Chippewa County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is named for the historic Chippewa people, also known as the Ojibwe, who long controlled this territory. As of the 2010 census, the population was 62,415. Its county seat is Chippewa Falls. The county was founded in 1845 from Crawford County, then in the Wisconsin Territory, and organized in 1853.
Chippewa County is included in the Eau Claire, WI Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the Eau Claire-Menomonie, WI Combined Statistical Area.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (3.2%) is water.
thumb|October view of Picnic Lake from the Ice Age Trail west of Cornell
Parts of northern Chippewa county are covered with choppy hills dimpled by kettle lakes and bogs—the terminal moraine left by the last glacier. The Ice Age Trail threads through some of this country, providing public foot-access to these unusual landforms.
Adjacent counties
Rusk County – north
Taylor County – east
Clark County – southeast
Eau Claire County – south
Dunn County – west
Barron County – northwest
Major highways
Airports
KEAU - Chippewa Valley Regional Airport
4WI9 - Cornell Municipal Airport
Demographics
thumb|left|2000 Census Age Pyramid for Chippewa County
As of the census of 2000, there were 55,195 people, 21,356 households, and 15,013 families residing in the county. The population density was 55 people per square mile (21/km2). There were 22,821 housing units at an average density of 23 per square mile (9/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 97.85% White, 0.16% Black or African American, 0.32% Native American, 0.89% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.17% from other races, and 0.60% from two or more races. 0.52% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 44.1% were of German, 15.8% Norwegian and 5.8% Irish ancestry.
There were 21,356 households, out of which 33.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.30% were married couples living together, 8.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.70% were non-families. 24.70% 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 2.53 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.50% under the age of 18, 7.70% from 18 to 24, 28.20% from 25 to 44, 23.10% from 45 to 64, and 14.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.00 males.
In 2017, there were 624 births, giving a general fertility rate of 59.7 births per 1000 women aged 15–44, the 26th lowest rate out of all 72 Wisconsin counties. Additionally, there were fewer than five reported induced abortions performed on women of Chippewa County residence in 2017.
Economy
The largest employers in Chippewa County are:
Library
The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire's Special Collections and Archives, located on the fifth floor of McIntyre Library, houses an extensive collection of public records, books and collections relating to Chippewa County. In addition to vital records (birth and marriage) dating to 1907, there are also naturalization records, census records, and civil and circuit court records. These resources are very popular with local genealogists.
Within the local history collection, there are books about immigration to the region, logging, church and cemetery records, reminiscences by local residents, and a number of histories and biographies compiled by local historians.
Special Collections and Archives also houses numerous archives files which relate to Chippewa County. There are many collections which pertain to logging, the railway industry and agriculture.
The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire's Special Collections and Archives also includes information for Buffalo, Clark, Eau Claire, Rusk and Taylor counties.
Communities
thumb|right|upright|A farm in Chippewa county
Cities
Bloomer
Chippewa Falls (county seat)
Cornell
Eau Claire (mostly in Eau Claire County)
Stanley (partly in Clark County)
Villages
Boyd
Cadott
Lake Hallie
New Auburn (partly in Barron County)
Towns
Anson
Arthur
Auburn
Birch Creek
Bloomer
Cleveland
Colburn
Cooks Valley
Delmar
Eagle Point
Edson
Estella
Goetz
Hallie
Howard
Lafayette
Lake Holcombe
Ruby
Sampson
Sigel
Tilden
Wheaton
Woodmohr
Census-designated places
Holcombe
Jim Falls
Lake Wissota
Other unincorporated communities
Albertville
Anson
Arnold
Bateman
Brownville
Cobban
Colburn
Crescent
Drywood
Eagle Point
Eagleton
Edson
Howard
Huron
Maple Hill
Old Albertville
Pine Grove
Ruby
Tilden
Politics
At the presidential level, Chippewa County leans Republican; however, Barack Obama won the county in 2008. In 2020, Donald Trump received 59.3 percent of the vote, the best result for a Republican since Dwight Eisenhower in 1956.
