Founded 1848 Time zone Central: UTC-6/-5 Area 1,500 km² County seat Oshkosh Unemployment rate 4.0% (Apr 2015) | Largest city Oshkosh Website www.co.winnebago.wi.us Population 169,541 (2013) Congressional districts 6th, 8th | |
 | ||
Colleges and Universities University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh, University of Wisconsin–Fox Valley Destinations Appleton, Oshkosh, Neenah, Lake Winnebago, Winneconne | ||
Winnebago County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2010 census, the population was 166,994. Its county seat is Oshkosh.
Contents
- Map of Winnebago County WI USA
- History
- Geography
- Adjacent counties
- Airport
- Demographics
- Government
- Cities
- Villages
- Census designated places
- Ghost towns
- References
Map of Winnebago County, WI, USA
Winnebago County comprises the Oshkosh-Neenah, WI Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Appleton-Oshkosh-Neenah, WI Combined Statistical Area.
History
Winnebago County was created in 1840 and organized in 1848. The name Winnebago is of Algonquin origin and means 'people dwelling by the fetid or ill-smelling water', which may refer to a sulfur spring. The county seat, Oshkosh, was incorporated as a city in 1853, when it already had a population of nearly 2,800.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 579 square miles (1,500 km2), of which 434 square miles (1,120 km2) is land and 144 square miles (370 km2) (25%) is water.
Adjacent counties
Airport
Wittman Regional Airport (KOSH) serves the county and surrounding communities.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 156,763 people, 61,157 households, and 39,568 families residing in the county. The population density was 357 per square mile (138/km2). There were 64,721 housing units at an average density of 148 per square mile (57/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 94.92% White, 1.12% Black or African American, 0.46% Native American, 1.84% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.72% from other races, and 0.92% from two or more races. 1.96% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 52.4% were of German, 6.2% Irish and 5.7% Polish ancestry according to Census 2000. 94.6% spoke English, 2.5% Spanish and 1.0% Hmong as their first language.
There were 61,157 households out of which 31.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.00% were married couples living together, 8.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.30% were non-families. 27.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.99.
By age, 23.80% of the population was under 18, 11.80% from 18 to 24, 30.40% from 25 to 44, 21.50% from 45 to 64, and 12.50% were 65 or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 99.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.80 males.
Government
Winnebago County is governed by the 36-member Winnebago County Board of Supervisors. Supervisors are elected to the board in a nonpartisan election held the first Tuesday of April in even numbered years and serve two-year terms. The board has several committees. It meets on the third Tuesday of each month at the Winnebago County Courthouse in Oshkosh.
Winnebago County has become a swing county in recent decades. It has voted for the winning presidential candidate in every election since 1980, except in 1992 when it supported George Bush.