Serving as the county seat for Columbia County, Portage possesses a wealth of outdoor recreational resources, great neighborhoods, reliable industries, excellent healthcare facilities and educational opportunities. With a population just over 10,000 and a regional population exceeding 55,000, Portage has a vibrant downtown, lively arts center and many museums providing living lessons in history.

Home to two Pulitzer Prize winners, historian Frederick Jackson Turner and novelist Zona Gale, Portage builds on their legacy by supporting and promoting the arts. Portage Center for the Arts (PCA), with its Drury Gallery and Zona Gale Theatre, showcases local artists’ work and offers stellar performing arts programming throughout the year. Along with the PCA in the downtown, visitors can revel in the district’s renaissance with the addition of an upscale billiards hall, art studio, wine and chocolate shop, artisan food market, a number of specialty shops, and diners and a coffee house

Tourists will enjoy vast historical experiences at the Historic Indian Agency House, Fort Winnebago Surgeons Quarters, Museum at the Portage, American Legion State Headquarters & Museum, Women’s Civic League, World War II History Museum and refurbished section of the Portage Canal. Outdoor enthusiasts will take pleasure in the recreation provided by the Wisconsin and Fox Rivers and Cascade Mountain, now with two new lifts and seven new trails.

Whether you are interested in visiting our community or you are looking to relocate and make Portage your home, explore all that we offer.