St. Croix County is a county in Wisconsin, United States, on the Minnesota border along the lower St. Croix River. It had a population of 93,536 at the 2020 census and covers 736 square miles (1,910 km2) centred near 45°02′N 92°27′W.
Hudson is the county seat, and its postal code is 54016. The county has 4 cities, 10 villages and 21 towns, plus a number of unincorporated communities. St. Croix County is in the Central time zone and forms part of the Minneapolis–St. Paul–Bloomington, MN-WI metropolitan statistical area.
Towns & Villages in St. Croix County
The county’s population centres split into 4 incorporated cities, 10 incorporated villages, and a long list of unincorporated communities inside the county’s 21 civil towns. Type key: City = full city government; Village = incorporated village; CDP = census-designated place; Unincorp. = unincorporated community with no municipal government of its own.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hudson | City · seat | — | 14,755 | 54016 |
| New Richmond | City | — | 10,079 | 54017 |
| River Falls | City | Troy | — | 54022 |
| Glenwood City | City | — | 1,306 | 54013 |
| North Hudson | Village | — | — | 54016 |
| Somerset | Village | Somerset | — | 54025 |
| Roberts | Village | Kinnickinnic | — | 54023 |
| Hammond | Village | Hammond | — | 54015 |
| Baldwin | Village | Baldwin | — | 54002 |
| Star Prairie | Village | Star Prairie | — | 54026 |
| Woodville | Village | Springfield | — | 54028 |
| Wilson | Village | Warren | — | 54027 |
| Deer Park | Village | Eau Galle | — | 54007 |
| Houlton | Unincorp. | St. Joseph | — | 54082 |
| Burkhardt | Unincorp. | Hammond | — | — |
| Cylon | Unincorp. | Cylon | — | — |
| Boardman | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Centerville | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Dahl | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Emerald | Unincorp. | Emerald | — | — |
| Erin Corner | Unincorp. | Erin Prairie | — | — |
| Forest | Unincorp. | Forest | — | — |
| Glover | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Hersey | Unincorp. | Troy | — | — |
| Huntington | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Jewett | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Johannesburg | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Northline | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Palmer | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Riverside | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Sono Junction | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Wall Street | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Wildwood | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
Two communities are easy to confuse: North Hudson (village) is a separate municipality from the city of Hudson that surrounds it on three sides, and the small crossroads of Burkhardt is distinct from the platted village of Baldwin a few miles east, though both sit along the old Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railway line.
Townships
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Hudson | — | surrounds the city of Hudson |
| Troy | — | River Falls (part), Hersey |
| St. Joseph | — | Houlton |
| Somerset | — | Somerset village |
| Baldwin | — | Baldwin village |
| Hammond | — | Hammond village, Burkhardt |
| Kinnickinnic | — | Roberts village |
| Springfield | — | Woodville village |
| Star Prairie | — | Star Prairie village |
| Eau Galle | — | Deer Park village |
| Warren | — | Wilson village |
| Cylon | — | Cylon |
| Emerald | — | Emerald |
| Erin Prairie | — | Erin Corner |
| Forest | — | Forest |
| Cady | — | rural |
| Glenwood | — | near Glenwood City |
| Pleasant Valley | — | rural |
| Richmond | — | near New Richmond |
| Rush River | — | rural |
| Stanton | — | rural |
Precise 2020 town-level population counts were not confirmed for this rewrite and are marked — rather than estimated.
ZIP Codes
- 54016 — Hudson (also serves North Hudson)
- 54017 — New Richmond
- 54022 — River Falls (shared with Pierce County)
- 54013 — Glenwood City
- 54002 — Baldwin
- 54007 — Deer Park
- 54015 — Hammond
- 54023 — Roberts
- 54025 — Somerset
- 54026 — Star Prairie
- 54027 — Wilson
- 54028 — Woodville
- 54082 — Houlton (part of the St. Joseph postal area)
Smaller unincorporated crossroads such as Cylon, Emerald, Forest and Erin Corner use the ZIP code of their nearest post-office town rather than one of their own.
Geography
St. Croix County sits in west-central Wisconsin on the east bank of the St. Croix River, which forms the county’s western border with Minnesota. The Kinnickinnic and Willow rivers cross the county and feed the St. Croix, and the terrain rolls from the river valley’s bluffs to gently rolling farmland further east. Land makes up 722 of the county’s 736 square miles, with 13 square miles of water.
St. Croix County borders Polk County to the north, Dunn County to the east, Pierce County to the south, and Washington County, Minnesota, across the St. Croix River to the west. Barron County lies to the northeast. See Polk County, Dunn County, Pierce County and Washington County, Minnesota.
Demographics
St. Croix County had 93,536 residents at the 2020 census, a density of about 130 people per square mile of land. Hudson and New Richmond are by far the largest communities, together home to roughly a quarter of the county’s population. The county’s median household income runs above the Wisconsin median of $74,631, reflecting its position inside the Minneapolis–St. Paul commuter shed.
Economy & Local Life
Much of St. Croix County functions as a bedroom community for the Twin Cities, with many residents commuting west across the St. Croix River into Minnesota. Locally, agriculture (dairy and row crops), light manufacturing, and retail along the Interstate 94 corridor anchor the economy. Hudson’s historic downtown and riverfront draw visitors, and the county fairgrounds in Glenwood City host the St. Croix County Fair each summer.
History
St. Croix County was created on August 3, 1840, while Wisconsin was still a territory, and was organized as a county in 1849. It takes its name from the St. Croix River, itself named by early French traders. The county’s boundaries were redrawn several times in the 19th century as neighboring counties, including Polk and Barron, were carved from the original larger territory. Railroads reaching Hudson and New Richmond in the 1870s and 1880s drove settlement of the county’s farming towns.
Getting There
Interstate 94 crosses the county east-west through Hudson and Baldwin, and US Highways 12 and 63 provide additional links; Wisconsin Highways 29, 35, 46, 64, 65, 128 and 170 connect the smaller towns.
- Minneapolis–St. Paul, MN — 20 miles west
- Eau Claire, WI — 45 miles east
- Menomonie, WI — 25 miles east
- Stillwater, MN — 5 miles west
Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport, about 25 miles from Hudson, is the nearest major commercial airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is St. Croix County, Wisconsin?
It is in west-central Wisconsin, on the Minnesota border along the St. Croix River, directly east of the Minneapolis–St. Paul metro area.
What is the population of St. Croix County?
93,536 residents at the 2020 census.
How big is St. Croix County?
736 square miles (1,910 km2), of which 722 square miles is land.
What is the county seat of St. Croix County?
Hudson is the county seat.
How many towns and villages are in St. Croix County?
4 cities, 10 villages, 21 towns and numerous unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in St. Croix County?
Major ZIPs include 54016 (Hudson), 54017 (New Richmond), 54013 (Glenwood City) and 54023 (Roberts), among others listed above.
Is St. Croix County part of the Twin Cities metro area?
Yes — it is included in the Minneapolis–St. Paul–Bloomington, MN-WI metropolitan statistical area.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Wisconsin.