| Williams Bay, Wisconsin | |
|---|---|
| — Village — | |
| Skyline over Geneva Lake | |
| Location of Williams Bay, Wisconsin | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Wisconsin |
| County | Walworth |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3.5 sq mi (9.0 km2) |
| • Land | 2.6 sq mi (6.9 km2) |
| • Water | 0.8 sq mi (2.1 km2) |
| Elevation[1] | 879 ft (268 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 2,696 |
| • Density | 912.6/sq mi (352.3/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| FIPS code | 55-87200[2] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1576761[1] |
Williams Bay is a village in Walworth County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 2,415 at the 2000 census.
Contents |
Williams Bay is home to the Yerkes Observatory.
Williams Bay is located at (42.574208, -88.543690).[3]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 3.5 square miles (9.0 km²), of which 2.7 square miles (6.9 km²) is land and 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²) is water.
Williams Bay is one of three incorporated villages on Geneva Lake. Much of the area was settled in the early 19th century by surveyors plotting roadways from the East and used as a vacation spot by wealthy Chicagoans displaced by the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. During the latter part of the 20th century, Williams Bay (and the surrounding lakes area) saw an explosive housing boom. The population has nearly doubled within the past 30 years as more people are finding its slow-paced, relaxed style attractive.
Williams Bay is home to a beautiful lake-side park including a beach. The park also has a public boat launching facility. Williams Bay is named for Captain Israel Williams of Connecticut, a War of 1812 sea captain, who with several of his sons, settled in the area in 1835. Another famous Williams (not related) in the area is George Williams (YMCA), the founder of the YMCA whose officials and students of Chicago-based George Williams College frequently met just west of the town of Williams Bay and later established a camp in the village on the shores of Lake Geneva. George Williams College folded in the 1970s and is today part of Aurora University, which today maintains the campus.
No public transportation presently serves Williams Bay, but until the 1960s, it was the terminus of the Chicago and North Western Railway. The line also had stops in Como, Lake Geneva, Genoa City, Richmond, and McHenry, Illinois. A nature park now exists where the railroad once had a station and yards, but the right-of-way is still discernible in some areas.
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 2,415 people, 993 households, and 639 families residing in the village. The population density was 912.6 people per square mile (351.9/km²). There were 1,772 housing units at an average density of 669.6 per square mile (258.2/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 98.18% White, 0.50% African American, 0.08% Native American, 0.33% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.70% from other races, and 0.17% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.73% of the population.
There were 993 households out of which 29.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.1% were married couples living together, 6.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.6% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the village the population was spread out with 24.4% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 19.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 91.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.3 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $50,450, and the median income for a family was $60,573. Males had a median income of $45,750 versus $24,875 for females. The per capita income for the village was $26,231. About 5.3% of families and 7.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.4% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.
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