# Marquette County, Wisconsin

Marquette County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 15,592. Its county seat is Montello. The county was created in 1836 from the Wisconsin Territory and organized in 1848.

## History

Naturalist John Muir and his parents first settled in the US in 1849 on a farm in Marquette County. Muir was 11 years old. Part of the land of their farm is reserved in Fountain Lake Farm, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

## Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 464 square miles (1,200 km$^2$), of which 456 square miles (1,180 km$^2$) is land and 8.7 square miles (23 km$^2$) (1.9%) is water. The Mecan River, Buffalo Lake, and Puckaway Lake lie within Marquette County. The highest altitude in the county is a rocky area known as Mt. Shaw.

### Major highways

* Interstate 39
* U.S. Highway 51
* Highway 22 (Wisconsin)
* Highway 23 (Wisconsin)
* Highway 73 (Wisconsin)
* Highway 82 (Wisconsin)

### Railroads

* Union Pacific

### Adjacent counties

* Waushara County - north
* Green Lake County - east
* Columbia County - south
* Adams County - west

### National protected area

* Fox River National Wildlife Refuge

## Demographics
### 2020 census

As of the census of 2020, the population was 15,592. The population density was 34.2 people per square mile (13.2 people/km$^2$). There were 9,758 housing units at an average density of 21.4 units per square mile (8.3 units/km$^2$). The racial makeup of the county was 94.2% White, 0.4% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.3% Black or African American, 1.1% from other races, and 3.7% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 3.1% Hispanic or Latino of any race.

### 2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 15,832 people, 5,986 households, and 4,166 families residing in the county. The population density was 35 people per square mile (14 people/km$^2$). There were 8,664 housing units at an average density of 19 units per square mile (7.3 units/km$^2$). The racial makeup of the county was 93.66% White, 3.44% Black or African American, 1.04% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 0.38% from other races, and 1.11% from two or more races. 2.66% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 45.7% were of German, 8.2% Irish, 6.9% Polish, 6.1% English, 5.6% Norwegian and 5.1% American ancestry. 94.8% spoke English, 2.8% Spanish and 1.1% German as their first language.
There were 5,986 households, out of which 26.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.70% were married couples living together, 6.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.40% were non-families. 25.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.86.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 21.10% under the age of 18, 6.70% from 18 to 24, 28.90% from 25 to 44, 25.00% from 45 to 64, and 18.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 118.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 123.70 males.
In 2017, there were 133 births, giving a general fertility rate of 65.1 births per 1000 women aged 15–44, the 29th highest rate out of all 72 Wisconsin counties. Of these, 11 of the births occurred at home.

## Communities
### City

* Montello (county seat)

### Villages

* Endeavor
* Neshkoro
* Oxford
* Westfield

### Towns

* Buffalo
* Crystal Lake
* Douglas
* Harris
* Mecan
* Montello
* Moundville
* Neshkoro
* Newton
* Oxford
* Packwaukee
* Shields
* Springfield
* Westfield

### Census-designated place

* Packwaukee

### Unincorporated communities

* Briggsville
* Budsin
* Buffalo Shore Estates
* Douglas Center
* Germania
* Glen Oak
* Harrisville
* Lawrence
* Mecan

## Politics

United States presidential election results for Marquette County, Wisconsin :
| Year | Republican | Republican | Democratic | Democratic | Third party(ies) | Third party(ies) |
| Year | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % |
| 2024 | 6,041 | 64.08% | 3,252 | 34.50% | 134 | 1.42% |
| 2020 | 5,719 | 63.09% | 3,239 | 35.73% | 107 | 1.18% |
| 2016 | 4,709 | 59.68% | 2,808 | 35.58% | 374 | 4.74% |
| 2012 | 3,992 | 49.25% | 4,014 | 49.52% | 99 | 1.22% |
| 2008 | 3,654 | 46.57% | 4,068 | 51.85% | 124 | 1.58% |
| 2004 | 4,604 | 54.31% | 3,785 | 44.65% | 88 | 1.04% |
| 2000 | 3,522 | 48.96% | 3,437 | 47.78% | 235 | 3.27% |
| 1996 | 2,208 | 36.08% | 2,859 | 46.72% | 1,052 | 17.19% |
| 1992 | 2,322 | 34.55% | 2,533 | 37.69% | 1,865 | 27.75% |
| 1988 | 3,059 | 54.95% | 2,463 | 44.24% | 45 | 0.81% |
| 1984 | 3,406 | 61.79% | 2,032 | 36.87% | 74 | 1.34% |
| 1980 | 3,166 | 54.78% | 2,180 | 37.72% | 433 | 7.49% |
| 1976 | 2,607 | 50.05% | 2,516 | 48.30% | 86 | 1.65% |
| 1972 | 2,682 | 62.61% | 1,537 | 35.88% | 65 | 1.52% |
| 1968 | 2,374 | 61.15% | 1,228 | 31.63% | 280 | 7.21% |
| 1964 | 1,881 | 49.29% | 1,927 | 50.50% | 8 | 0.21% |
| 1960 | 2,947 | 70.12% | 1,249 | 29.72% | 7 | 0.17% |
| 1956 | 2,796 | 73.87% | 975 | 25.76% | 14 | 0.37% |
| 1952 | 3,379 | 80.11% | 835 | 19.80% | 4 | 0.09% |
| 1948 | 2,033 | 64.21% | 1,095 | 34.59% | 38 | 1.20% |
| 1944 | 2,853 | 73.47% | 1,016 | 26.17% | 14 | 0.36% |
| 1940 | 3,086 | 71.57% | 1,195 | 27.71% | 31 | 0.72% |
| 1936 | 1,957 | 49.96% | 1,812 | 46.26% | 148 | 3.78% |
| 1932 | 1,365 | 34.80% | 2,504 | 63.84% | 53 | 1.35% |
| 1928 | 2,554 | 65.44% | 1,313 | 33.64% | 36 | 0.92% |
| 1924 | 1,109 | 31.19% | 587 | 16.51% | 1,860 | 52.31% |
| 1920 | 2,436 | 76.22% | 687 | 21.50% | 73 | 2.28% |
| 1916 | 1,377 | 58.75% | 923 | 39.38% | 44 | 1.88% |
| 1912 | 881 | 39.42% | 923 | 41.30% | 431 | 19.28% |
| 1908 | 1,555 | 64.42% | 798 | 33.06% | 61 | 2.53% |
| 1904 | 1,604 | 65.47% | 752 | 30.69% | 94 | 3.84% |
| 1900 | 1,560 | 63.08% | 866 | 35.02% | 47 | 1.90% |
| 1896 | 1,476 | 62.84% | 827 | 35.21% | 46 | 1.96% |
| 1892 | 877 | 41.10% | 1,198 | 56.14% | 59 | 2.76% |
Between 1964 and 2016, Marquette County supported the nationwide winner in every election except for 1976, and even then, the county backed Gerald Ford by only a 91 vote and sub-2% margin. In 2020, Donald Trump received the highest share of the vote for any candidate in the county since 1960 and won by an even bigger margin in 2024.