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style="font-size: 125%;" | Eau Claire, Wisconsin

Location within the state of Wisconsin
City name: from Eaux Claires, "clear waters" in French
Official website: *
Location
Government
Counties Eau Claire, Chippewa
City council Eau Claire City Council
Geographical characteristics
Area 32.4 mi² / 83.8km²
Land 30.3 mi² / 78.4 km²
Water 2.1 mi² / 5.4 km² (6.46%)
Population
(2000 census) 		61,704 (city proper)
148,337 (metro)
Estimate (2004) 61,912 (city)
155,138 (metro)This figure was arrived at by adding together the 2004 estimate for Chippewa County from the Census Dept. and the 2004 estimate for Eau Claire County from the 2005 Official Directory for Eau Claire County (page 47).
Density (city) 738.8/km² (1,910.9/mi.²)
Latitude 44°48'53" N
Longitude 91° 29' 34" W
Time zone Central (UTC-6)
Summer (DST) Central (UTC-5)

Eau Claire is a city located in west-central Wisconsin. It is the county seat of Eau Claire County. The population was 61,704 at the 2000 census.

Name

"Eau Claire" is the singularized form of the original French name, "Eaux Claires", meaning "Clear Waters". The name comes from the Eau Claire River. Local legend says that the river was so named because early French explorers journeying down the Chippewa River, muddied by spring rains, happened upon the Eau Claire River, excitedly exclaiming "Voici l'Eau Claire!" ("Here * clear water!")

Because of the difficulty non-residents have in correctly pronouncing the name of the city (it is pronounced as if it were "O'Clare"), it has been suggested by some residents that the city should be renamed "Clearwater". Although this recommendation has yet to make it to referendum, a number of businesses and organizations have taken the name.

Government

Since switching from a mayoral system in 1948, Eau Claire has had a city manager-city council form of government. Discussion of changing the government back to a mayoral form has been ongoing since 1948, resulting in six unsuccessful referrenda thus far. Most recently, a petition to this effect, with 3,126 signatures, was to have been presented to the City Council by February 21, 2006, in order for it to have appeared on the April 4, 2006 ballot. Since the petition was not presented in time, the issue is officially "dead" at least until fall 2006.

The Eau Claire City Council currently consists of five members elected from districts, five at-large from the entire city plus an elected city council president, who is also elected at-large from among all of the city's voters. City manager Don Norrell recently resigned (effective December 22, 2005), and was recently replaced by Mike Huggins, Norrell's former top assistant.Leader Telegram editorial July 7, 2006. Regarding the failure of the aforementioned petition, city council member Dave Duax has reportedly said that, "really clears the air. It removes this issue as a potential uncertainty," possibly implying that "uncertainty" over the future of the council-manager form of government has been slowing the selection process.[http://www.leadertelegram.com/story.asp?id=66416 "Mayoral issue dead for now" Mar. 7, 2006 Leader-Telegram story. The city council president is David Adler.

Economy

The lumber industry drove Eau Claire's growth in the late 19th century. At one time, there were 22 sawmills operating in the city. Today retail, health care and education are the primary employment sectors in Eau Claire.

Since the loss of several thousand manufacturing jobs in the early 1990s (due to the closure of the local Uniroyal tire plant—Uniroyal has itself since become a part of the Michelin corporation), the city's economy was reshaped by the opening of a number of plants engaged in the construction of computer hardware, such as Hutchinson Technology's largest plant (the company is based in Hutchinson, Minnesota) and 3M, based in the Twin Cities.

Eau Claire is home to a few national/regional companies including Menards, National Presto Industries, Inc., Silver Spring Gardens (world's largest grower and producer of horseradish products and Erbert & Gerberts (a midwestern sandwich chain[http://www.erbertandgerberts.com/).

Geography

Views of Eau Claire
Eau Claire is located at (44.814627, -91.492677), approximately 90 miles (145 km) east of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. The city is located on the northern fringes of the Driftless Zone.

