Dodge County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 89,396. Its county seat is Juneau. The county was created from the Wisconsin Territory in 1836 and organized in 1844.
Dodge County comprises the Beaver Dam, WI Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI Combined Statistical Area.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (3.5%) is water.
The 6,718 acre Beaver Dam Lake and the 2,713 acre Fox Lake are found within the county.
Adjacent counties
Fond du Lac County – northeast
Washington County – east
Waukesha County – southeast
Jefferson County – south
Dane County – southwest
Columbia County – west
Green Lake County – northwest
National protected area
Horicon National Wildlife Refuge (part)
Climate
Demographics
thumb|right|Dodge County Fairgrounds
As of the census of 2000, there were 85,897 people, 31,417 households, and 22,313 families residing in the county. The population density was 97 people per square mile (38/km2). There were 33,672 housing units at an average density of 38 per square mile (15/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 95.28% White, 2.49% Black or African American, 0.40% Native American, 0.34% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.87% from other races, and 0.58% from two or more races. 2.55% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Ancestry, 56.2% were of German, 8.7% Irish and 5.0% English 4.2% Norwegian and 3.9% selected "United States or American" ancestry. 95.4% spoke English, 2.2% Spanish and 2.0% other Indo-European languages as their language spoken at home.
There were 31,417 households, out of which 33.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.60% were married couples living together, 7.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.00% were non-families. 24.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.80% under the age of 18, 8.30% from 18 to 24, 31.20% from 25 to 44, 21.90% from 45 to 64, and 14.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 109.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 110.80 males.
In 2017, there were 758 births, giving a general fertility rate of 54.0 births per 1000 women aged 15–44, the 12th lowest rate out of all 72 Wisconsin counties.
Transportation
Major highways
20px Interstate 41
20px U.S. Highway 41
20px U.S. Highway 151
20px Highway 16
20px Highway 19
20px Highway 26
20px Highway 28
20px Highway 33
20px Highway 49
20px Highway 60
20px Highway 67
20px Highway 68
20px Highway 73
20px Highway 89
20px Highway 175
Airport
Dodge County Airport (KUNU) serves the county and surrounding communities.
Communities
Cities
Beaver Dam
Columbus (mostly in Columbia County)
Fox Lake
Hartford (part; mostly in Washington County)
Horicon
Juneau (county seat)
Mayville
Watertown (mostly in Jefferson County)
Waupun (partly in Fond du Lac County)
Villages
Brownsville
Clyman
Hustisford
Iron Ridge
Kekoskee
Lomira
Lowell
Neosho
Randolph (partly in Columbia County)
Reeseville
Theresa
Towns
Ashippun
Beaver Dam
Burnett
Calamus
Chester
Clyman
Elba
Emmet
Fox Lake
Herman
Hubbard
Hustisford
Lebanon
LeRoy
Lomira
Lowell
Oak Grove
Portland
Rubicon
Shields
Theresa
Trenton
Westford
Williamstown
Census-designated places
Ashippun
Burnett
Lebanon
Unincorporated communities
Alderley
Astico
Atwater
Beaver Edge
Clyman Junction
Danville
Delbern Acres
East Waupun
Farmersville
Fox Lake Junction
Herman Center
Hochheim
Huilsburg
Knowles
LeRoy
Leipsig
Lost Lake
Lyndon Dale
Minnesota Junction
Nasbro
Neda
North Lowell
Oak Grove
Old Ashippun
Old Lebanon
Portland (partial)
Richwood
Rolling Prairie
Rubicon
Saylesville
South Beaver Dam
South Randolph
Sugar Island
Sunset Beach
Theresa Station
Woodland
Ghost town
Clason Prairie
Politics
The last Democratic presidential candidate to carry the county was Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964, but Bill Clinton came within just 265 votes of carrying it in 1996.
