Portage, WI: Local News, Events & Neighbors

Portage is a city in Columbia County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. The population was 10,581 at the 2020 census, making it the largest city in Columbia County. It is part of the Madison metropolitan area. Portage was named for the Fox–Wisconsin Waterway, a portage between the Fox River and the Wisconsin River, which was recognized by Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet during their discovery of a route to the Mississippi River in 1673. The city's slogan is "Where the North Begins."

Official town website ↗

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

How Portage ranks

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#75Most affordable in WI #25Rent easiest to afford in WI #108Lowest property tax in WI All WI rankings →

Town numbers

ZIP code53901

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Living in Portage

Housing in Portage

$296K▲ 2.7% in a year Typical home value · Zillow

The typical Portage home is worth about $296,000, up 2.7% in a year, 13% below the Wisconsin typical home.

A seller's market

Buyer’sBalancedSeller’s

Days on market40

Sale-to-list100.3%

Sold in May12

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Safety in Portage

C⁺

Safety Grade C+

Portage reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 56% report less.

Violent crime per 1,000

Portage 1.1

Wisconsin 2.4

U.S. 3.3

Property crime per 1,000

Portage 13.1

Wisconsin 10.3

U.S. 15.5

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →

Schools in Portage

All Portage schools →

C⁺

School Grade C+

The public schools Portage’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 63% of Wisconsin’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.

See how Portage’s schools compare in WI →

DistrictPortage Community School DistrictSchools9

Muir Elementary B+Elementary · Grades 2–5 · 439 students Woodridge ElementaryElementary · Grades K–1 · 201 students St. Mary SchoolElementary · Grades K–8 · 169 students St. Johns Lutheran SchoolElementary · Grades PK–8 · 85 students Wayne Bartels Middle C+Middle · Grades 6–8 · 422 students Portage High CHigh · Grades 9–12 · 600 students

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within WI. Ratings are from neighbors.

Famous people from PortageWriters, athletes, leaders and more who were born in Portage.Meet them →