Woodruff, WI

Woodruff is a quiet Northwoods community in Oneida County, sitting right alongside Minocqua as part of the Lakeland area's main commercial and medical hub. With around 900 year-round residents, it offers a relaxed pace while still covering the everyday essentials, including the regional Howard Young Medical Center. For bigger shopping trips or regional flights, Rhinelander is about 22 miles southeast, but most groceries, hardware runs, and local dining are right along the main crossroads.

Surrounded by dense pine forests and dozens of freshwater lakes, Woodruff is a practical base for anyone who loves boating, fishing, hiking, and snowmobiling. The town's best-known landmark is the giant concrete World's Largest Penny, a nod to the 1950s school fundraiser that helped build the local hospital. Housing in the area spans everything from compact residential streets near the center of town to private wooded lots and lakeside cabins scattered across the surrounding timber.