Green Bay, WI
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Green Bay is a city in Brown County, Wisconsin, United States, and its
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
. It is located at the head of Green Bay (known locally as "the bay of Green Bay"), a sub-basin of
Lake Michigan Lake Michigan ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and depth () after Lake Superior and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the ...
at the mouth of the Fox River. Green Bay had a population of 107,395 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Wisconsin (after
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 ...
and Madison) and the third-most populous city on Lake Michigan (after
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 ...
and Milwaukee). The Green Bay metropolitan area covers Brown, Kewaunee, and Oconto counties and had a population of 320,050 in 2020. Green Bay was settled in 1634 by Jean Nicolet as a fur trading post in
New France New France (, ) was the territory colonized by Kingdom of France, France in North America, beginning with the exploration of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Kingdom of Great Br ...
. Its development was shaped by its location at the mouth of the Fox River and it emerged as a center for the lumber, shipping, and paper industries in the 19th and 20th centuries. In the contemporary period, Green Bay's economy encompasses manufacturing, healthcare, and service sectors. The city is widely recognized for its association with the
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
of the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
, a publicly owned franchise whose presence contributes significantly to the local economy and culture.


History

Samuel de Champlain Samuel de Champlain (; 13 August 1574#Fichier]For a detailed analysis of his baptismal record, see #Ritch, RitchThe baptism act does not contain information about the age of Samuel, neither his birth date nor his place of birth. – 25 December ...
, the founder of
New France New France (, ) was the territory colonized by Kingdom of France, France in North America, beginning with the exploration of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Kingdom of Great Br ...
, commissioned Jean Nicolet to form a peaceful alliance with Native Americans in the United States, Native Americans in the western areas, whose unrest interfered with the French fur trade, and to search for a shorter trade route to China through Canada. Nicolet and others had learned from other First Nations of the Ho-Chunk (Winnebago) people, who identified as "People of the Sea", and believed they must reside on or near an Ocean. Champlain had also heard about natural resources in the area, including fertile soil, forests, and animals. Nicolet began his journey for this new land shortly before winter in 1634.City of Green Bay. "City of Green Bay." www.ci.green-bay.wi.us. October 5, 2008 <> In what later became a French fur-trading route, he sailed up the
Ottawa River The Ottawa River (, ) is a river in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. It is named after the Algonquin word "to trade", as it was the major trade route of Eastern Canada at the time. For most of its length, it defines the border betw ...
, through
Lake Nipissing Lake Nipissing (; , ) is a lake in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. It has a surface area of , a mean elevation of above sea level, and is located between the Ottawa River and Georgian Bay. Lake Nipissing i ...
and down the French River to Lake Huron, then through the straits of Michilimackinac into Lake Michigan. He is believed to have landed at Red Banks, near the site of the modern-day city of Green Bay, Wisconsin.


From the trading post ''La Baie des Puants'' to the town ''La Baie verte''

