Waushara County is a county in Wisconsin, United States, in the central part of the state roughly 80 miles north of Madison. It had a population of 24,520 at the 2020 census and covers 637 square miles (1,650 km2), of which 626 square miles (1,620 km2) is land and 11 square miles is water, centred near 44°07′N 89°14′W.
Wautoma is the county seat, and its postal code is 54982. The county holds 2 cities, 6 villages and 18 towns (Wisconsin’s township-based form of local government), plus a handful of unincorporated communities. Waushara County is entirely in the Central time zone and carries FIPS code 55137.
Towns & Villages in Waushara County
Berlin and Wautoma are the county’s two cities; Berlin sits mostly in neighboring Green Lake County, with only a small portion inside Waushara. The six villages and the larger unincorporated places are listed below.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wautoma | City · seat | Town of Wautoma / Town of Dakota | 2,209 | 54982 |
| Berlin | City | Town of Aurora (partial) | — | — |
| Coloma | Village | Town of Coloma | — | — |
| Hancock | Village | Town of Hancock | — | — |
| Lohrville | Village | Town of Warren | — | — |
| Plainfield | Village | Town of Plainfield | — | — |
| Redgranite | Village | Town of Rose | — | — |
| Wild Rose | Village | Town of Rose / Town of Saxeville | — | — |
| Pine River | CDP | Town of Marion | — | — |
| Poy Sippi | CDP | Town of Poy Sippi | — | — |
| Tustin | CDP | Town of Bloomfield | — | — |
| Auroraville | Unincorp. | Town of Aurora | — | — |
| Saxeville | Unincorp. | Town of Saxeville | — | — |
| Mount Morris | Unincorp. | Town of Mount Morris | — | — |
| Richford | Unincorp. | Town of Richford | — | — |
| Silver Lake | Unincorp. | Town of Deerfield | — | — |
| Spring Lake | Unincorp. | Town of Springwater | — | — |
Townships
Waushara County’s 18 towns cover most of its land area outside the cities and villages. Wisconsin’s civil townships each elect their own board and often carry the name of an early settler or the geographic feature they surround.
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Aurora | — | Auroraville, part of Berlin |
| Bloomfield | — | Tustin |
| Coloma | — | Village of Coloma |
| Dakota | — | Part of Wautoma |
| Deerfield | — | Silver Lake |
| Hancock | — | Village of Hancock |
| Leon | — | Rural farmland |
| Marion | — | Pine River |
| Mount Morris | — | Mount Morris |
| Oasis | — | Rural farmland |
| Plainfield | — | Village of Plainfield |
| Poy Sippi | — | Poy Sippi |
| Richford | — | Richford |
| Rose | — | Redgranite, part of Wild Rose |
| Saxeville | — | Saxeville, part of Wild Rose |
| Springwater | — | Spring Lake |
| Warren | — | Lohrville |
| Wautoma | — | Surrounds the city of Wautoma |
ZIP Codes
- 54982 — Wautoma (also serves the surrounding Town of Wautoma and Town of Dakota)
Berlin, Coloma, Hancock, Plainfield, Redgranite and Wild Rose each have their own post office within the county, but a verified ZIP for each was not confirmed for this profile.
Geography
Waushara County sits on the sandy outwash plain of central Wisconsin, a landscape of low ridges, pine barrens and dozens of small kettle lakes left behind by the last glaciation. The Pine, Mecan and Willow rivers cross the county on their way toward the Wolf and Fox river systems. Roughly 1.8 percent of the county’s area is water, spread across small lakes rather than one large body.
Waushara County borders six other Wisconsin counties:
- Portage County to the north
- Waupaca County to the northeast
- Winnebago County to the east
- Green Lake County to the south
- Marquette County to the southwest
- Adams County to the west
Demographics
Waushara County recorded a population of 24,520 at the 2020 census, and later estimates put the county near 25,200 residents. Wautoma and Berlin are the two largest incorporated communities, though most residents live in the county’s unincorporated towns rather than either city. The county is heavily rural, with roughly 99.6 percent of residents living outside any city, and its median age of near 50 is well above the state average, reflecting both an aging farm population and a large seasonal and retiree lake community. Wisconsin’s statewide 2023 ACS median household income was $74,631; Waushara County, a largely agricultural county with a small population base, runs below that state figure. Population density is about 39 people per square mile, low even by rural Wisconsin standards.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture anchors the local economy. Waushara County lies within Wisconsin’s central sands region, one of the state’s leading areas for irrigated potato and vegetable production, alongside dairy and cranberry operations on the county’s wetter margins. The dozens of small lakes around Wild Rose, Silver Lake and Spring Lake support a seasonal tourism trade of cabins, campgrounds and sport fishing that swells the county’s population every summer. The Waushara County Fair, held in Wautoma each August, is the county’s largest annual gathering, drawing exhibitors from across the region’s farm communities.
History
Waushara County was created by the Wisconsin legislature in 1851 and formally organized in 1852, carved from what was then Marquette County. Its name comes from a Ho-Chunk term generally translated as “good earth,” reflecting the fertile outwash soils that later drew potato and vegetable farmers to the county. The county seat began at Sacramento before moving to Wautoma in 1854, where it has remained since.
Getting There
Interstate 39 and US Route 51 both cross the county on a north-south line, with State Routes 21, 22, 49, 73 and 152 connecting the smaller towns.
- Stevens Point — about 30 miles north
- Oshkosh — about 35 miles east
- Fond du Lac — about 40 miles southeast
- Madison — about 80 miles south
Wautoma Municipal Airport and Wild Rose Idlewild Airport handle general aviation within the county; the nearest commercial airports are Central Wisconsin Airport near Mosinee and Appleton International Airport, both roughly 50 to 60 miles away. The closest Amtrak service is the Empire Builder stop at Wisconsin Dells, about 40 miles to the southwest.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Waushara County, Wisconsin?
It is in the central part of the state, about 80 miles north of Madison, bordered by Portage, Waupaca, Winnebago, Green Lake, Marquette and Adams counties.
What is the Wautoma postcode?
Wautoma’s ZIP code is 54982.
What is the population of Waushara County?
The county had a population of 24,520 at the 2020 census.
Which city is the county seat?
Wautoma is the county seat.
What is Waushara County’s total area?
The county covers 637 square miles (1,650 km2), of which 626 square miles is land and 11 square miles is water.
What is the main industry in Waushara County?
Irrigated potato and vegetable farming, along with dairy, cranberry production and lake-based tourism.
How did Waushara County get its name?
From a Ho-Chunk term generally translated as “good earth.”
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Wisconsin.