The Greater Northwoods

Town in Oneida County

Woodruff

Population
2,044
County
Oneida County
Location
45.859, -89.614

Woodruff is a civil town in Oneida County in Wisconsin's Greater Northwoods, established in 1888 and named for the Woodruff-Macguire Lumber Company. With neighboring Arbor Vitae it forms the 'Crossroads of the North' where U.S. Highway 51 meets State Highways 47 and 70. The Wisconsin Department of Administration reports a 2020 Census count of 2,044 and a January 1, 2025 estimate of 2,075. Woodruff anchors the Lakeland-area economy: it is home to Aspirus Howard Young Medical Center (the regional hospital at 240 Maple Street) and is known for the Dr. Kate Museum and the World's Largest Penny, which commemorate the 1953-54 Million Penny Parade that funded the town's first hospital.

The record

789 records name Woodruff

  • 523 news
  • 265 obituaries
  • 1 opinion

Showing the 40 most recent of 789. Every one is held, cited, and searchable in the archive.

What the records show

35 of 49 independently verified

Authoritative data

  • Population: 2044 (2020 census), 2075 (latest official estimate) via doa.wi.gov
  • Area: 28.096 sq mi land, 7.444 sq mi water, at 45.858934, -89.613898 via www2.census.gov
  • Oneida County holds 441 named lakes and flowages via prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com
  • Named lakes nearest this town: Little Bass Lake, Clear Lake, Sweeny Lake, Inkpot Lake, Cunard Lake, Three Little Lakes, Sureshot Lake, Hasbrook Lake, Hemlock Lake, Long Lake, Zottle Lake, Mid Lake, Carrol Lake, Buffalo Lake and 23 more via prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com

Overview

Population and demographics

  • Census 2020: 2044 via doa.wi.gov
  • Estimate 2025: 2075 via doa.wi.gov
  • Voting age 2025: 1751 via doa.wi.gov
  • Cdp: 891 unverified via en.wikipedia.org We could not confirm this against a primary public record, so we are telling you rather than hiding it.
  • Seasonal swing: summer-peaked (figure not published) unverified via minocqua.org We could not confirm this against a primary public record, so we are telling you rather than hiding it.
  • Income age gap: not confirmed unverified via doa.wi.gov We could not confirm this against a primary public record, so we are telling you rather than hiding it.

Government and civic

Schools

  • Avw: 515 via nces.ed.gov
  • Luhs: Lakeland Union High School unverified via nces.ed.gov We could not confirm this against a primary public record, so we are telling you rather than hiding it.

Economy and employers

  • Hospital employer: Aspirus Howard Young Medical Center via locations.aspirus.org
  • Industry: health care, retail, tourism unverified via minocqua.org We could not confirm this against a primary public record, so we are telling you rather than hiding it.
  • Named employers gap: not enumerable unverified via minocqua.org We could not confirm this against a primary public record, so we are telling you rather than hiding it.

Institutions and anchors

  • Hospital: Aspirus Howard Young Medical Center via locations.aspirus.org
  • Post office: Woodruff Post Office (54568) via townofwoodruffwi.gov
  • Museum: Dr. Kate Museum unverified via drkatemuseum.org We could not confirm this against a primary public record, so we are telling you rather than hiding it.
  • Library gap: Minocqua-area library (unconfirmed for Woodruff) unverified via minocqua.org We could not confirm this against a primary public record, so we are telling you rather than hiding it.

Business and commerce

Media

  • Lakeland times: The Lakeland Times via townofwoodruffwi.gov
  • Broadcast: WJFW-TV; WXPR unverified via wjfw.com We could not confirm this against a primary public record, so we are telling you rather than hiding it.

Recreation and natural assets

Events and seasonal rhythm

  • Fire pig roast: Fire Department pig roast (July) via townofwoodruffwi.gov
  • Seasonal rhythm: summer-peaked, four-season recreation unverified via dnr.wisconsin.gov We could not confirm this against a primary public record, so we are telling you rather than hiding it.

Infrastructure and access

  • Highways: USH 51; STH 47; STH 70 via townofwoodruffwi.gov
  • Airport: Lakeland Airport (KARV); Rhinelander (KRHI) unverified via en.wikipedia.org We could not confirm this against a primary public record, so we are telling you rather than hiding it.
  • Nearest hub: Minocqua/Arbor Vitae adjacent; Rhinelander ~25-30 mi south unverified via en.wikipedia.org We could not confirm this against a primary public record, so we are telling you rather than hiding it.
  • Broadband: not verified unverified via townofwoodruffwi.gov We could not confirm this against a primary public record, so we are telling you rather than hiding it.

Local government

In memory, from Woodruff

All obituaries

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.

All Northwoods towns