Iron County is a county in Wisconsin, United States, on the Lake Superior shoreline in the far north of the state, in the Gogebic Range mining district. It had a population of 6,137 at the 2020 census and covers 919 square miles (2,380 km2) — 758 square miles of land and 161 square miles of water — centred near 46°20′N 90°16′W.
Hurley is the county seat, and its postal code is 54534. The county has two cities (Hurley and Montreal), ten towns, and a scatter of unincorporated communities and census-designated places. It observes Central time and was organized in 1893.
Towns & Villages in Iron County
Iron County’s population centres are almost all unincorporated, sitting inside one of its ten civil towns. The table below lists the two cities plus the named communities carried over from the county’s place inventory; population figures are given only where the 2020 census separately counted the place as a city or census-designated place.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hurley | City · seat | — | 1,461 | 54534 |
| Montreal | City | — | — | 54550 |
| Mercer | CDP | Mercer | — | 54547 |
| Saxon | Unincorp. | Saxon | — | 54559 |
| Gile | Unincorp. | — | — | 54525 |
| Iron Belt | Unincorp. | — | — | 54536 |
| Upson | Unincorp. | — | — | 54565 |
| Gurney | Unincorp. | Gurney | — | — |
| Kimball | Unincorp. | Kimball | — | — |
| Pence | Unincorp. | Pence | — | — |
| Cedar | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Germania | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Hoyt | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Manitowish | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Orva | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Pine Lake | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Powell | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Springstead | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Van Buskirk | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
Several of these places share a name with the civil town that contains them (Gurney, Kimball, Mercer, Pence, Saxon) — a common Wisconsin pattern where the platted village and the surrounding town were never formally split into separate governments.
Townships
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Mercer | — | Mercer |
| Gurney | — | Gurney |
| Saxon | — | Saxon |
| Kimball | — | Kimball |
| Pence | — | Pence |
| Anderson | — | — |
| Carey | — | — |
| Knight | — | — |
| Oma | — | Gile |
| Sherman | — | — |
Wisconsin’s civil towns function as the state’s township-equivalent minor civil divisions; Iron County has ten of them surrounding its two incorporated cities. Per-township 2020 population is not independently verified here and is omitted rather than estimated.
ZIP Codes
- 54534 — Hurley
- 54547 — Mercer
- 54550 — Montreal
- 54559 — Saxon
- 54525 — Gile
- 54536 — Iron Belt
- 54565 — Upson
The county’s other small communities — including Cedar, Germania, Gurney, Hoyt, Kimball, Manitowish, Orva, Pence, Pine Lake, Powell, Springstead, and Van Buskirk — are too small to carry their own post office and are served by the nearest ZIP-code town listed above.
Geography
Iron County sits on the Penokee-Gogebic iron range, a band of ancient hills running along the Wisconsin-Michigan line, with Lake Superior forming its entire northern edge. Roughly a fifth of the county is water, including the Turtle-Flambeau Flowage and dozens of smaller lakes that draw the region’s fishing and snowmobiling trade. Portions of the Bad River and Lac du Flambeau Indian reservations extend into the county.
Iron County borders Vilas County to the east and southeast, Price County to the southwest, Ashland County to the west, and Gogebic County, Michigan, across the state line to the northeast.
Demographics
Iron County had 6,137 residents at the 2020 census, giving it a density of about 8.1 people per square mile — one of Wisconsin’s most sparsely populated counties. Hurley and Montreal, its only incorporated places, together hold roughly a quarter of the county’s population. Median household income in the county runs well below the Wisconsin median of $74,631, reflecting the decline of the area’s mining and timber economies and its now-heavier reliance on seasonal and retirement income.
Economy & Local Life
Iron County’s economy today centers on tourism, forestry, and second-home and retirement real estate rather than the iron mining that built it. Snowmobiling, fishing, and hunting draw visitors year-round, and the county markets itself as a four-season outdoor-recreation destination built around its lakes, the Turtle-Flambeau Flowage, and the trail network radiating from Mercer and Hurley.
History
Iron County was organized in 1893, carved out for the iron-mining boom then underway on the Gogebic Range, and named directly for the ore deposits found within its borders. Hurley, its seat, grew rapidly as a mining and lumber town in the late 19th century and by the 1880s-90s had a reputation as a rough frontier settlement serving the mines and logging camps of the range. Mining and large-scale logging both declined through the 20th century, reshaping the county’s economy toward recreation.
Getting There
U.S. Highways 2 and 51 and Wisconsin state highways 47, 77, 122, 169, and 182 serve the county.
- Ironwood, Michigan — 2 miles east of Hurley
- Ashland — 40 miles west
- Rhinelander — 65 miles south
- Wausau — 130 miles south
The nearest commercial airport is Gogebic-Iron County Airport in Ironwood, Michigan, just across the state line from Hurley.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Iron County, Wisconsin?
It is in the far north of Wisconsin, on the Lake Superior shore along the Michigan border, centred near 46°20′N 90°16′W.
What is the population of Iron County?
6,137 people at the 2020 census.
How big is Iron County?
758 square miles of land (1,960 km2), plus 161 square miles of water — 919 square miles total.
What is the county seat of Iron County?
Hurley is the county seat.
How many towns and cities are in Iron County?
Two cities, Hurley and Montreal, and ten civil towns, plus a number of unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Iron County?
Seven, led by 54534 (Hurley), 54547 (Mercer), and 54550 (Montreal).
Why is it called Iron County?
It was named for the iron ore discovered within its borders on the Gogebic Range.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Wisconsin.