Vernon County is a county in Wisconsin, United States, in the Driftless Area, in the southwestern part of the state. It had a population of 30,714 at the 2020 census and covers 816 square miles (2,110 km2), of which 792 square miles are land and 25 square miles are water, centred near 43°35′N 90°50′W.
Viroqua is the county seat, and its postal code is 54665. The county contains three cities, nine villages, and 21 townships, plus numerous unincorporated communities scattered among them. Vernon County observes Central time.
Towns & Villages in Vernon County
Forty named places appear across Vernon County: three cities (Hillsboro, Viroqua and Westby), nine incorporated villages, and twenty-eight unincorporated communities that have no separate municipal government. Unincorporated places are marked “Unincorp.” below; most have no independently reported census population, shown as —.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Viroqua | City · seat | 4,504 | 54665 |
| Westby | City | — | 54667 |
| Hillsboro | City | — | 54634 |
| Chaseburg | Village | — | 54621 |
| Coon Valley | Village | — | 54623 |
| De Soto | Village | — | 54624 |
| Genoa | Village | — | 54632 |
| La Farge | Village | — | 54639 |
| Ontario | Village | — | 54651 |
| Readstown | Village | — | 54652 |
| Stoddard | Village | — | 54658 |
| Viola | Village | — | — |
| Avalanche | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bloomingdale | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Brookville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bud | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dilly | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Esofea | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fargo | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Folsom | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Greenwood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Liberty | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Liberty Pole | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mount Tabor | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Newry | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Newton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pleasant Valley | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Purdy | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Red Mound | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Retreat | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rockton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Romance | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ross | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Springville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sugar Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Trippville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Valley | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Victory | Unincorp. | — | — |
| West Prairie | Unincorp. | — | — |
| White City | Unincorp. | — | — |
Viola sits mostly in neighboring Richland County, with a small portion crossing into Vernon County; its municipal ZIP code is listed under Richland County and is not repeated here.
ZIP Codes
- 54665 — Viroqua
- 54667 — Westby
- 54634 — Hillsboro
- 54639 — La Farge
- 54658 — Stoddard
- 54623 — Coon Valley
- 54624 — De Soto
- 54651 — Ontario (also serves Bloomingdale)
- 54621 — Chaseburg
- 54632 — Genoa
- 54652 — Readstown
Smaller unincorporated communities such as Avalanche, Liberty Pole, Retreat and Romance use the ZIP code of their nearest post-office town rather than a code of their own.
Geography
Vernon County lies in Wisconsin’s Driftless Area, a hilly region of ridges and coulees that the last glaciation bypassed, so it lacks the flat till plains common elsewhere in the Midwest. The Kickapoo River winds south through the county’s eastern half before joining the Wisconsin River, and the Mississippi River forms part of the county’s western edge near Genoa and De Soto.
Vernon County borders Monroe County to the north, Juneau County to the northeast, Sauk County to the east, Richland County to the southeast, Crawford County to the south, Allamakee County, Iowa to the southwest, and Houston County, Minnesota and La Crosse County to the west.
Demographics
Vernon County had 30,714 residents at the 2020 census, a density of about 39.7 people per square mile. Viroqua, the seat, is the largest community, followed by Westby. Median household income runs below the Wisconsin median of $74,631; the county remains predominantly rural, with agriculture and small manufacturing anchoring the local economy.
Economy & Local Life
Vernon County has one of the largest concentrations of certified organic farms in the country, and Organic Valley, the country’s largest farmer-owned organic dairy cooperative, is headquartered in La Farge. Dairy farming, much of it Amish-operated in the county’s eastern townships, remains central to the local economy alongside tourism tied to the Kickapoo Valley Reserve and the Elroy-Sparta State Trail, which passes through the county. Viroqua’s downtown, built around locally owned shops rather than a big-box retailer, was profiled by Smithsonian Magazine in 1992 as “The Town That Beat Walmart.”
History
Vernon County was organized in 1851 as Bad Ax County, named for the Bad Axe River and the 1832 Black Hawk War battle fought near its mouth. The state legislature renamed it Vernon County in 1862, reportedly after Mount Vernon, George Washington’s Virginia home. Viroqua became the county seat in 1852 and rebuilt after a tornado killed 22 residents there on June 28, 1865; the 1880 Vernon County Courthouse still stands on the square.
Getting There
US Routes 14 and 61 cross the county, along with State Highways 27, 33, 35, 56, 80, 82, 131 and 162. BNSF freight rail serves the county, and Viroqua Municipal Airport (Y51) handles general aviation.
- La Crosse, Wisconsin — 25 miles northwest
- Richland Center, Wisconsin — 25 miles southeast
- Sparta, Wisconsin — 30 miles north
- Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin — 35 miles south
The nearest commercial airport is La Crosse Regional Airport, about 30 miles northwest of Viroqua.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Vernon County, Wisconsin?
It is in the Driftless Area of southwestern Wisconsin, along the Mississippi and Kickapoo Rivers.
What is the population of Vernon County?
30,714 people, at the 2020 census.
How big is Vernon County?
816 square miles (2,110 km2), including 25 square miles of water.
What is the county seat of Vernon County?
Viroqua is the county seat.
How many towns and villages are in Vernon County?
Three cities, nine villages, twenty-one townships and about two dozen unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Vernon County?
Eleven ZIP codes serve the county, including 54665 (Viroqua), 54667 (Westby) and 54634 (Hillsboro).
Why is Organic Valley based in Vernon County?
The cooperative was founded in La Farge in 1988 by local organic dairy farmers and has kept its headquarters there as it grew into the country’s largest organic farmer cooperative.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Wisconsin.