Eau Claire County, Wisconsin

Eau Claire County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2010 census, the population was 98,736.[2] Its county seat is Eau Claire.[3] The county took its name from the Eau Claire River.[4]

Eau Claire County
U.S. county
Eau Claire County Courthouse, February 2015
Location within the U.S. state of Wisconsin
Wisconsin's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 44°44′N 91°17′W
Country United States
State Wisconsin
Founded1856[1]
Named forEau Claire River
SeatEau Claire
Largest cityEau Claire
Government
 • County AdministratorKathryn Schauf
Area
 • Total645 sq mi (1,670 km2)
 • Land638 sq mi (1,650 km2)
 • Water7.3 sq mi (19 km2)  1.1%
Population
 (2010)
 • Total98,736
 • Estimate 
(2019)
104,646
 • Density150/sq mi (59/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district3rd
Websitewww.co.eau-claire.wi.us
Fields in Eau Claire County

Eau Claire County is included in the Eau Claire, WI Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the Eau Claire-Menomonie WI Combined Statistical Area.

History

Eau Claire county was originally set off as the Town of Clearwater in Chippewa County in 1855. The name was changed to the Town of Eau Claire on March 31, 1856. The entire town was separated as Eau Claire County by an act of the Wisconsin State Legislature on October 6, 1856.[5][6]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 645 square miles (1,670 km2), of which 638 square miles (1,650 km2) is land and 7.3 square miles (19 km2) (1.1%) is water.[7]

Adjacent counties

Demographics and religion statistics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
18603,162—
187010,769240.6%
188019,99385.7%
189030,67353.4%
190031,6923.3%
191032,7213.2%
192035,7719.3%
193041,08714.9%
194046,99914.4%
195054,18715.3%
196058,3007.6%
197067,21915.3%
198078,80517.2%
199085,1838.1%
200093,1429.3%
201098,7366.0%
Est. 2019104,646[8]6.0%
U.S. Decennial Census[9]
1790–1960[10] 1900–1990[11]
1990–2000[12] 2010–2019[2]
2000 Census Age Pyramid for Eau Claire County

As of the census[13] of 2000, there were 93,142 people, 35,822 households, and 22,281 families residing in the county. The population density was 146 inhabitants per square mile (56/km2). There were 37,474 housing units at an average density of 59 per square mile (23/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 94.96% White, 0.52% Black or African American, 0.54% Native American, 2.52% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.33% from other races, and 1.11% from two or more races. 0.94% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 37.4% were of German, 21.5% Norwegian and 7.0% Irish ancestry. 94.2% spoke English, 1.6% Hmong, 1.6% Spanish and 1.0% German as their first language.

There were 35,822 households out of which 30.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.60% were married couples living together, 8.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.80% were non-families. 27.10% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.02.

In the county, the population was spread out with 23.40% under the age of 18, 17.10% from 18 to 24, 26.70% from 25 to 44, 20.50% from 45 to 64, and 12.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.60 males.

In 2017, there were 1,191 births, giving a general fertility rate of 52.8 births per 1000 women aged 15–44, the tenth lowest rate out of all 72 Wisconsin counties. Of these, 99 of the births occurred at home, the third highest for Wisconsin counties.[14]

In 2010, the largest religious groups by reported number of adherents were Catholic at 16,240 adherents, ELCA Lutheran at 15,067 adherents, Missouri Synod Lutheran at 6,953 adherents, LCMC Lutheran at 3,355 adherents, United Methodist at 2,177 adherents, non-denominational Christian at 1,557 adherents, Lutheran Brethren at 1,391 adherents, United Church of Christ at 1,046 adherents, Assemblies of God at 969 adherents, Amish at 794 adherents, Wisconsin Synod Lutheran at 757 adherents, ELS Lutheran at 708 adherents, and LDS (Mormon) at 703 adherents.[15]

Transportation

Major highways
  • Interstate 94
  • U.S. Highway 10
  • U.S. Highway 12
  • U.S. Highway 53
  • Highway 27 (Wisconsin)
  • Highway 37 (Wisconsin)
  • Highway 85 (Wisconsin)
  • Highway 93 (Wisconsin)
  • Highway 124 (Wisconsin)
  • Highway 312 (Wisconsin)

Airport

Eau Claire county is served by the Chippewa Valley Regional Airport (KEAU).

Government
Eau Claire City Hall (listed on the NRHP)

The legislative body of Eau Claire County is the non-partisan 29-member Eau Claire County Board of Supervisors.[16] Members of the board of supervisors are elected by district and the chairperson and vice-chair positions are elected from within members of the board.

The board meets in the Eau Claire County Courthouse in downtown Eau Claire,[17] with its weekly meetings televised on local public television and transcripts published online. Most items are approved on a "consent calendar" without discussion.[18] Public comment is limited to three minutes per individual per item.

