Portage is a city in Columbia County, Wisconsin, home to about 10,236 people across 8.9 square miles. Its ZIP code is 53901.
Homes sold for a median of $177 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
Mostly Portage; also Lewiston and Caledonia Town (Columbia County)
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Portage. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
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| Nearest major airport | General Mitchell International Airport (MKE)89 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Dane County Regional Truax Field (MSN)29 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Madison, WI32 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL149 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Portage; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Portage had 10,581 residents in the 2020 census, up 9% since 2000.
It’s the 96th largest of 1,889 towns in Wisconsin by population.
Columbia County grew from 31,121 residents in 1900 to 58,490 in 2020.
Columbia County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 82°F in summer, and winter lows average 10°F. About 38.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 39 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Portage Wwtp, WI weather station (2 miles away).
20,998 jobs at 1,432 businesses in Columbia County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
242 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Portage.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 30 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 24 |
| Dentists | 9 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 35 |
| Mental health providers | 67 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 60 |
| Optometrists | 8 |
| Chiropractors | 9 |
| Pharmacies | 7 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (15 nearby)
Grocery stores (4 nearby)
Pharmacies (1 nearby)
Libraries (2 nearby)
Museums (1 nearby)
Theaters and performance venues (1 nearby)
Counts are within about 2 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Established in 1854.
Notable people born here
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Portage Community School District, Wisconsin Department of Corrections. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portage Partnering PreschoolPortage | Pre-K | 129 | Public | 0.7 mi |
| Lewiston ElementaryPortage | K–5 | 84 | Public | 5.3 mi |
| Woodridge ElementaryPortage | K–1 | 201 | Public | 0.7 mi |
| Muir ElementaryPortage | 2–5 | 439 | Public | 0.9 mi |
| Wayne Bartels MiddlePortage | 6–8 | 422 | Public | 0.7 mi |
| Portage Academy of AchievementPortage | 9–12 | 24 | Alternative Education | 0.7 mi |
| Portage HighPortage | 9–12 | 600 | Public | 1.0 mi |
| DOC: Columbia Correctional InstitutionPortage | 11–12 | 6 | Alternative Education | 1.5 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Johns Lutheran SchoolPortage | Pre-K–8 | 65 | Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod | 0.4 mi |
| St Mary SchoolPortage | K–8 | 169 | Roman Catholic | 0.8 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Lewiston, Caledonia Town (Columbia County), Pacific, Fort Winnebago and Marcellon.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.