Why visit Colby
Townapedia lists 2 places to eat and 1 place to stay in and around town.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 79°F; January lows average 2°F, and about 51 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Colby
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Colby
Colby is a city in Clark and Marathon counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is part of the Wausau, Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,952 at the 2020 census. Of this, 1,275 were in Clark County, and 677 were in Marathon County.
From the Wikipedia article Colby, Wisconsin (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Restaurants and cafes2
Where to stay1
Churches and places of worship2
Gas and EV charging3
History
When the Wisconsin Central Railroad was building its line through the wilderness heading toward Lake Superior, it finished its 1872 construction season with rails completed to the site of today's Colby. The place was initially called "Section 53," but the railroad renamed the station in honor of Charles L. Colby, partner in the construction company that was building the railroad, and the son of the railroad's financier Gardner L. Colby.
As early as 1962, the area was home to Colby-Abbotsford Airport, a private facility with a 2600 ft runway running northeast–southwest and the remnants of a shorter northwest–southeast runway. The airport remained in operation as late as 1988, but has since been abandoned.
Colby is the birthplace of Colby cheese. A historical marker in downtown Colby commemorates the development of Colby cheese by Joseph Steinwand in 1874.
From the History section of Colby, Wisconsin on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Schools, colleges and libraries8
Healthcare2
Marshfield Clinic Colby/Abbotsford Center
Clinic and pharmacy · 0.5 mi
111 Dehne Drive, Colby
Marshfield Clinic Colby/Abbotsford Physical Therapy Center
Clinic and pharmacy · 0.6 mi
120 Dehne Drive, Colby
Map of Colby
18 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21°F | 2°F | 1.1 in | 10.9 in |
| Feb | 26°F | 4°F | 1.1 in | 10.2 in |
| Mar | 38°F | 17°F | 1.8 in | 8.5 in |
| Apr | 52°F | 31°F | 3.0 in | 3.7 in |
| May | 66°F | 43°F | 4.0 in | 0.2 in |
| Jun | 75°F | 53°F | 4.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 79°F | 56°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 77°F | 54°F | 4.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 69°F | 46°F | 4.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 55°F | 34°F | 2.9 in | 0.9 in |
| Nov | 40°F | 23°F | 1.9 in | 4.9 in |
| Dec | 27°F | 10°F | 1.5 in | 11.7 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Owen 1E (12 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Clark County has had 11 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for floods.
- 2020-04-04: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2019-08-27: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Flood)
- 2018-08-10: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Flood)
- 2016-10-20: Severe Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2010-10-21: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Taylor County Airport (MDF) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 13 miles away.
- Athens 14 mi northeast, about 23 min by car
- Greenwood 17 mi southwest, about 28 min by car
- Marshfield 19 mi south, about 30 min by car
- Marathon City 23 mi east, about 37 min by car
- Thorp 24 mi west, about 39 min by car
- Wausau 33 mi east, about 53 min by car
- Weston 38 mi east, about 1 h by car
- Wisconsin Rapids 43 mi southeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Stevens Point 46 mi southeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Plover 49 mi southeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- 2009-0620-Colby-downtown, Bobak Ha'Eri, CC BY 3.0
- 2009-0620-Colby-CH, Bobak Ha'Eri, CC BY 3.0
- Colby Middle School - panoramio, Corey Coyle, CC BY 3.0
- Colby Home of Colby Cheese Tower 2 - panoramio, Corey Coyle, CC BY 3.0
- Colby Tower 1 - panoramio, Corey Coyle, CC BY 3.0
- Colby High School - panoramio, Corey Coyle, CC BY 3.0
- Colby Tower 3 - panoramio, Corey Coyle, CC BY 3.0
- Truckstop Off of Highway 29 in Colby, Wisconsin - panoramio, Corey Coyle, CC BY 3.0
- St Mary's Catholic Church Steeple - panoramio, Corey Coyle, CC BY 3.0
- ISS022-E-26146 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS015-E-14028 - View of Wisconsin, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- Abbotsford, Wisconsin, Wikideas1, CC0
- Rodeway Inn® - panoramio, Corey Coyle, CC BY 3.0
- ATC 345-Kilovolt Weston to Arrowhead Line - panoramio, Corey Coyle, CC BY 3.0
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