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Wisconsin ( ) is a state in the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. With a population of about 6 million and an area of about 65,500 square miles, Wisconsin is the 20th-largest state by population and the 23rd-largest by area. It has 72 counties. The state's most populous city is Milwaukee. Its capital and second-most populous city is Madison; other urban areas include Green Bay and the Fox Cities.
Wisconsin's geography is diverse, with dense forests in the north (including Chequamegon–Nicolet National Forest), rugged unglaciated hills in the western Driftless Area, and wooded plains, lowlands, and farms stretching from the interior east to Lake Michigan. Wisconsin has the third-longest Great Lakes coastline, after Ontario and Michigan. At the time of European contact, the area was inhabited by Algonquian and Siouan nations, and today it is home to eleven federally recognized tribes. Originally part of the Northwest Territory, it was admitted as a state in 1848. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, many European settlers entered the state, mostly from Germany and Scandinavia. Wisconsin remains a center of German American and Scandinavian American culture, particularly in its cuisine, with foods such as bratwurst and kringle.
Wisconsin is one of the nation's leading Dairy farming and is known as "America's Dairyland"; it is particularly famous for Wisconsin cheese. The state is also famous for its breweries, with beer in Milwaukee a longstanding industry. Wisconsin has some of the nation's most permissive alcohol laws and is known for its drinking culture. Its economy is dominated by manufacturing, healthcare, information technology, and agriculture—specifically dairy, cranberries, and ginseng. Tourism is also a major contributor to its economy. The gross domestic product in 2020 was $348 billion. Wisconsin is home to one UNESCO World Heritage Site, comprising two of the most significant buildings designed by Wisconsin-born architect Frank Lloyd Wright: his studio at Taliesin and his Jacobs I House. Politically, it is considered a swing state in national and statewide elections; the Republican Party was founded in Wisconsin in 1854.
The Algonquian word for Wisconsin and its original meaning have both grown obscure. While interpretations vary, most implicate the river and the red sandstone that lines its banks. One leading theory holds that the name originated from the Miami word Meskonsing, meaning , a reference to the setting of the Wisconsin River as it flows through the reddish sandstone of the Wisconsin Dells.McCafferty, Michael. 2003. On Wisconsin: The Derivation and Referent of an Old Puzzle in American Placenames . Onoma 38: 39–56 Other theories include claims that the name originated from one of a variety of Ojibwa words meaning , , or . More recently, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay lecturer and Menominee elder Napos Turney suggested the origin of the name may be the Menominee word Wēskōhsaeh, meaning "good place".
The British gradually took over Wisconsin during the French and Indian War, taking control of Green Bay in 1761 and gaining control of all of Wisconsin in 1763. Like the French, the British were interested in little but the fur trade. One notable event in the fur trading industry in Wisconsin occurred in 1791, when two free African Americans set up a fur trading post among the Menominee at present-day Marinette. The first permanent settlers, mostly , some Anglo- and a few African American freedmen, arrived in Wisconsin while it was under British control. Charles de Langlade is generally recognized as the first settler, establishing a trading post at Green Bay in 1745, and moving there permanently in 1764. Settlement began at Prairie du Chien around 1781. The French residents at the trading post in what is now Green Bay, referred to the town as "La Baye". However, British fur traders referred to it as "Green Bay", because the water and the shore assumed green tints in early spring. The old French title was gradually dropped, and the British name of "Green Bay" eventually stuck. The region coming under British rule had virtually no adverse effect on the French residents as the British needed the cooperation of the French fur traders and the French fur traders needed the goodwill of the British. During the French occupation of the region licenses for fur trading had been issued scarcely and only to select groups of traders, whereas the British, in an effort to make as much money as possible from the region, issued licenses for fur trading freely, both to British and to French residents. The fur trade in what is now Wisconsin reached its height under British rule, and the first self-sustaining farms in the state were established as well. From 1763 to 1780, Green Bay was a prosperous community which produced its own foodstuff, built graceful cottages and held dances and festivities.Wisconsin, a Guide to the Badger State page 188
Joseph Roi built the Tank Cottage in Green Bay in 1776. Located in Heritage Hill State Historical Park, it is the oldest standing building from Wisconsin's early years and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Following these conflicts, Wisconsin Territory was created by an act of the United States Congress on April 20, 1836. By fall of that year, the best prairie groves of the counties surrounding what is now Milwaukee were occupied by farmers from the New England states.Wisconsin, a Guide to the Badger State page 197
The growing population allowed Wisconsin to gain statehood on May 29, 1848, as the 30th state. Between 1840 and 1850, Wisconsin's non-Indian population had swollen from 31,000 to 305,000. More than a third of residents (110,500) were foreign born, including 38,000 Germans, 28,000 British immigrants from England, Scotland, and Wales, and 21,000 Irish. Another third (103,000) were Yankees from New England and western New York state. Only about 63,000 residents in 1850 had been born in Wisconsin.Robert C. Nesbit. Wisconsin: A History. 2nd ed. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1989, p. 151.
