Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin | ||
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City | ||
Bridge Street, downtown Chippewa Falls
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Location of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin |
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Coordinates: 44°56′N 91°24′W / 44.933°N 91.400°WCoordinates: 44°56′N 91°24′W / 44.933°N 91.400°W | ||
Country | United States | |
State | Wisconsin | |
County | Chippewa | |
Government | ||
• Mayor | Greg Hoffman | |
Area | ||
• Total | 11.92 sq mi (30.87 km2) | |
• Land | 11.37 sq mi (29.45 km2) | |
• Water | 0.55 sq mi (1.42 km2) | |
Elevation | 840 ft (256 m) | |
Population (2010) | ||
• Total | 13,661 | |
• Estimate (2012) | 13,676 | |
• Density | 1,201.5/sq mi (463.9/km2) | |
Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) | |
• Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) | |
Zip code | 54729, 54774 (companies/organisations) | |
Area code(s) | 715 & 534 | |
FIPS code | 55-14575 | |
GNIS feature ID | 1563041 | |
Website | ci.chippewa-falls.wi.us |
Chippewa Falls is a city located on the Chippewa River in Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 13,661 at the 2010 census. Incorporated as a city in 1869, it is the county seat of Chippewa County.
The city's name originated from its location on the Chippewa River, which is named after the Ojibwa Native Americans. Chippewa is an alternative rendition of Ojibwa.
Chippewa Falls is the birthplace of Seymour Cray, known as the "father of supercomputing", and the headquarters for the original Cray Research. It is also the home of the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company, the Heyde Center for the Arts, a showcase venue for artists and performers, Irvine Park, and the annual Northern Wisconsin State Fair. Chippewa Falls is 15 miles from the annual four-day music festivals Country Fest and Rock Fest.
Chippewa Falls was originally a lumber town that became a railroad town, even though the main railroad line of the 1870s went through Eau Claire, about 10 miles to the south. In 1870, the West Wisconsin Railway built a line from St. Paul, Minnesota, to Milwaukee through the area at Eau Claire. Following this, the Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls Railway established a line running from Eau Claire to Chippewa Falls. In 1880, the CF&W was joined by the Wisconsin and Minnesota Railway pushing its way west from Abbotsford. This was followed in 1881 by the Chippewa Falls & Northern Railroad, which built a line north from Chippewa Falls to Bloomer, eventually being extended to Superior.