Prairie du Chien Area School District
| City of Prairie du Chien | |
|---|---|
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 Location of Prairie du Chien in Crawford County, Wisconsin |
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| Coordinates: 43°03′06″N 91°08′29″W / 43.05167°N 91.14139°WCoordinates: 43°03′06″N 91°08′29″W / 43.05167°N 91.14139°W | |
| Municipality | City |
| Area | |
| • Total | 6.36 sq mi (16.47 km2) |
| • Land | 5.63 sq mi (14.58 km2) |
| • Water | 0.73 sq mi (1.89 km2) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 5,911 |
| • Estimate (2012) | 5,844 |
| • Density | 1,049.9/sq mi (405.4/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (UTC−6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC−5) |
| Area code(s) | 608 |
| Website | www.prairieduchien.info |
Prairie du Chien (/ˌprɛri du ˈʃiːn/) is a city in and the county seat of Crawford County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 5,911 at the 2010 census. Its Zip Code is 53821.
Often referred to as Wisconsin's second oldest city, Prairie du Chien was established as a European settlement by French voyageurs in the late seventeenth century. The city is located near the confluence of the Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers, a strategic point along the Fox-Wisconsin Waterway that connects the Great Lakes with the Mississippi.
Early French visitors to the site found it occupied by a group of Fox Indians led by a chief whose name Alim meant Chien in French (Dog in English). The French explorers named the location Prairie du Chien, French for "Dog's Prairie". Originally this name applied only to the plain upon which the settlement is located, but it was later extended to mean the city as well. The city of Prairie du Chien is located between the Town of Prairie du Chien and the Town of Bridgeport.
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