Nelson Dewey, the first governor of Wisconsin, was a Democrat. Dewey oversaw the transition from the territorial to the new state government. He encouraged the development of the state's infrastructure, particularly the construction of new roads, railroads, canals, and harbors, as well as the improvement of the Fox and . During his administration, the State Board of Public Works was organized. Dewey, an abolitionist, was the first of many Wisconsin governors to advocate against the spread of slavery into new states and territories.
During the American Civil War, around 91,000 troops from Wisconsin fought for the Union. A number of Wisconsin regiments were distinguished, including three that served in the celebrated "Iron Brigade"— the 2nd Wisconsin, 6th Wisconsin, and 7th Wisconsin. The 8th Wisconsin, another hard-fighting regiment, was often accompanied into battle by its mascot, Old Abe, a bald eagle.
Wisconsin's economy also diversified during the early years of statehood. While lead mining diminished, agriculture became a principal occupation in the southern half of the state. Railroads were built across the state to help transport grains to market, and industries like Case Corporation in Racine were founded to build agricultural equipment. Wisconsin briefly became one of the nation's leading producers of wheat during the 1860s. Meanwhile, the lumber industry dominated in the heavily forested northern sections of Wisconsin, and sawmills sprang up in cities like La Crosse, Eau Claire, and Wausau. These economic activities had dire environmental consequences. By the close of the 19th century, intensive agriculture had devastated soil fertility, and lumbering had deforested most of the state. These conditions forced both wheat agriculture and the lumber industry into a precipitous decline.
Beginning in the 1890s, farmers in Wisconsin shifted from wheat to dairy production to make more sustainable and profitable use of their land. Many immigrants carried cheese-making traditions that, combined with the state's suitable geography and dairy research led by Stephen Babcock at the University of Wisconsin, helped the state build a reputation as "America's Dairyland". Meanwhile, conservationists including Aldo Leopold helped re-establish the state's forests during the early 20th century, paving the way for a more renewable lumber and industry as well as promoting recreational tourism in the northern woodlands. Manufacturing also boomed in Wisconsin during the early 20th century, driven by an immense immigrant workforce arriving from Europe. Industries in cities like Milwaukee ranged from brewing and food processing to heavy machine production and tool-making, leading Wisconsin to rank 8th among U.S. states in total product value by 1910.
During World War I, due to the neutrality of Wisconsin and many of its Republicans, Progressives, and Conservatives, including German Americans and Scandinavians who were a significant proportion of the state's population, Wisconsin began to be accused of being the "Traitor State" by many "hyper patriots."
As the war raged on in Europe, La Follette led the antiwar movement in Wisconsin and steered a group of progressive senators in blocking a bill by President Woodrow Wilson that would have armed merchant ships with guns. Many Wisconsin politicians, such as Emanuel L. Philipp and Irvine Lenroot, were accused of having divided loyalties. The History of Wisconsin 1914–1940 by Paul W. Glad, 1990. State Historical Society of Wisconsin, p.309-310. Even with outspoken opponents to the war, at the onset of the war, many Wisconsinites would abandon neutrality. Businesses, labor and farms all enjoyed prosperity from the war. With over 118,000 going into military service, Wisconsin was the first state to report for the national drafts conducted by the U.S. military. As governor, Philipp was successful in combating anti-German hysteria in the state.
The progressive Wisconsin Idea also promoted the statewide expansion of the University of Wisconsin through the UW–Extension system at this time. In 1932, UW economics professors John R. Commons and Harold Groves helped Wisconsin create the United States' first unemployment compensation program. Other Wisconsin Idea scholars at the university generated the plan that became the New Deal's Social Security Act of 1935, with Wisconsin expert Arthur J. Altmeyer playing a key role.Arthur J. Altmeyer, "The Wisconsin Idea and Social Security." Wisconsin Magazine of History (1958) 42#1: 19–25.
After La Follette died, his sons Philip and Robert Jr. took over the Wisconsin Republican Party, later founding the Wisconsin Progressive Party as a successor to their father's Progressive Party. It gained momentum in the mid-1930s with support from President Franklin D. Roosevelt and progressive Democrats, winning offices statewide and in Congress. The party declined after Philip, facing scandal and accusations of authoritarianism, lost reelection in 1938 and left politics to serve in World War II. The National Progressives of America, an organization Philip had hoped would precede a national realignment, then faltered, and the Wisconsin Progressives eventually voted to dissolve.
Wisconsin took part in several political extremes in the mid- to late 20th century, ranging from the McCarthyism crusades of Senator McCarthy in the 1950s, to the founding of Earth Day by environmental advocate Gaylord Nelson in 1970. During radical protests against the Vietnam War at UW-Madison, an attack by anarchists culminated in the Sterling Hall bombing in August 1970. The state undertook welfare reform under Republican Governor Tommy Thompson during the 1990s. Its economy also underwent further transformations toward the end of the 20th century, as heavy industry and manufacturing declined in favor of a service economy based on medicine, education, agribusiness, and tourism.
