Jefferson County, Wisconsin

{{Infobox U.S. county

| county = Jefferson County

| state = Wisconsin

| seal =

| founded year = 1839

| founded date =

| seat wl = Jefferson

| largest city wl = Watertown

| area_total_sq_mi = 583

| area_land_sq_mi = 556

| area_water_sq_mi = 26

| area percentage = 4.5

| population_as_of = 2020

| population_total = 84900

| pop_est_as_of = 2023

| population_est = 85743 {{gain}}

| density_sq_mi = auto

| population_footnotes =

| time zone = Central

| footnotes =

| web = www.jeffersoncountywi.gov

| named for = Thomas Jefferson

| ex image = JeffersonCountyCourthouseWIS26.jpg

| ex image cap = Jefferson County courthouse

| district = 5th }}

Jefferson County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 84,900. Its county seat is Jefferson.{{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 }} Jefferson County comprises the Watertown-Fort Atkinson, WI Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI Combined Statistical Area.

History

Jefferson County was created in 1836 as part of Wisconsin Territory and was organized in 1839.{{cite web|url=http://publications.newberry.org/ahcbp/documents/WI_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm|title=Wisconsin: Individual County Chronologies|website=Wisconsin Atlas of Historical County Boundaries|publisher=The Newberry Library|date=2007|access-date=August 14, 2015|archive-date=April 14, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170414132220/http://publications.newberry.org/ahcbp/documents/WI_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm|url-status=dead}} Jefferson County was founded by "Yankee" settlers from New England.{{Cite book |last=Jefferson County Historic Alliance |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/44807135 |title=Jefferson county, Wisconsin |publisher=Arcadia |year=1999 |isbn=978-0-7385-0307-3 |location=Charleston, SC |oclc=44807135}} It was named after Jefferson County, New York, where some of the original settlers came from."[http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/dictionary/index.asp?action=view&term_id=3400&search_term=JEFFERSON+COUNTY Term: Jefferson County [origin of place name]] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304212857/http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/dictionary/index.asp?action=view&term_id=3400&search_term=JEFFERSON+COUNTY |date=March 4, 2016 }}" in Dictionary of Wisconsin History. The town of Watertown, Wisconsin, was named after Watertown, New York, in Jefferson County, New York.

Geography

File:Jefferson County WI Pie Chart.pdf

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of {{convert|583|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|556|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|26|sqmi}} (4.5%) 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}}

=Major highways=

{|

|-valign=top

|

|}

=Railroads=

=Buses=

=Airports=

Watertown Municipal Airport (KRYV) provides services for the county and surrounding communities.
Fort Atkinson Municipal Airport (61C), enhances county service.

=Adjacent counties=

Dodge County - north
Waukesha County - east
Walworth County - southeast
Rock County - southwest
Dane County - west

Demographics

{{US Census population

|1840= 914

|1850= 15317

|1860= 30438

|1870= 34040

|1880= 32156

|1890= 33530

|1900= 34789

|1910= 34306

|1920= 35022

|1930= 36785

|1940= 38868

|1950= 43069

|1960= 50094

|1970= 60060

|1980= 66152

|1990= 67783

|2000= 74021

|2010= 83686

|2020= 84900

|estyear= 2023

|estimate= 85743

|estref=

|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/55/55055.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=January 21, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606160626/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/55/55055.html|archive-date=June 6, 2011}} 2020

}}

As of the census of 2020,{{cite web|title=2020 Decennial Census: Jefferson County, Wisconsin |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=0500000US55055&y=2020&d=DEC%20Redistricting%20Data%20%28PL%2094-171%29 |website=data.census.gov |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=July 5, 2022}} the population was 84,900. The population density was {{convert|152.6|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people |people|}}. There were 36,376 housing units at an average density of {{convert|65.4|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units |units|}}. The racial makeup of the county was 88.5% White, 1.0% Black or African American, 0.8% Asian, 0.4% Native American, 3.4% from other races, and 5.8% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 8.3% Hispanic or Latino of any race.

