Nelson is a town in Buffalo County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 571 at the 2010 census. The village of Nelson is located within the town. The unincorporated communities of Misha Mokwa and Trevino are located in the town. The unincorporated community of Urne is located partially in the town.
Nelson is located in western Buffalo County, along the Mississippi and Chippewa rivers. The Mississippi forms the southwest border of the town, with Wabasha County, Minnesota, on the opposite shore. The Chippewa, a tributary of the Mississippi, forms the western border of the town, with Pepin County, Wisconsin, to the west.
The town of Nelson surrounds the village of Nelson, a separate municipality slightly southwest of the geographic center of the town. The city of Alma, Wisconsin, is along the town's southern border. The Wabasha–Nelson Bridge carries Wisconsin Highway 25 across the Mississippi River from Nelson village to the city of Wabasha, Minnesota.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town of Nelson has a total area of 77.7 square miles (201.2 km2), of which 68.0 square miles (176.1 km2) is land and 9.7 square miles (25.1 km2), or 12.48%, is water.
As of the census of 2000, there were 586 people, 221 households, and 167 families residing in the town. The population density was 8.3 people per square mile (3.2/km²). There were 265 housing units at an average density of 3.8 per square mile (1.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.29% White, 0.17% Black or African American, 1.19% Asian, and 0.34% from two or more races. 1.71% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.