Appleton | Grand Chute

Appleton and the adjacent town of Grand Chute seem larger than they truly are because they sit at the heart of the quarter-million metro area called the Fox Cities of Wisconsin. Appleton is the seat of Outagamie County, the sixth largest in the state, and home to the airport for the Fox Valley, so most relocation services will begin here.

Appleton is also home to many “firsts:”

  • First home in U.S. electrified by waterpower
  • First in the nation to have a successful electric trolley system
  • First in Wisconsin to have a telephone
  • One of the country’s first co-educational universities

Quick Facts about the City of Appleton

  • Find Appleton on a map
  • History: Fur traders hoping to do business along with Native Americans along the Fox River were the first European settlers in 1847
  • Population: The largest of the Fox Cities at 73,971
  • Median Family Income: $52,088
  • Median Home Price: $135,000
  • Healthcare: Home of St. Elizabeth Hospital, ThedaCare Regional Medical Center, Affinity Health Systems, the Neurospine Center of Wisconsin, Fox Valley Hematology & Oncology and numerous other providers
  • Accolades: 
    • Best places to live ranked 24th, 2016, by Money Magazine
    • Best affordable places to live, ranked 5th, 2015, by Liveability.com
    • Most secure places to live in the U.S. (mid-size cities) ranked 14th by Farmers Insurance Group
    • Best cities for children, ranked 9th, 2016 & 2015, by Smartasset.com
    • Best soccer cities, ranked 7th, 2012, by Liveability.com
    • Green cities, ranked 77th, just after Minneapolis-St. Paul
  • Arts and Culture:
    • Mile of Music covers a mile stretch of downtown Appleton’s College Avenue hosting singer-songwriters, combos and multi-piece bands, all performing their own original music. Mile 5 (fifth annual) in August will offer 850 live performances by 230 artists in 70 venues—and it’s all free!
    • LU Conservatory hosts a Jazz series and features many guest artists and free concerts by students.
    • Musical opportunities abound with Fox Valley Symphony, NewVoices Choir and many others for adults and youth.
    • The Fox Cities Performing Arts Center brings Broadway shows and a wide variety of events to its 2,100-seat hall.
    • Attic Theatre is a long-standing popular community theater.
    • Multiple museums including the Trout Museum of Art, the History Museum at the Castle featuring a permanent exhibit on Appleton native magician Harry Houdini, The Building for Kids, and the Hearthstone, the world’s first home lit by hydroelectricity.
    • Appleton hosts 150,000 attendees at Octoberfest, featuring 6 stages of live music. More than 100 food booths are operated by and support nonprofits.
    • Downtown for the Holidays offers a Festival of Trees, the largest nighttime Christmas parade, Small Business Saturday and the Avenue of Ice Festival.
  • Academic Appleton:
    • Lawrence University boasts a nationally known music conservatory. About 1,500 undergraduates come from nearly every state and 40 countries. U.S. News and World Report ranks it 60th among national Liberal Arts Colleges, and it has been featured in the book, Colleges That Change Lives.
    • Lawrence Academy of Music brings in youth and young adults from all over the state for their esteemed choirs, bands, ensembles, and private lessons.
    • Fox Valley Technical College serves about 50,000 people annually, with over 200 programs to choose from. Its Culinary and Public Safety programs are nationally renowned.
  • Sports and Recreation:
    • Appleton alone has 24 neighborhood parks, four community parks as large as 140 acres, three community pools, many hiking, biking and walking trails, and boat access to the Fox River.
    • Outagamie County has a pair of natural areas, three dog parks, six trail systems, and six access points to the Fox River.
    • Bubolz Nature Preserve has trails for hiking and cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in winter.
    • Fox Cities Greenways supports trails and greenways, including the Fox Cities Paper Trail, a 43-mile trail loop.
    • Walking and running trails line the Fox River, where you also can canoe and kayak (even through the river’s lock and dam system, Appleton Locks Paddle), paddleboard or take the Fox River Tours riverboat ride.
    • The Fox Cities Marathon has raised close to $1 million for the community and attracts international and local runners alike.

Quick Facts about the Town of Grand Chute

  • Find Grand Chute on a map
  • History: Formed on April 3, 1849, split off of the Town of Kaukalin (later Kaukauna)
  • Population: 20,919
  • Median Family Income: $60,636
  • Median Home Price: $192,993
  • The USA Youth Soccer complex boasts 15 fields and hosts big-time tournaments.
  • The Fox River Mall is the largest mall in the state at 1.2 million square feet.

For more on Appleton and Grand Chute, visit: