Belgium, Wisconsin

Belgiumis a village inOzaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. Located alongInterstate 43, the village is one of the northernmost communities in theMilwaukee metropolitan area. The population was 2,245 at the2020 census.
Beginning in the 1840s, immigrant farmers fromLuxembourgsettled in Northern Ozaukee County and formed several rural communities, including Belgium as well as the neighboring hamlets ofDacada,Holy Cross, andLake Church. Although Belgium grew after a railroad was constructed through the community and incorporated as a village in 1922, the community remained primarily agricultural in the 20th century. As recently as 2015, the localcannery, which processes fruits and vegetables harvested at area farms, was by far the village's largest employer.
The village continues to have strong cultural ties to theGrand Duchy of Luxembourg. Members of theGrand Ducal Family of Luxembourghave visited, and the Luxembourg Government sponsors theLuxembourg American Cultural Society and Museumin the community. Among other programs, the center assists Americans of Luxembourgish ancestry in applying fordual citizenship, and since 1987 the village has hosted an annual festival devoted to Luxembourgish food and culture.
Since its beginning, Belgium has had a large population ofLuxembourgish Americans. In 1857, the immigrant settlers submitted the name "Luxembourg" to the U.S. Postal Service for review.At the same time, a group of Belgian-American settlers inKewaunee County, Wisconsin, submitted the name "Belgium" as the name for their majority Belgian-American town. Due to a clerical error, the names were switched with the result that Belgium, Wisconsin, is a center of Luxembourgish-American settlement, andLuxemburg, Wisconsin, is a center of Belgian-American settlement.
Northeastern Ozaukee County, including the town and village Belgium, was inhabited by several Native American tribes, including theMenominee. The Menominee surrendered the land that would become Belgium to the United States Federal Government through the 1832Treaty of Washington.
In the late 1840s, immigrants fromLuxembourgbegan to settle in what would become northeastern Ozaukee County. In 1848, the town of Belgium was created out of the town of Port Washington.
The Northwestern Railway Company set up a station in 1864.TheChicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railwaybegan running through the community in 1872, spurring population growth. In the early 20th Century, Belgium was a stop on theMilwaukee Interurban Line, which ran between Milwaukee and Sheboygan from 1908 until 1948. The population began to concentrate around the railroad station, and the community incorporated as the Village of Belgium in 1922.
In 1945, sixty Germanprisoners of warfrom Camp Fredonia inLittle Kohler, Wisconsinwere contracted to work at Krier Preserving Company in the village to make up for the loss of labor due to local men fighting inWorld War II. The camp was under the command of Captain Ray Thill, a native of the Village of Belgium.
The Ozaukee County line of the Interurban declined and ceased operation following World War II, but the village continued to grow in the mid-20th Century after the construction ofInterstate 43, connecting Milwaukee to Green Bay.
Since 1977, Belgium has been home to theLuxembourg American Cultural Society& Center, including the Roots and Leaves Museum, which is devoted to telling "the story of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, past and present, as well as Luxembourg immigration to America the impact of Luxembourg immigrants and their descendants on life in America."In 1987,Prince Henri, then-heir-apparent to the crown of Luxembourg, andPrincess Maria Teresavisited the village.In 2016,Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of LuxembourgandStéphanie, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Luxembourgvisited Belgium on a trip to the United States.
The Village of Belgium is located at43°30′2″N87°50′48″W﻿ / ﻿43.50056°N 87.84667°W﻿ /43.50056; -87.84667(43.500735, -87.846897).According to theUnited States Census Bureau, Belgium has a total area of 2.42 square miles (6.27 km), all of it land.The village is surrounded by theTown of Belgiumand is located two miles (3 km) west ofLake Michiganand adjacent to conjoinedInterstate 43-State Highway 32.
The village is located in theSoutheastern Wisconsin glacial till plainsthat were created by theWisconsin glaciationduring the most recent ice age. TheWisconsin Department of Natural Resourcesconsiders the village to be in the Central Lake Michigan Coastal ecological landscape.
