Outagamie County is a county in Wisconsin, United States, home to the Fox Cities urban area along the lower Fox River. It had a population of 190,705 at the 2020 census and covers 645 square miles (1,670 km2), centred near 44°25′N 88°28′W.
Appleton is the county seat, and its postal code is 54911. The county has 4 cities, 12 villages, 19 towns and about 17 unincorporated communities. It sits in the Central time zone.
Towns & Villages in Outagamie County
Outagamie County’s settlements split between incorporated cities and villages clustered along the Fox River and a scatter of small unincorporated crossroads elsewhere in the county. In the table, “CDP” marks a census-designated place with no incorporated government, and “Unincorp.” marks a named community with no census designation at all.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appleton | City · seat | 75,644 | 54911, 54912, 54913, 54914, 54915, 54919 |
| Kaukauna | City | — | 54130 |
| New London | City | — | 54961 |
| Seymour | City | — | 54165 |
| Bear Creek | Village | — | 54922 |
| Black Creek | Village | — | 54106 |
| Combined Locks | Village | — | 54113 |
| Greenville | CDP | — | 54942 |
| Harrison | Village | — | — |
| Hortonville | Village | — | 54944 |
| Howard | Village | — | — |
| Kimberly | Village | — | 54136 |
| Little Chute | Village | — | 54140 |
| Nichols | Village | — | 54152 |
| Shiocton | Village | — | 54170 |
| Wrightstown | Village | — | — |
| Apple Creek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Binghamton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Center Valley | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Chicago Corners | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Darboy | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Five Corners | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Freedom | Unincorp. | — | 54131 |
| Hamples Corner | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Isaar | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Leeman | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mackville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Medina | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Murphy Corner | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Oneida | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Stephensville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sugar Bush | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Twelve Corners | Unincorp. | — | — |
Two names need a note. Kaukauna and Harrison also name civil townships that ring the cities of the same name, so the city and the Town of Kaukauna are separate governments sharing one name. New London sits mostly across the county line in Waupaca County; only a small edge of the city extends into Outagamie. Howard and Wrightstown likewise sit mostly in Brown County, with only a portion inside Outagamie.
Townships
Outagamie County has 19 civil townships (called “towns” in Wisconsin), each an independent unit of local government outside any city or village. Verified 2020 population figures per township were not available for this update, so populations are omitted rather than estimated.
| Township | Pop. (2020) |
|---|---|
| Black Creek | — |
| Bovina | — |
| Buchanan | — |
| Center | — |
| Cicero | — |
| Dale | — |
| Deer Creek | — |
| Ellington | — |
| Freedom | — |
| Grand Chute | — |
| Hortonia | — |
| Kaukauna | — |
| Liberty | — |
| Maine | — |
| Maple Creek | — |
| Oneida | — |
| Osborn | — |
| Seymour | — |
| Vandenbroek | — |
The Town of Grand Chute is the largest by population; it surrounds Appleton’s western edge and hosts much of the Fox Cities’ retail corridor along State Highway 41’s business route. The Town of Seymour and the City of Seymour are separate governments despite the shared name, as are the Town of Kaukauna and the City of Kaukauna.
ZIP Codes
- 54911 — Appleton (also serves the city’s north side)
- 54912, 54913, 54914, 54915, 54919 — Appleton (additional city ZIPs)
- 54130 — Kaukauna
- 54131 — Freedom
- 54942 — Greenville
- 54944 — Hortonville
- 54140 — Little Chute
- 54165 — Seymour
- 54136 — Kimberly
- 54106 — Black Creek
- 54170 — Shiocton
- 54113 — Combined Locks
- 54922 — Bear Creek
- 54152 — Nichols
Smaller unincorporated communities such as Darboy, Medina and Sugar Bush share a ZIP code with a nearby post office town rather than carrying their own.
Geography
Outagamie County lies in the northeastern part of Wisconsin, in the Fox Cities section of the Fox River Valley. The Fox River, flowing from Lake Winnebago toward Green Bay, cuts through the county’s southeast corner past Kaukauna and Little Chute; the Wolf and Embarrass rivers drain the county’s northern and western townships. Terrain is gently rolling farmland transitioning to the built-up Fox Cities corridor around Appleton.
Outagamie County borders Shawano County to the north, Brown County to the east, Calumet County to the southeast, Winnebago County to the southwest, and Waupaca County to the west.
Demographics
Outagamie County had a population of 190,705 at the 2020 census. Appleton is by far the largest community, followed by Kaukauna. Grand Chute, though a township rather than an incorporated city, is the county’s second-largest place by population and sits immediately west of Appleton. The county’s median household income runs above the Wisconsin median of $74,631, reflecting the Fox Cities’ manufacturing and healthcare-driven economy.
Economy & Local Life
Papermaking built the Fox Cities and still anchors the local economy alongside healthcare, insurance and food processing. Appleton is headquarters to several regional employers and hosts Appleton International Airport. The Fox River paper corridor around Kaukauna and Little Chute still runs mill operations that trace back to the 19th century, though the industry has consolidated sharply since its peak. Fox Cities’ annual events include Octoberfest in downtown Appleton and the Mile of Music festival each August.
History
Outagamie County was created from Brown County in 1851 and organized in 1852. Its name comes from an Anishinaabe term describing “people of the other shore,” referring to the Meskwaki (Fox) people who lived along the river before white settlement. Appleton grew up around Fox River water power and was chosen as the seat; Lawrence University, founded there in 1847, predates the county itself. The Fox River’s canal and lock system, including the locks at Kaukauna and Combined Locks, made the valley one of Wisconsin’s earliest industrial corridors.
Getting There
Interstate 41 and US Routes 41 and 45 run through the county along the Fox River corridor, linking Appleton to Green Bay and Oshkosh. State Highway 47 and State Highway 96 serve the county’s outlying towns.
- Green Bay — 20 miles north
- Oshkosh — 20 miles south
- Fond du Lac — 40 miles south
- Milwaukee — 100 miles southeast
Appleton International Airport (ATW), just north of the city, offers the county’s only commercial air service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Outagamie County?
It is in northeastern Wisconsin, in the Fox Cities section of the Fox River Valley, between Green Bay and Oshkosh.
What is the population of Outagamie County?
190,705 people, per the 2020 census.
How big is Outagamie County?
645 square miles (1,670 km2), of which about 638 square miles is land.
What is the county seat of Outagamie County?
Appleton is the county seat.
How many towns and villages are in Outagamie County?
The county has 4 cities, 12 villages, 19 towns and roughly 17 named unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Outagamie County?
Appleton uses 54911–54915 and 54919; other ZIPs include 54130 Kaukauna, 54140 Little Chute, 54136 Kimberly and 54165 Seymour, among others listed above.
Is Appleton the largest city in Outagamie County?
Yes. Appleton had 75,644 residents at the 2020 census, more than four times the county’s next-largest city, Kaukauna.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Wisconsin.