Peshtigo ( ) is a city in Marinette County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 3,420 at the 2020 census The city is surrounded by the Town of Peshtigo. It is part of the Marinette, WI–MI Micropolitan Statistical Area. Peshtigo is known for being the site of the Peshtigo fire of 1871, in which more than 1,200 people perished. History Name Peshtigo took its name from the nearby Peshtigo River. The etymology of Peshtigo is uncertain. Explanations include an Ojibwe word meaning 'river of the wild goose', a Menominee word for 'snapping turtle', a word meaning 'passing through a marsh', or a reference to a local Menominee band known as Pesh-tiko. Peshtigo fire On October 8, 1871, a forest fire driven by strong winds totally consumed Peshtigo and a dozen other villages, killing between 1,200 and 2,500 people and engulfing approximately 1.5 million acres (6,000 km). This fire, known as the Peshtigo fire, was the deadliest in American history. Unidentifiable remains of hundreds of residents were buried in a mass grave at the Peshtigo Fire Cemetery. The Peshtigo Fire Museum features several items that survived the fire, plus other artifacts from the area's history. This fire started the same day as the Great Chicago fire, the Holland, Michigan fire, the Port Huron Fire of 1871, and the Great Michigan Fire (in Manistee, Michigan). Geography and climate Peshtigo is located at (45.053759, −87.746028). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water. Demographics 2020 census At the 2020 census, there were 3,420 people, and 1,413 households. The median age in Peshtigo is 37 years old. There are 33 male and 83 females under the age of 5, 109 male and 115 females that are between 5-9, 93 male and 111 females are between 10-14, 197 male and 29 females are between 15-19, 175 male and 136 females are between 20-24, 155 male and 100 females are between 25-29, 46 male and 65 females are between 30-34, 144 male and 157 females are between 35-39, 55 male and 19 females are between 40-44, 187 male and 133 females are between 45-49, 139 male and 58 females are between 50-54, 106 male and 71 females are between 55-59, 109 male and 86 females are between 60-64, 141 male and 27 females are between 65-69, 17 male and 0 females are