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Question of the Week: Where does ‘up north’ begin in Wisconsin?

It’s back! The annual fight about our namesake territory that we like to stir up when spring arrives and summers up north draw near.

Come up north to see some of Wisconsin’s giant roadside statues
Does "up north" begin in Hayward or someplace else? (Photo courtesy of the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame)

It’s back! The annual fight about our namesake territory that we like to stir up when spring arrives and summers up north draw near. It’s our newsletter Question of the Week for April 12, 2026.

Where exactly does “up north” begin?

We admit we’re biased: We cover all of Wisconsin because all of Wisconsin is America’s “up north.” We’re such a swing state that we know America looks up north for news about the political winds in our country. But when it comes to “up north” as an actual getaway — or even just a state of mind — where’s that boundary in Wisconsin?

Up North question map

With the spring election over, our weekly politics newsletter is going on hiatus for a couple of weeks. (Even the most devoted news nerds and political wonks need to take a break and “touch grass,” right?) When we come back from the break, the newsletter will have a new look, a new schedule, and some other new angles and elements.

So this seems like a good time to have our annual battle based in Wisconsin geography. When we come back, we’ll share your thoughts about the true location of our beautiful namesake territory. Click on the box below and choose an option.

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Pat Kreitlow
Pat Kreitlow Founding Editor
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