Portage

Formed January 1, 1836 (11^th county)

Portage County (70,376), Stevens Point (25,670)

The Modern stone, concrete, and marble facility was completed in 1959.  It replaced a classier 1870 version.  It is on Church Street at Court Street.  United States Highway 10 is two blocks to the north.  Ray R. Gauger and Gage M. Taylor combined on the designs.  An Annex was added in 1998.  Veteran memorials are across the street.  Portage County was founded on January 1, 1836 as the 11^th county.  Portage City, Plover and Stevens Point have all served as the county seat.  The county is named for the portage between two waterways.  It is the same source name for the county seat of Columbia County.  The county seat is named for settler George Stevens. 

Portage County government consists of a sheriff and 25 Supervisors.  Three Circuit Court Judges serve Portage County.  The county is situated in central Wisconsin.  Green Bay, Wisconsin is east and Madison, Wisconsin is south of the county.  The Wisconsin River flows through the county.  The county center is 5.5 miles Southeast of Stevens Point nearer Whiting.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Marathon, Shawano, Waupaca, Waushara, Adams, and Wood counties. 

The area of the county is 800.7 square miles.  It is 29 out of 72 in the state.  It ranks 23 out of 72 in population in the state.  It has a density of 87.9 persons per square mile making it 24 out of 72 in the state.  Portage County has 63.0% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 39 passes north to south in the county from Marathon County to Waushara County.  United States Highway 10 enters from Waupaca County, east, and exits to Wood County, west.  United States Highway 51 is joined with Interstate Highway 39 from Marathon to Waushara counties.  The county looks like a fat number 7.  Stevens Point is located in the northwest quarter of the county.  Stevens Point is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 36.5% of the county population.  This county is in the Stevens Point Micropolitan Statistical Area.