# Ashland County, Wisconsin

Ashland County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 16,027. Its county seat is Ashland. The county was formed on March 27, 1860, from La Pointe County. The county partly overlaps with the reservation of the Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians.

## History

Ashland County was named in honor of the Lexington estate of Kentucky statesman Henry Clay, as one of the founders of the city of Ashland was an admirer of Clay.

## Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,292 square miles (5,940 km$^2$), of which 1,045 square miles (2,710 km$^2$) is land and 1,247 square miles (3,230 km$^2$) (54%) is water. It is the second-largest county in Wisconsin by total area. The Apostle Islands are a small group of islands in Lake Superior, off the Bayfield Peninsula with the majority of the islands located in Ashland County — only Eagle, Sand, York and Raspberry Islands are in Bayfield County.

### Adjacent counties

* Iron County – east
* Price County – southeast
* Sawyer County – southwest
* Bayfield County – northwest
* Lake County, Minnesota – northwest
* Cook County, Minnesota – north
* Ontonagon County, Michigan – northeast
* Gogebic County, Michigan – northeast

### Major highways

| U.S. Highway 2 Highway 13 (Wisconsin) Highway 77 (Wisconsin) Highway 112 (Wisconsin) | Highway 118 (Wisconsin) Highway 137 (Wisconsin) Highway 169 (Wisconsin) |

### Railroads

* Watco

### Buses

* Bay Area Rural Transit
* Indian Trails

### Airports

* John F. Kennedy Memorial Airport (KASX) serves the county and surrounding communities.
* Major Gilbert Field Airport (4R5) enhances county service.

### National protected area

* Apostle Islands National Lakeshore (part)
* Chequamegon National Forest (part)

## Demographics
### 2020 census

As of the census of 2020, the population was 16,027. The population density was 15.3 inhabitants per square mile (5.9/km$^2$). There were 9,407 housing units at an average density of 9.0 units per square mile (3.5 units/km$^2$). The racial makeup of the county was 79.8% White, 13.0% Native American, 0.7% Black or African American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.3% from other races, and 5.6% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 2.4% Hispanic or Latino of any race.

### 2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 16,157 people living in the county. 84.6% were White, 11.1% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.3% Black or African American, 0.3% of some other race and 3.3% of two or more races. 1.9% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race). 25.6% were of German, 7.6% Finnish, 6.8% American, 6.5% Irish and 5.3% Norwegian ancestry.

### 2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 16,866 people, 6,718 households, and 4,279 families living in the county. The population density was 16 people per square mile (6.2 people/km$^2$). There were 8,883 housing units at an average density of 8 units per square mile (3.1 units/km$^2$). The racial makeup of the county was 87.10% White, 0.21% Black or African American, 10.35% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.29% from other races, and 1.69% from two or more races. 1.11% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 27.8% were of German, 8.4% Finnish, 7.4% Polish, 7.4% Norwegian, 7.3% Swedish and 5.4% Irish ancestry. 96.6% spoke English as their first language. The reservation of the Bad River Chippewa Band is partially located in the county.
There were 6,718 households, out of which 30.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.60% were married couples living together, 10.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.30% were non-families. 30.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.40% under the age of 18, 11.20% from 18 to 24, 25.80% from 25 to 44, 21.70% from 45 to 64, and 15.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 97.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.10 males.
In 2017, there were 194 births, giving a general fertility rate of 73.1 births per 1000 women aged 15–44, the eleventh highest rate out of all 72 Wisconsin counties. Additionally, there were no reported induced abortions performed on women of Ashland County residence in 2017.

## Communities
### Cities

* Ashland (county seat; partly in Bayfield County)
* Mellen

### Village

* Butternut

### Towns

* Agenda
* Ashland
* Chippewa
* Gingles
* Gordon
* Jacobs
* La Pointe
* Marengo
* Morse
* Peeksville
* Sanborn
* Shanagolden
* White River

### Census-designated places

* Bayfront
* Birch Hill
* Clam Lake
* Diaperville
* Franks Field
* Glidden
* Jolmaville
* Marengo
* New Odanah
* Odanah

### Unincorporated communities

* Ballou
* Birch
* Cayuga
* Foster Junction
* Highbridge
* Holts Landing
* La Pointe
* Middleport
* Minersville
* Morse
* North York
* Old Fort
* Peeksville
* Penokee
* Petes Landing
* Sanborn
* Sedgwick
* Shanagolden
* White River

