Elkhorn is a city in Walworth County, Wisconsin, United States. It is southwest of Milwaukee and northwest of Chicago. The population was 10,084 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat.GeographyElkhorn is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.81sqmi, of which 7.76sqmi is land and 0.05sqmi is water.HistoryIn 1836, Colonel Samuel Phoenix spotted a rack of elk antlers in a tree and proclaimed the area as "Elk Horn."The area's beauty and fertile soil led Daniel Bradley, his son Milo, and LeGrand Rockwell to create a community in the area. Its growth to a population of 539 led to the first town meeting in 1846. Elkhorn was designated county seat that same year because of its location in Walworth County.In 1851, Elkhorn became the location of the Walworth County Fair, which is now hosted annually at the Walworth County Fairgrounds. The Walworth County Fair is the largest in Wisconsin after the Wisconsin State Fair.Because the city places Christmas decorations around its center, Elkhorn has been called the "Christmas Card Town" since before World War II. This tradition is celebrated every year by an annual oil painting by local artist Jan Castle Reed. These watercolor paintings are turned into Christmas cards.Demographics2010 censusAs of the census of 2010, there were 10,084 people, 3,801 households, and 2,514 families residing in the city. The population density was 1299.5PD/sqmi. There were 4,043 housing units at an average density of 521.0/sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 91.4% White, 1.2% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 4.8% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.0% of the population.
