Langlade County, Wisconsin

Langlade County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 19,491.^[1] Its county seat is Antigo.^[2]

Langlade County
County
Langlade County Courthouse in 2014
Logo
Location within the U.S. state of Wisconsin
Wisconsin's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 45°13′00″N 89°00′00″W
Country	United States
State	Wisconsin
Created	March 3, 1879
Named after	Charles Michel de Langlade
Seat	Antigo
Largest city	Antigo
Area
• Total	888 sq mi (2,300 km2)
• Land	871 sq mi (2,260 km2)
• Water	17 sq mi (40 km2)  1.9%
Population  (2020)[1]
• Total	19,491
• Estimate  (2023)	19,404
• Density	22.4/sq mi (8.6/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	7th
Website	www.co.langlade.wi.us

History

Langlade County was created on March 3, 1879, as New County. It was renamed Langlade County, in honor of Charles de Langlade, on February 20, 1880, and fully organized on February 19, 1881.^[3] The county's original borders extended northward from the top of Shawano County up to the Michigan state line. Between 1881 and 1885, the borders of Langlade County changed as nearby Lincoln and Shawano counties added or gave up area. Langlade lost its northernmost area along the Michigan border to Forest County when it was created in 1885.^[4]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 888 square miles (2,300 km²), of which 871 square miles (2,260 km²) is land and 17 square miles (44 km²) (1.9%) is water.^[5] The highest point in the county is at the foot of the Basswood Lookout Tower, west of Summit Lake (elev: 1857').

Adjacent counties

• Oneida County - northwest
• Forest County - northeast
• Oconto County - east
• Menominee County - southeast
• Shawano County - south
• Marathon County - southwest
• Lincoln County - west

National protected area

• Nicolet National Forest (part)

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1880	685		—
1890	9,465		1,281.8%
1900	12,553		32.6%
1910	17,062		35.9%
1920	21,471		25.8%
1930	21,544		0.3%
1940	23,227		7.8%
1950	21,975		−5.4%
1960	19,916		−9.4%
1970	19,220		−3.5%
1980	19,978		3.9%
1990	19,505		−2.4%
2000	20,740		6.3%
2010	19,977		−3.7%
2020	19,491		−2.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[6] 1790–1960[7] 1900–1990[8] 1990–2000[9] 2010[10] 2020[1]

2020 census

As of the census of 2020,^[1] the population was 19,491. The population density was 22.4 people per square mile (8.6 people/km²). There were 12,138 housing units at an average density of 13.9 units per square mile (5.4 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 93% White, 1.3% Native American, 0.5% Black or African American, 0.4% Asian, 0.7% from other races, and 4.1% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 2.4% Hispanic or Latino of any race.

2000 census

2000 Census age pyramid for Langlade County

As of the census^[11] of 2000, there were 20,740 people, 8,452 households, and 5,814 families residing in the county. The population density was 24 people per square mile (9.3 people/km²). There were 11,187 housing units at an average density of 13 units per square mile (5.0 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.93% White, 0.15% Black or African American, 0.54% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.2% from other races, and 0.87% from two or more races. 0.82% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 49.4% were of German, 8.6% Polish, 6.2% Irish and 5.8% American ancestry.

There were 8,452 households, out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.7% were married couples living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.2% were non-families. 26.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.4% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 26% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 18.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 98.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.6 males.

In 2017, there were 196 births, giving a general fertility rate of 68.3 births per 1000 women aged 15–44, the 20th highest rate out of all 72 Wisconsin counties.^[12]

Transportation

Major highways

• U.S. Highway 45
• Highway 17 (Wisconsin)
• Highway 47 (Wisconsin)
• Highway 52 (Wisconsin)
• Highway 55 (Wisconsin)
• Highway 64 (Wisconsin)

Buses

Airport

• KAIG - Langlade County Airport

The county owns and operates the Langlade County Airport, which serves both the local and transient general aviation community.

