French Island, Wisconsin
French Island is a community of 4,188 people in La Crosse County, Wisconsin.
Why visit French Island
Townapedia lists 11 museums and landmarks, 11 parks and trails, 13 places to eat, 6 places to stay and 4 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include I-90 Mississippi River Bridge, La Crosse Rail Bridge, 10th and Cass Streets Neighborhood Historic District and Frank Eugene Nichols House.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 85°F; January lows average 10°F, and about 46 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in French Island
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About French Island
French Island is a village and a census-designated place (CDP) in La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States. As of the 2020 census, French Island CDP had a population of 4,284. It lies on an island of the same name, though they are not coextensive; a portion of the island is part of the city of La Crosse. All of the island is part of the La Crosse Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From the Wikipedia article French Island, Wisconsin (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do4
I-90 Mississippi River Bridge
Bridge · 1.7 mi
Dresbach Bridge crossing the Mississippi River connecting La Crosse, Wisconsin and Dresbach, Minnesota
La Crosse West Channel Bridge
Bridge · 2.8 mi
Bridge in United States of America
University of Wisconsin–La Crosse
School · 3.4 mi
Public university in Wisconsin
Museums and landmarks11
10th and Cass Streets Neighborhood Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.4 mi
Historic district in La Crosse, Wisconsin
Frank Eugene Nichols House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.4 mi
House in Onalaska, Wisconsin, United States
Freight House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.0 mi
Freight station in La Crosse, Wisconsin
Gideon C. Hixon House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.1 mi
House in La Crosse, Wisconsin
John L. Callahan House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.6 mi
Historic house in Wisconsin, United States
La Crosse Commercial Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.2 mi
Historic district in La Crosse, Wisconsin, United States
La Crosse County School of Agriculture and Domestic Economy
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.2 mi
Vocational school in Wisconsin, United States of America
La Crosse station
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.9 mi
Train station in La Crosse, Wisconsin, US
LaCrosse State Teachers College Training School Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.5 mi
Building in Wisconsin, United States
Mons Anderson House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.5 mi
House in La Crosse, Wisconsin, United States
Wittich Hall
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.5 mi
Building in La Crosse, Wisconsin, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds11
Pettibone Park
Park · 2.9 mi
Park in La Crosse, Wisconsin, United States
Riverside Park
Park · 3.0 mi
Park in La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States of America
American Marine
Marina and boat launch · 1.4 mi
922 Bainbridge Street, French Island
Restaurants and cafes13
1 more on the map.
History
On October 1, 2025, the Town of Campbell submitted a request to incorporate as the Village of French Island.
On May 19, 2026, residents of the Town of Campbell voted in favor of incorporating as the Village of French Island by a margin of 1493 votes for a village and 30 against a village.
On May 21, 2026, the Village of French Island was officially incorporated by the Wisconsin Department of Administration.
From the History section of French Island, Wisconsin on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay6
Churches and places of worship6
Christ Episcopal Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 3.4 mi
Saint James the Less Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 1.6 mi
1032 Caledonia Street, La Crosse
Trinity Lutheran Church
Church · Evangelical Lutheran · 1.5 mi
1010 Sill Street, La Crosse
Shopping3
Gas and EV charging4
Schools, colleges and libraries40
Healthcare1
Map of French Island
99 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27°F | 10°F | 1.2 in | 11.8 in |
| Feb | 32°F | 14°F | 1.2 in | 9.7 in |
| Mar | 46°F | 26°F | 2.0 in | 7.3 in |
| Apr | 60°F | 38°F | 3.8 in | 2.9 in |
| May | 72°F | 50°F | 4.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 82°F | 60°F | 5.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 85°F | 64°F | 4.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 83°F | 62°F | 3.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 76°F | 54°F | 3.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 62°F | 42°F | 2.5 in | 0.3 in |
| Nov | 46°F | 30°F | 1.9 in | 3.4 in |
| Dec | 33°F | 18°F | 1.5 in | 10.9 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for La Crosse Muni Ap 72643 (2 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
La Crosse 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)
- 2018-10-18: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, And Landslides (Flood)
- 2017-10-07: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mud (Severe Storm)
- 2016-10-20: Severe Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides (Flood)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
La Crosse Regional Airport (LSE) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 1 miles away.
- La Crosse 3 mi southeast, about 5 min by car
- La Crescent 3 mi southwest, about 5 min by car
- Onalaska 4 mi northeast, about 6 min by car
- Brice Prairie 6 mi north, about 9 min by car
- Holmen 8 mi north, about 13 min by car
- Bangor 14 mi east, about 22 min by car
- Galesville 16 mi north, about 26 min by car
- Winona 24 mi northwest, about 39 min by car
- Rushford 25 mi west, about 40 min by car
- Goodview 27 mi northwest, about 43 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, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Ace Hardware distribution center on French Island, Wikideas1, CC0
- 10th CassStNeighborhoodHistoricDistrict, Royalbroil, CC BY-SA 3.0
- HixonHouseFrontLaCrosse, Royalbroil, CC BY-SA 3.0
- ChristChurchLaX, Jonathunder, GFDL 1.2
- Amtrak station La Crosse 2, Wikideas1, CC0
- La Crosse Commercial Historic District 2, Wikideas1, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wittichhall, Crosscountrycpjon at English Wikipedia, CC BY 2.5
- 933RoseLAX, Jonathunder, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Morris Hall, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, OehlerLaura, CC BY-SA 3.0
- MonsAndersonHouse, Jonathunder, CC BY-SA 3.0
- FrankEugeneNicholsHouse2010, Royalbroil, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Freight house 2, Wikideas1 Wikideas1 ( talk ) ( Uploads ), CC0
- La Crosse rail bridge, Wikideas1, CC0
- Bridge on Mississippi River between Minnesota and Wisconsin, Runner1928, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Pettibone Park - panoramio, Bohao Zhao, CC BY 3.0
- Hoeshler Tower, TheTrashMan, CC BY-SA 4.0
- CathedralLaCrosseWI, Jonathunder, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Riverside park aerial, Wikideas1, CC0
- Mississippi River Lock and Dam number 7, USGS, Public domain
- Town of Campbell Town Hall, Wikideas1, CC0
- 3bees, Jonathunder, GFDL 1.2
- Market & Johnson, Wikideas1, CC0
- North Side of La Crosse-2, Wikideas1, CC0
- La Crosse Regional Airport LSE, Wikideas1, CC0
- BK-117 departing LSE (315373855), Cory W. Watts from Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- North Side of La Crosse, Wikideas1, CC0
- McDonnell Douglas DC-9 (278686679), Cory W. Watts from Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- C-5 Departure (308134977), Cory W. Watts from Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- 604 under the lights (306182806), Cory W. Watts from Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Sun Country Airlines 737-800 (301155050), Cory W. Watts from Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Piper PA-46 (337766196), Cory W. Watts from Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- AE ERJ-145 (301156837), Cory W. Watts from Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Embraer ERJ-145 (328648102), Cory W. Watts from Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Sun Country Airlines 737-800 (301155054), Cory W. Watts from Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Ghost flight line (317860016), Cory W. Watts from Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Boeing 737-800 (301151923), Cory W. Watts from Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- DC-9 arriving LSE (301150457), Cory W. Watts from Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- McDonnell Douglas DC-9 (301150461), Cory W. Watts from Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Northwest Airlines DC-9 (314294221), Cory W. Watts from Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
- USA Cessna Citation V (308094736), Cory W. Watts from Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
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Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.