Oconto County is a county in Wisconsin, United States, on the western shore of Green Bay in the state’s northeastern reaches. It had a population of 38,965 at the 2020 census and covers 1,149 square miles (2,980 km2) — 998 square miles of land and 151 square miles of water — centred near 44°59′N 88°14′W.
Oconto is the county seat and its postal code is 54153. The county holds 3 cities, 3 villages, 23 towns and a scatter of unincorporated communities, runs on Central time, and is part of the Green Bay metropolitan area.
Towns & Villages in Oconto County
The table below covers every incorporated city and village plus the unincorporated communities carried over from county records. CDP marks a Census Designated Place with its own population count; Unincorp. marks a community with no separate census figure, shown as —.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oconto | City · seat | — | 4,609 | 54153 |
| Gillett | City | — | — | 54124 |
| Oconto Falls | City | — | — | 54154 |
| Lena | Village | Lena | — | 54139 |
| Suring | Village | — | — | 54174 |
| Pulaski | Village | — | — | 54162 |
| Abrams | Unincorp. | Abrams | — | 54101 |
| Bonita | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Breed | Unincorp. | Breed | — | 54114 |
| Brookside | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Chase | Unincorp. | Chase | — | — |
| County Line | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Cullen | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Frostville | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Hayes | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Hickory Corners | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Hintz | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Kelly Brook | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Klondike | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Krakow | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Lakewood | Unincorp. | Lakewood | — | 54138 |
| Little Suamico | Unincorp. | Little Suamico | — | 54141 |
| Logan | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Morgan | Unincorp. | Morgan | — | — |
| Mosling | Unincorp. | Morgan | — | — |
| Mountain | Unincorp. | Mountain | — | 54149 |
| Oak Orchard | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Pensaukee | Unincorp. | Pensaukee | — | — |
| Sampson | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Sobieski | Unincorp. | — | — | 54171 |
| Sobieski Corners | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| South Chase | Unincorp. | Chase | — | — |
| Spruce | Unincorp. | Spruce | — | — |
| Stiles | Unincorp. | Stiles | — | — |
| Stiles Junction | Unincorp. | Stiles | — | — |
| Townsend | Unincorp. | Townsend | — | 54175 |
| Underhill | Unincorp. | Underhill | — | — |
Pulaski straddles three counties — most of the village lies in Brown and Shawano counties, with only its northern edge in Oconto County. Chase and South Chase are neighboring unincorporated places inside the Town of Chase, and Stiles and Stiles Junction are likewise a pair within the Town of Stiles.
Townships
Oconto County has 23 civil towns, the local unit of government across most of rural Wisconsin. Confirmed 2020 per-town population figures were not available at publication; the table lists each town with its best-known named settlement.
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Abrams | — | Abrams |
| Bagley | — | — |
| Brazeau | — | — |
| Breed | — | Breed |
| Chase | — | Chase, South Chase |
| Doty | — | — |
| How | — | — |
| Lakewood | — | Lakewood |
| Lena | — | Lena |
| Little River | — | — |
| Little Suamico | — | Little Suamico |
| Maple Valley | — | — |
| Morgan | — | Morgan, Mosling |
| Mountain | — | Mountain |
| Oconto Falls | — | — |
| Oconto | — | — |
| Pensaukee | — | Pensaukee |
| Riverview | — | — |
| Spruce | — | Spruce |
| Stiles | — | Stiles, Stiles Junction |
| Townsend | — | Townsend |
| Underhill | — | Underhill |
ZIP Codes
- 54153 — Oconto (also serves the surrounding Town of Oconto)
- 54124 — Gillett
- 54154 — Oconto Falls
- 54139 — Lena
- 54174 — Suring
- 54162 — Pulaski (shared with Brown and Shawano counties)
- 54101 — Abrams
- 54114 — Breed
- 54138 — Lakewood
- 54141 — Little Suamico
- 54149 — Mountain
- 54171 — Sobieski
- 54175 — Townsend
Smaller crossroads communities such as Bonita, Cullen, Frostville, Hickory Corners, Klondike, Krakow, Logan, Oak Orchard and Sampson share a ZIP with the nearest post office town rather than carrying one of their own.
Geography
Oconto County sits along the western shore of Green Bay, an arm of Lake Michigan, in the transition zone between Wisconsin’s farmland to the south and the forested Nicolet National Forest to the north. The Oconto River, from which the county takes its name, runs the length of the county before emptying into Green Bay near the city of Oconto. Roughly 13% of the county’s area is water, including sections of Green Bay itself and numerous inland lakes around Lakewood and Mountain.
Oconto County borders Marinette County to the north and northeast, Forest County to the northwest, Langlade County to the west, Menominee County to the southwest, Shawano County to the south, Brown County to the southeast, and Green Bay itself, opposite Door County, to the east.
Demographics
Oconto County had 38,965 residents at the 2020 census, giving it a density of about 39 people per square mile. Oconto, the county seat, is the largest city at 4,609 residents, followed by Oconto Falls. Median household income in the county runs below the Wisconsin median of $74,631, reflecting the county’s rural, resource-based economy.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture, forestry and forest-products manufacturing anchor the county’s economy, alongside tourism tied to the lakes and woods around Lakewood and Mountain in the county’s northern towns. Green Bay, just across the county line, supplies commuting jobs in manufacturing, paper and health care for residents of the county’s southern towns. The county fairgrounds in Gillett host the annual Oconto County Fair, a longstanding late-summer tradition.
History
Oconto County was created by the Wisconsin legislature in 1851 and organized in 1854, carved from the Wisconsin frontier as logging pushed north along the Oconto River. The county and its river take their name from an Ojibwe- or Menominee-derived word associated with the river’s mouth; 19th-century logging and sawmilling around Oconto and Oconto Falls drove the county’s early settlement, with Polish and German immigrants later founding communities such as Sobieski, Krakow and Pulaski.
Getting There
US Highway 41 runs along the county’s eastern edge near Green Bay, while US Highway 141 and State Highways 22, 32 and 64 cross the county’s interior, linking Oconto, Oconto Falls, Gillett, Lena and Suring.
- Green Bay — 15 miles southeast
- Marinette — 35 miles northeast
- Shawano — 25 miles southwest
- Wausau — 60 miles west
The nearest commercial airport is Austin Straubel International Airport in Green Bay.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Oconto County?
It is in northeastern Wisconsin, on the western shore of Green Bay, part of the Green Bay metropolitan area.
What is the population of Oconto County?
38,965 people, per the 2020 census.
How big is Oconto County?
1,149 square miles (2,980 km2), including 151 square miles of water.
What is the county seat of Oconto County?
Oconto is the county seat.
How many towns and villages are in Oconto County?
Three cities (Oconto, Oconto Falls, Gillett), three villages (Lena, Pulaski, Suring), 23 civil towns and numerous smaller unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Oconto County?
Major ones include 54153 (Oconto), 54124 (Gillett), 54154 (Oconto Falls), 54139 (Lena) and 54174 (Suring).
What river runs through Oconto County?
The Oconto River, which gives the county and its seat their name, flows the length of the county into Green Bay.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Wisconsin.