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La Crosse County (/ləˈkrɒs/ lə-KROSS) is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. At the 2020 census, the county's population was 120,784.[1] Its county seat is the city of La Crosse.[2] La Crosse County is included in the La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN Metropolitan Statistical Area with a population of 170,341 and is the most populous county on Wisconsin's western border.
La Crosse County | |
|---|---|
 La Crosse County Courthouse | |
 Seal | |
 Location within the U.S. state of Wisconsin | |
 Wisconsin's location within the U.S. | |
| Coordinates: 43°55′N 91°07′W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Wisconsin |
| Founded | 1851 |
| Seat | La Crosse |
| Largest city | La Crosse |
| Area | |
• Total | 480 sq mi (1,200 km2) |
| • Land | 452 sq mi (1,170 km2) |
| • Water | 28 sq mi (70 km2) 5.9% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 120,784 |
• Estimate (2023) | 120,486  |
| • Density | 250/sq mi (97/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 3rd |
| Website | www |
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According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 480 square miles (1,200 km2), of which 452 square miles (1,170 km2) is land and 28 square miles (73 km2) (5.9%) is water.[3]
Major highways
Railroads
Buses
Airport
Adjacent counties
- Trempealeau County - northwest
- Jackson County - northeast
- Monroe County - east
- Vernon County - south
- Houston County, Minnesota - southwest
- Winona County, Minnesota - west
Climate
La Crosse County's location in the United States' upper midwest gives the area a temperate, continental climate.[4] The warmest month of the year is July, when the average high temperature is 85.4 °F (29.7 °C), with overnight low temperatures averaging 27.4 °F (−2.6 °C). January is the coldest month, with high temperatures averaging 25.9 °F (−3.4 °C), with the overnight low temperatures around 10.5 °F (−11.9 °C).[5]
| Climate data for La Crosse Regional Airport, Wisconsin (1981–2010 normals,[6] extremes 1872–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 57 (14) |
65 (18) |
84 (29) |
93 (34) |
107 (42) |
102 (39) |
108 (42) |
105 (41) |
101 (38) |
93 (34) |
80 (27) |
67 (19) |
108 (42) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 45.4 (7.4) |
50.5 (10.3) |
69.0 (20.6) |
82.2 (27.9) |
87.8 (31.0) |
93.6 (34.2) |
95.7 (35.4) |
94.0 (34.4) |
89.2 (31.8) |
80.6 (27.0) |
64.0 (17.8) |
48.1 (8.9) |
97.7 (36.5) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 25.9 (−3.4) |
31.4 (−0.3) |
43.9 (6.6) |
59.3 (15.2) |
70.7 (21.5) |
80.0 (26.7) |
84.1 (28.9) |
81.5 (27.5) |
73.2 (22.9) |
59.9 (15.5) |
43.8 (6.6) |
29.1 (−1.6) |
57.0 (13.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 8.9 (−12.8) |
13.6 (−10.2) |
25.2 (−3.8) |
37.9 (3.3) |
48.7 (9.3) |
58.5 (14.7) |
63.2 (17.3) |
61.3 (16.3) |
52.4 (11.3) |
40.4 (4.7) |
28.1 (−2.2) |
14.2 (−9.9) |
37.8 (3.2) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −13.8 (−25.4) |
−10.4 (−23.6) |
3.9 (−15.6) |
21.7 (−5.7) |
34.1 (1.2) |
44.6 (7.0) |
51.5 (10.8) |
49.3 (9.6) |
36.5 (2.5) |
25.4 (−3.7) |
12.0 (−11.1) |
−8.7 (−22.6) |
−18.4 (−28.0) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −43 (−42) |
−36 (−38) |
−28 (−33) |
7 (−14) |
26 (−3) |
33 (1) |
44 (7) |
35 (2) |
24 (−4) |
