| Whitewater, Wisconsin | |
|---|---|
| — City — | |
| Main Street, downtown Whitewater, WI | |
| Location of Whitewater, Wisconsin | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Wisconsin |
| Counties | Walworth, Jefferson |
| Government | |
| • Type | Common Council |
| Area | |
| • Total | 7.3 sq mi (18.9 km2) |
| • Land | 7.0 sq mi (18.1 km2) |
| • Water | 0.3 sq mi (0.8 km2) |
| Elevation[1] | 823 ft (251 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 13,437 |
| • Density | 1,923.5/sq mi (742.7/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| FIPS code | 55-86925[2] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1576690[1] |
| Website | www.ci.whitewater.wi.us |
Whitewater is a city in Jefferson and Walworth Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located near the southern portion of the Kettle Moraine State Forest, Whitewater is the home of the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater.
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Whitewater is located at (42.834950, -88.736119)[3].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.3 square miles (18.9 km²) of which 7.0 square miles (18.1 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square miles (0.8 km²) of it (3.98%) is water. Most of the city lies in Walworth County.
As of the census of 2000,[2] there were 13,437 people, 4,132 households, and 1,685 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,923.5 people per square mile (742.2/km²). There were 4,340 housing units at an average density of 621.3 per square mile (239.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.25% White, 2.34% African American, 0.27% Native American, 1.47% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 2.48% from other races, and 1.18% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.50% of the population.
There were 4,132 households out of which 19.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 30.5% were married couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 59.2% were non-families. 32.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the city the population was spread out with 12.5% under the age of 18, 53.2% from 18 to 24, 15.7% from 25 to 44, 9.8% from 45 to 64, and 8.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22 years. For every 100 females there were 95.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,600, and the median income for a family was $48,185. Males had a median income of $33,078 versus $22,431 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,965. About 10.6% of families and 27.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.3% of those under age 18 and 4.2% of those age 65 or over.
Whitewater was founded at the confluence of Whitewater Creek and Spring Brook, and named for the white sand in their beds.[4] A gristmill was built on Whitewater creek, the resulting pond now called Lake Cravath. The town grew quickly when the first railroad line in Wisconsin passed through in 1853, but struggled when the two largest employers left town.[4] In 2006, local historian Fred Kraege published a historical overview of the city, titled Whitewater, with Arcadia Press.
The City of Whitewater has a council-manager form of government. Whitewater's Common Council is made up of one member from each of the five districts in the city and two members-at-large. The City Manager is Kevin Brunner. The Municipal Judge is Richard Kelly.
The Common Council meets on the first and third Tuesdays of the month at City Hall, with its meetings being broadcast live on Whitewater Public Television.
Annual events in Whitewater include an Open House in December, "Freeze Fest" in January, the Bridal Fair, Donkey Basketball and Farm Toy Show in February, Maxwell Street Day and the 4th of July Celebration in July. Adding to these annual events are the Minneiska Water Ski Shows[5] Saturday evenings on Whitewater Lake. Twice weekly throughout the year free guided walks are held of the city. Departing from the Hwy 12 crossing of the Ice Age Trail, group biking tours depart several times a week from the area. September through April, Young Auditorium at the university[6] features world class entertainment.
Whitewater is home to several places of worship.
The Whitewater Unified School District (WWUSD) contains 5 schools.
Some public parks in Whitewater include:
Notable people associated with Whitewater include:
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