Walworth County At-a-Glance

Major Cities

Whitewater (14,929)
Elkhorn (9,998)
Delavan (8,310)
Lake Geneva (7,962)
East Troy (4,739)

Colleges, Vocational Schools + Universities

Gateway Technical College
George Williams College
University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Major Industries

7 things you should know about Walworth County

1. Yerkes Observatory, Williams Bay, remains unsurpassed as the world’s largest refracting telescope. The dome was first opened to the night sky in 1897 and is still in use today. For nearly a century, a virtual who’s who of astronomy surveyed outer space through the Yerkes Great Refractor. The study of astrophysics may have been a reason why Yerkes Observatory hosted one very famous visitor—Albert Einstein—during his first trip to America in 1921.
2. The Walworth County Fair, in Elkhorn, is the largest county fair in the State of Wisconsin and one of the oldest in the country.
3. East Troy is home to Alpine Valley Music Theatre, which has been a host to some of the biggest names in music, such as The Rolling Stones, The Who, and Eric Clapton. East Troy is also home a nationally recognized Blue Grass Festival since 1993.
4. Delavan's historic main street is made of bricks. Community Park hosts large circus statues honoring the birthplace of the Barnum Circus which eventually became the Barnum and Baily Circus.
5. The Shore Path around Geneva Lake offers hikers and walkers an up-close view of historic estates and stunning homes. The shore line is approximately 21 miles, but the path reaches up to almost 26 miles as it weaves in and out of wooded areas along the shoreline.
6. Lake Geneva has been home to wealthy Chicagoans since the Chicago fire with names including flamboyant chewing gum magnate William Wrigley, his son, Cubs owner P. K. Wrigley, bicycle baron Ignatz Schwinn, washing machine maker F. L. Maytag, and many more wealthy industrialists who had elaborate mansions on Lake Geneva's shores.
7. Delavan Lake is home to five houses designed by revered 20th-century architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Wright has a passionate following among design aficionados more than a century after he began his career in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park. Between 1900 and 1905 as his career and reputation were rising, five Chicago-based homeowners commissioned Wright to design their summer “cottages” on the south shore of Delavan Lake. They are located less than a mile apart, but each has a distinct look and a commanding view of the lake. Today you can view these private residences from the tour boat Lake Lawn Queen at Lake Lawn Resort.