A town of 12,769, settled in 1838. Home to 17 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
The 3 things Baraboo does most differently from other towns.
1917 · Pile of ashes in street after burning o…18 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives, and 17 places on the National Register.
1918
A pile of German textbooks, from the Baraboo High School, burning on a street
Photo · Library of Congress. A different picture from Baraboo’s archive appears here every day.
See all 18 archive items →Be the first to start the conversation.
Nothing on the calendar.
Ordered by what stands out in Baraboo. Another town gets a different order.
Baraboo tracks Wisconsin closely on all 32 CDC measures.
The median sale price was $245,000 in May 2026.
6.5 miles of trails across 17 parks and preserves.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Circus World Museum | 0.8 mi | 54 |
| 2. Sauk County Fairgrounds | 0.6 mi | 30 |
| 3. Ochsner Park | 0.4 mi | 21 |
About one in 4 of Baraboo’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Madison (12%), Lake Delton (7%) and West Baraboo (3%). Half commute less than 14 miles.
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 27% of U.S. communities.
Baraboo has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 10°, and about 43 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
Baraboo's reported crime rate is below Wisconsin's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. 13 violent crimes were reported in 2025.
The public schools Baraboo’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 57% of Wisconsin’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Elementary | PK–5 | 334 | A− |
| Al Behrman Elementary | PK–5 | 278 | B− |
| West Elementary-Kindergarten Center | PK–K | 35 | Not graded |
| St. Joseph Parish School Private | PK–8 | 223 | |
| St. John's Lutheran School Private | PK–8 | 106 | |
| Jack Young Middle | 6–8 | 548 | C |
17 places in Baraboo on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in Wisconsin, United States
Baraboo ( BAIR-ə-boo) is the county seat of Sauk County, Wisconsin, United States, located along the Baraboo River. The population was 12,556 at the 2020 census. The most populous city in the county, Baraboo is the principal city of the Baraboo micropolitan statistical area, which comprises a portion of the Madison combined statistical area. Baraboo is home to the Circus World Museum and the former headquarters and winter home of the Ringling Brothers Circus. The Al. Ringling Theatre is an active landmark in the city. Baraboo is near Devil's Lake State Park and Aldo Leopold Shack and Farm. The Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin has an active cultural and community presence in the Baraboo area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Baraboo.
