Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
8.8% of residents are under 18 in Prairie du Chien, against 21% in Wisconsin’s towns and 22% across U.S. towns. Francois Vertefeuille House is on the National Register of Historic Places. Prairie du Chien has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Prairie du Chien beats most towns.
Census counts: 2,398 in 1860, 5,506 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1780 and 4 maps from 1929 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Prairie du Chien, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Prairie du Chien.
Most working residents leave Prairie du Chien for work: only 3% work in town. The town’s typical journey to work is 18 minutes. Also worth knowing: between 2013 and 2023, jobs in Prairie du Chien dropped by 49, to 255. Among residents in the town, 14% live below the poverty line.
| Prairie du Chien | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.3% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Median household income | $69,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The July high for Prairie du Chien comes to 82°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
18% of adults smoke cigarettes in Prairie du Chien. CDC measures, 32 in all: Prairie du Chien beats Wisconsin on 1 and trails on 15. Only 9 of the 358 Wisconsin towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have diabetes than Prairie du Chien.
| Prairie du Chien | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 26% | 25% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 11% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 14% |
| What stands out | Prairie du Chien | WI |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.2% | 77.8% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 14% | 9.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0.2 miles of trail wind through 2 parks and preserves.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge | — | 989 |
| 2. St. Feriole Island Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
On expected storm and flood damage, Prairie du Chien sits above 54% of U.S. communities. The national flood insurance program has paid 13 claims in the town since 1978. Of the losses FEMA expects here, 65% come from inland flooding and 11% from tornadoes. Federal aid has come to Prairie du Chien households in 9 declared disasters; the latest was in 2018.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
None within 15 miles of Prairie du Chien; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Prairie du Chien residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
10 notable people were born in Prairie du Chien.
City in Wisconsin, United States
Prairie du Chien ( PRAIR-ee doo SHEEN) is a city in Crawford County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. The population was 5,506 at the 2020 census. Often called Wisconsin's second-oldest city, Prairie du Chien was established as a European settlement by French voyageurs in the late 17th century. Its settlement date of June 17, 1673, makes it the fourth colonial settlement by European settlers in the Midwestern United States, after Green Bay, Wisconsin; Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan; and St. Ignace, Michigan. The city has many sites showing its rich history in the region. Prairie du Chien is near the confluence of the Wisconsin and Mississippi rivers, a strategic point along the Fo…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Prairie du Chien has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
10 notable people were born here, including Walter Bradford Cannon and Pat Bowlen.
