Independence, Wisconsin
Independence is a city of 1,462 people in Trempealeau County, Wisconsin.
Why visit Independence
Townapedia lists 2 parks and trails and 1 place to stay in and around town.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 81°F; January lows average 4°F, and about 41 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Independence
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Independence
Independence is a city in Trempealeau County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,498 at the 2020 census. It is located at the confluence of Elk Creek and the Trempealeau River.
From the Wikipedia article Independence, Wisconsin (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Parks, trails and playgrounds2
Where to stay1
Pietrek Park Campgrounds
Campground · 2.0 mi
N31500 State Road 93, Arcadia
Schools, colleges and libraries8
History
Unless otherwise noted, the history below is taken from a local historical album published for the city's centennial in 1976.
Independence is in the Town of Burnside, which corresponds with one of the townships created under the Land Ordinance of 1785. Shortly after the naming of Burnside in 1863, settlers from Europe and the Eastern United States began arriving in significant numbers.
The city of Independence owes its existence to a railroad and a man named David M. Kelly. Running almost parallel to the Trempealeau River is the Green Bay and Western Railroad, which is part of a line originally intended to run from Green Bay, Wisconsin to Wabasha, Minnesota. Kelly was an enthusiastic promoter of building a depot for the new line in Burnside.
After much disagreement and dispute over its location, Green Bay and Lake Pepin (as the company was then known) agreed to build a depot if $5,000 could be raised by the residents to finance construction. The money was raised, and Kelly bought the land for the depot in 1876. He founded a village on the land and named it Independence in honor of the nation's centennial of independence. The village was incorporated in 1885 and became a city in 1942.
From the History section of Independence, Wisconsin on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Map of Independence
11 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 24°F | 4°F | 1.0 in | 10.0 in |
| Feb | 29°F | 8°F | 1.2 in | 8.5 in |
| Mar | 41°F | 21°F | 1.7 in | 8.9 in |
| Apr | 56°F | 32°F | 3.3 in | 2.5 in |
| May | 68°F | 45°F | 4.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 78°F | 55°F | 5.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 81°F | 59°F | 4.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 79°F | 56°F | 4.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 72°F | 48°F | 4.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 58°F | 35°F | 2.5 in | 0.2 in |
| Nov | 42°F | 24°F | 1.8 in | 2.2 in |
| Dec | 29°F | 12°F | 1.2 in | 8.8 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Blair (10 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
Trempealeau County has had 7 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2020-04-04: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2017-10-07: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mud (Severe Storm)
- 2010-10-21: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2005-09-13: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (Hurricane)
- 2004-06-18: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Winona Municipal Airport (ONA) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 22 miles away.
- Winona 22 mi southwest, about 35 min by car
- Goodview 22 mi southwest, about 36 min by car
- Holmen 25 mi south, about 40 min by car
- Onalaska 31 mi south, about 50 min by car
- Wabasha 31 mi west, about 50 min by car
- Fall Creek 32 mi north, about 52 min by car
- La Crescent 34 mi south, about 54 min by car
- Eau Claire 35 mi north, about 57 min by car
- La Crosse 35 mi south, about 56 min by car
- Bangor 36 mi southeast, about 57 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
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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
- CityHallOperaHouseIndependenceWI, Jonathunder, GFDL 1.2
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