), pastor * Norbert Blei (1935–2013), writer * Gene Brabender (1941–1996), baseball player * Jessie Kalmbach Chase (1879–1970), painter * Hans Christian (born 1960), musician * Eddie Cochems (1877–1953), "father of the forward pass" * Erik Cordier (born 1986), baseball player * Katherine Whitney Curtis (1897–1980), originator of synchronized swimming * A. J. Dillon (born 1998), Green Bay Packers
running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offense ...
, has the key to the county * Mary Maples Dunn (1931–2017), historian * Phoebe Erickson (1907–2006), children's book author and illustrator * John Fetzer (1840–1900), mill owner, Wisconsin State Senator * Jim Flanigan (born 1971), football player * Lou Goss (born 1987), racecar driver * Chris Greisen (born 1976), Milwaukee Iron quarterback ( AFL) * Nick Greisen (born 1979),
Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...
linebacker (NFL) * Stuart Hagmann (born 1942), film and television director * Bernard Hahn (1860–1931), Wisconsin State Representative, hotel and opera house owner, arsonist * Arthur G. Hansen (1925–2010), engineer, university president and chancellor * Hjalmar Holand (1872–1963), historian * Jens Jensen (1860–1951), landscape architect * M. J. Jischke (born 1885), butcher, postmaster * Al Johnson (born 1979), football player * Ben Johnson (born 1980), football player * Bill Jorgenson (1930 – 2007), bluegrass musician * Al C. Kalmbach (1910–1981), publisher * Henry Killilea (1863–1929), helped found American League * Curly Lambeau (1898–1965), football player and coach * James Larsin (b. 1855), saved seven people from drowning * Doug Larson (1926–2017), newspaper writer * Lester Leitl (1899–1980), football player and coach * Pat MacDonald (born 1952), once part of Timbuk 3, runs Steel Bridge Songfest * Amy McKenzie (born 1959), producer/director * Alex Meunier (1897–1983), teacher, orchardist, Wisconsin State Senator * Thomas J. Minar (born 1963), sex offender * Edward S. Minor (1840–1924), U.S. Representative * Alexander Noble (1829–1905), town official in Fish Creek * Conrad P. Olson (1882–1952),
Oregon Supreme Court The Oregon Supreme Court (OSC) is the highest State court (United States), state court in the U.S. state of Oregon. The only court that may reverse or modify a decision of the Oregon Supreme Court is the Supreme Court of the United States.
justice * Sigurd F. Olson (1899–1982), wilderness guide * Charles L. Peterson (1927–2022), painter * Casey Rabach (born 1977),
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
center (NFL) * David M. Raup (1933–2015), paleontologist * Hugh M. Raup (1901–1995), ecologist * Dennis A. Reed (born 1822), Wisconsin State Representative, Civil War lieutenant * Charles Reynolds (1839–1914), Wisconsin State Representative, Civil War captain * Thomas Reynolds (1840–1919), Wisconsin State Representative, patriarch of Wisconsin political dynasty * Jack Ritchie (1922–1983), writer of detective fiction * Hallie H. Rowe (1896–1992), sheriff, Wisconsin State Assemblyman *
Paul J. Schlise Paul J. Schlise (born 1966) is a retired Rear admiral (United States), rear admiral in the United States Navy. Personal life Schlise is originally from Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. He received a civilian education at Marquette University, earning a b ...
(born 1966), U.S. Navy admiral * John Shinners (born 1947), football player *
Paul Sills Paul Sills (born Paul Silverberg; November 18, 1927 – June 2, 2008) was an American director and improvisation teacher, and the original director of Chicago's The Second City. Life and career Sills was born Paul Silverberg in Chicago, Illinois ...
(1927–2008), director, improvisation teacher * Allen Thiele (1940–2017), Coast Guard officer * Chester Thordarson (1867–1945), inventor, erected buildings on Rock Island * Emma Toft (1891–1982), resort owner * Madeline Tourtelot (1915–2002), artist, founder of the Peninsula School of Art * James Valcq (born 1963), writer of musicals * Thorstein Veblen (1857–1929), economist * Richard Warch (1939–2013), president of Lawrence University * Lloyd Wasserbach (1921–1949), football player * Charles Mitchell Whiteside (1854–1924), helped merge Sawyer and Sturgeon Bay * Randy Wright (born 1961), Green Bay Packers quarterback (NFL) * Albert Zahn (1894–1953), folk artist known as the Birdman


Politics

The county has gained a reputation as a political
bellwether A bellwether is a leader or an indicator of trends.bellwether
" ''Cambridge Dictionary''. Re ...
, as it voted for the winning candidate in every presidential election from 1996 to 2020. President Clinton was the last candidate, before 2024, to win nationally without carrying Door County in the 1992 presidential election.
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
in the 2024 election also failed to win Door County, while winning statewide and nationally. In
2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...
,
Kamala Harris Kamala Devi Harris ( ; born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 49th vice president of the United States from 2021 to 2025 under President Joe Biden. She is the first female, first African American, and ...
became the first Democratic presidential nominee to win the county while losing the presidential election. Door County was one of only four counties in the state to swing towards Democrats in 2024.


Gallery


Explanatory notes


References


Further reading

*


External links

*
Door County map
from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation
Door County Historical Society
* Map of Door Count
articles on Wikipedia
{{authority control Populated places established in 1851 1851 establishments in Wisconsin