Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin
Fond du Lac County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 104,154. Its county seat is Fond du Lac. The county was created in the Wisconsin Territory in 1836 and later organized in 1844. Fond du Lac is French for "bottom of the lake", given so because of the county's location at the southern shore of Lake Winnebago. Fond du Lac County comprises the Fond du Lac, Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area. The Holyland region is in northeastern Fond du Lac County.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and is water.Adjacent counties
- Winnebago County – north
- Calumet County – northeast
- Sheboygan County – east
- Washington County – southeast
- Dodge County – southwest
- Green Lake County – west
National protected area
Transportation
Major highways
- Interstate 41
- U.S. Highway 41
- U.S. Highway 45
- U.S. Highway 151
- Highway 23 (Wisconsin)
- Highway 26 (Wisconsin)
- Highway 44 (Wisconsin)
- Highway 49 (Wisconsin)
- Highway 67 (Wisconsin)
- Highway 175 (Wisconsin)
Railroads
Buses
Airport
Fond du Lac County Airport serves the county and surrounding communities.Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 104,154. The population density was 144.7 per square mile. The median age was 41.4 years, with 21.2% of residents under the age of 18 and 19.2% of residents 65 years of age or older; for every 100 females there were 97.0 males and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 95.6 males.The racial makeup of the county was 88.0% White, 2.3% Black or African American, 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 3.0% from some other race, and 5.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 6.4% of the population.
63.7% of residents lived in urban areas, while 36.3% lived in rural areas.
There were 42,824 households in the county, of which 26.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 49.8% were married-couple households, 19.1% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 23.2% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 29.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 45,740 housing units at an average density of 63.6 per square mile, of which 6.4% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 69.5% were owner-occupied and 30.5% were renter-occupied; the homeowner vacancy rate was 1.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.6%.
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 97,296 people, 36,931 households, and 25,482 families residing in the county. The population density was. There were 39,271 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 96.16% White, 0.90% Black or African American, 0.38% Native American, 0.87% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.84% from other races, and 0.82% from two or more races. 2.04% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 57.7% were of German, 6.1% Irish and 5.3% American ancestry. 95.5% spoke English, 2.1% Spanish and 1.3% German as their first language.There were 36,931 households, out of which 32.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.70% were married couples living together, 7.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.00% were non-families. 25.40% 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 2.52 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.20% under the age of 18, 9.40% from 18 to 24, 28.70% from 25 to 44, 22.40% from 45 to 64, and 14.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 95.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.20 males.
In 2017, there were 1,066 births, giving a general fertility rate of 57.7 births per 1000 women aged 15–44, the 20th lowest rate out of all 72 Wisconsin counties. Additionally, there were 74 reported induced abortions performed on women of Fond du Lac County residence in 2017.
Communities
Cities
Villages
- Brandon
- Campbellsport
- Eden
- Fairwater
- Kewaskum
- Mount Calvary
- North Fond du Lac
- Oakfield
- Rosendale
- St. Cloud
Towns
- Alto
- Ashford
- Auburn
- Byron
- Calumet
- Eden
- Eldorado
- Empire
- Fond du Lac
- Forest
- Friendship
- Lamartine
- Marshfield
- Metomen
- Oakfield
- Osceola
- Ripon
- Rosendale
- Springvale
- Taycheedah
- Waupun
Census-designated places
Unincorporated communities
- Arcade Acres
- Armstrong
- Artesia Beach
- Ashford
- Banner
- Bergen Beach
- Byron
- Calumet Harbor
- Calumetville
- Calvary
- Chinatown
- Dexter
- Dotyville
- Dundee
- Eldorado
- Elmore
- Garnet
- Gladstone Beach
- Graham Corners
- Hamilton
- Highland Park
- Hopokoekau Beach
- Johnsburg
- Ladoga
- Laudolff Beach
- Luco
- Malone
- Marblehead
- Marytown
- Metomen
- Minawa Beach
- New Fane
- New Prospect
- Oak Center
- Peebles
- Pipe
- Pukwana Beach
- Rogersville
- Rosendale Center
- St. Joe
- Silica
- South Byron
- Waucousta
- Welling Beach
- West Rosendale
- Wilmoore Heights
- Winnebago Heights
- Winnebago Park
- Woodhull
Ghost towns/neighborhoods
Education
School districts include:- Campbellsport School District
- Fond du Lac School District
- Kewaskum School District
- Lomira School District
- Markesan School District
- New Holstein School District
- North Fond du Lac School District
- Oakfield School District
- Ripon Area School District
- Rosendale-Brandon School District
- Waupun School District
Government and politics
Fond du Lac County is governed by a twenty-five-member Board of Supervisors and an elected County Executive, all of whom are elected in nonpartisan elections. The other countywide officials, including the Sheriff and District Attorney, run in partisan elections.As Ripon's Little White Schoolhouse was the birthplace of the Republican Party in 1854, the GOP has long been the dominant party in Fond du Lac County. Since 1896 when the county broke a 20 year streak of voting Democratic, outside 1912, Franklin D. Roosevelt's first two terms, and Lyndon Johnson winning the county in 1964, along with state Progressive Robert M. La Follette's win in 1924, the majority of Fond du Lac County voters have chosen the Republican candidate.
| Office | Officeholder | Party |
| Executive | Sam Kaufman | Nonpartisan |
| Sheriff | Ryan F. Waldschmidt | Republican |
| Clerk | Lisa Freiberg | Republican |
| Treasurer | Brenda Schneider | Republican |
| Register of Deeds | Jim Krebs | Republican |
| Clerk of Circuit Court | Ramona Geib | Republican |
| District Attorney | Eric Toney | Republican |
| Name | District |
| Kat Griffith | District 1 |
| Gary A. Will | District 2 |
| Karen Madigan | District 3 |
| Michael J. Will | District 4 |
| Sarah Ann Smith | District 5 |
| Michael Beer | District 6 |
| Jonathon Venhuizen | District 7 |
| Bob Simon | District 8 |
| Thomas Dornbrook | District 9 |
| Ken Depperman | District 10 |
| Steven A. Abel | District 11 |
| Dennis Stenz | District 12 |
| John J. Rickert | District 13 |
| Michael Conley | District 14 |
| Joseph Fenrick | District 15 |
| Mike Streetar | District 16 |
| Jay John Myrechuck | District 17 |
| Scott Rodman | District 18 |
| Tom Herlache | District 19 |
| Tiffany Brault | District 20 |
| Dean P. Will | District 21 |
| Caroline M. Janke | District 22 |
| Martin S. Ryan | District 23 |
| Mary B. Hayes | District 24 |
| Angela C. Luehring | District 25 |