In 2011, Wisconsin became the focus of some controversy when newly elected governor Scott Walker proposed and then passed and enacted 2011 Wisconsin Act 10, which made large changes in the areas of collective bargaining, compensation, retirement, health insurance, and sick leave of public sector employees, among other changes. A series of major protests by union supporters took place that year in protest to the changes, and Walker survived a recall election held the next year in 2012, becoming the first governor in U.S. history to do so. Also in 2012, Congressman Paul Ryan became the first Wisconsinite to appear on a major party ticket, as Republican nominee Mitt Romney's running mate in the 2012 United States presidential election. Ryan was elected Speaker of the House in 2015.
Since 2023, five University of Wisconsin branch campuses have closed, one has gone entirely online, and one has stopped using several of its buildings. Many have expressed concern about the Wisconsin Idea's future since these closures.
Lying between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River, Wisconsin has a wide variety of geographical features. The state is divided into five distinct regions. In the north, the Lake Superior Lowland occupies a belt of land along Lake Superior. Just to the south, the Northern Highland has massive mixed hardwood and coniferous forests including the Chequamegon–Nicolet National Forest, as well as thousands of glacial lakes, and the state's highest point, Timms Hill. In the middle of the state, the Central Plain has some unique sandstone formations like the Dells of the Wisconsin River in addition to rich farmland. The Eastern Ridges and Lowlands region in the southeast is home to many of Wisconsin's largest cities. The ridges include the Niagara Escarpment that stretches from New York, the Black River Escarpment and the Magnesian Escarpment. In the southwest, the Western Upland is a rugged landscape with a mix of forest and farmland, including many bluffs on the Mississippi River, and the Baraboo Range. This region is part of the Driftless Area, which also includes parts of Iowa, Illinois, and Minnesota. Overall, 46% of Wisconsin's land area is covered by forest.
Wisconsin has geologic formations and deposits that vary in age from over three billion years to several thousand years, with most rocks being millions of years old. The oldest geologic formations were created over 600 million years ago during the Precambrian, the majority below the glacial deposits. Much of the Baraboo Range consists of Baraboo Quartzite and other Precambrian metamorphic rock.Hanson, G. F., Geology of the Baraboo District, Wisconsin , The University of Wisconsin Extension, November 1970, Information Circular 14 This area was not covered by during the most recent ice age, the Wisconsin Glaciation. Langlade County has a soil rarely found outside the county called Antigo silt loam.
The state has more than 12,000 named rivers and streams, totaling in length. It has over 15,000 named lakes, totaling about . Lake Winnebago is the largest inland lake, with over , and of shoreline. Along the two Great Lakes, Wisconsin has over of shoreline (over , not counting minor islands and indentations). Many of the named islands in Wisconsin are in the Great Lakes; many surround the Door Peninsula in Lake Michigan or are part of the Apostle Islands in Lake Superior. The Mississippi River and inland lakes and rivers contain the rest of Wisconsin's islands.
Areas under the protection of the National Park Service include the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Ice Age National Scenic Trail, and portions of the Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway and North Country National Scenic Trail. There are an additional 18 National Natural Landmarks in the state that include dune and swales, swamps, bogs, and old-growth forests. Wisconsin has 50 state park units, covering more than in state parks and state recreation areas maintained by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. The Division of Forestry manages a further in Wisconsin's state forests.
| + Monthly normal high and low temperatures for selected Wisconsin cities °F |
Over two-thirds of Wisconsin residents live in urban areas. Milwaukee, in southeastern Wisconsin, is the state's most populous city, with approximately 580,000 people. The Milwaukee metropolitan area accounts for 1.57 million of the state's residents. With a population of nearly 280,000, the state capital of Madison is consistently ranked as one of the most livable cities in both the state and country and is the fastest-growing city in Wisconsin. The Madison metropolitan area in southern Wisconsin has about 680,000 residents.
Medium-size cities dot the state. The largest of these is Green Bay in northeastern Wisconsin, with approximately 320,000 people in the metro area. Other metropolitan cities in the state include Appleton, Racine, Oshkosh, Eau Claire, Janesville, Wausau, La Crosse, Sheboygan, and Fond du Lac. Furthermore, another 12 cities function as centers of micropolitan statistical areas which typically anchor a network of working farms surrounding them. As of 2011, there were 12 cities in Wisconsin with a population of 50,000 or more, accounting for 73% of the state's employment.Wisconsin Department of Revenue, "Wisconsin's Metropolitan Statistical Areas", Summer 2011.
