Tomah, Wisconsin
Tomah is a city of 9,532 people in Monroe County, Wisconsin, founded in 1855.
Why visit Tomah
Townapedia lists 3 museums and landmarks, 13 parks and trails, 19 places to eat, 9 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Tomah Public Library and Tomah VA Veterans Golf Course.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 81°F; January lows average 5°F, and about 48 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Tomah
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Tomah
Tomah is a city in Monroe County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 9,570 as of the 2020 census. The city is surrounded by the Town of Tomah and the Town of La Grange.
From the Wikipedia article Tomah, Wisconsin (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks3
Tomah Public Library
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Carnegie library in Tomah, Wisconsin, United States
Ho-Chunk Nation Museum and Cultural Center
Museum · 0.8 mi
1108 Superior Avenue, Tomah
Parks, trails and playgrounds13
1 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes19
Brick & Bean Coffee
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 0.6 mi
Brick & Bean Coffee is a premier coffee shop located in Tomah, WI, that serves the community and surrounding areas. We specialize in...
800 Superior Avenue, Tomah
Su 05:30-17:00, Mo-Sa 05:30-20:00
7 more on the map.
History
Tomah was founded by Robert E. Gillett in 1855 and incorporated as a city in 1883, but the charter was not issued until 1894. It is named after Thomas Carron (ca. 1752–1818), a trader at Green Bay who had integrated into the Menominee tribe. The Menominees pronounced the name Tomah or Tomau and he became known as Chief Tomah. Tomah was adopted as the name for the settlement in Monroe County on the unsubstantiated belief that Chief Tomah had once held a tribal gathering in the area.
In 1891, construction began in Tomah for a Native American residential school funded by the federal government. The Tomah Indian Industrial School opened in 1893 with six Ho-Chunk children as its first students and would become the most significant residential school in Wisconsin. The curriculum was designed to assimilate students into white American culture by replacing their indigenous education with Christian, English-language education. Children were forcibly removed from their families and sent to the school from as far away as North Dakota and Oklahoma. The school operated until 1941. A 2024 report from the Department of the Interior noted that two students who died during their time at the school have been identified.
From the History section of Tomah, Wisconsin on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay9
Churches and places of worship4
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Church · Lutheran · 1.3 mi
1221 La Grange Avenue, Tomah
Shopping7
Gas and EV charging7
Schools, colleges and libraries15
Healthcare5
Map of Tomah
83 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 24°F | 5°F | 1.1 in | 11.3 in |
| Feb | 29°F | 8°F | 1.0 in | 10.3 in |
| Mar | 41°F | 20°F | 1.9 in | 7.4 in |
| Apr | 55°F | 32°F | 3.5 in | 3.5 in |
| May | 68°F | 44°F | 4.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 77°F | 54°F | 5.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 81°F | 58°F | 4.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 79°F | 56°F | 4.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 71°F | 47°F | 3.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 58°F | 36°F | 2.8 in | 0.5 in |
| Nov | 43°F | 24°F | 1.9 in | 2.9 in |
| Dec | 30°F | 13°F | 1.5 in | 12.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Mather 3 Nw (15 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
Monroe County has had 10 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 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
Sparta-Fort McCoy Airport (CMY) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 12 miles away.
- Sparta 16 mi west, about 26 min by car
- New Lisbon 19 mi southeast, about 30 min by car
- Elroy 21 mi southeast, about 33 min by car
- Necedah 21 mi east, about 34 min by car
- Hillsboro 24 mi south, about 39 min by car
- Mauston 25 mi southeast, about 40 min by car
- Bangor 25 mi west, about 41 min by car
- Black River Falls 27 mi northwest, about 44 min by car
- Onalaska 36 mi west, about 57 min by car
- La Crosse 38 mi west, about 1 h 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): landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Tomah Downtown, Iulus Ascanius at English Wikipedia, Public domain
- Wisconsin National Guard in Tomah 01, Wikideas1, CC0
- Wisconsin National Guard in Tomah, Wikideas1, CC0
- PublicLibraryTomahWI, Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0
- OldPostOfficeTomahWI, Jonathunder, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Western Technical College - Tomah 01, Wikideas1, CC0
- Western Technical College - Tomah 02, Wikideas1, CC0
- OldSchoolTomahWI, Jonathunder, GFDL 1.2
- Bloyer Field Tomah, Wikideas1, CC0
- Kwik Trip Tomah, Wikideas1, CC0
- Wisconsin State Highway 21 in Tomah, Wikideas1, CC0
- Tomah Perkins, Jordano53, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Queen of the Apostles Catholic Schools, Wikideas1, CC0
- ISS038-E-22361 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- Excavator with grapple 2, Wikideas1, CC0
- Front end loader, Wikideas1, CC0
- Excavator with grapple, Wikideas1, CC0
- Front end loader grappler, Wikideas1, CC0
- Old Dominion Freight Line, Wikideas1, CC0
- Skid steer grapple, Wikideas1, CC0
- XPO LTL, Wikideas1, CC0
- CP 8757, chief_huddleston, CC BY 2.0
- Mobile home with garage and foundation, Wikideas1, CC0
- Mobile home with garage, Wikideas1, CC0
- La Grange Town Hall, Wikideas1, CC0
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