Howard is a village in Brown and Outagamie counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 19,950 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Green Bay metropolitan area.

The village is mostly within Brown County; a small portion extends west into Outagamie County. It is bordered to the east by Green Bay, a sub-basin of Lake Michigan. Prior to being incorporated as the Village of Howard, the Town of Howard was commonly referred to as "Duck Creek" because of the Duck Creek waterway winding its way through the village.

History

The Green Bay area was first explored by Europeans in 1634, when Jean Nicolet, a French voyager, arrived in the area. The Town of Howard was established in 1835 and slowly developed along Duck Creek as a center for mail delivery, farming, quarrying and lumbering. By 1848, there were three major railroads that converged in Howard, the Chicago & North Western (C&NW), the SOO Line (SOO) And the Milwaukee Road (MILW). It was named for Brigadier General Benjamin Howard, an officer in the War of 1812.

By 1856, a school was operating and the Town of Howard became known for its Duck Creek stone quarries; of which there were four. The last of the quarries were shut down in 2002.

By 1959, the population had grown and the Town of Howard became incorporated as the Village of Howard. Residential, commercial and industrial growth has continued steadily since that time, creating a suburban community on Green Bay's northwest side. Today the only railroads that reach Green Bay are the Escanaba & Lake Superior (E&LS) and the Canadian National (CN). Two of the four original railroad yards have been removed or abandoned. The Fox River Valley (FRVR) Railroad yard, formerly the Green Bay & Western (GB&W), has been turned into a park and apartments. The Milwaukee Road (MILW) yard has had its tracks removed, but is still owned by Canadian National. It is planned to be converted to apartments. There are several different parks in Howard, that are open to the public. The Duck Creek Quarry Park is open to the public all year round. There are several nature parks open to recreation and sporting events; all but one are open year-round.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Climate

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Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Howard had a population of 19,950. The median age was 40.8 years. 23.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 17.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 93.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 90.9 males age 18 and over.

There were 8,274 households in Howard, of which 29.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 50.6% were married-couple households, 15.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 25.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 28.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

! Race !! Number !! Percent

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| White || 17,721 || 88.8%

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| Black or African American || 316 || 1.6%

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| American Indian and Alaska Native || 230 || 1.2%

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| Asian || 425 || 2.1%

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| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 4 || 0.0%

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| Some other race || 217 || 1.1%

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| Two or more races || 1,037 || 5.2%

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| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 683 || 3.4%

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2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 17,399 people, 6,941 households, and 4,763 families living in the village. The population density was . There were 7,223 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 93.8% White, 1.5% Black, 1.2% Native American, 1.3% Asian, 0.6% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.4% of the population.

There were 6,941 households, of which 37.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.9% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 31.4% were non-families. 24.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.98.

The median age in the village was 36.3 years. 26.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28.5% were from 25 to 44; 26.1% were from 45 to 64; and 10.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 48.3% male and 51.7% female.

2000 census

As of the census There are also parochial Roman Catholic schools within the village.

Parks

The village of Howard has 21 parks, totaling several hundred acres. Howard's Memorial Park is the trail head of the Mountain Bay Trail, an -long trail that runs through three counties in northeastern Wisconsin.

Nouryon Sports Complex contains four softball diamonds, ten soccer fields and an 18-hole disc golf course.

Meadowbrook Park is a outdoor recreation area consisting of gently sloping open areas, wooded lowlands, wetlands and hills, and a paved trail. The park also contains a lighted sledding hill, a fully fenced baseball diamond, an open-air shelter with grill, a full-size basketball court, and restrooms.

The Village of Howard also operates Village Green, a nine-hole, par 36 golf course that is fully irrigated.

Public safety

Police department

The Village of Howard does not have a police department of its own and contracts its law enforcement services from the Brown County Sheriff Department. The Village's main patrol station is located at Village Hall, in conjunction with the fire department.

Fire department

Howard has a paid on-call fire department, with a full-time public safety director and an assistant fire chief. The village contracted for emergency medical services (EMS) with a private emergency medical services company, Eagle III until December 31, 2023. The fire department then began running its own Paramedic Ambulance.

thumb|200px|right|Howard Fire Department

Transportation

The village is located at the intersection of Interstate 43, U.S. Highway 41, and State Highway 29. Interstate 43, which provides direct access to Milwaukee and Chicago, terminates in Howard. U.S. Highway 41 south of Interstate 43 was reclassified as an Interstate Highway in April 2015.

Notable people

  • David Cooper Ayres, doctor had a practice there from 1865 to 1872
  • David Steffen, businessman and politician
  • Carl Zoll, American Football player
  • Martin Zoll, American Football player

Images

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File:HowardWisconsinSignUS41.jpg|Sign on U.S. Route 41

File:HowardWisconsinSignWIS29.jpg|Entering Howard on Wisconsin Highway 29

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References

  • Village of Howard, Wisconsin