Nicolet founded a small trading post here in 1634, originally named ''La Baye'' or ''La Baie des Puants'' (French for "the Bay of Stinking Waters"). Nicolet's settlement was one of the oldest European permanent settlements in America. When Nicolet arrived in the Green Bay area, he encountered the
Menominee The Menominee ( ; meaning ''"Menominee People"'', also spelled Menomini, derived from the Ojibwe language word for "Wild Rice People"; known as ''Mamaceqtaw'', "the people", in the Menominee language) are a federally recognized tribe of Na ...
, who occupied this territory. He also met the Ho-Chunk (also known as the Winnebago), a people who spoke a Siouan language. The Winnebago hunted and fished, and also cultivated corn, beans, squash, and tobacco. Wild rice, which they had incorporated as a dietary staple, grew in abundance along the riverbanks. The women regularly harvested and cooked this, along with a wide variety of nuts, berries, and edible roots which they gathered in the woods.City of Green Bay
The men typically hunted and fished for food, and the women processed game and other foods in cooking. They prepared and made clothing from the furs, as well as using other parts of animals to make tools, cord, etc. Women also had a role in the political process, as no action could be taken without agreement of half of the women. Nicolet stayed with this tribe for about a year, becoming an ally. He helped open up opportunities for trade and commerce with them before returning to Quebec. A few months after Nicolet returned to Quebec, Champlain died. His death halted other journeys to ''La Baie Verte'' (French for "The Green Bay"). Père Claude Allouez sent Nicolas Perrot to La Baie. After this, the French avoided the area for some decades, because of the intensity of First Nations and European conflicts in the east. In 1671, a
Jesuit The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
Mission was set up in the area. A fort was added in 1717 and gradually associated development took place. The town was incorporated in 1754. Great Britain took control of some French areas during the
Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War, 1756 to 1763, was a Great Power conflict fought primarily in Europe, with significant subsidiary campaigns in North America and South Asia. The protagonists were Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of Prus ...
, known as the
French and Indian War The French and Indian War, 1754 to 1763, was a colonial conflict in North America between Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of France, France, along with their respective Native Americans in the United States, Native American ...
in some areas of North America. They took control of this town in 1761. After the British defeated the French in 1763, France ceded its lands east of the Mississippi in North America. The first permanent settlers were Charles de Langlade and his family from Quebec, who moved to Green Bay in 1765. They are considered the first European settlers in the present-day state of Wisconsin. Langlade, called the "Founder and Father of Wisconsin", was a ''
métis The Métis ( , , , ) are a mixed-race Indigenous people whose historical homelands include Canada's three Prairie Provinces extending into parts of Ontario, British Columbia, the Northwest Territories and the northwest United States. They ha ...
'' or mixed-race, son of a French-Canadian father and an
Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...
woman. He grew up with his mother's family among the Ottawa people and became a war chief. The Ottawa were allies of the French during the
French and Indian War The French and Indian War, 1754 to 1763, was a colonial conflict in North America between Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of France, France, along with their respective Native Americans in the United States, Native American ...
, and Langlade is credited with planning the ambush of British General Braddock and
George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...
. His family was followed to Green Bay by the Grignons, Porliers and Lawes, who brought French-Canadian culture with them. Colorful "jack-knife Judge" Reaume dispensed British justice in the territory after Great Britain took it over following the war. These early ethnic French settlers set the tone for many who followed.


The British takeover

The British gradually took over Wisconsin during the
French and Indian War The French and Indian War, 1754 to 1763, was a colonial conflict in North America between Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of France, France, along with their respective Native Americans in the United States, Native American ...
, taking control of Green Bay in 1761 and gaining control of all of Wisconsin in 1763. Like the French, the British were interested in little but the fur trade. The first permanent settlers, mostly
French Canadian French Canadians, referred to as Canadiens mainly before the nineteenth century, are an ethnic group descended from French people, French colonists first arriving in Canada (New France), France's colony of Canada in 1608. The vast majority of ...
s, some Anglo-New Englanders and a few African American freedmen, arrived in Wisconsin while it was under British control. Charles Michel de Langlade is generally recognized as the first settler, establishing a trading post at Green Bay in 1745, and moving there permanently in 1764. Settlement began at Prairie du Chien around 1781. The French residents at the trading post in what is now Green Bay, referred to the town as "La Bey," however British fur traders referred to it as "Green Bay," because the water and the shore assumed green tints in early spring. The old French title was gradually dropped, and the British name of "Green Bay" stuck. The region coming under British rule had virtually no adverse effect on the French residents as the British needed the cooperation of the French fur traders and the French fur traders needed the goodwill of the British. During the French occupation of the region licenses for fur trading had been issued scarcely and only to select groups of traders, whereas the British, in an effort to make as much money as possible from the region, issued licenses for fur trading freely, both to British and French residents. The fur trade in what is now Wisconsin reached its height under British rule, and the first self-sustaining farms in the state were established as well. From 1763 to 1780, Green Bay was a prosperous community which produced its own foodstuff, built graceful cottages and held dances and festivities. In 1791, two free African Americans set up a fur trading post among the Menominee at present day Marinette.


