The Business Development Group was created in an effort to revitalize the city of Blair, Wisconsin, with a focus on “Moving Blair Forward.” Our group strives to help bring new business to town, help our current businesses thrive, and showcase all that Blair has to offer.

Blair offers a place for businesses and individuals to prosper and grow. We have beautiful parks, quality housing, top notch schools, excellent employment opportunities, abundant recreational options, easy access to healthcare and shopping in a charming community.

The City is bordered on the north by Lake Henry, a 44 acre reservoir behind a dam on the Upper Trempealeau River. Lake Henry is 2/3 bordered by Blair Riverside Memorial Park, home to 31 campsites, the 4th of July Fireworks display, an annual ice fishing contest, car shows, ball fields and the Blair Aquatic Center.

The city is served by Highways 53 (north-south) and 95 (east-west), is just 13 miles from I-94, and is served by the Canadian National railroad.

Blair is in the Driftless Area, which was undisturbed by the last great glacial flow over North America. The area is also known as the Coulee Region, characterized by rolling hills. The forested hills are favored by deer hunters. Pheasants and grouse are also hunted. Local streams are fished for trout, which are stocked.

As of the 2010 census, there were 1,366 people, 571 households, and 319 families residing in the city.

Blair Community Links

City of Blair

History of Blair

The city was first settled during the 1850s. The majority of the city’s population are descended from Norwegian settlers, with a smaller group descended from German settlers. The city’s Norwegian heritage is represented by annual lutefisk suppers. The 2021 Lutefisk dinner will be held at the Friendship First building (Former First Lutheran). The Countryside Lefse company is located in Blair and ships lefse regionally and nationwide.

The city’s name was changed from Porterville in 1873 when the Green Bay and Western railroad was routed through the city. The new name of Blair came from one of the railroad’s chief investors, John Insley Blair. At one time, during the heyday of railroads, a branch line connected the GB&W with the nearby village of Ettrick, although it was later abandoned. The railroad continues to operate, although under a different name.

The city has avoided the fate of some small towns in the Midwest which slowly lost population due to young people leaving for jobs elsewhere. The population of Blair nearly doubled in the years between 1950 and 2010. During the 1950s and earlier annual floods during the snow melt were often experienced, but better farming techniques now make flooding rare. More recently, a number of Amish farming families have settled in the area and their horse-drawn carriages are sometimes seen on the roads.