La Crosse, Wisconsin (pop. 52,680; met. area pop. 170,341), is a manufacturing and trading center at the junction of the La Crosse, Black, and Mississippi rivers in the southwestern part of the state. It is Wisconsin’s largest city on the Mississippi. The city is named after the Indian game of lacrosse. Founded in 1842 and chartered as a city in 1856, La Crosse became a sawmill center and a trading hub. Today, the city’s factories make such products as beer, cheese, heating and air conditioning equipment, and wood products. La Crosse is one of the leading health care centers in Wisconsin.
Viterbo University and a campus of the University of Wisconsin are in La Crosse. The city’s best-known festival is Oktoberfest, a celebration of German culture. La Crosse has a mayor-council government. It is the seat of La Crosse County.