After independence

The Green Bay area was still under British control until the 1783 treaty formally ended the
American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...
. Following the
War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...
, which in part was over disputes related to the border with Canada, the United States built Fort Howard on the Fox River in 1816 to protect its northern border. Doty, Whitney, Arndt, Baird and Martin were among the many British-American settlers whose numbers pushed French culture into the background. The
Erie Canal The Erie Canal is a historic canal in upstate New York that runs east–west between the Hudson River and Lake Erie. Completed in 1825, the canal was the first navigability, navigable waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, ...
was completed in 1825, linking New England with the Great Lakes. This led to the advance of Green Bay as a trading center. The end of the
Black Hawk War The Black Hawk War was a conflict between the United States and Native Americans in the United States, Native Americans led by Black Hawk (Sauk leader), Black Hawk, a Sauk people, Sauk leader. The war erupted after Black Hawk and a group of ...
in 1832 also gave impetus to settlement of the region. Most of the settlers were farmers from New England who began using the Erie Canal to pour into Wisconsin. As more and more New England settlers arrived, Green Bay developed into a trading center for this population. Wisconsin's first newspaper, ''The Green Bay Intelligencer'', was started in 1833 by
Albert Ellis Albert Ellis (September 27, 1913 – July 24, 2007) was an American psychologist and psychotherapist who founded rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT). He held MA and PhD degrees in clinical psychology from Columbia University, and was cer ...
and John V. Suydam. The borough of Green Bay, created in 1838, is the center of the present-day city. The borough combined the town of Astor (a company town of the American Fur Company) with Navarino, platted by Daniel Whitney. Before Wisconsin became a state in 1848, its commerce was based on the
fur trade The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of a world fur market in the early modern period, furs of boreal ecosystem, boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals h ...
, which became dominated by John Jacob Astor's American Fur Company. After statehood, there was a shift away from fur trading toward lumbering. "For a short time in 1860s and 1870s, iron smelting in charcoal kilns rivaled the timber industry while the port handled increasing amounts of fuel, feed, and lumber. Today's major local industry had its start in 1865 when the first paper mill was built." By 1850 the town had a population of 1,923. The town was incorporated as the city of Green Bay in 1854. The Green Bay Area Public School District was founded in 1856. Throughout the 1850s, word spread of America's cheap land and good soil, bringing in an influx of Belgian people, German, Scandinavian, Irish and Dutch immigrants, each adding to the culture. The greatest concentration of newcomers came from Belgium. They cleared the land to farm and build their homes. The railroad arrived in the 1860s. The three railroads that would reach Green Bay were the Chicago & North Western (C&NW), SOO Line, (SOO), and the Milwaukee Road (MILW). These railroads were highways which allowed people and products to travel all over the state, increasing business and trade opportunities. The area was able to grow and enrich itself with the use of the plentiful timber resources. This led to the paper industry becoming the major employer in Green Bay, and opened up the port for international trade. Large numbers of Belgians immigrated to Green Bay in the thirty-year period between 1880 and 1910. Significant numbers of English immigrants, many having lived first in Canada, also moved to Green Bay during this period, usually arriving as large families. There was also a small Dutch community in Green Bay at this time. Green Bay had a larger portion of first generation immigrants from France than any other city in Wisconsin at this time as well. The
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
, an American Football team, were founded in 1918 have been a member of the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
since 1921, the only remaining "small town" team in any of the " big four" major league sports leagues. In 1934, President
Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...
came to Green Bay to honor its tercentenary. By 1950, the city had a population of 52,735. In 1964, the Town of Preble was consolidated with the city of Green Bay.


Geography

Green Bay is in the eastern part of Wisconsin at the mouth of the Fox River. Today, Interstate 43 meets Interstate 41 (also U.S. Route 41) in Green Bay, approximately north 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 ...
. According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. About 14% of the city of Green Bay is inside the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin reservation.


