View source for Washington Island, Door County, Wisconsin

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name      = Washington Island, Wisconsin
| settlement_type    = [[Administrative divisions of Wisconsin#Town|Town]]
| nickname           =
| motto              = <!-- Images -->
| image_skyline      = Gfp-wisconsin-washington-island-school.jpg
| imagesize          =
| image_caption      = Washington Island School
| image_flag         = Flag of Washington Island, Wisconsin.svg
| image_seal         = <!-- Maps -->
| image_map          = WIMap-doton-Washington.png
| mapsize            = 250px
| map_caption        = Location of Washington Island, Wisconsin
| image_map1         =
| mapsize1           =
| map_caption1       = <!-- Location -->
| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name   = {{flag|United States}}
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1  = {{flag|Wisconsin}}
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in Wisconsin|County]]
| subdivision_name2  = {{noflag|[[Door County, Wisconsin|Door]]}}
<!-- Government -->| government_footnotes =
| government_type    =
| leader_title       =
| leader_name        =
| leader_title1      =
| leader_name1       =
| established_title  =
| established_date   = <!-- Area -->
| unit_pref          = Imperial
| area_footnotes     =
| area_magnitude     =
| area_total_km2     = 325.0
| area_land_km2      = 66.0
| area_water_km2     = 259.0
| area_total_sq_mi   = 125.5
| area_land_sq_mi    = 25.5
| area_water_sq_mi   = 100.0
<!-- Population -->| population_as_of   = [[United States Census, 2010|2010]]
| population_footnotes =
| population_total   = 708
<!-- General information -->| timezone           = [[North American Central Time Zone|Central (CST)]]
| utc_offset         = -6
| timezone_DST       = CDT
| utc_offset_DST     = -5
| elevation_footnotes = <ref name="GR3">{{cite web|url=http://geonames.usgs.gov|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=US Board on Geographic Names|publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]]|date=October 25, 2007}}</ref>
| elevation_m        = 197
| elevation_ft       = 646
| coordinates        = {{coord|45|21|58|N|86|53|58|W|region:US-WI|display=inline}}
| postal_code_type   = [[Zip code]]
| postal_code        = 54246
| area_code          = [[Area code 920|920]]
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 55-83600<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 1584352<ref name="GR3" />
| website            = https://www.washingtonisland-wi.gov
| footnotes          =
}}
'''Washington Island''' is a town in northern [[Door County, Wisconsin|Door County]], [[Wisconsin]], [[United States]], with a population of 708 at the 2010 census. The unincorporated communities of [[Detroit Harbor, Wisconsin|Detroit Harbor]] and [[Washington (community), Wisconsin|Washington]] are located in the town.
The town of Washington Island is made up of a group of small islands that includes [[Plum Island (Wisconsin)|Plum Island]], [[Detroit Island]], [[Hog Island (Wisconsin)|Hog Island]], [[Rock Island (Wisconsin)|Rock Island]], [[Pilot Island]], [[Fish Island (Wisconsin)|Fish Island]], and the largest, [[Washington Island (Wisconsin)|Washington Island]]. The majority of the population of the town lives on Washington Island and many of the other smaller islands are partly or entirely protected areas with no year-round population, if any at all. As a result, the area is rarely if ever referred to as the town of Washington or just Washington; more commonly the names of the individual islands are used as a reference.
Most of the people who settled on Washington Island were [[Scandinavian immigration to the Americas|Scandinavian immigrants]], especially [[Icelanders]]. Today, Washington Island is one of the oldest [[Icelandic Americans|Icelandic communities in the United States]] and among the largest outside of [[Iceland]] itself.<ref>[http://www.washingtonisland.com/history.asp Washington Island History<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of 125.5&nbsp;square miles (325.0&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), of which, 25.5&nbsp;square miles (66.0&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) of it is land and 100.0&nbsp;square miles (259.0&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) of it (79.69%) is water.
The land area is composed of [[Plum Island (Wisconsin)|Plum Island]], [[Detroit Island]], [[Washington Island (Wisconsin)|Washington Island]], [[Hog Island (Wisconsin)|Hog Island]], [[Pilot Island]], [[Fish Island (Wisconsin)|Fish Island]], and [[Rock Island (Wisconsin)|Rock Island]]. Washington Island is the largest in a chain of islands (which are collectively referred to as the [[Potawatomi Islands]]) extending across [[Lake Michigan]] between the [[Door Peninsula]] in [[Wisconsin]] and the [[Garden Peninsula]] in [[Delta County, Michigan|Delta County]], [[Michigan]]. These islands are outcroppings of the [[Niagara Escarpment]].
==Demographics==
The 2010 US Census lists 708 residents.<ref>[https://archive.today/20140317164647/http://www.census.gov/2010census/popmap/ipmtext.php?fl=55] navigate to Wisconsin, click "Areas Within" choose "Counties" then areas within, choose "Door County", then from Minor Civil Divisions select Washington</ref>
In the older 2000 [[census]],<ref name="GR2" /> there were 660 people, 293 households and 198 families residing in the town. The [[population density]] was 25.9 people per square mile (10.0/km<sup>2</sup>).  There were 903 housing units at an average density of 35.4 per square mile (13.7/km<sup>2</sup>). The racial makeup of the town was 98.79% [[White American|White]], 0.30% [[Asian American|Asian]], and 0.91% from two or more races. [[Hispanics in the United States|Hispanics or Latinos]] of any race were 0.15% of the population. 24.9% were of [[German people|German]], 15.3% [[norwegians|Norwegian]], 12.3% [[english people|English]], 9.1% [[Danish people|Danish]], 8.8% [[irish people|Irish]] and 6.1% [[Icelanders|Icelandic]] ancestry according to [[Census 2000]].
There were 293 households, out of which 25.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.0% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.1% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.79.
The age distribution was 24.1% under the age of 18, 3.0% from 18 to 24, 17.4% from 25 to 44, 33.9% from 45 to 64, and 21.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 49 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $31,146, and the median income for a family was $45,481. Males had a median income of $30,000 versus $22,500 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $17,065. About 4.7% of families and 10.5% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 16.3% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over.
==Transportation==
[[Washington Island Airport]] (2P2) serves the town and surrounding communities. The airport contains two runways and is open year-round<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://washingtonisland.com/airport-info/|title=Airport Info|website=washingtonisland.com|language=en-US|access-date=June 29, 2018}}</ref> There is a ferry available to travel to Washington Island season-round.
==Economy==
Most of the town's economy is based on tourism.
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
*[http://www.doorcounty.com/plan/communities/washington-island.aspx Door County Chamber of Commerce] – General Information
*[http://washingtonisland-wi.com/ Washington Island Chamber of Commerce]
*[http://www.washingtonisland.com/ WashingtonIsland.com]
*[https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=washington,+wi&layer=&ie=UTF8&z=12&ll=45.365172,-86.901169&spn=0.167885,0.31929&om=1 Google Maps] – Maps & Aerial Photos
{{Door County, Wisconsin}}
{{coord|45|23|41|N|86|55|53|W|type:city_region:US-WI|display=title}}
{{authority control}}
[[Category:Towns in Door County, Wisconsin]]
[[Category:Icelandic-American culture in Wisconsin]]
[[Category:Towns in Wisconsin]]