Pecatonica River, 1907
Darlington’s story
177 years in pictures
Census counts: 1,372 in 1880, 2,462 in 2020. The archive holds 11 old photos and papers going back to 1905 and 3 maps from 1902 on.
- 1849Darlington is organized
Photo: Downspec · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
973
2025 Census estimate · +5.8% since 2020
Median home value
$271K
Census ACS
Household income
$79K
median
Median age
39.1
years
Jobs based here
366
Balanced
Is Darlington a good place to live?
The biggest park or preserve is Lafayette County Fairgrounds, at 25 acres. Darlington has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Darlington stand out
Where Darlington beats most towns.
Small town
973 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
WiotaGratiotLamontSeymourWillow SpringsDarlingtonShullsburgDarlington
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Darlington: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Darlington, and how to reach them.
PowerWisconsin Power & Light18.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterDarlington Waterworks1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & dumpRepublic ServicesTrash haulerTown site
Register to voteOnlineIn Wisconsin you can register online until 20 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 20 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereTown of Darlington ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP codes53530, 53541, 5358653530 95% · 53541 2% · 53586 2%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Darlington.
Climate
In Darlington, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
The town’s midsummer high stands at 83°F.
36″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter14–31°
Spring36–58°
Summer59–81°
Fall39–60°
Oct 4
typical first frost
May 3
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazards
Low risk in Darlington, with cold waves at the top
In Darlington, the FEMA risk score is 33 of 100, above Wisconsin’s towns (23 of 100) but below U.S. towns (44 of 100). Of the losses FEMA expects here, 40% come from cold waves and 27% from inland flooding. Households in the town have drawn federal disaster aid in 3 declared disasters, most recently in 2017.
33risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland floodingHail
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commute
Most of Darlington’s workers head elsewhere: there are 0.9 jobs for each of them
Just 3% of the town’s working residents have a job in town. In Darlington, the average trip to work is 21 minutes, against 22 minutes in Wisconsin’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Also worth knowing: between 2013 and 2023, jobs in the town rose by 212, to 366. The share of residents in Darlington who live below the poverty line: 4.5%.
3%work in town
| Darlington | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 4.5% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.7% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Median household income | $79,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Darlington3%
Darlington14%
Monroe7%
Madison6%
Dodgeville5%
21 mi
median commute distance
366
jobs based in Darlington
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Health
How healthy Darlington is
Nearly a fifth of adults binge drink in Darlington. Two figures for adults here: 31% get no exercise outside work, 15% report frequent physical distress.
| Darlington | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 38% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 26% | 25% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 20% | 16% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
0 better29 too close to call3 worse
| What stands out | Darlington | WI |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 10.2% | 8% |
| More adults with COPD | 7.7% | 6.5% |
| More adults with heart disease | 7.5% | 6.6% |
Lafayette Hospital and Clinics
2.8 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
Protected land: 0.3% of Darlington
Walkers can cover 12 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
0.3%conserved
| Darlington | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.3% | 3.8% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
0.3%
conserved · 92 of 29,183 acres
12 mi
of trails · 0.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lafayette County Fairgrounds | 0.4 mi | 25 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Darlington
18pages on Darlington
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Darlington; the nearest are
University of Wisconsin-PlattevilleUniversity or college · Public · Platteville19.7 mi$8,644 in-state tuitionHighland Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Freeport, IL34 mi$4,936 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Darlington residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
Famous people from Darlington
7 notable people were born in Darlington.
C
Charlie DoughertyAmerican baseball player · 1862–1925H
Homer Dwight ChapmanAmerican scientist, scholar, and author · 1898–2005
About Darlington
City in Wisconsin, United States
Darlington is a city in and the county seat of Lafayette County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 2,462 at the 2020 census. The city is surrounded by the Town of Darlington.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 3.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 869 ft
- ZIP code
- 53530
- Area code
- 608
Questions about Darlington
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Darlington, WI a good place to live?
Darlington has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What is Darlington, WI known for?
Darlington was organized in 1849. 7 notable people were born here, including John Morrow and Alex Erickson.