Climate

Green Bay 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 ...
(
Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
''Dfb''), with some moderation due to the city's proximity to
Lake Michigan Lake Michigan ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and depth () after Lake Superior and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the ...
. Like other cities with this type of climate, there are four distinct
season A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's axial tilt, tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperat ...
s, often with severe or extreme variation between them in terms of temperature and precipitation. Green Bay experiences warm, humid summers and cold, snowy winters. The variance in temperature and precipitation between months is severe and often extreme.
Tornado A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with the surface of Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, although the ...
es are rare in the Green Bay area, with the strongest being an F3 tornado that hit the community of Pittsfield on June 26, 1969. Monthly mean temperatures range from in January to in July. In July, the warmest month, the average high temperature is . There are 6.1 days of + highs, 68 days where the high remains at or below freezing, and 19 days with sub- lows annually. From December to February, even during thaws, the temperature rarely reaches . Extremes have ranged from on January 21, 1888, to on July 13, 1936. The wettest month in Green Bay is August, when of precipitation falls, mostly in the form of rainfall from
thunderstorm A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm or a lightning storm, is a storm characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustics, acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere, known as thunder. Relatively weak thunderstorm ...
s. The driest month in Green Bay is February, when the majority of precipitation falls as low moisture-content snow due to cold, dry air. On average, of precipitation falls in February.


Demographics


2020 census

As of the census of 2020, the population was 107,395. 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 45,789 housing units at an average density of . Ethnically, the population was 17.9%
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. When grouping both Hispanic and non-Hispanic people together by race, the city was 66.6%
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 ...
, 5.5%
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 ...
, 4.4% Asian, 4.4% Native American, 0.1%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, 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 th ...
, 8.4% from other races, and 10.6% from two or more races. The 2020 census population of the city included 779 people incarcerated in adult correctional facilities and 1,783 people in student housing. According to the
American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...
estimates for 2016–2020, the median income for a household in the city was $52,214, and the median income for a family was $65,993. Male full-time workers had a median income of $45,365 versus $37,466 for female workers. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the city was $28,092. About 12.3% of families and 15.5% 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 ...
, including 20.5% of those under age 18 and 9.9% of those age 65 or over. Of the population age 25 and over, 87.5% were high school graduates or higher and 24.4% had a bachelor's degree or higher.


2010 census

As of the
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2010, there were 104,057 people, 42,244 households, and 24,699 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 45,241 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 77.9%
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 ...
, 3.5%
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 ...
, 4.1% Native American, 4.0% Asian, 0.1%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, 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 th ...
, 7.2% from other races, and 3.1% from two or more races.
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 residents of any race were 13.4% of the population. There were 42,244 households, of which 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.4% were married couples living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.5% were non-families. 32.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 3.06. The median age in the city was 33.7 years. 24.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.7% were from 25 to 44; 24.5% were from 45 to 64; and 11.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.4% male and 50.6% female.


2000 census

As of the
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2000, there were 102,313 people, 41,591 households, and 24,663 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 43,123 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 85.9%
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 ...
, 1.4%
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 ...
, 3.3% Native American, 3.8% Asian, <0.1%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, 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 th ...
, 3.7% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races.
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 residents of any race were 7.1% of the population. There were 41,591 households, of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.1% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.7% were non-families. About 31.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 3.06. In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 25.4% under the age of 18, 11.6% from 18 to 24, 31.7% from 25 to 44, 19.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.8 males. The median income for a household in the city was $38,820, and the median income for a family was $48,678. Males had a median income of $33,246 versus $23,825 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the city was $19,269. About 7.4% of families and 10.5% 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 ...
, including 12.7% of those under the age of 18 and 9.2% of those 65 and older.


Religion

In 2000, the American Religion Data Archive reported Green Bay to be predominantly Catholic (71.5%), with
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 ...
s composing an additional 16.4%. The remaining 12% is almost entirely made-up of other Protestant denominations. The city is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Green Bay. The Saint Francis Xavier Cathedral is the mother church of the Diocese which is in the province of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. The Saint Joseph Oratory is in Green Bay. St. Mary of the Angels Church and Monastery is also located in the city. 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 Christian theology, theologically conservative, it was founded ...
has four churches in Green Bay: St. Paul Lutheran Church, First Evangelical Lutheran Church, Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church, and Messiah Lutheran Church. Christ the King Lutheran Church is a church of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod in Green Bay. There are two Kingdom Halls of
Jehovah's Witnesses Jehovah's Witnesses is a Christian denomination that is an outgrowth of the Bible Student movement founded by Charles Taze Russell in the nineteenth century. The denomination is nontrinitarian, millenarian, and restorationist. Russell co-fou ...
in the city, hosting 4 English congregations and a Spanish congregation. The Islamic Society of Wisconsin, Green Bay serves the Islamic community. The Green Bay Area Unitarian Universalist Fellowship is in the city. Congregation Cnesses Israel Temple, serving the area's Jewish population, is on the city's east side.


