Manitowoc County

Manitowoc County is an administrative territory in eastern Wisconsin covering around 1,494 square miles (about 3,870 square kilometers), with most of its expanse formed by water surfaces, bays, and small inland lakes along the Lake Michigan shoreline. The inland portion shows gentle rolling hills, farmland patches, and scattered woodlands that stretch from the lakeshore westward into the interior.

The administrative unit was created in 1836 before Wisconsin became a state, taking its name from a river in the region. Throughout the 19th century, many immigrants from Germany and Poland settled here and built up farming and harbor activities along the lakeshore.

The German-speaking heritage appears today in many place and street names throughout the area, along with seasonal gatherings in smaller towns where old food traditions remain part of community cookouts and church events. In some villages you can still find bakeries and cafés that follow recipes brought by Central European settlers generations ago.

Interstate 43 along with U.S. Highways 10 and 151 provide access to the various towns and smaller cities across the area. If you are arriving by air, the regional airport sits about 5 miles (8 kilometers) south of the city of Manitowoc.

The Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary, founded in 2021, protects many historic shipwrecks lying in Lake Michigan waters off this shoreline. Divers and researchers can explore remains of vessels from the 19th and early 20th centuries that sank during storms or accidents.