New Glarus, Wisconsin
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New Glarus is a village located in Green County, Wisconsin. As of the 2000 census, the village had a total population of 2,111. The village is located within the Town of New Glarus.
The village is named after Glarus, Switzerland, and was settled in 1845 by a group of 150 immigrants from that part of Switzerland. New Glarus attracts many visitors and tourists each year.
There is a bicycle trail built on a former rail bed of the Milwaukee Road, known as the Limburger Special[1] (http://www.whrc-wi.org/History/icg1.htm) after the cheese that used to be carried on the line. The Sugar River Trail, which extends 23.5 miles out of New Glarus into the beautiful countryside, along the Little Sugar River which joins the Sugar River just outside Village of Albany at the Mill Pond. South of the village along Highway 69 is the New Glarus Woods State Park.
New Glarus also has a historical museum consisting of many historic buildings brought to a park in the village. Presentations are made by local residents. There is also a small private museum in a Swiss style house with many antiques and artifacts. New Glarus is also renowned for its good restaurants, including many with Swiss food. One of these is the Chalet Landhaus, which is the largest building in New Glarus. It is a combination resteraunt and hotel(and pool). It is currently under the management of Chef Mike Nevil. Many visitors also enjoy annual special events, including the Heidi festival and also the William Tell Festival. The Tell festival includes an open air play (complete with live horses and cattle) that relates the heroic story of the Swiss hero William Tell.
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Geography
New Glarus is located at 42°48'44" North, 89°38'13" West (42.812281, -89.637164)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 3.7 km² (1.4 mi²). None of the area is covered with water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 2,111 people, 862 households, and 561 families residing in the village. The population density is 566.0/km² (1,469.2/mi²). There are 893 housing units at an average density of 239.4/km² (621.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the village is 98.44% White, 0.09% Black or African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.38% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.24% from other races, and 0.57% from two or more races. 1.28% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 862 households out of which 32.4% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.6% are married couples living together, 10.8% have a female householder with no husband present, and 34.9% are non-families. 28.9% of all households are made up of individuals and 16.2% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.34 and the average family size is 2.91.
In the village the population is spread out with 24.8% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 17.9% from 45 to 64, and 22.1% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 40 years. For every 100 females there are 88.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 81.4 males.
The median income for a household in the village is $45,000, and the median income for a family is $53,438. Males have a median income of $32,423 versus $28,042 for females. The per capita income for the village is $21,392. 6.6% of the population and 6.9% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 8.9% of those under the age of 18 and 10.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Notables
New Glarus, Wisconsin is the home of the New Glarus Brewing Company, a microbrewery famous among the microbrewing community.