The One Wisconsin Town That’s So Perfectly Midwestern

Folks from either coast like to scoff about the Midwest and tout their own superiority, but those of us who live here know that being in the Midwest means friendliness, charm, affordable living and easy commutes!

I'm only partly kidding. But really, to perfectly sum up the Midwest is to look at the people and the industry and find that special mix of attitude and welcoming. Our short summers make us extra appreciative and we maximize our fun and outdoor time. We may begrudge the winters a bit, but we always find a way to make them more bearable. We might have a lot of farmland that doesn't make for the best scenery, but that just means we have access to the freshest ingredients and the best food. In the Midwest, it's all about finding balance and that's why LaCrosse is a perfectly Midwestern town.

With a population of just more than 50,000 people, LaCrosse is that perfect mix of city and town, something you see all over the midwest . It has the amenities of being a bit bigger but all the charm of a small Midwestern town.

With its quaint streets and local businesses, it's hard not to feel at home in LaCrosse.

Located on the Mississippi River and near the confluence of it, the Black and LaCrosse Rivers, the area that would become LaCrosse was first visited by Europeans in the late 1600s as part of the fur trade. It was important in the logging industry and then in the beer industry - all things synonymous with the midwest.

With gorgeous bluffs that overlook the city and the river, the landscape is gorgeous and makes for perfect hiking, biking and camping. And the leaves in the fall are worth the trip.

LaCrosse was an important hub in western Wisconsin thanks to its river and then rail access to both the Twin Cities and Milwaukee.

Most folks think of southern cities when imagining the Mighty Mississippi, but the river springs up here in the north and has shaped the people, landscape and industry of the midwest for centuries.

One of the reasons LaCrosse is so quintessentially Midwest is that it straddles the line between rural and urban.

The proximity to the farmland is one of the best things about being in the Midwest and LaCrosse takes advantage of those locally sourced ingredients.

We like roadside attractions in the midwest and the biggest six pack to ever exist is in LaCrosse. But more than that, there's a long history of brewing here that goes back to the German immigrants who settled the Midwest and gave it the character it has now.

Though the city was officially settled by fur traders, Native Americans were the first people living in and around LaCrosse and the city makes sure to honor the ancestors who lived there first.

There are plenty of old, historic businesses that are as much a part of the town story as anything.

From old confectionary stores...

...to drive in burger joints, LaCrosse helps keep its small-town feel with these blasts from the past that remind you of simpler times.

We love festivals here in the Midwest and LaCrosse has one of our biggest.

LaCrosse's Oktoberfest has been going for more than five decades and is as authentic an old-world festival as you'll find in the States.

Beyond Oktoberfest, LaCrosse revels in the Midwestern tradition of enjoying every minute of our nice weather and then throwing parties to survive the cold.

The Northwoods League is the largest summer wood-bat baseball league in the country. LaCrosse participates, housing college players for the summer and sharing some of their Midwestern hospitality.

LaCrosse folks are friendly and welcoming and eager to share their charming and unique home with visitors, something you don't find much on either coast.

If America is wholesome as apple pie, then that saying has to describe the Midwest. And you can't get more American than bald eagles. LaCrosse welcomes them to nest and hatch their eggs in the early spring.

Have you been to LaCrosse? What else do you love about this perfect town? What other Midwestern towns perfectly embody our spirit?

Love small town Wisconsin? Check out Here Are The Most Beautiful, Charming Small Towns In Wisconsin.