According to HUD's 2022 Annual Homeless Assessment Report, there were an estimated 4,775 homeless people in Wisconsin.
| Ethnic composition as of the 2020 census | ||
| White (non-Hispanic) | ||
| Hispanic or Latino | ||
| African American (non-Hispanic) | ||
| Asian Americans | ||
| Native American | ||
| Pacific Islander | ||
| Other |
| + Wisconsin historical population by race | ||||
| 80.4% | ||||
| 6.4% | ||||
| 3.0% | ||||
| 1.0% | ||||
| – | ||||
| 3.1% | ||||
| 6.1% | ||||
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) | 1.9% | 3.6% | 5.9% | 7.6% |
| Non-Hispanic white | 91.3% | 87.3% | 83.3% | 78.6% |
In 2022, the five largest European ancestry groups were: German American (36%), Irish American (10.2%), Polish American (7.9%), English American (6.7%), and Norwegian (6.3%). German is the most common ancestry in every county in the state, except Menominee, Trempealeau, and Vernon. Wisconsin has the highest percentage of residents of Polish ancestry of any state. According to the 2022 American Community Survey, 7.6% of Wisconsin's population were of Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race). The largest Hispanic ancestry groups were Mexican American (5.1%), Puerto Ricans (1.1%), (0.4%), and Cuban American (0.1%), with 0.9% reporting other Hispanic or Latino origins.
Since its founding, Wisconsin has been ethnically heterogeneous. Following the period of French fur traders, the next wave of settlers were miners, many of whom were Cornish American, who settled the southwestern area of the state. The next wave was dominated by "Yankees", migrants of English American from New England and upstate New York; in the early years of statehood, they dominated the state's heavy industry, finance, politics, and education. Between 1850 and 1900, the immigrants were mostly German Americans, Scandinavians (the largest group being Norwegian), Irish Americans, and Polish Americans. In the 20th century, a number of African Americans and Mexicans settled in Milwaukee; and after the end of the Vietnam War came an influx of Hmong Americans.
The various ethnic groups settled in different areas of the state. Although German immigrants settled throughout the state, the largest concentration was in Milwaukee. Norwegian immigrants settled in lumbering and farming areas in the north and west. Irish, Italian, and Polish immigrants settled primarily in urban areas.Miller, Frank H., "The Polanders in Wisconsin" , Parkman Club Publications No. 10. Milwaukee, Wis.: Parkman Club, 1896; retrieved January 29, 2008. Menominee County is the only county in the eastern United States with a Native American majority.
African Americans came to Milwaukee, especially from 1940 on. 86% of Wisconsin's African-American population live in four cities: Milwaukee, Racine, Beloit, Kenosha, with Milwaukee home to nearly three-fourths of the state's black Americans. In the Great Lakes region, only Detroit and Cleveland have a higher percentage of African-American residents.
About 33% of Wisconsin's Asian population is Hmong people, with significant communities in Milwaukee, Wausau, Green Bay, Sheboygan, Appleton, Madison, La Crosse, Eau Claire, Oshkosh, and Manitowoc. 61,629 people in Wisconsin, or around 1% of the population, identify as Hmong.
Of the residents of Wisconsin, 71.7% were born in Wisconsin, 23.0% were born in a different US state, 0.7% were born in Puerto Rico, U.S. Island areas, or born abroad to American parent(s), and 4.6% were foreign born. U.S. Census website . Factfinder2.census.gov; retrieved August 2, 2013.
In 2018, the countries of origin for Wisconsin's immigrants came from Mexico, India, China, Laos and the Philippines.
Note: Births in table add to over 100%, because Hispanics are counted both by their ethnicity and by their race, giving a higher overall number.
| + Live births by single race or ethnicity of mother | |||||||||||
| White | 49,357 (74.0%) | 49,440 (73.6%) | 49,024 (73.1%) | 47,994 (72.0%) | 46,309 (71.3%) | 45,654 (71.2%) | 44,784 (70.8%) | 42,715 (70.5%) | 43,991 (71.2%) | 42,455 (70.7%) | 41,471 (69.4%) |
| Black | 6,956 (10.4%) | 7,328 (10.9%) | 7,386 (11.0%) | 6,569 (9.9%) | 6,864 (10.6%) | 6,622 (10.3%) | 6,859 (10.8%) | 6,429 (10.6%) | 5,964 (9.6%) | 5,688 (9.5%) | 5,592 (9.3%) |
| Asian Americans | 3,197 (4.8%) | 3,333 (5.0%) | 3,276 (4.9%) | 3,220 (4.8%) | 3,017 (4.6%) | 3,155 (4.9%) | 2,942 (4.6%) | 2,870 (4.7%) | 2,692 (4.3%) | 2,661 (4.4%) | 2,651 (4.4%) |
| American Indian | 1,011 (1.5%) | 980 (1.5%) | 1,029 (1.5%) | 689 (1.0%) | 745 (1.1%) | 707 (1.1%) | 664 (1.0%) | 573 (0.9%) | 546 (0.9%) | 499 (0.8%) | 486 (0.8%) |
| Hispanic (any race) | 6,398 (9.6%) | 6,375 (9.5%) | 6,604 (9.9%) | 6,504 (9.8%) | 6,368 (9.8%) | 6,365 (9.9%) | 6,463 (10.2%) | 6,438 (10.6%) | 6,923 (11.2%) | 6,971 (11.6%) | 7,591 (12.7%) |
| Total | 66,649 (100%) | 67,161 (100%) | 67,041 (100%) | 66,615 (100%) | 64,975 (100%) | 64,098 (100%) | 63,270 (100%) | 60,594 (100%) | 61,781 (100%) | 60,049 (100%) | 59,754 (100%) |
Christianity is the predominant religion in Wisconsin. Per the Association of Religion Data Archives' 2020 study, Catholicism was the single-largest denomination with 1,237,342 adherents, followed by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America with 316,245 members and the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod with 209,788 adherents. 276,904 adhered to nondenominational Christianity.
