Portage, WI GIS Map
Portage is a city in Columbia County, Wisconsin, with a population of about 10,448. The map below shows its location, boundary and surrounding roads, with federal GIS layers you can turn on for the area.
- County
- Columbia County
- Population
- 10,448
- Elevation
- 798 ft
- Coordinates
- 43.5392, -89.4626
- ZIP code
- 53901
- Land area
- 8.9 sq mi
- Time zone
- America/Chicago
About Portage, WI
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.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Cities Near Portage
- Baraboo, WI15 mi
- Wisconsin Dells, WI17 mi
- Sun Prairie, WI28 mi
- Beaver Dam, WI32 mi
- Madison, WI32 mi
- Spring Green, WI39 mi
- Fitchburg, WI40 mi
- Fond du Lac, WI54 mi
Other Cities in Columbia County
GIS Data for Portage, WI
The Portage map loads live federal GIS layers in your browser, so you can check flood zones, terrain, land cover and district boundaries for any address in Portage without a separate GIS login. Everything below is drawn from public U.S. government data.
Layers you can turn on
FEMA flood zones
National Flood Hazard Layer — flood insurance rate map zones.
Elevation contours and hillshade
USGS 3DEP terrain, so you can read slope and relief.
Land cover
NLCD land cover classes — forest, developed, wetland, water.
School districts
Census TIGER unified and elementary school district boundaries.
ZIP code and county boundaries
Census TIGER ZCTA and county boundary lines.
Map tools
Measure distance and area
Draw a line or polygon to get length in miles or area in acres.
Sketch and annotate
Add points, lines and shapes on top of the map.
Inspect any point
Click the map to read coordinates, elevation and the layers under your cursor.
Download the map
Save the current view as a PNG image.
Portage Demographics
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates.
Population
10,236
Households
4,132
Median household income
$64,722
Median age
37.8 years
Median home value
$204,900
Median gross rent
$1,008/mo
Owner-occupied homes
58.6%
Bachelor's degree or higher
19.9%
Below poverty level
13.5%
Land area
8.9 sq mi
Population density
1,147 / sq mi
County
ZIP codes in Portage
Portage Population Growth
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census and Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2024: April 2020 estimates base and July 1, 2024 estimate).
2010 Census
10,324
April 2020 (estimates base)
10,590
July 2024 estimate
9,975
Change 2010-2020
+2.6%
Change 2020-2024
-5.8%
Photos of Portage
Hover over a photo to see it larger. Tap on mobile.
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, taken in or near Portage. Credits and licenses are shown in the larger view.
Federal Buildings & Leases in Portage
GSA-managed federal properties in and around Portage.
| Property | Address | Status | Sq ft | Lease ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2875 Village Road | 2875 Village Rd, 53901 | Leased | 5,064 | Jul 2033 |
Source: U.S. GSA Inventory of Owned and Leased Properties (data.gov), September 2026.
Soils of Portage
General soil map unit at the city center: Water-Kalmarville-Glendora-Algansee-Abscota
Soil Properties
- Drainage class
- Poorly drained
- Hydrologic soil group
- A/D (high infiltration, low runoff)
- Available water storage (0–150 cm)
- 19.3 cm
- Typical slope
- 2%
- Flooding frequency
- Frequent
- Min. annual water table depth
- 15 cm
Soil Components
- Abscota21%
Entisols · Oxyaquic Udipsamments
- Glendora19%
Entisols · Mollic Psammaquents
- Kalmarville15%
Entisols · Mollic Fluvaquents
- Algansee13%
Entisols · Aquic Udipsamments
- Water10%
- Orion9%
Entisols · Aquic Udifluvents
Source: USDA NRCS U.S. General Soil Map (STATSGO2). General soil map data (1:250,000 scale) is not suitable for site-specific decisions.
Climate of Portage
30-year averages (1991–2020) from the Portage Wwtp, Wi weather station, elevation 785 ft, 1.4 miles from the city center.
Warmest month
Jul · avg high 82°F
Coldest month
Jan · avg low 10°F
Annual precipitation
38.3 in
Annual snowfall
39.3 in
Average Monthly Temperatures (°F)
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high °F | 26 | 31 | 42 | 56 | 68 | 78 | 82 | 80 | 73 | 59 | 44 | 32 |
| Avg low °F | 10 | 13 | 24 | 36 | 48 | 58 | 62 | 59 | 51 | 39 | 28 | 17 |
| Precip. in | 1.44 | 1.41 | 2.18 | 4.15 | 4.58 | 5.61 | 4.51 | 4.12 | 3.56 | 2.86 | 2.22 | 1.68 |
| Snow in | 10.2 | 10.0 | 5.5 | 2.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 2.0 | 8.9 |
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020. Conditions at the station may differ from other parts of the city.
Natural Hazard Risk in Portage
FEMA National Risk Index ratings for Columbia County, compared with all U.S. counties.
Overall risk
Score 81.4 of 100
Expected annual loss
Buildings, population & agriculture
Social vulnerability
Susceptibility to hazard impacts
Community resilience
Ability to prepare & recover
Risk by Hazard
- HailVery High
- Cold WaveRelatively Moderate
- Heat WaveRelatively Moderate
- TornadoRelatively Moderate
- Inland FloodingRelatively Moderate
- LandslideRelatively Low
- Strong WindRelatively Moderate
- Winter WeatherRelatively Low
- WildfireVery Low
- DroughtRelatively Low
- LightningRelatively Low
- Ice StormRelatively Low
- EarthquakeVery Low
- HurricaneVery Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025 release). County-level ratings are relative to other U.S. counties and are not a property-specific assessment.
Portage FAQ
What county is Portage in?
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Portage, Wisconsin is located in Columbia County.
What is the population of Portage?
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Portage has a population of about 10,448, making it the number 41 of the 51 Wisconsin cities listed on GIS Map.
What is the elevation of Portage?
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The elevation of Portage is approximately 798 feet (243 meters) above sea level at the city center.
What ZIP codes are in Portage?
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The ZIP code for Portage is 53901.
What time zone is Portage in?
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Portage is in the Central Time zone (America/Chicago).
How far is Portage from Madison?
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Portage is about 32 miles from Madison, the capital of Wisconsin, in a straight line.
How far is Portage from Milwaukee?
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Portage is about 86 miles from Milwaukee, the largest city in Wisconsin listed on GIS Map, in a straight line.
What cities are near Portage?
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Cities near Portage include Baraboo, WI (15 miles); Wisconsin Dells, WI (17 miles); Sun Prairie, WI (28 miles); Beaver Dam, WI (32 miles); Madison, WI (32 miles).
Local notes for Portage, WI
Questions and local knowledge from people who know the area. Every note is read before it appears here.