Town in Ashland County

Town of La Pointe

Population: 428
County: Ashland County
Location: 46.941, -90.571

The Town of La Pointe is a Wisconsin town (an unincorporated minor civil division) in Ashland County that occupies Madeline Island, the largest and only inhabited island of the Apostle Islands in western Lake Superior, and the only Apostle Island not part of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. Its 2020 Census population was 428, with a Wisconsin Department of Administration final estimate of 440 as of January 1, 2025, and the town's own figures describe a winter population near 430 that swells to roughly 2,500 in summer. It is reached by the Madeline Island Ferry Line from Bayfield (about a 20 to 25 minute crossing) and by a winter route when the ferry cannot run, and is governed by an elected five-member town board plus an appointed town administrator. The island economy is built on four-season Lake Superior tourism, anchored by Big Bay State Park, the Wisconsin Historical Society's Madeline Island Museum, and deep Ojibwe and fur-trade heritage.

The record

8 records name Town of La Pointe

7 news
1 opinion

What the records show

44 of 47 independently verified

Authoritative data

Population: 428 (2020 census), 440 (latest official estimate) via doa.wi.gov
Area: 77.76 sq mi land, 0.391 sq mi water, at 46.940645, -90.57083 via www2.census.gov
Ashland County holds 88 named lakes and flowages via prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com
Named lakes nearest this town: Bog Lake, Big Bay Lagoon via prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com

Overview

Name: Town of La Pointe via townoflapointewi.gov
Type: town (unincorporated MCD) via doa.wi.gov
County: Ashland County via www2.census.gov
Island: Madeline Island (Apostle Islands) via townoflapointewi.gov
Apostle status: not in the national lakeshore secondary source via nps.gov Relayed by a secondary source. The primary record is cited but was not independently re-read.
Coords: 46.940645, -90.570830 via www2.census.gov
Land area: 77.76 via www2.census.gov
Water area: 0.391 via www2.census.gov

Population and demographics

2020: 428 via doa.wi.gov
2010: 261 via doa.wi.gov
Est 2025: 440 via doa.wi.gov
Voting age 2025: 383 via doa.wi.gov
Seasonal swing: ~430 winter to ~2,500 summer via townoflapointewi.gov

Government and civic

Form: elected town board + appointed administrator via townoflapointewi.gov
Chair: Glenn Carlson via townoflapointewi.gov
Supervisors: Aimée Baxter; Samantha Dobson; Mike Anderson; John Carlson via townoflapointewi.gov
Administrator: Max Imholte via townoflapointewi.gov
Clerk: Alex Smith via townoflapointewi.gov
Treasurer: Katey Abbott via townoflapointewi.gov
Site: townoflapointewi.gov via townoflapointewi.gov
Notices: town .gov site, Town Hall, YouTube; legal notices in Ashland Daily Press via townoflapointewi.gov

Schools

Elementary: 11 via nces.ed.gov
District: School District of Bayfield via nces.ed.gov

Economy and employers

Tourism: tourism (dominant) via townoflapointewi.gov

Institutions and anchors

Library: Madeline Island Public Library via townoflapointewi.gov
Museum: Madeline Island Museum (Wisconsin Historical Society) via madelineislandmuseum.wisconsinhistory.org
Post office: 110 Colonel Woods Ave, La Pointe, WI 54850 unverified via tools.usps.com We could not confirm this against a primary public record, so we are telling you rather than hiding it.
Hospital: nearest hospital in Ashland unverified via townoflapointewi.gov We could not confirm this against a primary public record, so we are telling you rather than hiding it.

Business and commerce

Chamber: Madeline Island Chamber of Commerce secondary source via madelineisland.com Relayed by a secondary source. The primary record is cited but was not independently re-read.
Downtown: compact ferry-village downtown inferred via madelineislandmuseum.wisconsinhistory.org Reasoned from other facts on this page, not reported directly.

Media

Outlet: Ashland Daily Press secondary source via apg-wi.com Relayed by a secondary source. The primary record is cited but was not independently re-read.
Notices: apg-wi.com/ashland_daily_press/public_notices secondary source via apg-wi.com Relayed by a secondary source. The primary record is cited but was not independently re-read.

Recreation and natural assets

Bigbay: 2,350 via dnr.wisconsin.gov
Apostle islands: 21 islands + mainland unit via nps.gov
Known for: Lake Superior island recreation and heritage via townoflapointewi.gov

Events and seasonal rhythm

July4: Fourth of July parade secondary source via madelineisland.com Relayed by a secondary source. The primary record is cited but was not independently re-read.
Marathon: Madeline Island Marathon; Apostle Islands Inline Skate Marathon secondary source via madelineisland.com Relayed by a secondary source. The primary record is cited but was not independently re-read.
Fallfest: Family Fall Fest (mid-October) secondary source via madelineisland.com Relayed by a secondary source. The primary record is cited but was not independently re-read.
Identity: summer-peak seasonal rhythm via townoflapointewi.gov

Infrastructure and access

Ferry: 20 to 25 minutes via townoflapointewi.gov
Airport: 3,000 via townoflapointewi.gov
Hub: Bayfield (gateway), Ashland (nearest hub) inferred via townoflapointewi.gov Reasoned from other facts on this page, not reported directly.
Winter: winter ice road / windsled unverified via townoflapointewi.gov We could not confirm this against a primary public record, so we are telling you rather than hiding it.

Every figure here traces to a primary public record, linked at the fact. We gather and cite; we do not author. See something off? Tell us.

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