Ashland County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 16,027. Its county seat is Ashland. The county was formed on March 27, 1860, from La Pointe County. The county partly overlaps with the reservation of the Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians.
Name: | Ashland County |
---|---|
FIPS code: | 55-003 |
State: | Wisconsin |
Founded: | March 27, 1860 |
Named for: | Henry Clay’s farm Ashland |
Seat: | Ashland |
Largest city: | Ashland |
Total Area: | 2,292 sq mi (5,940 km²) |
Land Area: | 1,045 sq mi (2,710 km²) |
Total Population: | 16,027 |
Population Density: | 15.3/sq mi (5.9/km²) |
Ashland County location map. Where is Ashland County?
History
Ashland County was named in honor of the Lexington estate of Kentucky statesman Henry Clay, as one of the founders of the city of Ashland was an admirer of Clay.
Ashland County Road Map
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,292 square miles (5,940 km), of which 1,045 square miles (2,710 km) is land and 1,247 square miles (3,230 km) (54%) is water. It is the second-largest county in Wisconsin by total area. The Apostle Islands are a small group of islands in Lake Superior, off the Bayfield Peninsula with the majority of the islands located in Ashland County — only Sand, York and Raspberry Islands are in Bayfield County.
Adjacent counties
- Iron County – east
- Price County – southeast
- Sawyer County – southwest
- Bayfield County – northwest
- Lake County, Minnesota – northwest
- Cook County, Minnesota – north
- Ontonagon County, Michigan – northeast
- Gogebic County, Michigan – northeast
Major highways
Railroads
- Watco
Buses
- Bay Area Rural Transit
- Indian Trails
- List of intercity bus stops in Wisconsin
Airports
- John F. Kennedy Memorial Airport (KASX) serves the county and surrounding communities.
- Major Gilbert Field Airport (4R5) enhances county service.
National protected area
- Apostle Islands National Lakeshore (part)
- Chequamegon National Forest (part)