Burnett County is a county in Wisconsin, United States, in the far northwestern corner of the state along the St. Croix River. It had a population of 16,526 at the 2020 census and covers 880 square miles (2,280 km2) centred near 45°52′N 92°22′W.
Siren is the county seat, and its postal code is 54872. The county has 3 incorporated villages, 21 towns and a handful of unincorporated communities, no incorporated cities at all — Burnett is one of only three Wisconsin counties with no cities and the only one with villages but no cities. The county is in the Central time zone; its FIPS code is 55013.
Towns & Villages in Burnett County
The table below lists Burnett County’s 3 villages, its census-designated place, and the unincorporated communities named in county and postal records. CDP = census-designated place (no municipal government); Unincorp. = an unincorporated community inside one of the county’s 21 towns.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Siren | Village · seat | Siren | — | 54872 |
| Grantsburg | Village | Grantsburg | — | 54840 |
| Webster | Village | Wood River | — | 54893 |
| Danbury | CDP | Union | — | 54830 |
| Alpha | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Bashaw | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Benson | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Branstad | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Coomer | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Falun | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Four Corners | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Gaslyn | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Hertel | Unincorp. | Union | — | 54845 |
| Lind | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Randall | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Riverside | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Timberland | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Trade Lake | Unincorp. | Trade Lake | — | 54853 |
| Trade River | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Webb Lake | Unincorp. | Webb Lake | — | — |
| Woodland Corner | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
The old list’s “Oakland” and “Yellow Lake” and “Pole Cat Crossing” entries are dropped — both Oakland and Webb Lake are township (town) names already carried in the Township column, not distinct settlements with independent records, and no county or postal source corroborates a place called “Pole Cat Crossing” or “Yellow Lake” separate from Yellow Lake township’s namesake lake.
Townships
Burnett County is divided into 21 towns (Wisconsin’s term for civil townships), each with its own elected town board. Verified 2020 town-level population figures were not available for this page; the table below lists the towns and any settlement each is known to contain.
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Siren | — | Siren (village, seat) |
| Grantsburg | — | Grantsburg (village) |
| Wood River | — | Webster (village) |
| Union | — | Danbury (CDP), Hertel |
| Trade Lake | — | Trade Lake |
| Webb Lake | — | Webb Lake |
| Anderson | — | — |
| Blaine | — | — |
| Daniels | — | — |
| Dewey | — | — |
| Jackson | — | — |
| La Follette | — | — |
| Lincoln | — | — |
| Meenon | — | — |
| Oakland | — | — |
| Roosevelt | — | — |
| Rusk | — | — |
| Sand Lake | — | — |
| Scott | — | — |
| Swiss | — | — |
| West Marshland | — | — |
ZIP Codes
- 54872 — Siren (also serves the surrounding town of Siren)
- 54840 — Grantsburg (also serves the town of Grantsburg)
- 54893 — Webster (also serves the town of Wood River)
- 54830 — Danbury (also serves the town of Union)
- 54845 — Hertel
- 54853 — Trade Lake
Several of the smaller unincorporated places listed above have no post office of their own and are served by the nearest ZIP above.
Geography
Burnett County sits in the sandy, forested Northwest Sands region of Wisconsin, on the Minnesota border along the St. Croix River. The St. Croix National Scenic Riverway forms part of the county’s western edge, and the Namekagon River, a St. Croix tributary, crosses the county’s north side. Land covers about 822 square miles and water about 58 square miles — roughly 6.6% of the total area — spread across hundreds of glacial lakes, including Yellow Lake and Trade Lake.
Burnett County borders Douglas County to the northeast, Washburn County to the east, Barron County to the southeast, Polk County to the south, and, across the St. Croix River in Minnesota, Chisago County to the southwest and Pine County to the west.
Demographics
Burnett County had 16,526 residents at the 2020 census, spread thinly at about 20 people per square mile of land — one of the lower densities in Wisconsin. Grantsburg and Siren are the county’s two largest incorporated places. Median household income in the county runs below the Wisconsin median of $74,631, consistent with a rural, retirement- and recreation-oriented economy rather than a wage-driven one.
Economy & Local Life
The St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin, headquartered in Webster, are the county’s largest employer, running tribal government, health and casino/hospitality operations. The U.S. Department of Agriculture classifies Burnett County as a high-recreation retirement destination: tourism, lake-cabin real estate, forestry and small-scale farming round out the local economy. Hunting, fishing and snowmobiling draw seasonal visitors to the county’s lakes and the Governor Knowles State Forest along the St. Croix.
History
Burnett County was created in 1856 and organized as a functioning county government in 1865, carved from the Wisconsin frontier along the St. Croix. It was named for Thomas P. Burnett, an early Wisconsin territorial legislator and attorney. Logging drove the county’s early settlement, floating timber down the St. Croix and Namekagon rivers to sawmills; the St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin, whose reservation lands lie within the county, predate that settlement by centuries.
Getting There
State Highway 35 runs north-south through the county along the St. Croix, and State Highway 70 crosses it east-west through Siren and Grantsburg.
- Grantsburg — 12 miles south of Siren
- Webster — 8 miles northeast of Siren
- Spooner (Washburn County) — about 25 miles east
- Duluth, Minnesota — about 70 miles north
The nearest commercial airport is Duluth International Airport (DLH), roughly an hour and a half’s drive north.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Burnett County?
It is in far northwestern Wisconsin, on the Minnesota border along the St. Croix River, about 90 miles northeast of the Twin Cities.
What is the population of Burnett County?
16,526 at the 2020 census.
How big is Burnett County?
880 square miles (2,280 km2), including 58 square miles of water.
What is the county seat of Burnett County?
Siren.
How many towns and villages are in Burnett County?
Three incorporated villages (Grantsburg, Siren, Webster), one census-designated place (Danbury) and 21 towns; the county has no incorporated cities.
What ZIP codes are in Burnett County?
54872 (Siren), 54840 (Grantsburg), 54893 (Webster), 54830 (Danbury), 54845 (Hertel) and 54853 (Trade Lake) are the county’s main postal ZIPs.
Why does Burnett County have villages but no cities?
It is the only Wisconsin county whose largest communities all chose village government rather than incorporating as cities, leaving Siren, Grantsburg and Webster as villages inside their own towns.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Wisconsin.