Columbia County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 58,490. Its county seat and largest city is Portage. The county was created in 1846 as part of Wisconsin Territory.
Columbia County is part of the Madison, WI Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the Madison-Janesville-Beloit, WI Combined Statistical Area.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (3.8%) is water. The county's highest point is in the Baraboo Range, near Durward's Glen at 1,480 feet above sea level.
Major highways
20px Interstate 39
20px Interstate 90
20px Interstate 94
20px U.S. Highway 51
20px U.S. Highway 151
20px Highway 13
20px Highway 16
20px Highway 22
20px Highway 23
20px Highway 33
20px Highway 44
20px Highway 60
20px Highway 73
20px Highway 78
20px Highway 89
20px Highway 113
20px Highway 127
20px Highway 146
20px Highway 188
Airports
94C - Gilbert Field airport serves the county and surrounding communities.
C47 - Portage Municipal Airport supports the county.
Adjacent counties
Marquette County – north
Green Lake County – northeast
Dodge County – east
Dane County – south
Sauk County – west
Juneau County – northwest
Adams County – northwest
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 52,468 people, 20,439 households, and 14,164 families residing in the county. The population density was 68 people per square mile (26/km2). There were 22,685 housing units at an average density of 29 per square mile (11/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 97.18% White, 0.88% Black or African American, 0.35% Native American, 0.33% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.44% from other races, and 0.79% from two or more races. 1.58% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 46.4% were of German, 10.2% Norwegian, 7.8% Irish, 6.4% English and 5.0% United States or American ancestry.
There were 20,439 households, out of which 32.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.10% were married couples living together, 7.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.70% were non-families. 25.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.20% under the age of 18, 7.10% from 18 to 24, 29.90% from 25 to 44, 23.40% from 45 to 64, and 14.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.40 males.
In 2017, there were 602 births, giving a general fertility rate of 63.9 births per 1000 women aged 15–44, the 35th highest out of all 72 Wisconsin Counties. Additionally, there were 63 reported induced abortions performed on women of Columbia County residence, with a rate of 6.7 abortions per 1000 women aged 15–44, which is above the Wisconsin average rate of 5.2.
Communities
Cities
Columbus (partly in Dodge County)
Lodi
Portage (county seat)
Wisconsin Dells (partly in Adams County, Juneau County, and Sauk County)
Villages
Arlington
Cambria
Doylestown
Fall River
Friesland
Pardeeville
Poynette
Randolph (mostly in Dodge County)
Rio
Wyocena
Towns
Arlington
Caledonia
Columbus
Courtland
Dekorra
Fort Winnebago
Fountain Prairie
Hampden
Leeds
Lewiston
Lodi
Lowville
Marcellon
Newport
Otsego
Pacific
Randolph
Scott
Springvale
West Point
Wyocena
Census-designated places
Lake Wisconsin (partial)
Unincorporated communities
Anacker
Belle Fountain
Dekorra
Durwards Glen
East Friesland
Englewood
Harmony Grove
Ingle
Keyeser
Leeds
Leeds Center
Lewiston
Lowville
Marcellon
North Leeds
Okee
Otsego
Ghost town/neighborhood
Moe Settlement
Politics
For most of its history, Columbia County voters have backed the Republican Party candidate in national elections. Prior to 1992, the only times Republicans failed to win the county in the preceding 100 years of presidential elections were in the midst of a divided party vote in 1912, in 1924 when Wisconsinite Robert La Follette was on the ballot, and in the national Democratic Party landslides of 1932, 1936, & 1964. From 1992 onward, the county has been a Democratic-leaning swing county, voting for the statewide winner in all presidential elections since then except in 2004 and 2020, and voting for the national winner in all except 2000 and 2020. Republican Donald Trump won the county in 2016, though a majority of county residents voted for Democrat Tammy Baldwin's re-election to the U.S. Senate two years later in 2018, while a majority again voted to re-elect Trump in 2020.