## Politics

United States presidential election results for Ashland County, Wisconsin :
| Year | Republican | Republican | Democratic | Democratic | Third party(ies) | Third party(ies) |
| Year | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % |
| 2024 | 4,191 | 46.80% | 4,612 | 51.50% | 152 | 1.70% |
| 2020 | 3,841 | 43.86% | 4,801 | 54.82% | 115 | 1.31% |
| 2016 | 3,303 | 41.12% | 4,226 | 52.61% | 503 | 6.26% |
| 2012 | 2,820 | 33.68% | 5,399 | 64.49% | 153 | 1.83% |
| 2008 | 2,634 | 30.72% | 5,818 | 67.86% | 122 | 1.42% |
| 2004 | 3,313 | 36.01% | 5,805 | 63.10% | 81 | 0.88% |
| 2000 | 3,038 | 38.50% | 4,356 | 55.21% | 496 | 6.29% |
| 1996 | 1,863 | 27.41% | 3,808 | 56.02% | 1,127 | 16.58% |
| 1992 | 2,372 | 28.26% | 4,213 | 50.20% | 1,808 | 21.54% |
| 1988 | 2,926 | 39.11% | 4,526 | 60.49% | 30 | 0.40% |
| 1984 | 3,517 | 42.54% | 4,680 | 56.60% | 71 | 0.86% |
| 1980 | 3,262 | 37.56% | 4,469 | 51.46% | 954 | 10.98% |
| 1976 | 3,045 | 38.25% | 4,688 | 58.89% | 228 | 2.86% |
| 1972 | 3,478 | 46.93% | 3,771 | 50.88% | 162 | 2.19% |
| 1968 | 2,557 | 35.74% | 4,147 | 57.96% | 451 | 6.30% |
| 1964 | 2,198 | 28.96% | 5,383 | 70.91% | 10 | 0.13% |
| 1960 | 3,470 | 42.70% | 4,644 | 57.14% | 13 | 0.16% |
| 1956 | 4,121 | 52.70% | 3,677 | 47.03% | 21 | 0.27% |
| 1952 | 4,451 | 53.50% | 3,828 | 46.01% | 41 | 0.49% |
| 1948 | 3,135 | 41.75% | 4,110 | 54.73% | 264 | 3.52% |
| 1944 | 3,183 | 40.60% | 4,609 | 58.80% | 47 | 0.60% |
| 1940 | 3,592 | 38.59% | 5,586 | 60.01% | 131 | 1.41% |
| 1936 | 2,439 | 28.10% | 5,904 | 68.01% | 338 | 3.89% |
| 1932 | 2,646 | 31.77% | 5,405 | 64.90% | 277 | 3.33% |
| 1928 | 3,639 | 49.36% | 3,570 | 48.43% | 163 | 2.21% |
| 1924 | 2,272 | 32.44% | 449 | 6.41% | 4,283 | 61.15% |
| 1920 | 4,005 | 70.94% | 1,081 | 19.15% | 560 | 9.92% |
| 1916 | 1,998 | 51.98% | 1,582 | 41.16% | 264 | 6.87% |
| 1912 | 937 | 26.83% | 1,451 | 41.54% | 1,105 | 31.63% |
| 1908 | 2,259 | 54.21% | 1,582 | 37.96% | 326 | 7.82% |
| 1904 | 3,406 | 71.40% | 1,004 | 21.05% | 360 | 7.55% |
| 1900 | 3,034 | 63.97% | 1,557 | 32.83% | 152 | 3.20% |
| 1896 | 2,738 | 59.70% | 1,743 | 38.01% | 105 | 2.29% |
| 1892 | 2,283 | 46.46% | 2,436 | 49.57% | 195 | 3.97% |
Ashland County is consistently Democratic. It has voted for the Democrat in every presidential election since 1932, with the exceptions of 1952 and 1956 when it backed Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower's two successful bids for the presidency.
Despite Ashland County's Democratic leanings, three consecutive district attorneys of Ashland County in the 1990s and early 2000s, each elected as Republicans, went on to hold major positions in state or federal politics. J.B. Van Hollen, district attorney from 1993 to 1999, later served as United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin in the administration of President George W. Bush and as Attorney General of Wisconsin from 2007 to 2015. Van Hollen's successor as district attorney, Michael Gableman, who served from 1999 to 2002, was later a justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court from 2008 to 2018. Gableman's successor as district attorney, Sean Duffy, who served from 2002 to 2010, served as the U.S. representative for Wisconsin's 7th congressional district from 2011 to 2019 and is the current United States Secretary of Transportation.