Onalaska, Wisconsin
Onalaska is a city of 19,348 people in La Crosse County, Wisconsin, founded in 1851.
Why visit Onalaska
Townapedia lists 5 museums and landmarks, 49 parks and trails, 59 places to eat, 11 places to stay and 6 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Sugarloaf, Frank Eugene Nichols House, John L. Callahan House and Coulee Golf Bowl.
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 Onalaska
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Onalaska
Onalaska is a city in La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 18,803 at the 2020 census. It is a principal city of the La Crosse–Onalaska metropolitan area.
From the Wikipedia article Onalaska, Wisconsin (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do6
Museums and landmarks5
Frank Eugene Nichols House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.6 mi
House in Onalaska, Wisconsin, United States
John L. Callahan House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.2 mi
Historic house in Wisconsin, United States
La Crosse County School of Agriculture and Domestic Economy
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.5 mi
Vocational school in Wisconsin, United States of America
La Crosse station
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.5 mi
Train station in La Crosse, Wisconsin, US
Parks, trails and playgrounds49
37 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes59
Rocky Rococo
Restaurant · Pizza · 1.4 mi
1239 Crossing Meadows Drive, Onalaska
Tu-Th 10:30-21:00; Fr-Sa 10:30-22:00; Su 10:30-21:00
Señor Villa
Restaurant · Mexican · 1.6 mi
425 2nd Avenue South, Onalaska
Mo-Sa 11:00-22:00; Su 11:00-21:00
Shogun Sushi and Hibachi
Restaurant · Sushi, Japanese · 1.4 mi
1227 Crossing Meadows Drive, Onalaska
Mo-Th 11:00-15:00,16:30-22:00; Fr 11:00-15:00,16:30-23:00; Sa...
Starbucks
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 1.3 mi
9432 WI-16, Onalaska
Mo-Fr 05:00-22:00; Sa 05:30-22:00; Su 05:30-21:00
47 more on the map.
History
The original village (now city) was platted by Thomas G. Rowe (New York) and John C. Laird (Pennsylvania) in 1851. In its early days, lumbering and related industries served as a basis for its economy.
According to local legend, the city's name comes from the 1799 poem The Pleasures of Hope, by the Scottish poet Thomas Campbell, which makes one mention of "Oonalaska's shore" in a passage about the remote reaches of a sailor's explorations. "Oonalaska" was an alternative spelling for Unalaska Island in Russian Alaska, one of the principal Aleutian Islands. Early settler Harvey Hubbard recounted that the poem was one of Thomas Rowe's favorites, leading him to choose the name. However, local historian George Tabbert argued that the name was more likely inspired by the story of a Lenape woman named Onalaska who died around 1780 in what is now Richland County, Ohio. By the 1840s, the woman's name was used in a variety of places, including a New York ferryboat that Rowe would likely have been familiar with. Other places named Onalaska are in Arkansas (now defunct), Texas, and Washington.
From the History section of Onalaska, Wisconsin on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay11
Churches and places of worship18
Shopping26
Gas and EV charging11
Schools, colleges and libraries28
Healthcare5
Mayo Clinic Health System - Franciscan Healthcare Onalaska
Clinic and pharmacy · 0.8 mi
191 Theater Road, Onalaska
Map of Onalaska
218 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 (3 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, 2 miles away.
- French Island 4 mi southwest, about 6 min by car
- La Crosse 5 mi south, about 7 min by car
- Holmen 6 mi northwest, about 10 min by car
- West Salem 6 mi east, about 9 min by car
- Brice Prairie 6 mi northwest, about 10 min by car
- La Crescent 7 mi southwest, about 10 min by car
- Dakota 8 mi west, about 12 min by car
- Bangor 10 mi east, about 17 min by car
- St. Joseph 11 mi southeast, about 17 min by car
- Winona 26 mi northwest, about 41 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
- WIS157WestTerminusWIS35Onalaska, Royalbroil, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Kwik Trip Onalaska Support Center-2, Wikideas1, CC0
- Kwik Trip Onalaska Support Center-3, Wikideas1, CC0
- Onalaska Middle School, Wikideas1, CC0
- Amtrak station La Crosse 2, Wikideas1, CC0
- 933RoseLAX, Jonathunder, CC BY-SA 3.0
- FrankEugeneNicholsHouse2010, Royalbroil, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Eagle Bluff Elementary, Wikideas1, CC0
- ISS030-E-110701 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS053-E-428830 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS063-E-27689 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS022-E-51095 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS063-E-27686 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS022-E-46786 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS030-E-87336 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS063-E-27690 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS063-E-27688 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS022-E-46787 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS022-E-46788 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS063-E-27687 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS053-E-411311 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS022-E-51096 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS022-E-51097 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- St. Paul's Lutheran School, Wikideas1, CC0
- Tesla Solar Roof-8, Wikideas1, CC0
- Tesla Solar Roof-7, Wikideas1, CC0
- Tesla Solar Roof-6, Wikideas1, CC0
- Tesla Solar Roof-9, Wikideas1, CC0
- Tesla Solar Roof-5, Wikideas1, CC0
- Tesla Solar Roof-4, Wikideas1, CC0
- Tesla Solar Roof-2, Wikideas1, CC0
- Tesla Solar Roof-10, Wikideas1, CC0
- Tesla Solar Roof-3, Wikideas1, CC0
- Venture Machine, Wikideas1, CC0
- Holiday Inn Express, Wikideas1, CC0
- Altra 9 pano, Wikideas1, CC0
- Hampton Inn, Wikideas1, CC0
- Ross Dress For Less store, Wikideas1, CC0
- Home Depot aerial, Wikideas1, CC0
- Outback Steakhouse, Wikideas1, CC0
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