Oshkosh () is a city in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. It is located along the Fox River between Lake Butte des Morts and Lake Winnebago. The population was 66,816 at the 2020 census, making it the ninth-most populous city in Wisconsin. The Oshkosh metropolitan statistical area, consisting solely of Winnebago County, had 171,730 residents. Oshkosh is included in the greater Fox Cities region of Wisconsin.
History
Oshkosh was named for Menominee Chief Oshkosh, whose name meant "claw"Chief Oshkosh (cf. Ojibwe oshkanzh, "the claw"). Although the fur trade attracted the first European settlers to the area as early as 1818, it never became a major player in the fur trade. The 1820s mining boom in southwest Wisconsin along with the opening of the Erie Canal shifted commercial activity away from the Fox River Valley and Green Bay. Soon after 1830, much of the trade moved west, as there had been over-trapping in the region.
Following the publicity caused by the Black Hawk War in 1832, there was increased interest in settling Wisconsin by Whites from the East Coast, especially New York, Indiana, and Virginia, and by 1836 the cities of Milwaukee, Madison, Janesville, Beloit, and Fond du Lac were founded, with Madison the capital of a new territorial government, setting the stage for the economic and political importance of the southern part of the state. However, Oshkosh would continue to be one of Wisconsin's top five largest cities into the twentieth century.
The establishment and growth of the wood industry in the area spurred development of Oshkosh. Already designated as the county seat, Oshkosh was incorporated as a city in 1853. It had a population of nearly 2,800.
The lumber industry became well established as businessmen took advantage of navigable waterways to provide access to both markets and northern pineries. The 1859 arrival of rail transportation expanded the industry's ability to meet the demands of a rapidly growing construction market. At one time, Oshkosh was known as the "Sawdust Capital of the World" due to the number of lumber mills in the city, 11 by 1860.
During the Civil War, the 21st Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry, of the Union Wisconsin Volunteers was organized at Oshkosh, taking in many new recruits. This was one of two units organized in the city; the other was the 6th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry, organized at Camp Randall, Madison. The 21st mustered on September 5, 1862, marching to Ohio and Louisville, Kentucky, where it participated in the fortification of Louisville later that year. It was attached to the Army of the Ohio and later to the Army of the Cumberland.Battle Unit Details: UNION WISCONSIN VOLUNTEERS/ 21st Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry , National Park Service, Soldiers and Sailors Database
By 1870, Oshkosh had become the third-largest city in Wisconsin, with a population of more than 12,000. The community attracted a range of professional teachers, attorneys, doctors, businessmen, and others who helped it flourish. The Oshkosh Daily Northwestern newspaper (now the Oshkosh Northwestern) was founded around this time, as was the Oshkosh State Normal School (now the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh). Lumber continued as the mainstay of the city. By 1874, it had 47 sawmills and 15 shingle mills.
On April 28, 1875, Oshkosh had a "Great Fire" that consumed homes and businesses along Main Street north of the Fox River. The fire engulfed 70 stores, 40 factories, and 500 homes, costing nearly $2.5 million (or $67.3 million in 2022 money) in damage.
Around 1900, Oshkosh was home of the Oshkosh Brewing Company, which coined the marketing slogan "By Gosh It's Good." Its Chief Oshkosh brand became a nationally distributed beer. The population of the city in 1910 was 33,062, making it the state's fourth largest city, ahead of Madison and Green Bay.
The Oshkosh All-Stars played in the National Basketball League from 1937 to 1949, before the NBL and the Basketball Association of America merged to become the NBA. Oshkosh reached the NBL's championship finals five times.
Historic districts The city has a total of 33 listings on the National Register of Historic Places. Some area entrepreneurs and businessmen made their fortunes in the lumber industry. Many made significant contributions to the community, in both politics and supporting philanthropic organizations. Following devastating fires in the mid-1870s, new buildings were commissioned in Oshkosh that expressed a range of good design: for residential, commercial, civic and religious use.
The many structures which make up the city's historic areas are largely a result of the capital and materials generated by the lumber and associated wood manufacturing industries. Oshkosh had six historic districts as of October 2011. They include the Algoma Boulevard, Irving/Church, North Main Street, Oshkosh State Normal School on the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh campus, Paine Lumber Company, and Washington Avenue historic districts.
