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Washington County, Wisconsin facts for kids

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Washington County
U.S. county
Old Washington County courthouse
Old Washington County courthouse
Map of Wisconsin highlighting Washington County
Location within the U.S. state of Wisconsin
Map of the United States highlighting Wisconsin
Wisconsin's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Wisconsin
Founded 1836
Named for George Washington
Seat West Bend
Largest city West Bend
Area
 • Total 436 sq mi (1,130 km2)
 • Land 431 sq mi (1,120 km2)
 • Water 5.0 sq mi (13 km2)  1.2%%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 136,761
 • Estimate 
(2023)
 138,168 Increase
 • Density 317.6/sq mi (122.6/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 5th

Washington County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 136,761. Its county seat is West Bend. The county was created from Wisconsin Territory in 1836 and organized in 1845. It was named after President George Washington.

Washington County is part of the Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Washington County was created on December 7, 1836, by the Wisconsin Territory Legislature, with Port Washington designated as the county seat. It was run administratively from Milwaukee County until 1840, when an Act of Organization allowed the county self-governance, and the county seat was moved to Grafton, then called Hamburg. This solution was not satisfactory, as at that time four cities were vying to become the county seat: Port Washington, Grafton, Cedarburg, and West Bend. At least four inconclusive elections were held between 1848 and 1852, but the results were unusable due to accusations of foul play and serious irregularities.

In 1852, the state Legislature attempted to split the county into a northern and southern half, with the northern half retaining the name and the southern half becoming Tuskola County. Voters refused this decision, so in 1853 the Legislature again split the county, this time into a western and eastern portion. The western portion remained Washington County, with West Bend as its county seat, while the eastern portion became Ozaukee County, with Port Washington as its county seat.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 436 square miles (1,130 km2), of which 431 square miles (1,120 km2) is land and 5.0 square miles (13 km2) (1.2%) is water. It is the fifth-smallest county in Wisconsin by total area.

Major highways

  • I-41.svg Interstate 41
  • US 41.svg U.S. Highway 41
  • US 45.svg U.S. Highway 45
  • WIS 28.svg Highway 28 (Wisconsin)
  • WIS 33.svg Highway 33 (Wisconsin)
  • WIS 60.svg Highway 60 (Wisconsin)
  • WIS 83.svg Highway 83 (Wisconsin)
  • WIS 144.svg Highway 144 (Wisconsin)
  • WIS 145.svg Highway 145 (Wisconsin)
  • WIS 164.svg Highway 164 (Wisconsin)
  • WIS 167.svg Highway 167 (Wisconsin)
  • WIS 175.svg Highway 175 (Wisconsin)

Railroads

Buses

  • List of intercity bus stops in Wisconsin

Washington County was formerly served by the Washington County Commuter Express until 2023 when the county board elected to terminate the service without replacement, as of the end of 2023 there are no public transit options linking Washington County to the rest of the Milwaukee Metro area. Limited county sponsored shared ride taxi service remains available.

Airports

Hartford Municipal Airport (KHXF) and West Bend Municipal Airport (KETB) serve the county and surrounding communities.

Adjacent counties

Protected areas

  • Ackerman's Grove County Park
  • Allenton Marsh State Wildlife Area
  • Goeden County Park
  • Heritage Trails County Park
  • Isadore and Lorraine Spaeth County Park
  • Jackson Marsh State Wildlife Area
  • Kettle Moraine State Forest (part)
  • Leonard J. Yahr County Park
  • Lizard Mound State Park
  • Pike Lake State Park
  • Sandy Knoll County Park
  • Theresa Marsh State Wildlife Area (part)

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1840 343 —
1850 19,485 5,580.8%
1860 23,622 21.2%
1870 23,919 1.3%
1880 23,442 −2.0%
1890 22,751 −2.9%
1900 23,589 3.7%
1910 23,784 0.8%
1920 25,713 8.1%
1930 26,551 3.3%
1940 28,430 7.1%
1950 33,902 19.2%
1960 46,119 36.0%
1970 63,839 38.4%
1980 84,848 32.9%
1990 95,328 12.4%
2000 117,493 23.3%
2010 131,887 12.3%
2020 136,761 3.7%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790–1960 1900–1990
1990–2000 2010 2020

2020 census

As of the census of 2020, the population was 136,761. The population density was 317.6 people per square mile (122.6 people/km2). There were 58,311 housing units at an average density of 135.4 units per square mile (52.3 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 91.7% White, 1.4% Asian, 1.3% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 1.1% from other races, and 4.2% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 3.5% Hispanic or Latino of any race.

USA Washington County, Wisconsin age pyramid
2000 Census Age Pyramid for Washington County

Communities

Washington County Sign WIS28 Looking West
Sign on WIS 28 marking the county boundary

Cities

Villages

Towns

Census-designated place

Unincorporated communities

Public High Schools

  • East High School
  • Germantown High School
  • Hartford Union High School
  • Kewaskum High School
  • Slinger High School
  • West High School

The East High School and West High Schools share the same building but are separated.

The Slinger High School's Owls and the Hartford Union High School's Orioles have a rivalry, playing every year at the Coaches vs Cancer Game. Despite their rivalry they have a joint swim team.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Washington (Wisconsin) para niños

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