Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in North America's midwestern and Great Lakes regions. Bordered by Minnesota and the Mississippi River to the west, Lake Michigan and the state of Michigan to the east, and Illinois to the south, Wisconsin is one of the northernmost states in the United States. In total, Wisconsin has an area of 65,498 square miles.
The state can be divided into five distinct geographic regions: The Central Plain; The Eastern Ridges and Lowlands; The Western Uplands; The Northeastern Highlands; and The Northwestern Lowland.
The Central Plain consists mainly of lowland plains with rolling hills, typically filled with woodlands, wetlands, and farmland. This region contains Wisconsin's capital city Madison as well as many other major cities such as Milwaukee, Racine, Oshkosh, Wausau, La Crosse, and Eau Claire.
To the east of this region lies The Eastern Ridges and Lowlands, which include a wide array of terrains from low swampland to high ridges. This area also has many larger lakes, such as Green Bay and Winnebago Lake, along with smaller rivers that drain into those waters. The Door County Peninsula – positioned between Lake Michigan and Green Bay, is ringed by sand dunes, small bays, coves, and a few sandy beaches. It ends in a series of small, rocky islands, of which Washington Island and Chambers Island are the largest.
The Western Uplands runs along Wisconsin's western border between Minnesota and Iowa. This area is known for its steep valley sides covered in thick forests on either side with agricultural land at their base, while many hilltops offer scenic vistas over the landscape below them.
The Northeastern Highlands lie between Lake Michigan and its northward border while covering much of Wisconsin's central interior lands, reaching down to Winnebago Lake on its western edge. This area is known for its dense forests that run up against steep bluffs near major waterways like Wolf River or Apple Creek before descending into rolling valleys along these streams' paths, primarily used for agricultural purposes or forest resource management today.
Finally, there is The Northwestern Lowland which consists mainly of flat terrain that lies next to Lake Superior throughout northern Wisconsin, including Apostle Islands National Park off its coast, where some islands were formed from glacial activity long ago, making it a popular destination for tourists who see its unique geological features each year.
Wisconsin's most significant rivers include the Wisconsin, Chippewa, Flambeau, Eagle River, Wausau, Fox, Menominee, Peshtigo, St. Croix, Wolf, Red Cedar, Black, Rock, and Mississippi River.
Uncountable lakes dot the entire landscape of Wisconsin. The significant ones include Lake Chippewa, Petenwell, Castle Rock, Poygan, and Lake Mendota. Situated in the eastern part of the state, Lake Winnebago is the country’s 2nd largest natural freshwater lake.
The State of Wisconsin is divided into 72 counties. In alphabetical order, these counties are: Adams, Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Brown, Buffalo, Burnett, Calumet, Chippewa, Clark, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dodge, Door, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Florence, Fond du Lac, Forest, Grant, Green, Green Lake, Iowa, Iron, Jackson, Jefferson, Juneau, Kenosha, Kewaunee, La Crosse, Lafayette, Langlade, Lincoln, Manitowoc, Marathon, Marinette, Marquette, Menominee, Milwaukee, Monroe, Oconto, Oneida, Outagamie, Ozaukee, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Portage, Price, Racine, Richland, Rock, Rusk, Saint Croix, Sauk, Sawyer, Shawano, Sheboygan, Taylor, Trempealeau, Vernon, Vilas, Walworth, Washburn, Washington, Waukesha, Waupaca, Waushara, Winnebago, are Wood.
With an area of 169,640 sq.km, Wisconsin is the 23rd largest and the 20th most populous state in the USA. Located in the central region of the southern part of the state is Madison – is the capital city of Wisconsin. It serves as an administrative, educational, commercial, cultural, industrial, and technological center of the state. Situated on the western shores of Lake Michigan is Milwaukee – the largest city in Wisconsin. It serves as the major cultural and economic center of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Area. In 2018, it was named “The Coolest City in the Midwest” by the Vogue Magazine.
The State of Wisconsin is located in the East North Central (Great Lakes and Midwestern) region of the United States. Wisconsin is bordered by the state of Illinois in the south; by Iowa in the southwest; by Minnesota in the west and by Michigan in the northeast. It is also bounded by Lake Superior in the north.
Regional Maps: Map of North America
The above blank map represents the State of Wisconsin, located in the East North Central (Great Lakes and Midwestern) region of the United States. The map can be downloaded, printed and used for geography education purposes like map-pointing and coloring activities.
The above outline map represents the State of Wisconsin, located in the East North Central (Great Lakes and Midwestern) region of the United States. The state has been nicknamed "America’s Dairyland" – as it is one of the nation’s leading producers of dairy products.
Legal Name | State of Wisconsin |
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ISO 3166 Code | US-WI |
Capital City | Madison |
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This page was last updated on February 14, 2023