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Sawyer County, Wisconsin facts for kids

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Sawyer County
North Wisconsin Lumber Company Office in Hayward, Wisconsin
North Wisconsin Lumber Company Office in Hayward, Wisconsin
Map of Wisconsin highlighting Sawyer County
Location within the U.S. state of Wisconsin
Map of the United States highlighting Wisconsin
Wisconsin's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Wisconsin
Founded 1885
Named for Philetus Sawyer
Seat Hayward
Largest city Hayward
Area
 • Total 1,350 sq mi (3,500 km2)
 • Land 1,257 sq mi (3,260 km2)
 • Water 93 sq mi (240 km2)  6.9%%
Population
 (2010)
 • Total 16,557
 • Estimate 
(2020)
16,700
 • Density 12.26/sq mi (4.735/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 7th

Sawyer County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2010 census, the population was 16,557. Its county seat is Hayward.

History

The county is named for Philetus Sawyer, a New England man who represented Wisconsin in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate in the 19th century. Logging began in the late 1850s. Loggers came from Cortland County, New York, Carroll County, New Hampshire, Orange County, Vermont and Down East Maine in what is now Washington County, Maine and Hancock County, Maine. These were "Yankee" migrants, that is to say they were descended from the English Puritans who had settled New England during the 1600s. They were mostly members of the Congregational Church. Sawyer County was created in 1883 and organized in 1885. In the 1890s immigrants came from a variety of countries such as Germany, Norway, Poland, Ireland and Sweden.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,350 square miles (3,500 km2), of which 1,257 square miles (3,260 km2) is land and 93 square miles (240 km2) (6.9%) is water. It is the fifth-largest county in Wisconsin by land area.

Major highways

  • US 63.svg U.S. Highway 63
  • WIS 27.svg Highway 27 (Wisconsin)
  • WIS 40.svg Highway 40 (Wisconsin)
  • WIS 48.svg Highway 48 (Wisconsin)
  • WIS 70.svg Highway 70 (Wisconsin)
  • WIS 77.svg Highway 77 (Wisconsin)
  • Sawyer County Highway B is the busiest rural roadway on average in all of Sawyer County with a high count of 5900 vehicles daily, according to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation's average daily traffic maps for 2008. http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/travel/counts/docs/sawyer/sawyer2008.pdf

Airport

Sawyer County Airport (KHYR) serves the county and surrounding communities.

Adjacent counties

National protected areas

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1890 1,977
1900 3,593 81.7%
1910 6,227 73.3%
1920 8,243 32.4%
1930 8,878 7.7%
1940 11,540 30.0%
1950 10,323 −10.5%
1960 9,475 −8.2%
1970 9,670 2.1%
1980 12,843 32.8%
1990 14,181 10.4%
2000 16,196 14.2%
2010 16,557 2.2%
2020 (est.) 16,700 0.9%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790–1960 1900–1990
1990–2000 2010–2020
USA Sawyer County, Wisconsin age pyramid
2000 Census Age Pyramid for Sawyer County

As of the census of 2000, there were 16,196 people, 6,640 households, and 4,581 families residing in the county. The population density was 13 people per square mile (5/km2). There were 13,722 housing units at an average density of 11 per square mile (4/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 81.72% White, 0.31% Black or African American, 16.07% Native American, 0.30% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.35% from other races, and 1.23% from two or more races. 0.90% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 29.6% were of German, 7.8% Irish, 6.7% Norwegian, 5.9% Polish, 5.2% Swedish and 5.2% English ancestry. 95.4% spoke English, 2.0% Ojibwa and 1.1% Spanish as their first language.

There were 6,640 households, out of which 27.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.20% were married couples living together, 10.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.00% were non-families. 26.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.86.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.10% under the age of 18, 6.00% from 18 to 24, 24.60% from 25 to 44, 27.40% from 45 to 64, and 17.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 101.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.00 males.

Communities

Cities

Villages

Towns

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Sawyer para niños

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