Portage County, WI Real Estate

Portage County, Wisconsin

Portage County, Wisconsin is known for the best in urban and the best in country living.

The county was named for a portage between the Wisconsin and Fox Rivers. While this juncture is no longer part of Portage County due to boundary changes, the county retains the distinctive name.

Centrally located in the state, Portage County covers a total of 823 square miles. Sixteen square miles are water and 806 are land. The population of the county is 70,000 people. Stevens Point is the county’s largest city as well as the county seat.

The major roadways of Portage County include Interstate 39, U.S. highways 51 and 10, and Wisconsin highways 34, 49, 54, and others. The county also has some state-designated “rustic roads” and many safe county highways.

Portage County Homes

Homes in Portage County can be whatever you choose: single-family homes for sale, new or of classic design; condominiums, where owners have fewer maintenance duties; and duplexes, which can help financially.

If you plan to build your “dream home,” Portage County is the place for that. Rustic and improved lots abound. And while there are great amenities like educational opportunities, arts, culture and employment in Portage County, there is definitely a country ambience that can make the idea of building your home here even more attractive.

Portage County is also a great place to do business. Whether you already have a business or would like to start one, there’s retail, office, and warehouse space for sale as well as manufacturing properties.

The City of Stevens Point and Other Great Places

Stevens Point was once part of the Menominee Indian territory. Shortly after the tribe ceded the area to the United States in 1836, George Stevens opened a supply and grocery store on the Wisconsin River. This store served as a supply outlet for the loggers and the logging industry at the time and the city eventually was named after Stevens.

Early construction of buildings was mostly of wood but after a number of fires, the townspeople began to build with limestone, granite and brick. The historic downtown district retains these classic buildings for unique shopping and dining experiences. Stevens Point, with 27,000 people, was rated in the top 10 best places to live in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 and has consistently ranked in the top 100 for other years.

The Stevens Point School District serves the area with seven elementary schools, two junior-high schools and two high schools. Parochial schools also serve the area.

The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point is located in the city. This university, part of the University of Wisconsin System, is well-known for its Masters programs in particular such as its Master of Science in Natural Resources and Master of Arts in Music Education. Mid-State Technical College is also located in Stevens Point.

Other towns and villages in Portage County include Almond, Belmont, Lanark, New Hope and Plover, among others. Smaller communities are Arnott, Badger, Ellis, Jordan, Peru and Rocky Run, among others. Portage County also has one ghost town: Lake Emily.

The Stevens Point area is known for its numerous places of worship including Catholic, Methodist and Lutheran churches and also Jewish synagogues. Cultural events include the four concerts the Central Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra puts on each year; an annual Gather at the River celebration, and “the world’s largest trivia contest,” which has more than 12,000 participants divided into 400 teams.

More Recreation

In Portage County, the SentryWorld Golf Course offers great golfing. The Green Circle Trail is 30 miles for biking, hiking and jogging. Also check out the Schmeekle Reserve, which includes the Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame and other special attractions for nature lovers, and the Backwaters Paddle Fest, a unique canoeing adventure.

Fishing is abundant in the waters of the Wisconsin Rivers and its backwaters. This includes Lake DuBay a 6,830 acre lake famous for bass, walleye, northern pike and musky. These waters are also great for canoeing.

Three local breweries in Portage County are the Stevens Point Brewery, which offers tours with samples; Amherst’s Central Waters Brewery, rated one of the best in the United States; and the O’so Brewing Company, an up-and-coming micro brewery.

The arts and artists are a basic part of the cultural heritage of Portage County. Two venues in particular reflect this. Check out the Stevens Point Sculpture Park for a combined arts and outdoor experience. And on the Hidden Studios Art Tour available each autumn, one can talk with and ask questions of artists in their studios and find out what artists’ studios are like.

Come to Portage County soon and explore its homes, its beauty and its culture.