Eight corporations based in Wisconsin are listed on the Fortune 500. In 2024, the list included Northwestern Mutual, Fiserv, ManpowerGroup, Rockwell Automation, and WEC Energy Group (all based in Milwaukee), as well as Kohl's (based in Menomonee Falls), American Family Insurance (based in Madison), and Oshkosh Corporation (based in Oshkosh).
Major Wisconsin companies in manufacturing include the Kohler Company; Mercury Marine; Rockwell Automation; Johnson Controls; John Deere; Briggs & Stratton; Milwaukee Electric Tool Company; Miller Electric; Caterpillar Inc.; Joy Global; Oshkosh Corporation; Harley-Davidson; Case IH; S. C. Johnson & Son; Ashley Furniture; Ariens; and Evinrude Outboard Motors.
Wisconsin has a significant lumber industry, being a major producer of paper and packaging. Wisconsin ranks first nationwide in the production of paper products; the lower Fox River from Lake Winnebago to Green Bay has 24 along its stretch.
A large part of the state's manufacturing sector includes commercial food processing, including well-known brands such as Oscar Mayer, Tombstone frozen pizza, Johnsonville bratwurst, and Fred Usinger. Kraft Foods alone employs more than 5,000 people in the state. Milwaukee is a major producer of beer and was formerly headquarters for Miller Brewing Company—the nation's second-largest brewer—until it merged with Coors. Formerly, Schlitz, Blatz, and Pabst were cornerstone breweries in Milwaukee.
The development and manufacture of healthcare devices and software is a growing sector of the state's economy, with key players such as GE Healthcare, Epic Systems, and TomoTherapy.
The state ranks first nationally in the production of corn for silage, cranberries,U.S. Department of Agriculture. Wisconsin Ag News– Cranberries , May 4, 2022, p. 1. ginseng,United States Department of Agriculture. 2012 Census of Agriculture: United States Summary and State Data, Vol. 1 . Washington, DC: 2014, pp. 475–476. and snap beans for processing. It grows more than half the national crop of cranberries. and 97% of the nation's ginseng. Wisconsin is also a leading producer of , potatoes, carrots, tart cherries, maple syrup, and sweet corn for processing.
The significance of the state's agricultural production is exemplified by the depiction of a Holstein cow, an ear of corn, and a wheel of cheese on Wisconsin's state quarter design. The state annually selects an "Alice in Dairyland" to promote the state's agricultural products around the world.Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. Alice in Dairyland . The prominence of the dairy industry in Wisconsin has led to Wisconsin being known as "America's Dairyland", which was made the official state slogan in 1940.
The Dells of the Wisconsin River, a gorge noted for its rock formations in south-central Wisconsin, annually attracts more than four million visitors between water tours of the scenery and numerous in the region. Nearby Devil's Lake State Park is one of the most visited of Wisconsin's state parks due to its proximity to the Dells and its own scenery.
The Door Peninsula, which extends off the eastern coast of the state, contains Door County, a popular destination for boaters due to the large number of natural harbors and boat launches on both the Green Bay and Lake Michigan sides of the peninsula. The area draws more than two million visitors yearly to its quaint villages, seasonal cherry picking, and . Town of Sevastopol Comprehensive Plan 2028, November 2008, Chapter 4, page 11, (page 64 of the pdf) (Archived October 29, 2014)William H. Tishler, Door County's Emerald Treasure: A History of Peninsula State Park (Univ of Wisconsin Press, 2006)
Given the large number of lakes and rivers in the state, water recreation is popular. In the Northwoods Lake Country, what had been an industrial area focused on timber has largely been transformed into a vacation destination. Popular interest in the environment and environmentalism, added to traditional interests in hunting and fishing, has attracted a large urban audience within driving range.Aaron Shapiro, The Lure of the North Woods: Cultivating Tourism in the Upper Midwest (University of Minnesota Press, 2015). Lake Geneva in southeastern Wisconsin is similarly popular for water recreation.
The state has a mandate that ten percent of its electrical energy come from renewable sources by the end of 2015.[16] Thinkprogress—Wisconsin hits renewable goal This goal has been met, but not with in-state sources. , a third of that ten percent comes from out-of-state sources, mostly wind-generated electricity from Minnesota and Iowa. The state has agnostic policies for developing wind power in state.
