Wisconsin
Badger State · Capital: Madison · Midwest (Midwest Rust)
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Bordering states: Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Michigan.
About Wisconsin
Wisconsin lies between Lake Superior and Lake Michigan, with the Mississippi and the St. Croix on its western edge and Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois and Michigan as neighbours. The last ice sheet covered nearly all of it, and geologists call the latest North American glaciation the Wisconsin Glaciation. Only the southwest, the Driftless Area, escaped, keeping sharp ridges and almost no natural lakes, while the state as a whole counts roughly 15,000 inland lakes. Timms Hill, the high point, reaches just 1,951 feet. Temperatures have ranged from 114 degrees in 1936 to 55 below zero in 1996.
Between about 700 and 1100 CE, people in southern Wisconsin built effigy mounds shaped like animals and water spirits. In 1673 Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet crossed the portage between the Fox and Wisconsin rivers to reach the Mississippi. Lead miners arrived in the 1820s; those who dug shelters into hillsides were called badgers, the source of the state nickname. Wisconsin became the thirtieth state on May 29, 1848, and German, Norwegian and Polish immigrants followed. The Peshtigo Fire of 1871 killed between 1,200 and 2,500 people. In 1932 the state created the country's first unemployment compensation system.
The 2020 census counted 5,893,718 residents, up 3.6 percent since 2010. Madison is the capital and Milwaukee the largest city. Wisconsin makes roughly a quarter of all American cheese and grows about 60 percent of the country's cranberries, and Harley-Davidson has built motorcycles in Milwaukee since 1903. The Green Bay Packers belong to more than half a million shareholders. The architect Frank Lloyd Wright was born at Richland Center in 1867 and the painter Georgia O'Keeffe outside Sun Prairie in 1887.
4 fun facts about Wisconsin
- Wisconsin makes about a quarter of all US cheese, and brick cheese was invented there in 1877.
- Wisconsin is the only state that requires cheesemakers to hold a license.
- Green Bay is the smallest US city with a major pro sports franchise (the Packers, owned by its citizens).
- Wisconsin invented the typewriter (1868, Milwaukee) and the blender (1922, Racine).
More about Wisconsin
Wisconsin geography and climate
More fun facts about Wisconsin
Frequently asked questions about Wisconsin
Is Wisconsin a US state?
Yes, Wisconsin is one of the 50 US states. It was admitted to the Union in 1848, making it the 30th state. Its capital is Madison and its largest city is Milwaukee.
What is the capital of Wisconsin?
The capital of Wisconsin is Madison. Note that the largest city in Wisconsin is Milwaukee, not the capital, a common point of confusion.
When did Wisconsin become a state?
Wisconsin became a US state in 1848. It is the 30th state admitted to the Union.
What is the abbreviation for Wisconsin?
The 2-letter USPS abbreviation for Wisconsin is WI.
How big is Wisconsin?
Wisconsin ranks #23 of 50 US states by area. With 108.8 residents per square mile in 2020, it was the 25th most densely populated state.
What is the population of Wisconsin?
Wisconsin had 5,893,718 residents at the 2020 census, the 20th largest population of the 50 states, up 3.6% since 2010. That count gives it 8 seats in the US House of Representatives.
What region is Wisconsin in?
Wisconsin is in the Midwest region of the United States, per the US Census Bureau.
What time zone is Wisconsin in?
Wisconsin observes Central Time.
Learn more
How to learn the 50 states (full guide)
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