Portage County
County
Portage County Courthouse in Stevens Point
Flag
Location within the U.S. state of Wisconsin
Wisconsin's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 44°29′N 89°30′W / 44.48°N 89.5°W / 44.48; -89.5
Country	United States
State	Wisconsin
Founded	1844
Named for	the portage between the Fox and Wisconsin Rivers
Seat	Stevens Point
Largest city	Stevens Point
Area
• Total	823 sq mi (2,130 km2)
• Land	801 sq mi (2,070 km2)
• Water	22 sq mi (60 km2)  2.7%
Population  (2020)[1]
• Total	70,377
• Estimate  (2023)	71,024
• Density	87.9/sq mi (33.9/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	3rd
Website	www.co.portage.wi.gov

Portage County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 70,377.^[2] Its county seat is Stevens Point.^[3]

Portage County comprises the Stevens Point, WI Micropolitan Statistical Area and is included in the Wausau-Stevens Point-Wisconsin Rapids, WI Combined Statistical Area.

Portage County was created from the Wisconsin Territory in 1836 and organized in 1844.^[4] Like the city of Portage, Portage County is named for the portage between the Fox and Wisconsin rivers; Portage County originally included the city of Portage and the portage for which it was named, but boundary changes detached the county from its namesake.^[5]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 823 square miles (2,130 km²), of which 801 square miles (2,070 km²) is land and 22 square miles (57 km²) (2.7%) is water.^[6]

• Canadian National

• Stevens Point Transit

• KSTE - Stevens Point Municipal Airport

• Marathon County - north
• Shawano County - northeast
• Waupaca County - east
• Waushara County - southeast
• Adams County - southwest
• Wood County - west

• Buena Vista Marsh
• Dewey Marsh
• Mead Wildlife Area
• Paul J. Olson Wildlife Area

As of the census of 2020,^[1] the population was 70,377. The population density was 87.9 people per square mile (33.9 people/km²). There were 31,148 housing units at an average density of 38.9 units per square mile (15.0 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 89.5% White, 3.2% Asian, 1.3% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 1.3% from other races, and 4.2% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 3.7% Hispanic or Latino of any race.

As of the census^[11] of 2000, there were 67,182 people, 25,040 households, and 16,501 families residing in the county. The population density was 83 people per square mile (32 people/km²). There were 26,589 housing units at an average density of 33 units per square mile (13 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 95.73% White, 0.32% Black or African American, 0.36% Native American, 2.25% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.43% from other races, and 0.86% from two or more races. 1.44% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 32.8% were of Polish, 31.6% German, 5.4% Norwegian and 5.0% Irish ancestry. 93.9% spoke English, 1.7% Spanish, 1.6% Polish and 1.3% Hmong as their first language.

There were 25,040 households, out of which 32.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.10% were married couples living together, 7.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.10% were non-families. 24.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.07.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.10% under the age of 18, 16.20% from 18 to 24, 27.70% from 25 to 44, 21.10% from 45 to 64, and 10.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 99.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.80 males.

In 2017, there were 674 births, giving a general fertility rate of 46.4 births per 1000 women aged 15–44, the third lowest rate out of all 72 Wisconsin counties.^[12]

• Stevens Point (county seat)

• Bancroft
• Polonia

• Lake Emily

Portage County has been reliably Democratic in presidential elections since Dwight Eisenhower's win in 1956. However, recent elections have suggested that the county is turning into a battleground area, with Donald Trump holding the margin in the county to within 4%.

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Portage County, Wisconsin

• Commemorative Biographical Record of the Upper Wisconsin Counties of Waupaca, Portage, Wood, Marathon, Lincoln, Oneida, Vilas, Langlade and Shawano. Chicago: J. H. Beers, 1895.
• Rosholt, Malcolm. Our County, Our Story: Portage County, Wisconsin. Stevens Point: Portage County Board of Supervisors, 1959.
• A Standard History of Portage County, Wisconsin. Chicago: Lewis Publishing Company, 1919.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Portage County, Wisconsin.

• Portage County government website
• Old plat maps: 1876 1895 ca 1904 1915 1930 1947
• Portage County map from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation
• Portage County Business Council, Inc.
• Portage County Historical Society

44°29′N 89°30′W / 44.48°N 89.50°W / 44.48; -89.50