The most common property tax assessed on Wisconsin residents is the real property tax, or their residential property tax. Wisconsin does not impose a property tax on vehicles, but does levy an annual registration fee. Property taxes are the most important tax revenue source for Wisconsin's local governments, as well as major methods of funding school districts, vocational-technical colleges, special purpose districts and tax incremental finance districts. Equalized values are based on the full market value of all taxable property in the state, except for agricultural land. To provide property tax relief for farmers, the value of agricultural land is determined by its value for agricultural uses, rather than for its possible development value. Equalized values are used to distribute state aid payments to counties, municipalities, and technical colleges. Assessments prepared by local assessors are used to distribute the property tax burden within individual municipalities.
Wisconsin does not assess a tax on intangible property. Wisconsin does not collect . Until January 1, 2008, Wisconsin's estate tax was decoupled from the federal estate tax laws; therefore the state imposed its own estate tax on certain large estates.
There are no in Wisconsin; highway construction and maintenance are funded in part by motor fuel tax revenues, and the remaining balance is drawn from the State General Fund. Non-highway road construction and maintenance are funded by local governments (municipalities or counties).
Numerous ethnic festivals are held throughout Wisconsin to celebrate the heritage of its citizens. Such festivals include Summerfest, Oktoberfest, Polish Fest, Festa Italiana, Irish Fest, Bastille Days, Syttende Mai (Norwegian Constitution Day), Brat(wurst) Days in Sheboygan, Polka Days, Cheese Days in Monroe and Mequon, African World Festival, Indian Summer, Arab Fest, Wisconsin Highland Games, and many others.
The Milwaukee Art Museum is known for its Quadracci Pavilion created by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. The Quadracci Pavilion contains a movable, wing-like Burke brise soleil that opens up for a wingspan of during the day, folding over the tall, arched structure at night or during inclement weather.
Frank Lloyd Wright, an architect known as the pioneer of Prairie School architecture and the home concept, was raised in Wisconsin. Wright's home and studio in the 20th century was at Taliesin, south of Spring Green, Wisconsin. Taliesin and the Usonian Jacobs I House in Madison are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites as part of "The 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright". Other notable works of Wright in Wisconsin include the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Wauwatosa, First Unitarian Society of Madison, and Johnson Wax Headquarters. Monona Terrace in Madison, a convention center designed by Taliesin architect Anthony Puttnam, is based on a 1930s design by Wright. Pure Contemporary interview with Anthony Puttnam
Many large breweries were founded in Wisconsin, largely in Milwaukee, which gained the epithet "Brew City" before the turn of the century. Miller Brewing Company, Pabst Brewing Company, Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company, and Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company all began as local businesses before entering national markets. Several other popular craft brews include Ale Asylum, Capital Brewery, Sprecher Brewery, and New Glarus, the latter being well known for the Spotted Cow Farmhouse Ale only sold in Wisconsin.
In Wisconsin, the legal drinking age is 21, except when accompanied by a parent, guardian, or spouse who is at least 21 years old. Age requirements are waived for possessing alcohol when employed by a brewer, brewpub, wholesaler, or producer of alcohol fuel. The minimum legal age to purchase alcohol is 21, with no exceptions. The Absolute Sobriety law states that any person not of legal drinking age (currently 21) may not drive after consuming alcohol. DUI offenses were lowered to BAC 0.08 in 2003 as a result of federal government pressure.
Wisconsin is the nation's top producer of cheese, the state's official dairy product. It is also a leading producer of cranberries, the state's official fruit, and ginseng. Dane County Farmers' Market in Madison is the nation's largest producers-only farmer's market.
The Friday night fish fry, often battered and fried perch or walleye, is traditional throughout Wisconsin, while in northeast Wisconsin and Door County the fish boil is more popular. The supper club is another common phenomenon of Wisconsin culinary heritage and often a destination for fish frys; other fried food are common side dishes, along with condiments of tartar sauce and cole slaw or crimson slaw, a variety of cole slaw that incorporates Wisconsin cranberries. Beer soup is usually made from a variety of beer and cheddar or Colby cheese with sausage, potatoes, and green onions.
Booyah is a stew common to Wisconsin, commonly using meat and a mirepoix of vegetables cooked together in a "booyah kettle" over low heat for several days.
The southeastern city of Racine is known for its kringle, a sweet flaky pastry often served as a dessert. The recipe was brought by Danish Americans to the region in the 1800s and became the official state pastry of Wisconsin in 2013. "Kringle becomes Wisconsin state pastry". WTMJ, July 1, 2013. Accessed July 26, 2013. The Wisconsin State Fair is known for its giant .
The butter burger originated in Wisconsin, most likely in Solly's Grille in Glendale. Culver's is a midwestern fast casual food restaurant chain originally from Sauk City and currently headquartered in Prairie du Sac known for serving butter burgers, fried cheese curds, and frozen custard. La Croix Sparkling Water originates from La Crosse.
Outdoor activities are popular in Wisconsin, especially hunting and fishing. One of the most prevalent game animals is the whitetail deer. Each year in Wisconsin, well over 600,000 deer-hunting licenses are sold. In 2008, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources projected the pre-hunt deer population to be between 1.5 and 1.7 million.