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 2010, there were 83,686 people, 32,117 households, and 21,872 families residing in the county. The population density was {{convert|133|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people |people|}}. There were 30,092 housing units at an average density of {{convert|54|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units |units|}}. The county's racial makeup was 96.34% White, 0.28% Black or African American, 0.34% Native American, 0.45% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.65% from other races, and 0.93% from two or more races. 4.09% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 55.1% were of German, 6.1% Norwegian, 6.0% Irish and 5.1% American ancestry.

There were 28,205 households, out of which 33.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.50% were married couples living together, 8.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.50% were non-families. 23.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.02.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.20% under the age of 18, 8.50% from 18 to 24, 30.40% from 25 to 44, 23.20% from 45 to 64, and 12.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 98.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.80 males.

In 2017, there were 861 births, giving a general fertility rate of 53.7 births per 1000 women aged 15–44, the eleventh lowest rate out of all 72 Wisconsin counties.{{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 }}

The Dwight Foster Public Library, which serves as the resource library for the county,{{cite web|title=Jefferson County Library Service|url=http://jeffersoncountylibraryservice.wordpress.com|access-date=April 24, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120517070830/http://jeffersoncountylibraryservice.wordpress.com/|archive-date=May 17, 2012|url-status=dead}} had a total service population of 19,095 in 2010.{{cite web|title=Wisconsin Public Library Service Data, 2010|url=http://dpi.wi.gov/pld/pdf/10publib.pdf|publisher=Department of Public Instruction|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120306202912/http://dpi.wi.gov/pld/pdf/10publib.pdf|archive-date=March 6, 2012}} It is a member of the Bridges Library System.

Government

The County Board of Supervisors, with 30 members, serves as the legislative body for the county. There are seven elected officials in addition to the County Board of Supervisors. County-wide partisan elections are held in November. The County Board's members are elected for two-year terms during a spring non-partisan election. The County Board is responsible for the county administrator.{{Clarify|date=April 2009}} The County Board elects a chairman, vice-chairman, and second vice-chairman.

Politics

{{PresHead|place=Jefferson County, Wisconsin|source={{cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|first=David|last=Leip|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=November 11, 2020}}}}

{{PresRow|1924|Progressive (Wisconsin)|4,250|1,374|7,987|Wisconsin}}

Jefferson County has been primarily Republican since 1940. Only three Democratic presidential candidates have won the county since then, in 1964, 1996, and 2008. Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964 is the last Democratic Party candidate to win a majority of the county's votes.

Communities

File:Jefferson County Wisconsin Fairgrounds Grandstand.jpg

File:Jefferson County Wisconsin Fairgrounds sign.jpg

=Cities=

=Villages=

Cambridge (mostly in Dane County)
Johnson Creek
Lac La Belle (mostly in Waukesha County)
Palmyra
Sullivan

=Towns=

=Census-designated places=

=Unincorporated communities=

Aztalan
Blackhawk Island
Busseyville
Carcajou
Cold Spring
Concord
Ebenezer
Farmington
Glenn Oaks Beach
Heath Mills
Hoopers Mill
Hubbleton
Jefferson Junction
Koshkonong (partial)
Koshkonong Manor
Koshkonong Mounds
Kroghville
Lake Lac La Belle
London (partial)
Maranatha Baptist University (College Campus)
Milford
North Shore
Oakland
Pipersville
Portland (partial)
Slabtown
Sylvan Mounds
Vinnie Ha Ha

Education

School districts (all K-12) include:{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st55_wi/schooldistrict_maps/c55055_jefferson/DC20SD_C55055.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st55_wi/schooldistrict_maps/c55055_jefferson/DC20SD_C55055.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Jefferson County, WI|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|accessdate=July 31, 2022}} - [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st55_wi/schooldistrict_maps/c55055_jefferson/DC20SD_C55055_SD2MS.txt Text list]

References

External links

[http://www.jeffersoncountywi.gov/ Jefferson County]
[https://wisconsindot.gov/Documents/travel/road/hwy-maps/county-maps/jefferson.pdf Jefferson County map] from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation
[http://www.dailyunion.com/ Daily Jefferson County Union] newspaper

{{Geographic Location

|Centre = Jefferson County, Wisconsin

|North = Dodge County

|Northeast =

|East = Waukesha County

|Southeast = Walworth County

|South =

|Southwest = Rock County

|West = Dane County

|Northwest =

}}

{{coord|43.02|-88.78|display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-WI_source:UScensus1990}}