Eau Claire County contains portions of the Wisconsin State Senate districts 23 and 31, represented by Kathy Bernier (R) and Jeff Smith (D) respectively. It also contains portions of Wisconsin State Assembly districts 68 (Jesse James [R]) and 93 (Warren Petryk [R]), as well as almost all of district 91 (Jodi Emerson [D]). At the federal level, the entire county is contained within Wisconsin's third congressional district, which is represented in the United States House of Representatives by Ron Kind (D).

Presidential elections results
Presidential elections results[19]
Year Republican Democratic Third parties
2016 42.4% 23,331 49.7% 27,340 7.9% 4,354
2012 42.4% 23,256 56.0% 30,666 1.6% 884
2008 38.1% 20,959 60.3% 33,146 1.7% 905
2004 44.5% 24,653 54.2% 30,068 1.3% 716
2000 43.7% 20,921 50.3% 24,078 6.0% 2,876
1996 34.4% 13,900 50.3% 20,298 15.3% 6,192
1992 33.8% 15,915 45.1% 21,221 21.1% 9,940
1988 45.3% 17,664 54.2% 21,150 0.5% 209
1984 51.1% 20,401 48.5% 19,347 0.5% 181
1980 44.5% 17,304 45.2% 17,602 10.3% 4,016
1976 46.4% 16,388 51.7% 18,263 2.0% 702
1972 51.3% 15,883 46.2% 14,300 2.5% 760
1968 46.7% 11,799 48.7% 12,302 4.7% 1,186
1964 35.5% 8,700 64.3% 15,775 0.2% 46
1960 56.1% 14,427 43.7% 11,240 0.1% 37
1956 58.5% 13,122 41.3% 9,276 0.2% 41
1952 59.5% 14,069 40.4% 9,554 0.2% 35
1948 43.4% 7,825 55.3% 9,971 1.4% 246
1944 51.1% 9,470 48.4% 8,962 0.5% 88
1940 48.4% 9,595 51.1% 10,129 0.5% 108
1936 39.4% 6,802 58.3% 10,065 2.3% 393
1932 48.8% 7,487 49.3% 7,565 1.9% 291
1928 69.3% 10,079 30.1% 4,385 0.6% 91
1924 46.5% 5,149 5.7% 629 47.9% 5,305
1920 81.6% 7,856 12.4% 1,193 6.0% 576
1916 53.0% 2,922 41.5% 2,290 5.5% 301
1912 40.3% 2,013 34.6% 1,727 25.1% 1,256
1908 64.5% 3,981 30.1% 1,859 5.4% 332
1904 73.1% 4,343 20.6% 1,224 6.3% 376
1900 66.4% 4,378 29.9% 1,967 3.7% 244
1896 63.4% 4,522 33.2% 2,364 3.4% 244
1892 47.8% 2,719 41.9% 2,383 10.3% 586

Recreation

Attractions include the Chippewa Valley Museum in Eau Claire, Dells Mill Museum in Augusta, Dells Mill Water Powered Museum in Augusta, the Paul Bunyan Logging Camp in Eau Claire, and the Sarge Boyd Bandshell in Eau Claire.[20]

Communities
Political map of Eau Claire County, showing major and minor civil divisions, and adjacent counties. Note: A small portion of the city of Eau Claire is in Chippewa Co.

Cities

Villages

Towns

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Ghost towns/neighborhoods
Footnotes

‡ Historical community
§ Now part of the City of Eau Claire

See also

References
  1. Taken from Wisconsin Blue Book 1991–1992 p. 731; cited there as from "Wisconsin Historical Records, Origin and Legislative History of County Boundariesio in Wisconsin, 1942."
  2. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
  3. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on July 12, 2012. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  4. Chicago and North Western Railway Company (1908). A History of the Origin of the Place Names Connected with the Chicago & North Western and Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railways. p. 160.
  5. "Dictionary of Wisconsin History". Retrieved 1 January 2007.
  6. When Counties Originated from rootsweb.com's Oconto County, Wisconsin webpage Archived March 29, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
  7. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
  8. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  9. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
  10. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
  11. Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
  12. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
  13. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  14. Annual Wisconsin Birth and Infant Mortality Report, 2017 P-01161-19 (June 2019): Detailed Tables
  15. thearda.com County Membership Report Maps and Reports: Eau Claire County (Wisconsin)
  16. http://www.naco.org/Template.cfm?Section=Find_a_County&Template=/cffiles/counties/county.cfm&id=55035 Archived November 3, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  17. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 2, 2012. Retrieved September 29, 2012.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  18. "Eau Claire County – County Board of Supervisors". Co.eau-claire.wi.us. Archived from the original on November 12, 2011. Retrieved November 2, 2011.
  19. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved May 7, 2018.
  20. http://www.wisconline.com/cgi-bin/find_attractions.pl?typ=cou&county=Eau%20Claire

Further reading

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