The state also has minor league teams in hockey (Milwaukee Admirals) and baseball (the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, based in Appleton and the Beloit Sky Carp of the High-A minor leagues). In addition to these affiliated minor league teams, Wisconsin has two American Association of Professional Baseball teams, being the Milwaukee Milkmen based in Franklin, and the Lake Country DockHounds based in Oconomowoc. Wisconsin is also home to nine Northwoods League teams. The Madison Mallards, the La Crosse Loggers, the Lakeshore Chinooks, the Eau Claire Express, the Fond du Lac Dock Spiders, the Green Bay Rockers, the Kenosha Kingfish, the Wausau Woodchucks, and the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters all play in a collegiate all-star summer league. In addition to the Packers, Green Bay is also the home to an indoor football team, the Green Bay Blizzard of the IFL. The state is home to the seven-time MISL/MASL Champion Milwaukee Wave. Wisconsin is also home to Forward Madison FC, which is a professional soccer team that plays in the USL League One. The Northern Elite Football League consists of many amateur semi-pro teams from Wisconsin.
Wisconsin also has many college sports programs, including the NCAA Division I Wisconsin Badgers, Milwaukee Panthers, and Green Bay Phoenix. The Marquette Golden Eagles of the Big East Conference, the state's other major collegiate program, is known for its men's basketball team. Many other schools in the University of Wisconsin system compete in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference at the Division III level. The conference is one of the most successful in the nation, claiming 107 NCAA national championships in 15 different sports as of March 30, 2015.
The Milwaukee Mile, an oval track opened in 1903, is the oldest operating motorsports venue in the world, having hosted the IndyCar Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series. Road America near Elkhart Lake hosts races in the IndyCar Series, IMSA SportsCar Championship, Sports Car Club of America GT World Challenge America and Trans-Am Series and the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship as of 2024. The World Championship Snowmobile Derby is held at Eagle River, Wisconsin. The world championship off-road racing event is held at Crandon International Off-Road Raceway.
Wisconsin is home to the nation's oldest operating velodrome in Kenosha where races have been held every year since 1927.
Sheboygan is home to Whistling Straits golf club which has hosted in 2004, 2010 and 2015 and the Ryder Cup golf competition between USA and Europe in 2020. The Greater Milwaukee Open, later named the U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee, was a PGA Tour tournament from 1968 to 2009 held annually in Brown Deer. In 2017, Erin Hills, a golf course in Erin, Wisconsin, approximately 30 miles northwest of Milwaukee, hosted the U.S. Open.
The Wisconsin State Legislature is Wisconsin's legislative branch. The Legislature is a bicameral body consisting of the Wisconsin State Assembly and the Wisconsin State Senate. The Assembly has 99 members, and the Senate has 33 members. All 99 members of the Wisconsin Assembly are elected in a two-year term cycle without term limits. Similarly, all 33 members of the Wisconsin Senate are elected in a four-year cycle, also without term limits.
target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> Article IV, Wisconsin Constitution (accessed April 25, 2013) Half of the Senate is elected every two years. Members of both houses of the Legislature vote within their ranks to select presiding officers, such as the Speaker of the Assembly and the President of the Senate. Legislators in both the Senate and the Assembly receive an annual salary of $55,141. Over two years, each legislator is allotted $66,008 to cover general office expenses, printing, postage and district mailings.
Wisconsin's court system has four levels: municipal courts, circuit courts, the Court of Appeals, and the Supreme Court. Municipal courts typically handle cases involving local ordinance matters. The circuit courts are Wisconsin's trial courts, they have original jurisdiction in all civil and criminal cases within the state. Challenges to circuit court rulings are heard by the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, consisting of sixteen judges who typically sit in three-judge panels. As the state's highest appellate court, the Wisconsin Supreme Court may hear both appeals from lower courts and original actions. In addition to deciding cases, the Supreme Court is responsible for administering the state's court system and regulating the practice of law in Wisconsin.
Wisconsin is under the appellate jurisdiction of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, which includes district courts for the Eastern District of Wisconsin and Western District of Wisconsin.
At the statewide level, Wisconsin is competitive, with control regularly alternating between the two parties. Following the 2014 general elections, the governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, and treasurer were all Republicans, while the secretary of state was a Democrat. Wisconsin 2014 election results , wisconsinvote.org; accessed November 5, 2014. However, in 2018, Democrats won all constitutional statewide offices on the ballot, the first time this happened in Wisconsin since 1982. Among Wisconsin's 46 governors, 32 were Republicans, 12 were Democrats, one was a Whig, and two were Wisconsin Progressive Party members.
In a 2020 study, Wisconsin was ranked as the 25th easiest state for citizens to vote in. Some have argued the state has experienced democratic backsliding since 2011. (2025). 9780226564388, University of Chicago Press. ISBN 9780226564388 Some political scientists classify Wisconsin as a hybrid regime; the state's House of Representative and legislature elections are considered to be free but not fair, with districts undergoing "extreme Gerrymandering" to entrench Republicans "beyond electoral rotation". The Wisconsin Supreme Court overturned the legislative gerrymander in the 2023 ruling of Clarke v. Wisconsin Elections Commission.
