Wisconsin is one of six states in the upper Midwestern region of United States. Wisconsin borders Lake Superior to its north, Michigan to its northeast, Lake Michigan to its east, Illinois to its south, Iowa to its southwest, and Minnesota to its west. The Badger State and America’s Dairyland are two nicknames of Wisconsin. Badger State comes from the behaviour of miners in the past that dig tunnel in the hill for their shelter like what badgers do. Let’s talk more about interesting Wisconsin facts to have more knowledge about this Badger State.
1. Wisconsin is Doubly Landlocked State
Wisconsin is one of 10 doubly landlocked states in the United States. As doubly landlocked state, we need to cross two other states or one other state and one Canadian province to access sea or ocean. The other doubly landlocked states in the United States are: Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, South Dakota and Wyoming. We can also find Nebraska as the only triply landlocked state in the United States.
2. Madison is the Capital City of Wisconsin and Milwaukee is Its Largest
Madison is the capital city and the second largest city of Wisconsin. The largest city is Milwaukee. Milwaukee is the 5th largest city in the Midwest and the 31st largest in the United States. Milwaukee Metropolitan Area is the largest metropolitan area in Wisconsin. It’s also called Metro Milwaukee or Greater Milwaukee. It’s the 39th largest metropolitan area in the United States.
3. Wisconsin Has More Lakes than Any Other States in Contiguous United States
Wisconsin is the state with the most lakes in contiguous United States, although it’s sometimes debatable with Minnesota. Alaska surely has many more lakes than Wisconsin that makes Alaska the state that has more lakes in all the United States. There are more than 15,000 lakes in Wisconsin but only about 40% are named. Lake Winnebago is the largest lake in Wisconsin.
4. Wisconsin is the Largest Cheese Producing State in the United States
Wisconsin is the largest producer of cheese in the United States. Around 25% of cheese produced in the United States comes from Wisconsin. Wisconsin is also the second largest producing state of Milk in the United States behind California. Because of its leading in production of dairy products such as milk and cheese, Wisconsin is called as America’s Dairyland.
5. The Capitol Dome of Wisconsin is the Largest Dome by Volume in the United States
The Wisconsin State Capitol was built between 1906–1917. It’s located at the southwestern end of the Madison Isthmus between Lake Mendota and Lake Monona. The dome of Wisconsin State Capitol is the largest dome by Volume in the United States. It’s also the largest granite dome in the world. The Wisconsin State Capitol is the tallest building in Madison as preserved by legislation.
6. Wisconsin Grows More Than 90% of Ginseng Produced by United States
More than 90% of ginseng produced by United States are grown in Wisconsin, specifically Marathon County. American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) is commonly used as an herb in traditional Chinese medicine. It’s native to eastern and central United States and in part of southeastern Canada. The root and leaves of American ginseng were also used in traditional medicine by Native Americans.
7. Harley Davidson was Started in Wisconsin
Harley Davidson began in Milwaukee, Wisconsin when William S. Harley and Davidson Brothers (Arthur Davidson, Walter Davidson and William A. Davidson) built their first motorcycle in 1903. Harley Davidson has become one of the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturers. Harley Davidson is still headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on the site where the first factory was built. We can also find The Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee.
8. Timms Hill is the Highest Natural Point in Wisconsin
With 1,951.5 ft (594.8 m) elevation, Timms Hill is the highest natural point in Wisconsin. It’s located within Timms Hill County Park in Price County, north-central Wisconsin. A public lookout tower was built at the top of the hill. Timms Hill connects to the Ice Age Trail. It’s a 1,200 miles (1,900 km) National Scenic Trail that allows us to see the glacial terrain in Wisconsin.
9. The American Robin is the State Bird of Wisconsin
In 1926-1927, the school children of Wisconsin voted the American robin as the state bird of Wisconsin. But it’s indeed designated later in 1949. The American robin (Turdus migratorius) is a migratory bird that widely found in North America. In the winter, the birds from southern Canada migrate to central Mexico, Florida and along the Pacific Coast. The American Robin is also the state bird of Connecticut and Michigan. Wisconsin also adopted the mourning dove (Zenaida macroura) as a symbol of peace.
10. The Wood Violet is the State Flower of Wisconsin
The wood violet won the vote as the state flower of Wisconsin on Arbor Day 1909. But it’s officially designated later in 1949 with Chapter 218, Laws of 1949. The wood violet (Viola papilionacea) is a short-stemmed plant native to eastern North America. Rich, moist woods, and swamps are the habitat of the wood violet. Violet is also the state flower of Illinois, Rhode Island and New Jersey although they chose different names. Illinois chose viola genus while Rhode Island and New Jersey adopted Viola sororia.
As we only talked about 10 interesting Wisconsin facts, there are surely many more facts that are not mentioned here. So, if you want to share other interesting facts about Wisconsin it’s surely welcome.