Lafayette County, sometimes spelled La Fayette County, is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It was part of the Wisconsin Territory at the time of its founding. As of the 2020 census, the population was 16,611. Its county seat is Darlington. The county was named in honor of the Marquis de Lafayette, the French general who rendered assistance to the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. The courthouse scenes from the 2009 film Public Enemies were filmed at the Lafayette County Courthouse in Darlington.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.2%) is water.
Major highways
U.S. Highway 151
Highway 11 (Wisconsin) Highway 23 (Wisconsin) Highway 78 (Wisconsin) Highway 81 (Wisconsin) Highway 126 (Wisconsin)
Buses
List of intercity bus stops in Wisconsin
Adjacent counties
Grant County - west
Iowa County - north
Green County - east
Stephenson County, Illinois - southeast
Jo Daviess County, Illinois - south
Demographics
2020 census
As of the census of 2020, the population was 16,611. The population density was . There were 7,156 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 91.7% White, 0.3% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.2% Black or African American, 3.7% from other races, and 3.9% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 6.6% Hispanic or Latino of any race.
2000 census
As of the 2000 census, there were 16,137 people, 6,211 households, and 4,378 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 6,674 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 99.03% White, 0.11% Black or African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.14% from other races, and 0.35% from two or more races. 0.57% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 33.8% were of German, 17.5% Norwegian, 13.6% Irish, 11.9% English, 6.8% Swiss and 6.0% American ancestry.
There were 6,211 households, out of which 33.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.00% were married couples living together, 7.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.50% were non-families. 25.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.10.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 27.20% under the age of 18, 7.60% from 18 to 24, 27.20% from 25 to 44, 22.10% from 45 to 64, and 15.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 99.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.00 males.
Communities
Cities
Cuba City (mostly in Grant County) Darlington (county seat) Shullsburg
Villages
Argyle
Belmont
Benton
Blanchardville (partly in Iowa County) Gratiot Hazel Green (mostly in Grant County) South Wayne
Towns
Argyle
Belmont
Benton
Blanchard
Darlington
Elk Grove
Fayette
Gratiot
Kendall
Lamont
Monticello
New Diggings
Seymour
Shullsburg
Wayne
White Oak Springs
Willow Springs
Wiota
Census-designated places
Wiota
Woodford
Other unincorporated communities
Avon
Calamine
Elk Grove
Etna
Fayette
Five Corners
Ipswich
Jenkinsville
Lamont
Leadmine
Leslie
Meekers Grove
New Diggings
Red Rock
Riverside
Seymour Corners
Slateford
Strawbridge
Truman
White Oak
Yellowstone
Politics
See also
National Register of Historic Places listings in Lafayette County, Wisconsin
References
Further reading
Commemorative Biographical Record of the Counties of Rock, Green, Grant, Iowa, and Lafayette, Wisconsin, Containing Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens, and of Many of the Early Settled Families. Chicago: J. H. Beers and Co., 1901. History of La Fayette County, Wisconsin. Chicago: Western Historical Company, 1881.