Ethnic communities

Per the 2022
American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...
five-year estimates, the Hmong American population was 2,822. Per the 2022 American Community Survey five-year estimates, the
German American German Americans (, ) are Americans who have full or partial German ancestry. According to the United States Census Bureau's figures from 2022, German Americans make up roughly 41 million people in the US, which is approximately 12% of the pop ...
population was 29,352, and the
Mexican American Mexican Americans are Americans of full or partial Mexico, Mexican descent. In 2022, Mexican Americans comprised 11.2% of the US population and 58.9% of all Hispanic and Latino Americans. In 2019, 71% of Mexican Americans were born in the Unite ...
population was 14,265 comprising over 75% of the city's Latino population.


Economy


Industry

Green Bay was known as the "Toilet Paper Capital of the World" because of the prevalence of the paper industry in the city. Northern Paper Company, Fort Howard Paper Company, and Hoberg Paper Company were among Green Bay's first paper companies. Northern Paper Mills, founded in Green Bay in 1901, became the largest producer of toilet paper in the world as Northern Tissue in 1920. Northern Paper Company offered the first splinter-free
toilet paper Toilet paper (sometimes called toilet/bath/bathroom tissue, or toilet roll) is a tissue paper product primarily used to clean the human anus, anus and surrounding region of Human feces, feces (after defecation), and to clean the external gen ...
in the early 1930s. The presence of the paper industry helped Green Bay avoid the worst effects of the
Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
. Today, major paper producers include
Georgia-Pacific Georgia-Pacific LLC is an American pulp and paper company based in Atlanta, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, and is one of the world's largest manufacturers and distributors of Tissue paper, tissue, Pulp (paper), pulp, paper, toilet and paper towe ...
and
Procter & Gamble The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) is an American multinational consumer goods corporation headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble. It specializes in a wide range of personal health/con ...
, with niche companies such as Steen-Macek Paper Company. Among the earliest packing companies in Green Bay were Acme Packing Company and Indian Packing Company, the namesake of the
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
. Today, major meatpackers in the city include JBS S.A. (formerly Packerland Packing) and American Foods Group.


Largest employers

As of 2021, the largest employers in the city were: Other major employers include JBS USA, Green Bay Packaging,
Walmart Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores in the United States and 23 other ...
, Associated Banc-Corp, Belmark Inc, Green Bay Area Public School District, Expert Global Solutions,
Procter & Gamble The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) is an American multinational consumer goods corporation headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble. It specializes in a wide range of personal health/con ...
, Schreiber Foods, the
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
, Nature's Way, HJ Martin and Son, and Nicolet National Bank. Séura, a manufacturer of
mirrors A mirror, also known as a looking glass, is an object that reflects an image. Light that bounces off a mirror forms an image of whatever is in front of it, which is then focused through the lens of the eye or a camera. Mirrors reverse the ...
and flatscreen TVs, is another notable employer.


Arts and culture

The Meyer Theatre, The Tarlton Theatre, and the Hotel Northland are on 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 ...
. The Northland was once the largest hotel in Wisconsin. The Green Bay Film Festival celebrates local and international filmmakers at The Tarlton Theatre, its home venue. Daddy D Productions performs at Riverside Ballroom and Let Me Be Frank Productions performs at the Meyer Theatre. The Civic Symphony of Green Bay performs at the Meyer Theatre, its home venue. The Green Bay Jazz Orchestra performs at The Tarlton Theatre, its home venue. The former Green Bay Symphony Orchestra disbanded after their 2014–2015 season, after performing for over 100 years, citing financial difficulties. Performance venues in Green Bay include Lambeau Field, Resch Center, Weidner Center, Meyer Theatre, and The Tarlton Theatre. The Art Garage and the Automotive Gallery are art galleries in the downtown area. Museums in the city include the Neville Public Museum and the Hazelwood Historic House Museum. The National Railroad Museum is a railroad museum located in the suburb of Ashwaubenon. Every summer, the downtown area plays host to ArtStreet, an art festival featuring studio displays, demonstrations, and live entertainment. Dine on the Deck is an event that allows patrons to dine on the CityDeck and features dishes from local restaurants. Taste on Broadway has live entertainment and dishes served by local restaurants who compete for awards. Artour brings all-original songwriters to downtown area venues. IgNight hosts artisans, interactive art demonstrations, live entertainment, and life-size games. The Shipyard District hosts the annual All Bands On Deck live music festival with bands at downtown bars and restaurants and free shuttles between venues. The Broadway District hosts a farmer's market every Wednesday from May to October.


