Welcome to Greater La Crosse, a vibrant and beautiful place where you’ll love to work, live, and play! You’re sure to find a neighborhood you love, whether in La Crosse itself, in our downtown district, or in one of our many smaller outlying communities. Greater La Crosse features high-quality school districts, coupled with three institutions of higher learning. With numerous parks, swimming pools, a children’s museum, and ample opportunities for year-round activities, this is a wonderful place to raise a family.

You don’t have to search near and far to find a way to spend your free time. Outdoor enthusiasts are delighted with the many opportunities to renew and refresh the body and mind. The La Crosse area, with our picturesque bluffs (small mountains) and coulees (valleys), features hundreds of miles of trails for hikers and bikers. We’re lucky to say the Coulee Region experiences four distinct seasons. There’s nothing quite like frost-covered trees glistening as you set out to cross country ski, or a cloudless day while boating on the river, or a fall hike among the changing leaves. Swimmers, kayakers, boaters, and fishermen are right at home with hundreds of rivers, creeks, and lakes in the surrounding area. Find water within a few minutes or enjoy a beautiful countryside drive to that secret fishing hole.

If you enjoy arts and culture, we have performing arts venues which host both professional and local artists. Be sure to attend performances at the many summer concert series found in our area.

In Greater La Crosse, we love to celebrate. Year round, you’ll find a myriad of festivals celebrating the outdoors, ethnicity, music, art, books, beer, fitness, and history… just to name a few. Hundreds of thousands of people enjoy these festivals each year, contributing to the vibrancy and welcoming feel of our community.

Food and drink connoisseurs will find much to love, both in Downtown La Crosse, and in surrounding areas. La Crosse’s historic brewing tradition is alive and well, as evidenced by numerous craft breweries. We offer diverse dining options, ranging from a classic Friday fish fry, supper clubs, and diners, to the more elegant and intimate, often locally owned, dining locales.

Enjoy both small, local boutiques and larger retailers in the surrounding areas. We’re proud of the locally-made products you can find in many area shops.

If volunteering is important to you, we have more than 150 non-profit organizations in Greater La Crosse to suit anyone’s niche. It’s a great opportunity to meet other generous individuals working together to improve the lives of others and our community.

Whether you enjoy the energy of a festival crowd or crave the solitude found in an escape to nature, you’ll find it in the Coulee Region.

La Crosse is known for so many things – the Mississippi River, our bluffs and valleys, our unique history, great food and drink, distinctive shopping – the list is endless. The national accolades to our community are plentiful for the best place to live, work, play, learn, and retire. We call La Crosse home, and we hope you will too. Join us!

— Beth Franklin

Workforce Strategies Director | La Crosse Area Chamber of Commerce