City of Wisconsin Rapids, Wood County, Wisconsin: Place Profile

No primary ranked list of the city's largest employers was found; beyond the mill-site headcounts, the hospital, school district, and county government are the visible institutional employers.

A USPS post office location was not sourced.

The municipality is the City of Wisconsin Rapids, an incorporated city in Wood County, Wisconsin (Census GEOID 5588200).

Wisconsin Rapids is in Wood County; the WI DOA 2025 estimates file lists it as 'C Wisconsin Rapids' under Wood County, with no multi-county split flag.

The city covers 13.902 square miles of land and 0.893 square miles of water.

The Census internal point for the city is 44.392923, -89.826749.

USGS GNIS records Wisconsin Rapids as a populated place in Wood County at 44.3835763, -89.8173466 (feature 1576906).

Wisconsin Rapids straddles the Wisconsin River: historic Grand Rapids sat on the east bank and Centralia on the west bank.

City offices use ZIP codes 54494 and 54495 (City Hall at 444 W Grand Ave. uses 54495; the Police Department at the same address lists 54494).

The City of Wisconsin Rapids is distinct from the neighboring Town of Grand Rapids, a separate municipality that co-owns the South Wood County Airport with the city.

The 2020 Census counted 18,877 residents in the City of Wisconsin Rapids.

The Wisconsin DOA official January 1, 2025 estimate is 18,659 residents.

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 18,675 (2020 estimates base 18,864).

Both official estimates place the 2024-2025 population slightly below the 2020 count (18,659 and 18,675 against 18,877).

The ACS 2019-2023 5-year estimate of total population is 18,756 (margin of error +/-31).

The ACS 2019-2023 5-year median age is 38.3 years (+/-1.8).

The ACS 2019-2023 5-year median household income is $54,116 (+/-$4,218).

The ACS 2019-2023 5-year median value of owner-occupied homes is $116,600 (+/-$5,977).

Wisconsin Rapids has a mayor-council government: an elected mayor serves as chief executive and presides over an eight-member Common Council.

The mayor is Matt Zacher.

The mayor's office is a nonpartisan position with a two-year term; the mayor chairs the Planning Commission and sits on the Park and Recreation and Airport commissions.

The Common Council has eight alderpersons elected to two-year terms, one per aldermanic district; 29 wards make up the eight districts.

The alderpersons are Ryan Austin (District 1), Todd Ferkey (2), Justin Pluess (3), Jeff Penzkover (4), Jake Cattanach (5), Dennis Polach (6), Michael Timm (7), and Madalyn Palmquist (8).

Madalyn Palmquist (District 8) is Common Council President.

Standing council committees include Finance and Property, Human Resources, Legislative, and Public Works, plus a Committee of the Whole.

Regular Common Council meetings appear to fall on the third Tuesday of the month, based on the 2026 minutes archive (January 20, February 17, March 17, April 21, May 19, June 16, July 21, and August 18); the archive also lists an April 14, 2026 meeting.

The City Clerk is Jennifer Gossick; the Clerk's Office is at 444 W Grand Ave., 1st Floor (715-421-8200).

The Clerk's Office administers elections and voter registration, issues licenses and permits, maintains agendas and minutes, and publishes legal notices.

City Hall is at 444 West Grand Ave., Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54495 (715-421-8200), open Monday through Thursday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Friday 8 a.m. to noon.

The city's official website is wirapids.gov.

Agendas and minutes post to the city website's Agenda Center and Agendas & Minutes pages, with minutes archives for the Common Council and 18 other boards and commissions; residents can subscribe through Notify Me.

Bodies with posted minutes include the Planning Commission, Police & Fire Commission, Library Board, Housing Authority, Historic Preservation Commission, Water Works & Lighting Commission, Wastewater Treatment Commission, and South Wood County Airport Commission.

Wisconsin Rapids Community Media (WRCM) is the city's public, educational, and government (PEG) channel, carried on Solarus HD channel 3, Charter channel 985, and Roku, and it covers government meetings.

The Wood County Courthouse is at 400 Market Street in Wisconsin Rapids.

The city's Comprehensive Plan was first approved January 5, 2010, last updated in 2018, and is being fully rewritten; a 2025 Downtown Master Plan is posted.

The Wisconsin Rapids Fire Department has 39 members, operates stations at 1511 12th St. S and 1640 W. Grand Ave., and is a state-certified Type III Hazardous Materials Taskforce Team.

The fire department provides ambulance coverage to the City of Wisconsin Rapids, the Villages of Biron and Port Edwards, the Towns of Port Edwards, Saratoga, and Cranmoor, the City of Nekoosa, and Ho-Chunk Casino.

The fire chief is Ben Goodreau.

The Wisconsin Rapids Police Department is at 444 W Grand Ave., 1st Floor (non-emergency 715-423-4444); the chief of police is Daniel Hostens.

The Wisconsin Rapids School District (NCES ID 5517070) is headquartered at 510 Peach St and operates 12 schools serving PK through grade 12.

NCES reports 4,578 students and 328.35 classroom teachers (FTE) in the district for 2024-2025, a 13.94 student/teacher ratio.

Public schools with a Wisconsin Rapids address in Wood County include Lincoln High, River Cities High, Wisconsin Rapids Area Middle, Central Oaks Academy, Pitsch Early Learning Center, and Grove, Howe, Mead, Washington, and Woodside Elementary.

Lincoln High School at 1801 16th St. S also houses the Performing Arts Center of Wisconsin Rapids.

Private schools listed by the city include Assumption Catholic High School and Middle School, Our Lady Queen of Heaven, Saint Vincent de Paul, St. Paul's Lutheran, Immanuel Lutheran, and Good Shepherd Lutheran.

