Wisconsin

Ashland

16,027
2020 population
1860
first census record
17
census records

About Ashland

Ashland, Wisconsin, first appears in the United States federal census in 1860, when it recorded a population of 515. At the most recent census, in 2020, its population stood at 16,027.

Its recorded population peaked at 24,538 in 1920, and has since declined by roughly 35 percent.

On the ground today, one documented military engagement has been recorded within the county, among them Lake Superior Chippewa — Treaty of La Pointe (1842), and 44 places are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Population by decade

Census YearPopulationChart
202016,027
201016,157
200016,866
199016,307
198016,783
197016,743
196017,375
195019,461
194021,801
193021,054
192024,538
191021,965
190020,176
189020,063
18801,559
1870221
1860515
Source

Population data from the United States decennial census, U.S. Census Bureau (public domain).

Battles & engagements in Ashland

Military engagements that took place in Ashland, Wisconsin.

Lake Superior Chippewa — Treaty of La Pointe (1842)
1842

Historic places in Ashland

National Register of Historic Places listings in Ashland, Wisconsin.

La Pointe Indian Cemetery
La Pointe
Bass Island Brownstone Company Quarry
La Pointe
Trout Point Logging Camp
Bayfield
PRETORIA (schooner-barge) Shipwreck Site (Additional Documentation)
Bayfield
BIG BAY SLOOP shipwreck (sloop)
La Pointe
LUCERNE (Shipwreck)
La Pointe
Security Savings Bank
Ashland
Union Depot
Ashland
Old Ashland Post Office
Ashland
Apostle Islands Lighthouses
Bayfield
Hadland Fishing Camp
La Pointe
Ashland County Courthouse
Ashland
Ashland Harbor Breakwater Light
Ashland
ANTELOPE (schooner-barge) Shipwreck
La Pointe
Bass Island Brownstone Company Quarry (Boundary Increase)
LaPointe
NOQUEBAY (Schooner-Barge) Shipwreck Site
La Pointe
Copper Falls State Park
Morse
Coole Park Manor
LaPointe
Ellis School
Ashland
Wilmarth School
Ashland
Beaser School
Ashland
Rocky Island Historic District
La Pointe
Chapple and MacArthur Avenues Residential Historic District
Ashland
La Pointe Light Station
Bayfield
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Other counties in Wisconsin

Explore census history and historic records for more Wisconsin counties.

WashburnWashingtonWaukeshaWaupacaWausharaWinnebagoWoodAdamsBarronBayfieldBrownBuffaloBurnettCalumetChippewaClarkColumbiaCrawfordDaneDodge
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Everything a full report reveals about Ashland County, Wisconsin

This page charts the census history of Ashland County, Wisconsin. A full Aubrey report for an address here pulls together everything the historical record holds about the ground, from the earliest settlement to the twentieth century:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Frequently asked about Ashland

When does Ashland first appear in the US census?
Ashland, Wisconsin first appears in the federal census in 1860, with a recorded population of 515.
What is the population of Ashland?
At the most recent federal census (2020), Ashland had a recorded population of 16,027.
When did Ashland's population peak?
Ashland's recorded population peaked at 24,538 in 1920.
Were any battles fought in Ashland?
1 documented military engagement took place in Ashland, including Lake Superior Chippewa — Treaty of La Pointe (1842).
How many historic places are in Ashland?
44 sites are listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Ashland, Wisconsin.
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