Formerly the county seat and home to industries in lumbering and commercial fishing, today it is a tourist and resort destination referred to as the "Gateway to the Apostle Islands".

In 1879, the Sisters of St. Francis of Mary Immaculate established an Indian residential school in Bayfield at the request of the Franciscan pastor.

[9] Bayfield Mission Boarding and Day School, also known as Holy Family Mission School, included students from the Fond du Lac Band Chippewa and the Saulteaux Ojibwe.

[18] 10.5% were of American, 10.1% German, 9.4% Norwegian, 8.1% Irish, 7.4% Swedish and 5.4% English ancestry according to Census 2000.

The city of Bayfield is known in the Anishinaabe language as Oshki-oodena ("New-town"), as opposed to Superior, Wisconsin, which is known as Gete-oodena ("Old-town"), in reference to the Ojibwa migration.

Nearby is the 950 seats all-canvas tent theater known as Big Top Chautauqua which during its summer season has hosted such entertainers as Willie Nelson and Lyle Lovett.

[19] Bayfield's annual Apple Fest draws about 60,000 visitors during the first weekend in October.

Popular summertime events include the Bayfield Race Week regatta, held during the week of the 4th of July, and the Festival of Arts and Gallery Tour, which takes place the third weekend of July.

It features artists from across the midwest, along with tours and demos at a diverse array of local galleries.

The Apostle Islands Sled Dog Race takes place the first weekend of February.

It is the largest sled dog race in the Midwest, with between 50 and 75 teams competing annually.

[22] Bus service to the community is provided by Bay Area Rural Transit.

Bayfield receives three radio stations from Ashland; WATW, WBSZ and WJJH.