During the American Civil War, Wisconsin was a historically Republican state; in fact, it is the state that gave birth to the Republican Party, although ethno-religious issues in the late 19th century caused a brief split in the coalition. The Bennett Law campaign of 1890 controversially required English as the sole medium of instruction in all schools, and Germans switched to the Democratic Party because the Republican Party supported the law.
Wisconsin's political history is broad in scope, encompassing Robert La Follette and the Progressive movement to prominent anti-communist Joseph McCarthy. From the early 20th century, the Socialist Party of America had a base in Milwaukee. The phenomenon was referred to as "sewer socialism" because the elected officials were more concerned with public works and reform than with revolution (although revolutionary socialism existed in the city as well). Its influence faded in the late 1950s largely because of the red scare and racial tensions. The first socialist mayor of a large city in the United States was Emil Seidel, elected mayor of Milwaukee in 1910; the city elected three more socialist mayors in Daniel Hoan, Frank P. Zeidler, and Henry Maier. Socialist newspaper editor Victor Berger was repeatedly elected as a U.S. Representative. Through the first half of the 20th century, Wisconsin's politics were dominated by Robert La Follette and his sons, originally of the Republican Party and later of the Wisconsin Progressive Party. Since 1945, the state has maintained a close balance between Republicans and Democrats. Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan was the Republican vice-presidential nominee in the 2012 election, alongside Mitt Romney, and later served as 54th speaker of the House of Representatives.
The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction is the state education and public library management agency in the state. The department is led by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, a non-partisan, constitutional officer elected every four years in the spring primary, six months after the previous year's presidential election.
Public post-secondary education in Wisconsin consists of two organizations. The University of Wisconsin System comprises the state's two tier 1 research universities as classified by the Carnegie Foundation: the flagship University of Wisconsin–Madison, and the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. The system has eleven other comprehensive universities and ten two-year branch campuses. It is one of the largest public higher education systems in the country, enrolling more than 160,000 students each year and employing approximately 41,000 faculty and staff statewide. The 16-campus Wisconsin Technical College System awards two-year associate degrees, one- and two-year technical diplomas, and short-term technical diplomas and certificates. It also provides training and technical assistance to Wisconsin's business and industry community.
Carroll University was Wisconsin's first institution of higher education. It was chartered by the territorial legislature on January 31, 1846, and temporarily suspended operations during the Civil War. Beloit College is the state's oldest continuously operated college, chartered on February 2, 1846. Marquette University is a tier 2 research university and Wisconsin's largest private university by enrollment. It became the world's first coeducational Catholic university in 1909. Other private colleges and universities include Alverno College, Carthage College, Concordia University Wisconsin, Edgewood College, Lakeland College, Lawrence University, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee School of Engineering, Ripon College, St. Norbert College, Wisconsin Lutheran College, and Viterbo University.
Wisconsin is served by multiple intercity bus operators, which provide service to 71 stops and 53 cities. The following carriers provide scheduled bus service: Amtrak Thruway, Badger Bus, Flixbus, Greyhound Lines, Indian Trails, Jefferson Lines, Lamers Bus Lines, Megabus, Van Galder Bus Company, and Wisconsin Coach Lines.
Wisconsin is served by eight Interstate Highways, consisting of five primary routes and three auxiliary routes. The first part of this system was constructed in 1956, and its most recent expansion took place in 2015, with the addition of I-41 to the system. Wisconsin's longest Interstate Highway is I-94. There are also fourteen United States Numbered Highways in the state of Wisconsin, which were designated beginning in 1926 and ending in the mid-1930s. There are also several , usually maintained by local governments. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation maintains 158 state trunk highways, ranging from two-lane rural roads to limited-access freeways. These highways are paid for by the state's Transportation Fund, which is considered unique among state highway funds because it is kept entirely separate from the general fund, therefore, revenues received from transportation services are required to be used on transportation. The majority of state highway funding comes from gas taxes and vehicle registration fees.
Amtrak provides daily passenger rail service between Milwaukee and Chicago through the Hiawatha. The Borealis provides daily service to Chicago and Saint Paul, Minnesota, and is supplemental to the long-distance cross-country Empire Builder, both with stops in several cities across Wisconsin. Commuter rail provider Metra's Union Pacific North (UP-N) line has its northern terminus in Kenosha, the only Metra line and station in the state of Wisconsin. The Hop, a modern streetcar system in Milwaukee, began service in 2018. The 2.1 mile (3.4 km) initial line runs from Milwaukee Intermodal Station to Burns Commons.
target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> Wisconsin Health and Demographic Data La Crosse Medical Health Science Consortium
target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> Energy Profile for Wisconsin—Economic, environmental, and energy data
target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> Wisconsin Free Speech Legacy
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