Iron County, Wisconsin

{{Infobox U.S. county

| county = Iron County

| state = Wisconsin

| ex image = 2009-0617-OldIronCtyCourthouse-Hurley.jpg

| ex image size = 220px

| ex image cap = The Old Iron County Courthouse (now the Iron County Historical Museum) in Hurley, Wisconsin.

| seal =

| founded year = 1893

| founded date =

| seat wl = Hurley

| largest city wl = Hurley

| area_total_sq_mi = 919

| area_land_sq_mi = 758

| area_water_sq_mi = 161

| area percentage = 18

| population_as_of = 2020

| population_total = 6137

| pop_est_as_of = 2023

| population_est = 6228 {{gain}}

| population_density_sq_mi = 8.1

| population_footnotes =

| time zone = Central

| footnotes =

| web = www.co.iron.wi.gov

| named for = Iron ore

| district = 7th

}}

Iron County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 6,137, making it the third-least populous county in Wisconsin. Its county seat is Hurley.{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |access-date=June 7, 2011 |title=Find a County |publisher=National Association of Counties |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |archive-date=May 31, 2011 }} It was named for the valuable iron ore found within its borders.{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ | title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States | publisher=Govt. Print. Off. | author=Gannett, Henry | year=1905 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ/page/n155 166]}}{{cite news|title=Here's How Iron Got Its Name |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/909510/wisconsin_county_names/|newspaper=The Rhinelander Daily News|date=June 16, 1932|page=2|via = Newspapers.com|access-date = August 24, 2014}} {{Open access}} The county overlaps with small parts of the Bad River and Lac du Flambeau Indian reservations. The county is considered a high-recreation retirement destination by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/county-typology-codes/descriptions-and-maps |access-date=April 16, 2025 |title=County Typology Codes - Descriptions and Maps |publisher=USDA}}

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of {{convert|919|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|758|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|161|sqmi}} (18%) is water.{{cite web|url=http://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/counties_list_55.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=August 5, 2015|date=August 22, 2012|title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files}}

=Adjacent counties=

Vilas County - east, southeast
Price County - southwest
Ashland County - west
Gogebic County, Michigan - northeast

=Major highways=

valign=top

= County Highways =

{{jct|state=WI|CR|A|county1=Iron}}
{{jct|state=WI|CR|B|county1=Iron}}
{{jct|state=WI|CR|C|county1=Iron}}
{{jct|state=WI|CR|CC|county1=Iron}}
{{jct|state=WI|CR|D|county1=Iron}}
{{jct|state=WI|CR|FF|county1=Iron}}
{{jct|state=WI|CR|G|county1=Iron}}
{{jct|state=WI|CR|H|county1=Iron}}
{{jct|state=WI|CR|J|county1=Iron}}

=Railroads=

Watco

=Buses=

=Airport=

KIWD - Gogebic-Iron County Airport – Commercial air service is available.

Demographics

{{US Census population

|1900= 6616

|1910= 8306

|1920= 10261

|1930= 9933

|1940= 10049

|1950= 8714

|1960= 7830

|1970= 6533

|1980= 6730

|1990= 6153

|2000= 6861

|2010= 5916

|2020= 6137

|estref={{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/technical-documentation/research/evaluation-estimates/2020-evaluation-estimates/2010s-counties-total.html/|title=County Population Totals: 2010-2020|access-date=June 20, 2021}}

|align-fn=center

|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=U.S. Decennial Census|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=August 5, 2015}}
1790–1960{{cite web|url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu|title=Historical Census Browser|publisher=University of Virginia Library|access-date=August 5, 2015}} 1900–1990{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/wi190090.txt|title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990|publisher=United States Census Bureau|editor-last=Forstall|editor-first=Richard L.|date=March 27, 1995|access-date=August 5, 2015}}
1990–2000{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live|title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000|publisher=United States Census Bureau|date=April 2, 2001|access-date=August 5, 2015}} 2010{{cite web|title=State & County QuickFacts|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/55/55051.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=January 21, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606160614/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/55/55051.html|archive-date=June 6, 2011}} 2020

}}

=2020 census=

As of the census of 2020,{{cite web|title=2020 Decennial Census: Iron County, Wisconsin |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=0500000US55051&y=2020&d=DEC%20Redistricting%20Data%20%28PL%2094-171%29 |website=data.census.gov |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=July 13, 2022}} the population was 6,137. The population density was {{convert|8.1|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people |people|}}. There were 5,523 housing units at an average density of {{convert|7.3|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units |units|}}. The racial makeup of the county was 95.0% White, 1.1% Native American, 0.3% Black or African American, 0.2% Asian, 0.7% from other races, and 2.8% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 1.2% Hispanic or Latino of any race.