Before white settlers arrived in the area, the Belgium area was a mixture of upland and lowland forests. The upland forests were dominated byAmerican beechandsugar mapletrees, while the lowland conifer forests and swamps were dominated bywhite cedarandtamarack. Much of the original forest was cleared to prepare the land for agriculture.
As land development continues to reduce wild areas, wildlife is forced into closer proximity with human communities like Belgium. Large mammals, includingwhite-tailed deer,coyotes, andred foxescan be seen in the village.The rural areas surrounding the village are also home to several bird habitats, includingHarrington Beach State Parkwhich is located on the shore of Lake Michigan and is one of two Wisconsin Important Bird Areas in Ozaukee County. The open fields in the western part of the park are a breeding ground forupland sandpipers.
The region struggles with many invasive species, including theemerald ash borer,common carp,reed canary grass, thecommon reed,purple loosestrife,garlic mustard,Eurasian buckthorns, andhoneysuckles.Some of the wetlands in the Town of Belgium are especially affected by reed canary grass, with the invasive species accounting for more than 50% of plant coverage along some stretches of Sucker Creek and the Onion River.
As of thecensusof 2010, there were 2,245 people, 817 households, and 608 families residing in the village. Thepopulation densitywas 927.7 inhabitants per square mile (358.2/km). There were 848 housing units at an average density of 350.4 per square mile (135.3/km). The racial makeup of the village was 94.5%white, 0.4%African American, 0.4%Native American, 0.9%Asian, 2.9% fromother races, and 0.8% from two or more races.HispanicorLatinoof any race were 5.2% of the population.
There were 817 households, of which 41.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.0% weremarried couplesliving together, 5.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 25.6% were non-families. 20.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.24.
The median age in the village was 35 years. 29.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 33.8% were from 25 to 44; 23.5% were from 45 to 64; and 8.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 51.0% male and 49.0% female.
As of thecensusof 2000, there were 1,678 people, 582 households, and 444 families residing in the village. Thepopulation densitywas 1,163.0 people per square mile (449.9/km). There were 592 housing units at an average density of 410.3 per square mile (158.7/km). The racial makeup of the village was 96.31%white, 0.48%BlackorAfrican American, 0.42%Native American, 0.18%Asian, 1.49% fromother races, and 1.13% from two or more races. 4.11% of the population wereHispanicorLatinoof any race.
There were 1582 households, out of which 44.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.9% weremarried couplesliving together, 5.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.7% were non-families. 19.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.85 and the average family size was 3.31.
In the village, the population was spread out, with 31.8% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 36.1% from 25 to 44, 16.5% from 45 to 64, and 8.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.5 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $53,523, and the median income for a family was $59,375. Males had a median income of $40,152 versus $25,609 for females. Theper capita incomefor the village was $20,659. About 1.8% of families and 2.4% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 2.8% of those under age 18 and 6.0% of those age 65 or over.
Northern Ozaukee County — including the Belgium community — was a center ofLuxembourgish-American settlementin the United States in the 19th century, and the Village of Belgium continues to have strong cultural ties to theGrand Duchy of Luxembourg. Banners along Main Street read "Wëllkomm," which means "Welcome" inLuxembourgish.Since 1977, Belgium has been home to the Luxembourg American Cultural Society & Center, which is sponsored by the Luxembourg Government Ministry of Culture and Ministry of Economy. The society facilitates a program to help Americans of Luxembourgish ancestry getdual citizenship, organizes guided tours of the Grand Duchy, and maintains a museum devoted to the history of Luxembourg and Luxembourgish immigration to the United States. Since 1987, the society has also organized an annual Luxembourg Fest featuring tradition cuisine such asträipen.
Many of the Luxembourgers who settled in northern Ozaukee County wereCatholicand established Catholic parishes in rural parts of the county. The hamlets ofDacada,Holy Cross, andLake Churchin the Town of Belgium formed around Catholic parishes that primarily served Luxembourger farmers.The Village of Belgium is also home to twoevangelicalchurches — Belgium Community Churchand Christian Life Church— as well as St. Mark Lutheran Church, which is affiliated with theMissouri Synod.