The city was founded near the confluence of the Eau Claire and Chippewa rivers, as three separate settlements. The main section of the downtown is on the site of the original village of Eau Claire. Across the river was West Eau Claire, founded in 1856, near the site of the present day county courthouse. Between a mile and a half and two miles downstream, the Daniel Shaw & Co. lumber company founded a town, Shawtown, which was annexed to the city by the 1930s. By the 1950s, the unified city had spread far enough to the east to adjoin Altoona.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 83.8 km² (32.4 mi²). 78.4 km² (30.3 mi²) of it is land and 5.4 km² (2.1 mi²) of it (6.46%) is water.

The terrain of the city is characterized by the river valleys, with steep slopes leading from the center to the eastern and southern sections of the city. The lands into which the urban area is currently expanding are increasingly hilly.

There are two lakes in the city, Dell's Pond, and Half Moon Lake. Dell's Pond is a reservoir created by a hydroelectric dam, and was formerly used as a holding pool for logs. Half Moon Lake is an oxbow created as part of the former course of the Chippewa River.

Demographics

Population

As of the 2000 census, there were 61,704 people, 24,016 households, and 13,569 families residing in the city. The population density was 786.8/km² (2,037.8/mi²). There were 24,895 housing units at an average density of 317.4/km² (822.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.44% White, 0.70% African American, 0.55% American Indian, 3.66% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.34% from other races, and 1.28% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.00% of the population.

There were 24,016 households out of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.4% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.5% were non-families. 30.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the city the population was spread out with 21.6% under the age of 18, 22.1% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 18.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 90.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.8 males.

Income

The median income for a household in the city was $36,399, and the median income for a family was $49,320. Males had a median income of $32,503 versus $23,418 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,230. About 5.5% of families and 13.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.4% of those under age 18 and 7.4% of those age 65 or over.

Metropolitan area

Together with surrounding communities, the Eau Claire metropolitan area was, according to the 2000 census, home to 114,483 people. The city forms the core of the United States Census Bureau's Eau Claire Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Eau Claire and Chippewa Counties (composite 2000 population: 148,337). Together with the Menomonie Micropolitan Statistical Area (which includes all of Dunn County) to the west, the Eau Claire metropolitan area, forms the Census Bureau's Eau Claire-Menomonie Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a consolidated 2000 population of 188,195.

Crime

It was ranked in 1996 as the safest city in America, it has since lost that title, although it remains in the top ten.

Religion

According to the Eau Claire telephone book, in addition to a single synagogue *, the city is home to a large number of churches, representing a number of Christian bodies. (There is a mosque located in nearby Altoona.) Among Eau Claire's over 70 churches are:

Educational institutions

Eau Claire is home to several universities and colleges, including the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (UWEC), the private (Church of the Lutheran Confession Synod) Immanuel Lutheran College, and the Chippewa Valley Technical College (CVTC).

Transportation

Airports

Eau Claire is served by Chippewa Valley Regional Airport.

Mass transit

Major Highways

Sports

The Eau Claire Express is a baseball team that plays in the Northwoods League, an NCAA summer baseball league. Their home games are played at Carson Park in Eau Claire.

The Eau Claire Cavaliers, an amateur baseball team, also plays home games at Carson Park.

The Chippewa Valley Predators, a member of the Great Plains Football League, plays their home games at the football stadium at Carson Park.

NASCAR driver Paul Menard is from Eau Claire.

Media and entertainment

The local daily newspaper is the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram *, with a daily circulation of 26,901 during the week and a circulation rate of 38,824 for the Sunday paper. There is also a monthly entertainment magazine titled - Volume One and a number of other smaller monthly or periodic publications created and distributed in the area.

Recreation

There are several large parks in the city, notably Putnam Park, which follows the course of Putnam Creek and Little Niagara Creek east from the UWEC campus, and Carson Park. Another important park is Owen Park, along the Chippewa River, home to a large bandshell where open air concerts are held throughout the summer.

Eau Claire is at the head of the Chippewa River State Trail, a biking and recreation trail that follows the lower course of the Chippewa River. *

Action City, an indoor amusement park, is also located in Eau Claire. They feature a climbing wall, arcade, laser tag, go karts, mini bowling, bumper cars, pizza, and more.

Sister City

Eau Claire is sistered with Lismore, New South Wales, a rural town in Australia.*

TV Stations

External links

General

Media

History

Business

Metropolitan area

Maps

Note

  1. City website

Cities in Wisconsin | Eau Claire, Wisconsin | University towns

Eau Claire | Eau Claire

 

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