Dodge County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 89,396.[2] Its county seat is Juneau.[3] The county was created from the Wisconsin Territory in 1836 and organized in 1844.[4]

Dodge County
Dodge County Administration building
Dodge County Administration building
Map of Wisconsin highlighting Dodge County
Location within the U.S. state of Wisconsin
Map of the United States highlighting Wisconsin
Wisconsin's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 43°25′N 88°43′W / 43.42°N 88.71°W / 43.42; -88.71
Country United States
State Wisconsin
Founded1844
Named forHenry Dodge
SeatJuneau
Largest cityBeaver Dam
Area
 • Total
907 sq mi (2,350 km2)
 • Land876 sq mi (2,270 km2)
 • Water31 sq mi (80 km2)  3.5%
Population
 • Total
89,396
 • Estimate 
(2023)
88,231 Decrease
 • Density102.1/sq mi (39.4/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional districts5th, 6th
Websitewww.co.dodge.wi.gov

Dodge County comprises the Beaver Dam, WI Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Milwaukee–Racine–Waukesha, WI Combined Statistical Area.

Geography

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According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 907 square miles (2,350 km2), of which 876 square miles (2,270 km2) is land and 31 square miles (80 km2) (3.5%) is water.[5]

The 6,718 acre Beaver Dam Lake and the 2,713 acre Fox Lake are found within the county.

Adjacent counties

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National protected area

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Climate

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Dodge County
Climate chart (explanation)
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
 
 
83
 
 
−7
−12
 
 
80
 
 
−5
−14
 
 
82
 
 
4
−7
 
 
160
 
 
17
3
 
 
122
 
 
22
6
 
 
163
 
 
26
15
 
 
91
 
 
25
17
 
 
95
 
 
24
17
 
 
75
 
 
21
11
 
 
107
 
 
15
6
 
 
62
 
 
7
−3
 
 
70
 
 
−3
−11
Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
Precipitation totals in mm
Source: [6]
Imperial conversion
JFMAMJJASOND
 
 
3.3
 
 
19
10
 
 
3.1
 
 
23
7
 
 
3.2
 
 
39
19
 
 
6.3
 
 
63
37
 
 
4.8
 
 
72
43
 
 
6.4
 
 
79
59
 
 
3.6
 
 
77
63
 
 
3.7
 
 
75
63
 
 
3
 
 
70
52
 
 
4.2
 
 
59
43
 
 
2.4
 
 
45
27
 
 
2.8
 
 
27
12
Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
Precipitation totals in inches

Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note
184067
185019,13828,464.2%
186042,818123.7%
187047,0359.8%
188045,931−2.3%
189044,984−2.1%
190046,6313.7%
191047,4361.7%
192049,7424.9%
193052,0924.7%
194054,2804.2%
195057,6116.1%
196063,1709.6%
197069,0049.2%
198075,0648.8%
199076,5592.0%
200085,89712.2%
201088,7593.3%
202089,3960.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[7]
1790–1960[8] 1900–1990[9]
1990–2000[10] 2010–2020[2]

2020 census

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As of the census of 2020,[1] the population was 89,396. The population density was 102.1 people per square mile (39.4 people/km2). There were 38,123 housing units at an average density of 43.5 units per square mile (16.8 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 88.8% White, 3.1% Black or African American, 0.6% Asian, 0.5% Native American, 2.4% from other races, and 4.6% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 6.1% Hispanic or Latino of any race.

 
2000 Census Age Pyramid for Dodge County
 
Dodge County Fairgrounds
 
Entering Dodge County on US 151

2000 census

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As of the census of 2000,[11] there were 85,897 people, 31,417 households, and 22,313 families residing in the county. The population density was 97 people per square mile (37 people/km2). There were 33,672 housing units at an average density of 38 units per square mile (15 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 95.28% White, 2.49% Black or African American, 0.40% Native American, 0.34% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.87% from other races, and 0.58% from two or more races. 2.55% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Ancestry-wise, 56.2% were of German, 8.7% Irish, 5.0% English, 4.2% Norwegian and 3.9% selected "United States or American" ancestry. 95.4% spoke English, 2.2% Spanish and 2.0% other Indo-European languages as their language spoken at home.[12]

There were 31,417 households, out of which 33.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.60% were married couples living together, 7.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.00% were non-families. 24.10% 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 2.56 and the average family size was 3.05.[12]

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.80% under the age of 18, 8.30% from 18 to 24, 31.20% from 25 to 44, 21.90% from 45 to 64, and 14.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 109.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 110.80 males.