Points of interest

* Bay Beach Amusement Park * Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary * The Broadway District * City Stadium, former home of the Packers * Cofrin Memorial Arboretum * Fox River State Recreational Trail * Green Bay Botanical Garden * Joannes Stadium * Lambeau Field, home of the Green Bay Packers * Meyer Theatre * National Railroad Museum * Neville Public Museum of Brown County * Northeast Wisconsin Technical College * Packers Heritage Trail * Resch Center, home of the Green Bay Blizzard and Green Bay Gamblers * The Shipyard District * The Tarlton Theatre, home of the Green Bay Film Festival * Weidner Center


Shopping

Green Bay has one enclosed shopping mall, East Town Mall, located within the city limits. The Bay Park Square shopping mall is located in the suburb of Ashwaubenon. The city was home to the first Shopko discount department store; it closed on April 22, 2019.


Public libraries

The Brown County Library (BCL) Central Branch is located in downtown Green Bay and has served as the county public library since 1968. The Central Branch is the headquarters for the BCL system, which encompasses all public libraries in Brown County, including eight branch libraries and a bookmobile that regularly visits locations throughout the county. In 1994, the Brown County Library was named Wisconsin Library of the Year.


Notable buildings


Sports

Other major sporting events in Green Bay include the Bellin Run and the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon.


Government

Green Bay is governed by a mayor and a city council. The mayor is elected in a citywide vote. The city council consists of 12 members each elected from districts. Green Bay is represented by Tony Wied (R) in the
United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...
, and by Ron Johnson (R) and
Tammy Baldwin Tammy Suzanne Green Baldwin (born February 11, 1962) is an American politician and lawyer serving since 2013 as the Seniority in the United States Senate, junior United States senator from Wisconsin. A member of the Democratic Party (United Stat ...
(D) in the
United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...
. Jamie Wall (D) and Eric Wimberger (R) represent Green Bay in the
Wisconsin State Senate The Wisconsin Senate is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature. Together with the Wisconsin State Assembly they constitute the legislative branch of the state of Wisconsin. The powers of the Wisconsin Senate are modeled after those o ...
, and Amaad Rivera-Wagner (D), Ryan Spaude (D), and Ben Franklin (R) represent Green Bay in the
Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The Assembly is controlled by the Republican ...
.


Education

Green Bay is served by the Green Bay Area Public School District, which covers almost all of its area.
Text list
/ref> It operates twenty-five elementary schools, two K–8 schools, four middle schools, four high schools, and one alternative school in the city and surrounding area. Two of the city's high schools, East High School and West High School, have Wisconsin's longest consecutively-played high school football rivalry, played since 1905. Private schools in Green Bay include Notre Dame de la Baie Academy, Northeastern Wisconsin Lutheran High School, and Bay City Baptist School.


Higher education

Green Bay area colleges and universities: * Bellin College of Nursing * Concordia University Wisconsin, Green Bay Center * College of Menominee Nation * Lakeland College, Green Bay Center * Medical College of Wisconsin – Green Bay campus * Northeast Wisconsin Technical College * Rasmussen College * University of Wisconsin-Green Bay


Media

Green Bay is served by the '' Green Bay Press-Gazette'' and ''The Press Times'', a locally published weekly newspaper introduced in March 2019. Another local newspaper, the '' Green Bay News-Chronicle'', ceased publication in 2005. Television stations in Green Bay are WBAY (2), (ABC); WFRV (5), ( CBS); WLUK (11), ( FOX); WCWF (14), ( CW); WGBA (26), ( NBC); WMEI (31), ( MeTV); WMEI (31.6), ( TMD); WACY (32), (
IND Ind or IND may refer to: General * Independent (politician), a politician not affiliated to any political party * Independent station, used within television program listings and the television industry for a station that is not affiliated with ...
); and WPNE (38), ( PBS).