The city had 27 historic buildings and sites individually listed on the NRHP as of October 2011. Eleven are houses, four are churches, and the remainder include schools, colleges, a bank, a fire house, an observatory, the Winnebago County Courthouse, and a cemetery where many of the entrepreneurs are buried.
Geography Oshkosh is located at (44.024983, −88.551336). It is located along the Fox River between the eastern shore of Lake Butte des Morts and the western shore of Lake Winnebago, within the Winnebago Pool of lakes.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.
The City of Oshkosh forms the center of a metropolitan area reaching into the adjacent towns of: the Town of Oshkosh in the north and the towns of Algoma to the west, Nekimi in the southwest and Black Wolf ton the southeast, all within Winnebago County. The shared border within the Town of Oshkosh is particularly complex, involving a multitude of exclaves and panhandles.
Climate Oshkosh has a hot-summer humid continental climate (Köppen: Dfa). Summer days are warm to hot with cool to mild nights. Winters are cold and long with moderate snowfall. Precipitation peaks from late spring to early fall.
Demographics
2020 census As of the 2020 census, Oshkosh had a population of 66,816. The population density was , and housing density was . The median age was 35.3 years. 18.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 15.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 104.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 103.9 males age 18 and over.
99.9% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.1% lived in rural areas.
There were 27,509 households in Oshkosh, of which 22.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 35.2% were married-couple households, 24.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 30.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 37.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 29,222 housing units, of which 5.9% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.5%.
The 2020 census population of the city included 3,045 people incarcerated in adult correctional facilities and 2,767 people in student housing.
+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percent White 55,470 83.0% Black or African American 3,549 5.3% American Indian and Alaska Native 565 0.8% Asian 2,973 4.4% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 24 0.0% Some other race 902 1.3% Two or more races 3,333 5.0% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 2,965 4.4%
2016–2020 ACS estimates According to the American Community Survey estimates for 2016–2020, the median income for a household in the city was $51,282, and the median income for a family was $70,534. Male full-time workers had a median income of $47,470 versus $37,319 for female workers. The per capita income for the city was $25,625. About 8.0% of families and 17.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.3% of those under age 18 and 10.5% of those age 65 or over. Of the population age 25 and over, 91.3% were high school graduates or higher and 26.4% had a bachelor's degree or higher.
2010 census As of the census of 2010, there were 66,083 people, 26,138 households, and 13,836 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 28,179 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 90.5% White, 3.1% African American, 0.8% Native American, 3.2% Asian, 0.7% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.7% of the population.
There were 26,138 households, of which 25.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.7% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 47.1% were non-families. Of all households, 34.4% were made up of individuals, and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.90.
The median age in the city was 33.5 years. 18.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 18.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.7% were from 25 to 44; 23% were from 45 to 64; and 12.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 51.2% male and 48.8% female.
2000 census As of the census of 2000, there were 62,916 people, 24,082 households, and 13,654 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 25,420 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 92.73% White, 2.19% Black or African American, 0.52% Native American, 3.03% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.53% from other races, and 0.98% from two or more races. 1.69% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 52.2% were of German and 6.3% Irish ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 24,082 households, out of which 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.3% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.3% were non-families. Of all households, 32.4% were made up of individuals, and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.95.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 20.7% under the age of 18, 18.1% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 18.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.7 males.
Ethnic communities Oshkosh is known for its large ethnic German population, comprising roughly 45% of the population. Per the 2022 American Community Survey five-year estimates, the German American population was 28,253. Like other Wisconsin cities, Oshkosh received Hmong refugees; the Hmong population was estimated 2,165 in 2022 and comprised over two-thirds of the city's Asian population.
Economy
Oshkosh Corporation is headquartered in Oshkosh. Oshkosh Corporation, formerly Oshkosh Truck, is a manufacturer and marketer of specialty vehicles and bodies in four primary business groups: Access Equipment, Defense, Fire & Emergency, and Commercial. Plastic packaging is also a major industry, with Amcor, formerly Bemis, as a major employer. There are two well known chocolate companies located in Oshkosh, Hughes and Oaks.