6 (−14) |
−21 (−29) |
−37 (−38) |
−43 (−42) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 1.12 (28) |
1.05 (27) |
2.04 (52) |
3.34 (85) |
3.52 (89) |
4.34 (110) |
4.26 (108) |
4.29 (109) |
3.56 (90) |
2.17 (55) |
2.01 (51) |
1.36 (35) |
33.06 (840) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 10.7 (27) |
8.2 (21) |
7.1 (18) |
1.7 (4.3) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0.2 (0.51) |
4.1 (10) |
11.3 (29) |
43.3 (110) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 9.1 | 8.0 | 9.8 | 11.2 | 11.9 | 11.5 | 10.4 | 9.8 | 9.6 | 9.3 | 9.0 | 9.2 | 118.8 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 7.8 | 6.4 | 4.3 | 1.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 | 3.1 | 7.0 | 30.1 |
| Source: NOAA[7][8] | |||||||||||||
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| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1860 | 12,186 | — | |
| 1870 | 20,297 | 66.6% | |
| 1880 | 27,073 | 33.4% | |
| 1890 | 38,801 | 43.3% | |
| 1900 | 42,997 | 10.8% | |
| 1910 | 43,996 | 2.3% | |
| 1920 | 44,355 | 0.8% | |
| 1930 | 54,455 | 22.8% | |
| 1940 | 59,653 | 9.5% | |
| 1950 | 67,587 | 13.3% | |
| 1960 | 72,465 | 7.2% | |
| 1970 | 80,468 | 11.0% | |
| 1980 | 91,056 | 13.2% | |
| 1990 | 97,904 | 7.5% | |
| 2000 | 107,120 | 9.4% | |
| 2010 | 114,638 | 7.0% | |
| 2020 | 120,784 | 5.4% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 120,486 | [9] | −0.2% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[10] 1790–1960[11] 1900–1990[12] 1990–2000[13] 2010–2020[14][15] | |||
As of the census of 2020,[16] the population was 120,784. The population density was 267.3 people per square mile (103.2 people/km2). There were 52,774 housing units at an average density of 116.8 units per square mile (45.1 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 88.0% White, 4.6% Asian, 1.7% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.9% from other races, and 4.4% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 2.5% Hispanic or Latino of any race.
According to 2014–2018 ACS estimates, the median household income was $55,479 and the median family income was $67,388. Males had a median income of $48,675 and females $38,714. The per capita income was $26,065. About 9.1% of families and 10.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.2% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.[17]
At the 2010 census,[18] there were 114,638 people, 46,137 households and 27,373 families residing in the county. The population density was 255 per square mile (98/km2). There were 46,137 housing units at an average density of 96 per square mile (37/km2). The racial make up was 92.1% White, 1.4% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 4.1% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.3% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. 0.92% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 38.9% were of German, 20.3% Norwegian and 7.9% Irish ancestry. In 2017, there were 1,188 births, giving a general fertility rate of 47.9 births per 1000 women aged 15–44, the fifth lowest rate out of all 72 Wisconsin counties.[19]
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- Board Chair: Monica Kruse [20]
- District Attorney: Tim Gruenke (D)
- Sheriff: John Siegel (D)
- County Clerk: Ginny Dankmeyer (D)
- County Treasurer: Amy Twitchell (D)[21]
