Westby, WI

Westby is a Vernon County city of 2,332 people in the 2020 census, at the headwaters of the Bad Axe River in Wisconsin's Driftless region. Norwegian settlers from Biri, Norway, shaped the name and much of the city's cultural vocabulary, while agriculture and cooperative businesses built the local economy. Seven cooperatives still operate in the area, giving Westby the old nickname Co-op City. The landscape is a set of valleys and working farm country, with Westby serving as a small center for the surrounding county. Two recurring events make the Norwegian connection part of present-day Westby.

Syttende Mai arrives each May with a parade, food, music, and local businesses around the celebration of Norway's Constitution Day. In winter, the Snowflake Ski Club's ski-jumping event brings competitors and spectators to the same hills. The Bad Axe River and Driftless terrain keep the geography close at hand, while the city's schools, cooperatives, creamery, and downtown shops give residents a working center. Westby is a place where heritage shows up on the event calendar and in the businesses that still organize everyday life.