=2010 census=

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 5,916 people living in the county. 97.9% were White, 0.6% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% Black or African American, 0.2% of some other race and 0.9% of two or more races. 0.6% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race). 22.9% were of German, 13.7% Italian, 12.6% Finnish, 8.2% Polish, 6.6% American and 5.4% Irish ancestry.{{Cite web |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/index.xhtml |title="American FactFinder" |access-date=January 8, 2015 |archive-date=January 8, 2015 |archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20150108070337/http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/index.xhtml |url-status=dead }}

=2000 census=

As of the census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=May 14, 2011|title=U.S. Census website}} of 2000, there were 6,861 people, 3,083 households, and 1,960 families living in the county. The population density was {{convert|9|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people |people|}}. There were 5,706 housing units at an average density of {{convert|8|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units |units|}}. The racial makeup of the county was 98.28% White, 0.09% Black or African American, 0.60% Native American, 0.13% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.06% from other races, and 0.80% from two or more races. 0.66% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 20.9% were of German, 18.6% Italian, 15.2% Finnish, 9.3% Polish and 6.4% Irish ancestry. 97.1% spoke English as their first language.

There were 3,083 households, out of which 22.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.00% were married couples living together, 7.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.40% were non-families. 32.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.74.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 19.40% under the age of 18, 5.90% from 18 to 24, 24.70% from 25 to 44, 26.80% from 45 to 64, and 23.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 96.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.80 males.

In 2017, there were 34 births, giving a general fertility rate of 46.1 births per 1000 women aged 15–44, the 2nd lowest rate out of 72 Wisconsin counties. 13 of the births were to unmarried mothers, 21 were to married mothers.{{Cite web |url=https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/publication/p01161-2019-tb.xlsx |title=Annual Wisconsin Birth and Infant Mortality Report, 2017 P-01161-19 (June 2019): Detailed Tables |access-date=June 19, 2019 |archive-date=June 19, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190619175940/https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/publication/p01161-2019-tb.xlsx |url-status=dead }} Additionally, there were no reported induced abortions performed on women of Iron County residence in 2017.[https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/publications/p45360-17.pdf 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

Communities

File:Iron County Wisconsin Sign Looking West US51.jpg

=Cities=

Hurley (county seat)
Montreal

=Towns=

=Census-designated places=

=Unincorporated communities=

Historical sites

The National Register of Historic Places lists the following historic sites in Iron County:{{Cite web|url=https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/NationalRegister/NR1905|title=STH 77 {{!}} National or State Registers Record|date=January 1, 2012|website=Wisconsin Historical Society|access-date=March 10, 2020}}{{Cite web|url=https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/3e145331-ea00-47ae-ba37-d7b8344b2378|title=National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet|date=April 17, 1997|website=NPGallery|access-date=March 10, 2020}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/NationalRegister/NR164|title=S of Hurley {{!}} National or State Registers Record|date=January 1, 2012|website=Wisconsin Historical Society|access-date=March 10, 2020}}{{Cite book|last=American Association for State and Local History. United States. National Park Service, issuing body. National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers.|title=National Register of Historic Places, 1966-1994 : cumulative list through January 1, 1994.|isbn=0-89133-254-5|oclc=40135121}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/NationalRegister/NR14|title=0.25 mi. W of jct. of Plummer Mine Rd. and STH 77 {{!}} National or State Registers Record|date=January 1, 2012|website=Wisconsin Historical Society|access-date=March 10, 2020}}

class="wikitable"

!Site

!Area of significance

!Year added

Annala Round Barn

|Architecture, agriculture

|1979

Montreal Company Location Historic District

|Landscape architecture, community planning and development, industry

|1980

Old Iron County Courthouse

|Politics/government, architecture

|1977

Plummer Mine Headframe

|Engineering, industry

|1997

Springstead

|Architecture, exploration/settlement

|1997

Politics

{{PresHead|place=Iron County, Wisconsin|source={{Cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|last=Leip|first=David|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=November 9, 2020}}}}

{{PresRow|1924|Progressive (Wisconsin)|1,058|84|1,492|Wisconsin}}

From 1928 to 1996, Iron County voted Democratic in presidential elections, the only exception being Richard Nixon's landslide in 1972. In 2000, George W. Bush became only the second Republican since 1920 to carry Iron County despite narrowly losing the national popular vote, and the county remained a competitive county for the next three elections, narrowly voting for Kerry in 2004 and for Romney in 2012. Recent elections have seen the county trend solidly Republican however; in 2016, Trump won the county with 59.2% (the first time a Republican had won an outright majority in the county since 1920), and in 2020, he increased his vote share to 60.8%, and further expanding it to 62.6% (a difference of 1,070 votes) in 2024.

References

External links

[http://www.co.iron.wi.gov/ Iron County government website]
[http://wisconsindot.gov/Documents/travel/road/hwy-maps/county-maps/iron.pdf Iron County map] from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation
[http://www.ironcountywi.com/ Iron County Economic Development]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20110501120155/http://historicbridges.org/b_c_wi_iron.htm Historic Bridges of Iron County]

{{Geographic Location

|Centre = Iron County, Wisconsin

|North =

|Northeast = Gogebic County, Michigan

|East = Vilas County

|Southeast = Vilas County

|South =

|Southwest = Price County

|West = Ashland County

|Northwest = Lake Superior

}}

{{Coord|46.33|-90.26|display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-WI_source:UScensus1990}}