Mid-State Technical College has a Wisconsin Rapids Campus at 500 32nd Street North.

Lakeland University operates a Central Wisconsin Center serving the area.

The city's history is tied to lumber, papermaking, cranberries, and industry, per the city's own narrative.

Verso idled the pulping and papermaking operations at the Wisconsin Rapids papermill in 2020; Verso merged with Billerud in 2022.

On the former mill site, Billerud operates the converting mill with about 100 employees, Consolidated Water and Power Company hydro facilities retain 26 employees, and Sonoco Products Co. retains about 80 employees.

Consolidated Water and Power Company, owned by Billerud, owns and operates the five dams from DuBay to Wisconsin Rapids.

Demolition of the kraft mill and pulping operation finished in 2025, leaving about 220 acres zoned M-2 Heavy Industrial available for redevelopment, owned by Capital Recovery Group.

DC Rapids LLC has applied for a conditional use permit for a data center at 950 Fourth Ave. N; the Planning Commission set a public hearing for September 16, 2026. The city states it has no legal or financial partnership with any data center developer.

Wood County had 1,717 business establishments and 34,252 paid employees in 2023; health care and social assistance (9,944) and manufacturing (5,677) were the largest employing sectors.

The Heart of Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce, at 1120 Lincoln St, is the area chamber.

The downtown bridge lighting was funded by Tax Incremental Financing District 7.

The Wisconsin Rapids City Times is a local weekly; its e-edition was dated Wednesday, September 16, 2026, and it shares a publisher platform with the Hub City Times, Merrill Foto News, Stevens Point Gazette, The City Pages, and Wausau Times.

WFHR (Civic Media) brands itself '97.5 WFHR, Wisconsin Rapids, Local News & Timeless Hits' and publishes a weekday News Roundup.

FCC records list six broadcast stations licensed to Wisconsin Rapids: WFHR (AM 1320), WGLX-FM (103.3), WRAO (91.7), WRBP-LP (92.5), and translators W226BM (93.1) and W248DE (97.5).

The Wisconsin Rapids Tribune publishes at wisconsinrapidstribune.com, which titles itself 'Daily Tribune Media' and says it serves Wisconsin Rapids; its footer links to Gannett and USA TODAY Network pages.

McMillan Memorial Library is the city's public library, at 490 East Grand Avenue (715-422-5133).

Aspirus Wisconsin Rapids Hospital is at 410 Dewey St.; Marshfield Clinic (220 24th St. S) and a Veterans Affairs clinic (700 Hale St.) also operate in the city.

HRSA lists a Family Health Center site, the Wisconsin Rapids Alcohol & Drug Recovery Center, at 3930 8th St S, Suite 201.

South Wood County Airport (Alexander Field), at 3620 First St. S, is managed by the city and jointly owned through a commission of Wisconsin Rapids, the Town of Grand Rapids, Port Edwards, and Nekoosa.

The South Wood County Historical Museum is at 540 3rd St. S.

The Wisconsin Fire & EMS Memorial, a statewide memorial park, is on 2nd Ave. S.

The city parks list names 17 parks and conservancy areas, including Mead Rapids View Park, Veteran's Memorial Park, Lyon Park, and the East and West River Bank Conservancy Areas.

The city operates a seasonal zoo at 1911 Gaynor Ave. with free admission; the 2026 roster includes red kangaroos, river otters, ring-tailed lemurs, and a camel.

Witter Park Aquatics Center at 681 Chestnut St. is the city's seasonal outdoor aquatics facility; a day pass is $8 for swimmers ages 3 and up.

USGS GNIS names the Wisconsin Rapids Flowage 5391 (feature 1793107), a reservoir in Wood County at 44.4081387, -89.8116267.

Recreation.gov lists 'Wisconsin River islands in Wisconsin Rapids' as a federal recreation area at 44.372, -89.849.

Wisconsin Rapids is a designated Tree City and Bird City.

The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters play in the Northwoods League at Witter Field.

The Wisconsin Rapids Riverkings junior hockey team is entering its 2026-27 season.

The local visitors bureau describes the area as 'in the heart of cranberry country.'

Rapids Riverside Freedom Fest is the city's Fourth of July festival downtown on both sides of the Wisconsin River, with vendors, music, and fireworks; if the fireworks display is canceled, the alternate date is July 5.

The Downtown Farmers Market runs on West Grand Ave. between 3rd Ave. S and 2nd Ave. S and is run by Wood County.

The Grand Ave. and Jackson St. bridges downtown carry decorative lighting from sunset to sunrise year-round on a city-set schedule.

Arts organizations listed by the city include the Arts Council of South Wood County, the Central Wisconsin Cultural Center, and the Wisconsin Rapids Community Theatre.

The Menominee called the place 'Ah-dah-wah-gam,' meaning 'Two-sided Rapids,' and ceded the land to the United States in the 1836 Treaty of the Cedars.

By 1839 two water-powered sawmills were running at the future Wisconsin Rapids.

Grand Rapids on the east side incorporated in 1869; Centralia on the west side incorporated as a city in 1874.

Grand Rapids and Centralia consolidated in 1900 under the name Grand Rapids, and the city was renamed Wisconsin Rapids in 1920 because mail was being misdirected to Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Tri-City Airport was built in October 1928 for Nekoosa Edwards Paper Company's subsidiary Tri-Cities Airways and was later renamed Alexander Field; Midstate Airlines, formed in 1964, operated many of its flights from the field.

National Register listings recorded under Wisconsin Rapids include the Wood County Courthouse (listed 2015-07-21), the Elizabeth Daly House (1993-11-04), and the Nels and Nellie Johnson House (2019-09-12).