Communities

Langlade County Fairgrounds grandstands in Antigo

Looking south while entering Langlade County on WIS 55

Looking north at the welcome sign for Langlade County

City

• Antigo (county seat)

Village

• White Lake

Towns

• Ackley
• Ainsworth
• Antigo
• Elcho
• Evergreen
• Langlade
• Neva
• Norwood
• Parrish
• Peck
• Polar
• Price
• Rolling
• Summit
• Upham
• Vilas
• Wolf River

Census-designated places

• Elcho
• Post Lake
• Summit Lake

Unincorporated communities

• Bavaria
• Bryant
• Choate
• Deerbrook
• Elmhurst
• Elton
• Four Corners
• Freeman
• Hollister
• Kempster
• Koepenick
• Langlade
• Lily
• Markton
• Neva
• Neva Corners
• Ormsby
• Parrish
• Pearson
• Phlox
• Pickerel
• Polar
• Sherry Junction

Ghost towns/neighborhoods

• Kent/Drexel
• Van Ostrand

Politics

United States presidential election results for Langlade County, Wisconsin^[13]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	7,782	66.72%	3,746	32.12%	136	1.17%
2020	7,330	65.65%	3,704	33.18%	131	1.17%
2016	6,478	63.60%	3,250	31.91%	458	4.50%
2012	5,816	55.29%	4,573	43.47%	130	1.24%
2008	5,081	48.85%	5,182	49.82%	139	1.34%
2004	6,235	56.30%	4,751	42.90%	88	0.79%
2000	5,125	52.72%	4,199	43.20%	397	4.08%
1996	3,206	37.15%	4,074	47.20%	1,351	15.65%
1992	3,890	38.74%	3,630	36.15%	2,522	25.11%
1988	4,884	53.17%	4,254	46.31%	48	0.52%
1984	5,830	60.91%	3,675	38.39%	67	0.70%
1980	4,866	49.30%	4,498	45.57%	507	5.14%
1976	4,630	51.85%	4,134	46.29%	166	1.86%
1972	4,368	57.26%	3,011	39.47%	250	3.28%
1968	3,712	49.44%	3,064	40.81%	732	9.75%
1964	2,994	37.05%	5,077	62.83%	10	0.12%
1960	4,614	53.31%	4,025	46.50%	16	0.18%
1956	5,004	63.82%	2,804	35.76%	33	0.42%
1952	5,841	63.02%	3,371	36.37%	57	0.61%
1948	3,441	42.58%	4,346	53.78%	294	3.64%
1944	4,036	48.23%	4,310	51.50%	23	0.27%
1940	4,523	46.09%	5,190	52.88%	101	1.03%
1936	2,635	30.34%	5,837	67.22%	212	2.44%
1932	2,340	26.44%	6,332	71.56%	177	2.00%
1928	3,715	47.15%	4,078	51.76%	86	1.09%
1924	2,572	35.98%	926	12.95%	3,651	51.07%
1920	4,059	68.65%	1,619	27.38%	235	3.97%
1916	1,538	45.09%	1,755	51.45%	118	3.46%
1912	710	23.40%	1,387	45.72%	937	30.88%
1908	1,921	57.21%	1,340	39.90%	97	2.89%
1904	2,105	65.72%	1,018	31.78%	80	2.50%
1900	1,596	58.38%	1,080	39.50%	58	2.12%
1896	1,457	58.80%	956	38.58%	65	2.62%
1892	844	38.40%	1,289	58.64%	65	2.96%

Beginning in 1952, Langlade County has voted Republican in all but three presidential elections, backing Lyndon B. Johnson in his 1964 landslide, choosing Bill Clinton in 1996 with a prominent third party showing from Ross Perot keeping Clinton from obtaining a majority in the county, and narrowly supporting Barack Obama in 2008 by just 101 votes and less than a 1% margin of victory. In recent elections the Republican strength in the county has increased; Donald Trump's performance in 2020 and subsequently in 2024 were the best Republican showings since Warren G. Harding in 1924.^[14]

See also

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