Monroe, Wisconsin

Monroe, Wisconsin
City
Seal
Nickname(s): Swiss Cheese Capital of the USA
Location in Green County and the state of Wisconsin.
Coordinates: 42°36′N 89°38′W / 42.600°N 89.633°W / 42.600; -89.633Coordinates: 42°36′N 89°38′W / 42.600°N 89.633°W / 42.600; -89.633
Country	United States
State	Wisconsin
County	Green
Government
• Type	Council-Manager Government
• Mayor	Louis Armstrong
Area[1]
• Total	4.83 sq mi (12.51 km2)
• Land	4.83 sq mi (12.51 km2)
• Water	0 sq mi (0 km2)
Elevation[2]	1,056 ft (322 m)
Population (2010)[3]
• Total	10,827
• Estimate (2012[4])	10,794
• Density	2,241.6/sq mi (865.5/km2)
Time zone	Central (CST) (UTC-6)
• Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
Area code(s)	608
FIPS code	55–53750[5]
GNIS feature ID	1569657[2]
Website	www.cityofmonroe.org

Monroe, known as "the Swiss Cheese Capital of the USA", is a city in and the county seat of Green County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 10,827 at the 2010 census. The city is bordered by the Town of Monroe to the north and the Town of Clarno to the south.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.83 square miles (12.51 km²), all of it land.^[1]

Demographics

As of 2000 the median income for a household in the city was $36,922, and the median income for a family was $47,361. Males had a median income of $32,050 versus $22,112 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,657. About 2.4% of families and 5.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.3% of those under age 18 and 8.1% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the census^[3] of 2010, there were 10,827 people, 4,810 households, and 2,781 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,241.6 inhabitants per square mile (865.5/km²). There were 5,101 housing units at an average density of 1,056.1 per square mile (407.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.8% White, 0.6% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 2.6% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.9% of the population.

There were 4,810 households of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.8% were married couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 42.2% were non-families. 36.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.87.

The median age in the city was 41.1 years. 22.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24% were from 25 to 44; 26.8% were from 45 to 64; and 18.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.

Businesses and attractions

The Richardsonian Romanesque style courthouse, located on the Square, was built in 1891.

• Colony Brands
• Monroe Truck Equipment
• Monroe Clinic
• Minhas Craft Brewery
• Mitek's factory (makers of MTX Audio)
• Chalet Cheese Factory, may now be the only cheese factory in North America making Limburger cheese
• Green County Courthouse
• T&B's Performance and Machine
• Historic downtown square
• Turner Hall, the only Turner (gymnast) Hall of Swiss origin left in the U.S.
• Ludlow Mansion
• Monroe Arts Center in the landmarked First Methodist Church edifice
• Cheese Days, a biannual celebration of the region's dairy heritage
• Big Radio, parent of WEKZ AM, 1260 kHz and WBGR-FM, 93.7 MHz

Education

The Monroe School District is the largest school district in Green County, serving around 2,700 pupils, and having an open enrollment procedure. The school district maintains Monroe High School, home of the Cheesemakers in the Badger Conference, Monroe Middle School, Abraham Lincoln Accelerated Learning Academy, Parkside Elementary School, and Northside Elementary School. The district also has an alternative high school and middle school, as well as a virtual school. St. Victor Catholic elementary school also serves the community. Monroe has a campus of Blackhawk Technical College, the community's sole institution of post-secondary education.

Transportation

Wisconsin State Highways

• WIS 11 runs around Monroe on the bypass.
• WIS 59 ends in the northeast corner of the city near the Monroe Clinic.
• WIS 69 runs on the bypass for 1 mile with WIS 81 and WIS 11.
• WIS 81 runs around Monroe on the bypass.

^[8]

Airport

Monroe Municipal Airport (KEFT) serves the city and surrounding communities.

Recreational trails

• Badger State Trail Runs from Madison through Fitchburg past the Ice Age National Scenic Trail Montrose segment, Belleville, New Glarus, and crosses the Sugar River Trail before reaching Monroe, and then continues to meet with the Jane Adams Trail at the Illinois border which continues to Freeport, Illinois.
• Cheese Country Trail

Railroads

Wisconsin and Southern Railroad serves the city with freight service. A branch line from Janesville ends at Badger State Ethanol.

Recreation

Monroe's parks include Twining Park, where the city's Swiss bandshell is located; Recreation Park, home to the city swimming pool; and Honey Creek Park, the site of a skate park. The city is the eastern starting point for the Cheese Country Trail, a 47-mile multi-purpose recreational path, and the Badger State Trail, a bicycle and pedestrian-only trail in summer and an ATV/snowmobile trail in winter. The "Cheese Trail" extends from Mineral Point to Monroe, while the Badger State Trail runs from the state line to Madison and connects to the Jane Addams Trail in Illinois. Both are former railway corridors. Monroe is also home to Stateline Ice and Community Expo (S.L.I.C.E.), the only indoor ice-rink in Green County.

Notable people

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Monroe, Wisconsin.

Wikisource has the text of a 1920 Encyclopedia Americana article about Monroe, Wis..

• City of Monroe

Municipalities and communities of Green County, Wisconsin, United States
County seat: Monroe
Cities	Brodhead‡ Monroe
Villages	Albany Belleville‡ Brooklyn‡ Browntown Monticello New Glarus
Towns	Adams Albany Brooklyn Cadiz Clarno Decatur Exeter Jefferson Jordan Monroe Mount Pleasant New Glarus Spring Grove Sylvester Washington York
CDP	Juda
Unincorporated communities	Attica Clarno Exeter Dayton Martintown Mineral Point Oakley Postville Ross Crossing Schneyville Schultz Stearns Tyrone Twin Grove
Ghost towns	Clarence Farmers Grove Willet
Footnotes	‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties