Douglas County, Wisconsin

Douglas County, Wisconsin
Douglas County is a county located at the northwest corner of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 44,295 Its county seat is Superior. Douglas County is included in the Duluth, MN-WI Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
Douglas County, named after Illinois Senator Stephen A. Douglas, 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.
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.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (12%) is water.
A portion of the Fond du Lac Indian Reservation is located within Douglas County.
Adjacent counties
Bayfield County – east
Sawyer County – southeast
Washburn County – south
Burnett County – southwest
Pine County, Minnesota – southwest
Carlton County, Minnesota – west
Saint Louis County, Minnesota – northwest
Lake County, Minnesota - northeast
Major highways
Railroads
BNSF
Canadian National
Canadian Pacific
Union Pacific
Buses
Duluth Transit Authority
Indian Trails
List of intercity bus stops in Wisconsin
Airports
Solon Springs Municipal Airport (KOLG) serves the county and surrounding communities.
Richard I. Bong Airport (KSUW)
National protected area
Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway (part)
Demographics
2020 census
As of the census of 2020, the population was 44,295. The population density was . There were 22,906 housing units at an average density of . 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
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.
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 43,287 people, 17,808 households, and 11,272 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 20,356 housing units at an average density of . 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. Additionally, there were no reported induced abortions performed on women of Douglas County residence in 2017.
Communities
City
Superior (county seat)
Villages
Lake Nebagamon
Oliver
Poplar
Solon Springs
Superior
Towns
Amnicon
Bennett
Brule
Cloverland
Dairyland
Gordon
Hawthorne
Highland
Lakeside
Maple
Oakland
Parkland
Solon Springs
Summit
Superior
Wascott
Census-designated places
Brule
Gordon
Unincorporated communities
Ambridge
Amnicon Falls
Anton
Beebe
Bellwood
Bennett
Black River
Blueberry
Borea
Boylston
Boylston Junction
Carnegie
Chaffey
Cloverland
Cozy Corner
Cutter
Dairyland
Dedham
Dewey
Dobie
Four Corners
Foxboro
Hawthorne
Hillcrest
Hines
Maple
Middle River
Moose Junction
Parkland
Patzau
Peyton
Pokegama
Riverview
Rockmont
Saunders
Sauntry
South Itasca
South Range
Sunnyside
Waino
Wascott
Wentworth
Winneboujou
Ghost towns
Merriam
Millcrest
Morrison (Allouez) (annexed by the City of Superior)
New Bristol (Martinson)
Nutt
Pokegama Junction
Steele
Troy
Walbridge
Way
Wiehe
Politics
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. However, in 2020, Donald Trump received the highest percent of Douglas County's vote for a Republican since 1956, 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 from 2008 onwards.
Douglas County also regularly supports Democratic candidates at the state level.
See also
National Register of Historic Places listings in Douglas County, Wisconsin
Pokegama Bay
References
External links
Douglas County website
Superior–Douglas County Convention and Visitors Bureau
Superior–Douglas County Chamber of Commerce
Map of Douglas County, Wisconsin Department of Transportation
1854 establishments in Wisconsin
Populated places established in 1854