In 2017, there were 758 births, giving a general fertility rate of 54.0 births per 1000 women aged 15–44, the 12th lowest rate out of all 72 Wisconsin counties.[13]

Transportation

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Major highways

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Railroads

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Buses

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Airport

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Communities

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Cities

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Villages

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Towns

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Census-designated places

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Unincorporated communities

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Ghost town

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Politics

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United States presidential election results for Dodge County, Wisconsin[14][15]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2024 33,067 65.74% 16,518 32.84% 715 1.42%
2020 31,355 64.73% 16,356 33.77% 725 1.50%
2016 26,635 61.83% 13,968 32.42% 2,475 5.75%
2012 25,211 56.67% 18,762 42.17% 515 1.16%
2008 23,015 53.74% 19,183 44.80% 625 1.46%
2004 27,201 61.35% 16,690 37.64% 445 1.00%
2000 21,684 57.52% 14,580 38.67% 1,437 3.81%
1996 12,890 43.81% 12,625 42.91% 3,907 13.28%
1992 14,971 41.93% 11,438 32.03% 9,300 26.04%
1988 17,003 56.81% 12,663 42.31% 261 0.87%
1984 20,458 64.41% 11,052 34.80% 251 0.79%
1980 19,435 57.70% 11,966 35.53% 2,281 6.77%
1976 17,335 54.79% 13,643 43.12% 663 2.10%
1972 17,068 61.54% 9,898 35.69% 771 2.78%
1968 14,909 57.88% 8,948 34.74% 1,901 7.38%
1964 10,772 40.95% 15,497 58.91% 39 0.15%
1960 17,152 62.84% 10,113 37.05% 30 0.11%
1956 17,569 72.10% 6,704 27.51% 93 0.38%
1952 19,298 73.28% 7,001 26.58% 37 0.14%
1948 10,831 56.15% 8,212 42.58% 245 1.27%
1944 14,102 64.44% 7,667 35.04% 114 0.52%
1940 14,651 61.41% 8,948 37.50% 260 1.09%
1936 6,829 30.22% 14,782 65.41% 988 4.37%
1932 4,936 23.34% 15,874 75.06% 338 1.60%
1928 9,660 49.71% 9,536 49.07% 238 1.22%
1924 5,167 30.45% 2,019 11.90% 9,785 57.66%
1920 11,354 77.46% 2,293 15.64% 1,011 6.90%
1916 4,887 50.66% 4,519 46.85% 240 2.49%
1912 2,559 29.26% 5,246 59.97% 942 10.77%
1908 4,015 39.66% 5,883 58.12% 225 2.22%
1904 4,248 44.91% 5,005 52.91% 206 2.18%
1900 4,780 44.35% 5,813 53.93% 185 1.72%
1896 5,610 51.55% 4,900 45.03% 372 3.42%
1892 2,653 27.33% 6,810 70.14% 246 2.53%

Since 1940, Dodge County has been a Republican stronghold in presidential elections. It has voted Republican in every election in that span with the exception of the 1964 landslide victory of Democrat Lyndon B. Johnson. Only six other times in that span has the Democratic candidate obtained at least 40% of the vote. In 2024, Donald Trump received over 65% of the vote in Dodge County, the best Republican performance since the 1956 landslide reelection of Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Historically, Dodge County had been a major stronghold of the Democratic Party in Wisconsin, from the establishment of the state, in 1848, until the 1910s, when a combination of World War I and the rise of the progressive faction of Republicans began to eat into the Democratic vote in the county. A significant factor in the switch was the anti-war attitude among the county's large German American population. Democratic president Woodrow Wilson and Wisconsin's Democratic U.S. senator Paul O. Husting (who was actually from Dodge County) supported the declaration of war against Germany in 1917, while progressive Republican leader Robert M. La Follette was one of only six senators who voted against the resolution. In the next presidential election, Dodge County gave 77% of its votes to the Republican nominee—the largest majority the county has given to either party in the last 130 years.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "2020 Decennial Census: Dodge County, Wisconsin". data.census.gov. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved July 5, 2022.
  2. ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
  3. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  4. ^ "Wisconsin: Individual County Chronologies". Wisconsin Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library. 2007. Archived from the original on April 14, 2017. Retrieved August 13, 2015.
  5. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
  6. ^ "NASA Earth Observations Data Set Index". NASA. Archived from the original on April 7, 2019. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
  7. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
  8. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
  9. ^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
  10. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
  11. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  12. ^ a b "Dodge County, Wisconsin Demographics tables DP-1, DP-2 Profile of Selected Social Characteristics: 2000" (PDF). US Census. 2000. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 6, 2008. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
  13. ^ "Annual Wisconsin Birth and Infant Mortality Report, 2017 P-01161-19 (June 2019): Detailed Tables". Archived from the original on June 19, 2019. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
  14. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  15. ^ https://www.co.dodge.wi.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/56435/638670149320670000

Further reading

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43°25′N 88°43′W / 43.42°N 88.71°W / 43.42; -88.71