Belgium is organized as avillagegoverned by an elected village board, comprising a village president and six trustees who are elected to three-year terms. The current president is Pete Anzia, who was elected to his first term in April 2014.
As part ofWisconsin's 6th congressional district, Belgium is represented byGlenn Grothman(R) in theUnited States House of Representatives, and byRon Johnson(R) andTammy Baldwin(D) in theUnited States Senate.Duey Stroebel(R) represents Belgium in theWisconsin State Senate, andRobert Brooks(R) represents Belgium in theWisconsin State Assembly.
The village is served by the Belgium Volunteer Fire Department, which operates one fire station in the village. The department does not have its own ambulances an relies upon the neighboringVillage of Fredonia'sfire department for ambulance service.
Belgium's law enforcement officer is thevillage marshal. Unlike a municipality with a police department, the village marshal does not provide 24-hour law enforcement, and the village is served by the Ozaukee County Sheriff's Department when the marshal is off duty and in emergency situations.
The village is served by the jointCedar Grove-Belgium School District. Students attend Cedar Grove-Belgium Elementary School for kindergarten through fourth grade, Cedar Grove-Belgium Middle School for fifth through eighth grades, andCedar Grove-Belgium High Schoolfor ninth through twelfth grades. All of the district's schools are located inCedar Grove,Sheboygan County, north of the Village of Belgium. The district is governed by a seven-member electedboard of education.
The Cedar Grove-Belgium School District made national headlines in April 2024 when the desired characteristics listed by the Board of Education in its official search for a new Superintendent of Schools cited "Christian Values" as well as "conservative politics" as those characteristics sought in a successful candidate. Questions were raised in many quarters about the legality of a "religious test" for the position in light of the provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as well as the propriety of insisting on specific political views. Subsequent to publication of the District's Search Document, a public meeting concerning the Search was abruptly cancelled.
Interstate 43runs parallel to the village's eastern municipal boundary with access via Exit 107.
Ozaukee County Transit Services' Shared Ride Taxi provides a public transit option for Belgium residents. The taxis operate seven days a week and make connections to Washington County Transit and Milwaukee County Routes 12, 49 and 42u. Unlike a typical taxi, however, the rider must contact the service ahead of time to schedule their pick-up date and time. The taxi service plans their routes based on the number of riders, pick-up/drop-off time and destination then plans the routes accordingly.
TheOzaukee Interurban Trail, which is for pedestrian and bicycle use, passes through Belgium and connects the village to the neighboring communities ofPort WashingtonandCedar Grove, and continues north toOostburgand south toMilwaukee County.
TheUnion Pacific Railroadoperates a freight rail line running parallel to the Ozaukee Interurban Trail in the village,but Belgium currently does not have a passenger train station.
The Village of Belgium maintains six public parks with amenities including baseball and softball diamonds; basketball, tennis, and volleyball courts; an ice-skating rink; picnic shelters; playgrounds; soccer fields; asplash pad; a three-acre fenceddog park; and walking trails. Grand Duke Henri Plaza, located between the village hall and the Luxembourg American Cultural Center, contains the "Wisconsin's Luxembourgers" State Historical Marker as well as a statue ofHenri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg,who visited the village in 1987.
Harrington Beach State Park, the only Wisconsin State Park in Ozaukee County, is located directly east of the village on the shore of Lake Michigan.
TheOzaukee Interurban Trailruns through the village, following the former route of theMilwaukee Interurban Rail Line. The southern end of the trail is at Bradley Road inBrown Deerwhich connects to theOak Leaf Trail(43°09′48″N87°57′39″W﻿ / ﻿43.16333°N 87.96083°W﻿ /43.16333; -87.96083), and its northern end is at DeMaster Road in the Village ofOostburgSheboygan County(43°36′57″N87°48′08″W﻿ / ﻿43.61583°N 87.80222°W﻿ /43.61583; -87.80222). The trail connects the community to neighboringPort WashingtonandCedar Grove.
TheWisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuarywas established in 2021 in the waters ofLake Michiganoff Belgium.