Colby, Wisconsin

Colby, Wisconsin
—  City  —
Downtown Colby
Location of Colby, Wisconsin
Coordinates: 44°54′37″N 90°19′1″W / 44.91028°N 90.31694°W / 44.91028; -90.31694Coordinates: 44°54′37″N 90°19′1″W / 44.91028°N 90.31694°W / 44.91028; -90.31694
Country	United States
State	Wisconsin
Counties	Clark, Marathon
Area
– Total	1.5 sq mi (3.8 km2)
– Land	1.5 sq mi (3.8 km2)
– Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation[1]	1,352 ft (412 m)
Population (2000)
– Total	1,616
– Density	1,090.1/sq mi (420.9/km2)
Time zone	Central (CST) (UTC-6)
– Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
FIPS code	55-16150[2]
GNIS feature ID	1563232[1]
Website	http://www.ci.colby.wi.us

Colby is a city in Clark and Marathon counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is part of the Wausau, Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,616 at the 2000 census. The city is located partially within the Town of Colby, though it is politically independent.

History

The city of Colby took its name from the railway station on the Wisconsin Central Railway, which had been built through that country a short time before, and the station was named for Gardner L. Colby, father of Charles L. Colby, who was so long identified with the railway. Colby is the birthplace of Colby cheese. There is a historical marker downtown commemorating the development of Colby cheese by Joseph Steinwand in the 1880s.^[3]

Geography

Colby is located at 44°54′36″N 90°19′1″W / 44.91°N 90.31694°W / 44.91; -90.31694 (44.910186, -90.317058)^[4].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.5 square miles (3.8 km²), all land.

Demographics

Colby City Hall

As of the census^[2] of 2000, there were 1,616 people, 623 households, and 423 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,090.1 people per square mile (421.6/km²). There were 645 housing units at an average density of 435.1 per square mile (168.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.53% White, 0.19% Black or African American, 0.37% Native American, 0.43% Asian, 1.73% from other races, and 0.74% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.84% of the population.

There were 623 households out of which 33.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.9% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.1% were non-families. 28.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the city the population was spread out with 25.1% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 18.5% from 45 to 64, and 24.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 87.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.2 males.

Economy

The median income for a household in the city was $34,318, and the median income for a family was $41,685. Males had a median income of $30,530 versus $21,806 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,137. About 3.7% of families and 7.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.1% of those under age 18 and 16.2% of those age 65 or over.

Historical marker regarding Colby cheese.

Notable natives and residents

• Kirk Baumgartner, NAIA college football All-American at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
• George Washington Blanchard, U.S. Representative

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
2. ^ ^{a b} "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
3. ^ http://www.ci.colby.wi.us/history_page/
4. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23. 

External links

• Colby School District