History of La Crosse, Wisconsin
La Crosse is the county seat of La Crosse County, Wisconsin|La Crosse County, Wisconsin.{{GR|6}} The city, which lies alongside the Mississippi River, is known primarily as a college town and commercial center for the surrounding area.
The population of La Crosse was 51,818 at the 2000 census, which makes it the 12th largest city in Wisconsin by population (8th largest excluding cities which are part of the metropolitan area|metropolitan areas of Milwaukee and Chicago). Together with surrounding communities, the La Crosse metropolitan area was, according to the 2000 census, home to 96,592 people. The city forms the core of, and is the principal city within the United States Census Bureau's La Crosse United States metropolitan area|Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of La Crosse County in Wisconsin and Houston County, Minnesota (composite 2000 population: 126,838).
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