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Douglas County, Wisconsin

Coordinates: 46°27′N 91°55′W / 46.45°N 91.91°W / 46.45; -91.91
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Douglas County
County
Douglas County Courthouse in Superior in 2023.
Douglas County Courthouse in Superior in 2023.
Map of Wisconsin highlighting Douglas County
Location within the U.S. state of Wisconsin
Map of the United States highlighting Wisconsin
Wisconsin's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 46°27′N 91°55′W / 46.45°N 91.91°W / 46.45; -91.91
Country United States
State Wisconsin
FoundedFebruary 8, 1854
Named forStephen A. Douglas
SeatSuperior
Largest citySuperior
Area
 • Total
1,480 sq mi (3,800 km2)
 • Land1,304 sq mi (3,380 km2)
 • Water176 sq mi (460 km2)  12%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
44,295
 • Estimate 
(2023)
44,264 Decrease
 • Density30/sq mi (12/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district7th
Websitewww.douglascountywi.org

Douglas County is a county in the northwest corner of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 44,295 [1] Its county seat is Superior.[2] Douglas County is included in the Duluth, MN-WI Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

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Douglas County, named after Illinois Senator Stephen A. Douglas,[3][4] was established on February 8, 1854, from the larger La Pointe County, Wisconsin, and the City of Superior was immediately selected as the county seat.[5]

In Wisconsin's 1952 U.S. Senate primary, Douglas County was one of two counties (out of 71 in the state at the time) that Sen. Joe McCarthy did not carry.[6]

Geography

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According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 1,480 square miles (3,800 km2), of which 1,304 square miles (3,380 km2) is land and 176 square miles (460 km2) (12%) is water.[7]

Part of the Fond du Lac Indian Reservation is in Douglas County.

Adjacent counties

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Major highways

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Railroads

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Buses

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Airports

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National protected area

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Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1860812—
18701,12238.2%
1880655−41.6%
189013,4681,956.2%
190036,335169.8%
191047,42230.5%
192049,7715.0%
193046,583−6.4%
194047,1191.2%
195046,715−0.9%
196045,008−3.7%
197044,657−0.8%
198044,421−0.5%
199041,758−6.0%
200043,2873.7%
201044,1592.0%
202044,2950.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]
1790–1960[9] 1900–1990[10]
1990–2000[11] 2010–2020[12] 2020 census[13]

2020 census

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As of the census of 2020,[14] the population was 44,295. The population density was 34.0 people per square mile (13.1 people/km2). There were 22,906 housing units at an average density of 17.6 units per square mile (6.8 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 89.7% White, 1.8% Native American, 1.3% Black or African American, 0.6% Asian, 0.6% from other races, and 5.9% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 1.7% Hispanic or Latino of any race.

2010 census

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As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 44,159 people living in the county. 93.2% were White, 2.0% Native American, 1.1% Black or African American, 0.9% Asian, 0.2% of some other race and 2.7% of two or more races. 1.1% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race). 20.7% were of German, 11.2% Norwegian, 9.7% Swedish, 7.8% Irish, 6.4% Finnish and 6.1% Polish ancestry.[15]

2000 census

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2000 Census Age Pyramid for Douglas County

As of the census[16] of 2000, there were 43,287 people, 17,808 households, and 11,272 families living in the county. The population density was 33 people per square mile (13 people/km2). There were 20,356 housing units at an average density of 16 units per square mile (6.2 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 95.35% White, 0.57% Black or African American, 1.82% Native American, 0.63% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.20% from other races, and 1.41% from two or more races. 0.73% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 17.8% had German, 13.5% Norwegian, 11.5% Swedish, 8.5% Irish, 8.2% Finnish, 6.8% Polish and 5.1% United States or American ancestry. 96.7% spoke English and 1.2% Spanish as their first language.

There were 17,808 households, out of which 29.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.10% were married couples living together, 10.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.70% were non-families. 29.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.60% under the age of 18, 10.30% from 18 to 24, 28.00% from 25 to 44, 23.60% from 45 to 64, and 14.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 97.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.40 males.

In 2017, there were 413 births, giving a general fertility rate of 50.8 births per 1000 women aged 15–44, the seventh lowest rate out of all 72 Wisconsin counties.[17] Additionally, there were no reported induced abortions performed on women of Douglas County residence in 2017.[18]

Communities

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City

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Villages

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Towns

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Census-designated places

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Unincorporated communities

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Ghost towns

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  • Merriam
  • Millcrest
  • Morrison (Allouez) (annexed by the City of Superior)
  • New Bristol (Martinson)
  • Nutt
  • Pokegama Junction
  • Steele
  • Troy
  • Walbridge
  • Way
  • Wiehe

Politics

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Douglas County has one of the longest Democratic voting streaks in the nation in presidential elections; the last Republican presidential candidate to win Douglas County was Herbert Hoover in 1928. But in 2024, Donald Trump received the highest percentage of Douglas County's vote for a Republican since the county's Democratic streak began, signaling a new competitiveness in the county. In every presidential election between 1984 and 2000, the county was always the second-most Democratic in the state (behind only Native American-dominated Menominee County), before being surpassed by Dane County in 2004, and several others since 2008.

Douglas County also regularly supports Democratic candidates at the state level.

United States presidential election results for Douglas County, Wisconsin[19][20]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2024 11,732 46.50% 13,073 51.82% 425 1.68%
2020 10,923 44.26% 13,218 53.56% 536 2.17%
2016 9,661 42.87% 11,357 50.39% 1,518 6.74%
2012 7,705 33.66% 14,863 64.92% 326 1.42%
2008 7,835 32.56% 15,830 65.78% 401 1.67%
2004 8,448 33.54% 16,537 65.66% 202 0.80%
2000 6,930 31.93% 13,593 62.62% 1,183 5.45%
1996 5,167 27.79% 10,976 59.04% 2,448 13.17%
1992 5,679 25.52% 12,319 55.36% 4,255 19.12%
1988 6,440 31.49% 13,907 68.01% 102 0.50%
1984 7,066 32.92% 14,291 66.58% 107 0.50%
1980 7,258 34.24% 11,703 55.21% 2,238 10.56%
1976 6,999 33.40% 13,478 64.32% 479 2.29%
1972 8,419 42.58% 11,054 55.91% 298 1.51%
1968 5,656 29.59% 12,506 65.43% 953 4.99%
1964 4,579 23.08% 15,237 76.80% 23 0.12%
1960 8,307 39.06% 12,910 60.70% 53 0.25%
1956 9,183 44.79% 11,276 55.00% 43 0.21%
1952 9,677 45.40% 11,538 54.14% 98 0.46%
1948 6,252 32.48% 12,278 63.79% 718 3.73%
1944 7,132 35.20% 12,985 64.08% 146 0.72%
1940 7,695 32.72% 15,548 66.12% 272 1.16%
1936 5,079 22.92% 16,684 75.28% 400 1.80%
1932 7,888 41.63% 9,715 51.27% 1,346 7.10%
1928 11,280 61.20% 6,762 36.69% 390 2.12%
1924 5,887 39.14% 638 4.24% 8,514 56.61%
1920 7,250 67.53% 2,111 19.66% 1,375 12.81%
1916 3,007 43.57% 2,940 42.60% 955 13.84%
1912 730 14.22% 1,181 23.00% 3,223 62.78%
1908 3,509 55.88% 1,715 27.31% 1,056 16.82%
1904 4,564 72.94% 974 15.57% 719 11.49%
1900 4,450 63.85% 2,187 31.38% 333 4.78%
1896 4,274 61.45% 2,527 36.33% 154 2.21%
1892 2,967 50.66% 2,340 39.95% 550 9.39%

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "2020 Population and Housing State Data". The United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 108.
  4. ^ "Here's How Iron Got Its Name". The Rhinelander Daily News. June 16, 1932. p. 2. Retrieved August 24, 2014 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  5. ^ Douglas County: County History[permanent dead link‍]
  6. ^ "The Wisconsin Primary," Time, September 22, 1952
  7. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
  8. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
  9. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
  10. ^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
  11. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
  12. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 20, 2011. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
  13. ^ https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/douglascountywisconsin,US/PST120219 [dead link‍]
  14. ^ "2020 Decennial Census: Douglas County, Wisconsin". data.census.gov. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
  15. ^ ""American FactFinder"". Archived from the original on January 8, 2015. Retrieved January 8, 2015.
  16. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  17. ^ "Annual Wisconsin Birth and Infant Mortality Report, 2017 P-01161-19 (June 2019): Detailed Tables". Archived from the original on June 19, 2019. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
  18. ^ Reported Induced Abortions in Wisconsin, Office of Health Informatics, Division of Public Health, Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Section: Trend Information, 2013-2017, Table 18, pages 17-18
  19. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
  20. ^ https://www.douglascountywi.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/3785
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46°27′N 91°55′W / 46.45°N 91.91°W / 46.45; -91.91

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