Ashland County, Wisconsin

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 , of which is land and (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 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
Railroads
Watco
Buses
Bay Area Rural Transit
Indian Trails
List of intercity bus stops in Wisconsin
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 . There were 9,407 housing units at an average density of . 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 . There were 8,883 housing units at an average density of . 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
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.
See also
National Register of Historic Places listings in Ashland County, Wisconsin
List of counties in Wisconsin
References
External links
Ashland County
Ashland County map from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation
1860 establishments in Wisconsin
Populated places established in 1860