A Postcard from Door County, Wisconsin
Golf, kayaking, fishing, sunsets, snow in the winter, cherry blossoms in the spring. What don't we have here in Door County? We thought we'd just get a vacation home here, but it's so good, we're planning to retire here, too.

View Door County Property Listings
Door County Resort Area Specialists 

About Door County, Wisconsin
One of the Midwest's leading vacation spot, Door County is a peninsula with over 300 miles of shoreline. Most of the visitors come during the summer and fall seasons, but vacation home owners enjoy the winter and spring as well. This is one area where you leave the crowds behind. The permanent population of the area is only about 29,000, with the largest city, Sturgeon Bay, reaching a whopping 9,700. So we are talking open space, great outdoor access and a second home you can call affordably your own. The area is a large producer of cherries, so the spring is particularly gorgeous as the cherry trees blossom.  

Since this is a county, it is helpful to know the towns in order to more specifically find your own spot. Here's a list and a brief description:

Southern Door - Lake Michigan on one side, Green Bay on the other; Belgian influence

Sturgeon Bay - largest city, and the county seat

Carlsville - one of the few inland towns, not on either shore;

Jacksonport - small; hosts the Maifest

Baileys Harbor - large amounts of wetland and wilderness

Egg Harbor - historic downtown, shops, music center

Fish Creek - one of the earliest towns, with a huge state park on the Bay; heart of the cultural activities

Ephraim - settled by Norwegians, there are still many Scandinavian traditions here

Sister Bay - wonderful shoreline and water access right from downtown

Ellison Bay/Gills Rock- the tip of the peninsula; ride the ferry to Washington Island

Washington Island - largest island, includes state parks, nature center and a lake

Local History
A great mixture of cultures helped settle this area. Irish and German at Carlsville; Belgian in Southern Door, Norwegians and Danes at several of the towns. Most of the towns have wonderful historic places to visit. The last town to be organized was Jacksonport settled in the1840's as a logging town. 

An Average Lifestyle in Door County, Wisconsin
This is really small town living. People are genuinely friendly, visitors are most welcome, and the area thrives on the influx of vacation guests in the summer season. There is a general feeling of well-being and safety here, and the luxury of having water on all sides makes the place feel quite relaxed. Everything is rather low key and fun. This is not your glitz vacation place. If that is what you need, try Aspen. 

Housing
Options: There is definitely a lot of land still not developed. While there is a consciousness about over development, with 90% still not developed, there is still room for expansion here.

Costs: Well, you have to see it to believe it. Here's just a sample: 6.5 acres on Washington Island, with private beach and 2000 sq feet including the guest cottage for $497,000. Gorgeous waterfront homes on Washington Island are in the $300k range. Median value in 2000 was $120,000 

Things to Do in Door County

• Kayak
• Sailing in the summer
• Ice Fishing in winter
• Bass and other fishing
• Golf on one of 11 courses
• Swimming at one of 30 beaches
• Visit a winery
• Sip your wine and write haiku under the cherry trees
• Hiking
• Biking
• Cross country ski
• Visit Whitefish Dunes State Park near Jacksonport
• Birding at Ridges Sanctuary, Baileys Harbor
• Visit Peninsula State Park
• Visit one of the 10 historic lighthouses

Cultural Activities in Door County

• Maifest, a multicultural festival
• Birch Creek Music Center, Egg Harbor
• Summer theater Peninsula Players, Fish Creek the country's oldest professional summer theater
• The Peninsula Music Festival
• American Folklore Theatre
• Peninsula Art School
• Peninsula Arts Theater
• Door Community Auditorium, art shows

Location: A peninsula on Lake Michigan
Elevation: sea level
Size: 482 sq miles
Distance to other major cities:
Green Bay: 40 miles
Milwaukee: 150
Madison: 175
Chicago: 230 miles (4.5 hours)

Getting To Door County, Wisconsin:
International Airport in Green Bay, Wisconsin
Local airport: Cherryland Airport, Sturgeon Bay
Lake Michigan car ferry links Ludington, Michigan, to Manitowoc, Wisconsin,

Weather: Four seasons. But spring is pretty late, it's still freezing in March and April. The winter is mild by Midwest standards.

Average high and low temperatures
Spring: March 32, 17; April 49,33; May 57, 39
Summer: June 73,54; July 82,63, August, 76,59
Fall: September 71,51; October 56,39; November 46,34
December 39,22; January 31, 19; February 33, 19

Economics and Demographics
Population: County 29,000; largest town 9,700
Median Age, 2000: 40.3
Median Household Income: 31,935 (Sturgeon Bay) 

Principle Industries: Tourism, Shipbuilding, Agriculture

Higher Education
The Clearing, an adult education center for the arts, nature and humanities 

More information
Door County Chamber of Commerce 

Washington Island Chamber of Commerce