- Register of Deeds: Robin Kadrmas (D)
- Board of Supervisors: (29 members)[22] (D Majority)
- County Administrator: Jane Klekamp[23]
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| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2024 | 32,247 | 44.63% | 39,008 | 53.98% | 1,006 | 1.39% |
| 2020 | 28,684 | 42.25% | 37,846 | 55.75% | 1,354 | 1.99% |
| 2016 | 26,378 | 41.43% | 32,406 | 50.89% | 4,890 | 7.68% |
| 2012 | 25,751 | 40.58% | 36,693 | 57.82% | 1,018 | 1.60% |
| 2008 | 23,701 | 37.49% | 38,524 | 60.94% | 993 | 1.57% |
| 2004 | 28,289 | 45.53% | 33,170 | 53.38% | 677 | 1.09% |
| 2000 | 24,327 | 43.79% | 28,455 | 51.22% | 2,777 | 5.00% |
| 1996 | 16,482 | 35.83% | 23,647 | 51.41% | 5,872 | 12.76% |
| 1992 | 18,891 | 36.14% | 22,838 | 43.69% | 10,544 | 20.17% |
| 1988 | 21,548 | 48.90% | 22,204 | 50.39% | 314 | 0.71% |
| 1984 | 25,721 | 58.77% | 17,787 | 40.64% | 261 | 0.60% |
| 1980 | 23,427 | 51.73% | 17,304 | 38.21% | 4,554 | 10.06% |
| 1976 | 24,188 | 58.06% | 16,674 | 40.02% | 797 | 1.91% |
| 1972 | 21,992 | 63.29% | 12,152 | 34.97% | 602 | 1.73% |
| 1968 | 17,433 | 55.76% | 11,570 | 37.00% | 2,264 | 7.24% |
| 1964 | 13,135 | 44.07% | 16,625 | 55.78% | 43 | 0.14% |
| 1960 | 18,319 | 56.08% | 14,310 | 43.81% | 36 | 0.11% |
| 1956 | 18,264 | 61.66% | 11,258 | 38.01% | 100 | 0.34% |
| 1952 | 19,271 | 61.90% | 11,808 | 37.93% | 53 | 0.17% |
| 1948 | 10,525 | 45.25% | 12,345 | 53.07% | 390 | 1.68% |
| 1944 | 12,784 | 50.93% | 12,247 | 48.79% | 72 | 0.29% |
| 1940 | 13,711 | 50.92% | 13,079 | 48.58% | 134 | 0.50% |
| 1936 | 7,558 | 33.09% | 14,455 | 63.29% | 827 | 3.62% |
| 1932 | 7,686 | 36.94% | 12,919 | 62.10% | 200 | 0.96% |
| 1928 | 11,321 | 55.78% | 8,877 | 43.74% | 97 | 0.48% |
| 1924 | 5,733 | 32.49% | 1,252 | 7.09% | 10,662 | 60.42% |
| 1920 | 10,067 | 73.96% | 2,588 | 19.01% | 956 | 7.02% |
| 1916 | 3,597 | 44.37% | 4,123 | 50.86% | 386 | 4.76% |
| 1912 | 2,272 | 28.28% | 4,263 | 53.07% | 1,498 | 18.65% |
| 1908 | 4,382 | 50.15% | 4,054 | 46.40% | 301 | 3.45% |
| 1904 | 5,506 | 61.76% | 3,089 | 34.65% | 320 | 3.59% |
| 1900 | 5,324 | 58.24% | 3,609 | 39.48% | 208 | 2.28% |
| 1896 | 6,297 | 64.58% | 3,058 | 31.36% | 396 | 4.06% |
| 1892 | 3,693 | 42.88% | 3,810 | 44.24% | 1,110 | 12.89% |
La Crosse County has voted for the Democratic nominee in every presidential election since 1988.[25] The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel ranked La Crosse County as one of Wisconsin's most Democratic counties.[26] As a result of the 2020 presidential election, La Crosse County continued its Democratic trend by about 4% with a 13% lead over Republicans.[27] In the 2022 United States elections Democrats won every contested race in La Crosse County and flipped the Sheriff's race for the first time in recent history.[28]
La Crosse County is within the Wisconsin State Senate district 32, represented by Brad Pfaff (D). It also contains Wisconsin State Assembly districts 95 Jill Billings (D) and 94 Steve Doyle (D). Democrats also hold a majority of seats on the La Crosse County Board of Supervisors.
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Cities
Villages
Towns
Census-designated places
- Brice Prairie, part of the Town of Onalaska and an urban reserve area of the City of Onalaska
- French Island
- St. Joseph
Unincorporated communities
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