Sitting astride Interstate 94 on the eastern shore of the St Croix river, Hudson is the second largest Wisconsin city in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area. Originally named Buena Vista, then Willow River, the town now takes its name from its resemblance to the river bluffs of the Hudson River in New York. Hudson gained prominence in the early part of the 20th century as a railroad town due to the presence of the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railroad. Tourism has grown during the past few years as Hudson parlays its historic downtown to visitors eager to sample the locale’s various shops and dining establishments. The 2010 US Census shows that the city with a population of nearly 13,000 has grown nearly 45% since 2000.
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Education
The Hudson School District includes five elementary schools, a middle school and high school. Three of the five elementary campuses and the secondary schools have received a “9” (out of 10) “GreatSchools” rating from greatschools.org. Private schools such as St. Patrick and Trinity Lutheran (both PK-8) are highly regarded as well. The University of Wisconsin – River Falls has a satellite campus at Hudson Center offering both undergraduate and postgraduate curricula.
Major Employers
According to Sperling’s ‘BestPlaces 2012,” Hudson enjoys a significantly higher median household income and lower unemployment rate than Wisconsin as a whole. The town has a horizontally integrated employment base with no single industry dominating. The largest employer in town is Consumer Direct for Wisconsin, a home health care services company employing over 1,000. Public workers for the Hudson School District, the County of St. Croix and the City of Hudson make up a significant portion of the town’s aggregate employment. Retailers such as Target, Menards, County Market, Farm and Fleet, Nash Finch and The Home Depot are all included in the top twenty five employers in Hudson.
Parks and Recreation
The City of Hudson has a number of facilities available for various recreational purposes, including Anderson Park with a playground, tennis court and full-size basketball court; Burton Field with two baseball diamonds and two outdoor ice rinks; the athletic complex at Grandview Community Park; and Lakefront Park with a fee-based boat launch, beach and playground.
Community Events
Each summer at Lakefront Park the free concert series showcases performances of musical artists performing in genres such as bluegrass, big band, Americana and funk/rock/dance. In February the annual Hot Air Affair “Majestic Flyway” features balloon launches, “smooshboarding,” a parade and arts and crafts. The Phipps Center for the Arts hosts concerts, theater and art exhibits year round.
Did You Know …
… four former Major League Baseball players called Hudson home?
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Aaron Dickinson