Infrastructure


Transportation


Railroads

From 1896 to 1993 the city was the headquarters of the Green Bay and Western Railroad. In 1993, the line was purchased by the Wisconsin Central. In 2001, the WC was merged into the
Canadian National Railway The Canadian National Railway Company () is a Canadian Class I freight railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, which serves Canada and the Midwestern and Southern United States. CN is Canada's largest railway, in terms of both revenue a ...
. The Chicago and North Western Railway also served Green Bay and its depot still stands. Green Bay was last served with a regular passenger train, the CNW's '' Peninsula 400,'' in 1971. The CNW sold its trackage from Green Bay south to Sheboygan in 1987 to the Fox River Valley Railroad, which became part of the WC in 1993. Green Bay also saw passenger service from the
Milwaukee Road The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (CMStP&P), better known as the Milwaukee Road , was a Class I railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States, Midwest and Pacific Northwest, Northwest of the United States from 1847 ...
's Chippewa-Hiawatha, which ran from Chicago via the Milwaukee Road depot into the
upper peninsula of Michigan The Upper Peninsula of Michigan—also known as Upper Michigan or colloquially the U.P. or Yoop—is the northern and more elevated of the two major landmasses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan; it is separated from the Lower Peninsula of ...
. Green Bay is also served by the Escanaba and Lake Superior Railroad. Currently there is no passenger rail service to Green Bay, but there is a proposal to bring
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 intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
train service by extending the route of the ''
Hiawatha Hiawatha ( , also : ), also known as Ayenwatha or Aiionwatha, was a precolonial Native American leader and cofounder of the Iroquois Confederacy. He was a leader of the Onondaga people, the Mohawk people, or both. According to some accounts, he ...
'', which currently goes from Chicago to Milwaukee, north to Green Bay.


Airport

Green Bay is served by Green Bay–Austin Straubel International Airport, located in Ashwaubenon just west of the city.


Highways

* I-43 Northbound terminates at the northwestern side of Green Bay. Southbound continues to Manitowoc and
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 ...
. * I-41 Northbound terminates at the northwestern side of Green Bay. Southbound continues to Appleton and Milwaukee. * US 41 travels towards Marinette, and south concurrently with I-41. * US 141 begins east of Green Bay in Bellevue, and continues north towards Crivitz and
Iron Mountain, Michigan Iron Mountain is a city in and the county seat of Dickinson County, Michigan. The population was 7,518 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, down from 7,624 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. Located in the state's Upper Penin ...
. * WIS 29 travels east towards Kewaunee, and west towards Shawano and Wausau. *
WIS 32 State Trunk Highway 32 (often called Highway 32, STH-32 or WIS 32) is a state highway (US), state highway in the U.S. state of Wisconsin that runs north–south in the eastern part of the state. It runs from the Illinois border (at Illinois Route ...
travels north towards Pulaski, and south towards Chilton and Milwaukee. * WIS 54 travels east to Algoma, and west towards Seymour. * WIS 57 travels north towards Sturgeon Bay, and south towards Milwaukee. * WIS 172 begins at I-43 in Bellevue and travels west to
Hobart Hobart ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the island state of Tasmania, Australia. Located in Tasmania's south-east on the estuary of the River Derwent, it is the southernmost capital city in Australia. Despite containing nearly hal ...
.


Transit

Green Bay Metro provides mass transit bus service throughout Green Bay and the surrounding suburbs. Amtrak Thruway, Indian Trails, Lamers Bus Lines, and Wisconsin Coach Lines provide intercity transportation from the central Green Bay Metro station which is downtown.


