Janesville, Wisconsin
Janesville is a city of 66,030 people in Rock County, Wisconsin, founded in 1853.
Why visit Janesville
Townapedia lists 20 museums and landmarks, 73 parks and trails, 110 places to eat, 11 places to stay and 6 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Wildwood Movies 16, University of Wisconsin–Rock County, Courthouse Hill Historic District and Frances Willard Schoolhouse.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 83°F; January lows average 12°F, and about 37 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Janesville
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Janesville
Janesville is a city in, and the county seat of Rock County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 65,615 at the 2020 census, and was estimated at 66,428 in 2024, making it the tenth-most populous city in Wisconsin. The Janesville–Beloit Metropolitan statistical area, consisting solely of Rock County, has an estimated 165,461 residents in the 2024 estimate. It is located along the Rock River in southern Wisconsin.
From the Wikipedia article Janesville, Wisconsin (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do6
University of Wisconsin–Rock County
School · 3.3 mi
Public college in Janesville, Wisconsin, US
Museums and landmarks20
Courthouse Hill Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic district in Wisconsin, U.S
Frances Willard Schoolhouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
One-room school in Janesville, Wisconsin, United States
James B. Crosby House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
Historic house in Janesville, Wisconsin
Janesville Public Library
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Janesville, Wisconsin
Jefferson Avenue Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic district in Janesville, Wisconsin
John H. Jones House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Janesville, Wisconsin, listed on the NRHP in Rock County
La Prairie Grange Hall No. 79
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.0 mi
Clubhouse in La Prairie, Wisconsin, United States
Lappin-Hayes Block
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Commercial building in Janesville, Wisconsin, United States
Lincoln–Tallman House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
Historic house in Wisconsin, United States
Lovejoy and Merrill-Nowlan Houses
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Janesville, Wisconsin, listed on the NRHP in Rock County
Old Fourth Ward Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
Historic district in Wisconsin, United States
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Peter Myers Pork Packing Plant and Willard Coleman Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Building in Wisconsin, United States
8 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds73
Rock County Fairgrounds
Park · 0.6 mi
Park in Rock County, Wisconsin, United States of America
Southgate Park
Park · 2.8 mi
Neighborhood park located on Janesville's south side. Features greenspace, a playground renovated in 2016, and benches.
61 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes110
Cracker Barrel
Diner · American · 3.2 mi
2430 Fulton Street, Janesville
Su-Th 06:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 06:00-23:00
Starbucks
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 2.1 mi
2520 Milton Avenue, Janesville
Mo-Fr 04:30-21:00,Sa-Su 05:00-21:00
Eagle Inn Family Restaurant
Restaurant · American, Crepe, Sandwich · 2.4 mi
1809 Center Avenue, Janesville
Mo-Th,Sa-Su 07:30-14:00; Fr 07:30-20:00
98 more on the map.
History
The area that became Janesville was the site of a Ho-Chunk village named Įnį poroporo (Round Rock) up to the time of Euro-American settlement. In the 1825 Treaty of Prairie du Chien, the United States recognized the portion of the present city that lies west of the Rock River as Ho-Chunk territory, while the area east of the river was recognized as Potawatomi land. Following the Indian Removal Act of 1830 and the Black Hawk War of 1832, both nations were forced to surrender this land to the United States.
American settlers John Inman, George Follmer, Joshua Holmes, and William Holmes Jr. built a crude log cabin in the region in 1835. Later that year, one key settler, Henry F. Janes, a native of Virginia who was a self-proclaimed woodsman and early city planner, arrived in what is now Rock County. Janes initially wanted to name the budding village "Blackhawk," after the famous Sauk leader, Chief Black Hawk, but was turned down by Post Office officials. After some discussion, it was settled that the town would be named after Janes himself and thus, in 1835, Janesville was founded.
From the History section of Janesville, Wisconsin on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay11
Cobblestone Hotel & Suites
Motel and hotel · 0.6 mi
20 West Milwaukee Street, Janesville
Churches and places of worship21
Court Street Methodist Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Faith Lutheran Church
Church · Lutheran · 1.7 mi
2116 Mineral Point Avenue, Janesville
St Patrick's Catholic Church
Church · Catholic · 0.9 mi
315 Cherry Street, Janesville
Shopping29
Gas and EV charging29
Schools, colleges and libraries61
Wisconsin School for the Blind and Visually Impaired
School · 1.9 mi
1700 West State Street, Janesville
Healthcare20
Schnucks Pharmacy
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.3 mi
1501 Creston Park Drive, Janesville
Map of Janesville
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28°F | 12°F | 1.6 in | 10.8 in |
| Feb | 32°F | 15°F | 1.6 in | 10.1 in |
| Mar | 45°F | 25°F | 2.1 in | 4.1 in |
| Apr | 58°F | 36°F | 3.6 in | 1.3 in |
| May | 70°F | 48°F | 4.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 80°F | 58°F | 5.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 83°F | 62°F | 4.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 82°F | 60°F | 4.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 75°F | 51°F | 3.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 62°F | 40°F | 3.0 in | 0.2 in |
| Nov | 46°F | 28°F | 2.3 in | 2.4 in |
| Dec | 34°F | 18°F | 1.9 in | 7.7 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Afton - Janesville Wwtp (4 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
Rock County has had 9 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2026-06-30: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Flood)
- 2020-04-04: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2008-06-14: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2008-03-19: Record Snow And Near Record Snow (Snowstorm)
- 2007-08-26: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Southern Wisconsin Regional Airport (JVL) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 5 miles away.
- Beloit 11 mi south, about 18 min by car
- Fort Atkinson 18 mi northeast, about 29 min by car
- Roscoe 18 mi south, about 29 min by car
- Machesney Park 22 mi south, about 35 min by car
- Loves Park 24 mi south, about 39 min by car
- Elkhorn 24 mi east, about 39 min by car
- Fitchburg 29 mi northwest, about 47 min by car
- Rockford 30 mi south, about 47 min by car
- Belvidere 30 mi south, about 48 min by car
- Madison 35 mi northwest, about 56 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
- Downtown Janesville, Jeramey Jannene ( Grassferry49 ), CC BY-SA 2.5
- Janesville June 2024 042 (Jefferson Avenue Historic District), Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Janesville June 2024 041 (Jefferson Avenue Historic District), Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Janesville June 2024 022 (Whiton-Parker House), Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Janesville June 2024 023 (Whiton-Parker House), Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Janesville June 2024 043 (Roosevelt Elementary School), Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Janesville June 2024 017 (Conrad Cottages Historic District), Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Janesville June 2024 016 (Janesville Fire Station No. 1), Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Janesville June 2024 050 (St. Paul's Lutheran Church), Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Janesville June 2024 020 (Conrad Cottages Historic District), Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Janesville June 2024 019 (Conrad Cottages Historic District), Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Janesville June 2024 015 (Janesville Fire Station No. 1), Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Janesville June 2024 044 (St. Paul's Lutheran School), Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Janesville June 2024 018 (Conrad Cottages Historic District), Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Janesville June 2024 021 (Centerway Flower Shop & Greenhouse), Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Janesville June 2024 045 (St. Paul's Lutheran School), Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Janesville June 2024 046 (St. Paul's Lutheran School), Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Janesville June 2024 048 (St. Paul's Lutheran Church), Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Janesville June 2024 047 (Roosevelt Elementary School), Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Janesville June 2024 049 (St. Paul's Lutheran Church), Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Janesville June 2024 114 (Lovejoy Mansion), Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Janesville June 2024 120 (Barnes Double House--Consigny Law Firm), Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- City of Janesville WI. - panoramio, leahcim1973, CC BY 3.0
- Janesville June 2024 012 (Nativity of Mary Parish), Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Janesville June 2024 024 (Columbus Circle Historic District), Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Janesville June 2024 115 (Merrill-Nowlan House), Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- James B. Crosby House 3, Sa magnuson33, CC BY-SA 3.0
- LaPrairie Grange Hall 1, Sa magnuson33, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Tallman House 1, Sa magnuson33, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Image Public Library, Boscophotos, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Lappin-Hayes Block 2, Sa magnuson33, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Court St Methodist Church, Mkadams2, CC BY-SA 3.0
- John H. Jones House 1, Sa magnuson33, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Peter Meyer's Pork Packing Plant and Willard Coleman 2, Sa magnuson33, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Frances Willard Schoolhouse 2, Sa magnuson33, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Jefferson Avenue Historic District 1, Sa magnuson33, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Jefferson Avenue Historic District 2, Sa magnuson33, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Courthouse Hill Historic District 2, Sa magnuson33, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Courthouse Hill Historic District 1, Sa magnuson33, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Courthouse Hill Historic District 3, Sa magnuson33, CC BY-SA 3.0
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