Marinette County

Marinette County occupies the northeastern corner of Wisconsin, bordered by Michigan's Upper Peninsula to the north and east along the Menominee River. It is one of the larger counties in the state by land area and one of the least densely populated, which is precisely the point for buyers who choose it. The county seat, the city of Marinette, sits directly across the Menominee River from its twin city, Menominee, Michigan, creating a genuine cross-state border community with shared commercial and cultural ties. 

The county contains 16 named waterfalls, one of the highest concentrations in Wisconsin, accessible through the Marinette County Waterfalls Tour that draws visitors and outdoor enthusiasts from across the region. The Peshtigo River, Oconto River, and dozens of inland lakes anchor a year-round recreation economy built around fishing, kayaking, snowmobiling, and hunting. Peshtigo, one of the county's larger communities, was the site of the 1871 Peshtigo Fire, the deadliest wildfire in recorded American history. It killed an estimated 1,500 to 2,500 people on the same night the Great Chicago Fire made national headlines, a historical fact that drew far less attention at the time and remains underrecognized today.