=Via on-demand transit

= In April 2020, Green Bay Metro partnered with
Via Transportation Via Transportation, Inc. is a technology company that provides software as a service (SaaS) and operations to improve public transportation networks for cities, transit agencies, schools and universities, healthcare providers, and corporations a ...
to launc
GBM Paratransit
a service for riders with disabilities who are not accommodated by tradition fixed route transit. To qualify for the service,
paratransit Paratransit (also community transport in the United Kingdom, or intermediate public transport) is a type of public transport service that supplements fixed-route mass transit by providing individualized rides without fixed routes or timetables. P ...
riders must complete a
eligibility application
on the Green Bay Metro website. After receiving an application, service operators will respond within 21 days to communicate the rider's eligibility status. Users can download the GBM Paratransit app or call the service directly to schedule a ride. After the success of GBM Paratransit, Green Bay Metro partnered with
Via Transportation Via Transportation, Inc. is a technology company that provides software as a service (SaaS) and operations to improve public transportation networks for cities, transit agencies, schools and universities, healthcare providers, and corporations a ...
again in August 2020 to launch GBM On Demand, the first micro-transit service in the state of Wisconsin. While GBM Paratransit requires a
application
and caters to users with disabilities are not accommodated by traditional fixed route transit, GBM On Demand is accessible to everyone. GBM On Demand complements existing infrastructure with easy and affordable shared rides near residential neighborhoods, transit hubs an
various destinations
Users request a ride through the mobile app ''GBM On Demand'' or by phone. All on demand rides are ADA accessible and are the same price as the traditional Green Bay Metro bus fare. Riders can pay for the service directly through the app with a credit card, cash or their Metro day, weekly or monthly pass. The daytime service operates M–F 5:45am–8:45pm and Saturday 7:45am–3:45pm and the nighttime service operates M–F 8:45pm–10:45 pm.


Water

Green Bay is served by the Port of Green Bay. The port handled 1.99 million tons of cargo in 2015. The primary shipments into and out of the port include coal, limestone, salt, and cement.


Utilities


Electricity

Green Bay is served by Wisconsin Public Service Corporation. The J. P. Pulliam Generating Station has been demolished and no longer operates within the city.


Water

Water service is provided to the city by the Green Bay Water Utility. Sewer service is provided by the Green Bay Metropolitan Sewerage District, also known as NEW Water.


Health care

Green Bay is the headquarters of Bellin Health and Prevea Health, regional
health care Health care, or healthcare, is the improvement or maintenance of health via the preventive healthcare, prevention, diagnosis, therapy, treatment, wikt:amelioration, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other disability, physic ...
providers. Green Bay is home to four hospitals: Aurora Baycare Medical Center, Bellin Hospital, St. Mary's Hospital Medical Center, and St. Vincent Hospital. Green Bay is also home to the Milo C. Huempfner VA Outpatient Clinic, and Bellin Psychiatric Center and Willow Creek Behavioral Health, the city's two
psychiatric hospital A psychiatric hospital, also known as a mental health hospital, a behavioral health hospital, or an asylum is a specialized medical facility that focuses on the treatment of severe Mental disorder, mental disorders. These institutions cater t ...
s.


Law enforcement

The Green Bay Police Department was established in on August 27, 1857, when the Green Bay Police Corps was established, and Henry Baird was named Chief of Police.


Notable people


Sister city

*
Irapuato Irapuato is a Mexican city and municipalities of Mexico, municipality located at the foot of the Arandas Hill (in Spanish Language, Spanish: ''Cerro de Arandas''), in the central region of the Mexican state, state of Guanajuato. It lies between the ...
,
Guanajuato Guanajuato, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Guanajuato, is one of the 32 states that make up the Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into Municipalities of Guanajuato, 46 municipalities and its cap ...
, Mexico (since 2006)


Notes


References


External links

*
Greater Green Bay Convention & Visitor Bureau
* Sanborn fire insurance maps
18831887189419001907
{{Authority control Cities in Brown County, Wisconsin Cities in Wisconsin Wisconsin populated places on Lake Michigan Inland port cities and towns in Wisconsin County seats in Wisconsin History of the Green Bay Packers Green Bay metropolitan area Populated places established in 1634 Belgian-American culture in Wisconsin 1634 establishments in the French colonial empire