Vilas County, Wisconsin

Vilas County is a county in Wisconsin, United States, in the far north of the state along the Michigan border. It had a population of 23,047 at the 2020 census and covers 1,018 square miles (2,640 km2), with roughly 857 square miles of land and 161 square miles of water, centred near 46°03′N 89°31′W.

Eagle River is the county seat and its postal code is 54521. The county has one incorporated city, 14 organized towns, and three census-designated places, plus several unincorporated lake communities. It sits in the Central time zone.

Towns & Villages in Vilas County

Vilas County’s settlements split between one incorporated city (Eagle River), 14 civil towns that function as the county’s township-equivalent divisions, and a handful of census-designated places and unincorporated hamlets that sit inside those towns. Several names below share the same identity as the town that contains them — for example Boulder Junction is both a town and a small CDP at its center.

Two names from older listings of the county, “Katinka Village” and “Marlands,” could not be confirmed against current town or CDP records and are omitted here; see notes.

ZIP Codes

• 54521 — Eagle River (also serves the town of Lincoln)
• 54568 — Woodruff/Arbor Vitae area
• 54512 — Boulder Junction
• 54519 — Conover
• 54538 — Lac du Flambeau
• 54540 — Land O’ Lakes
• 54545 — Manitowish Waters
• 54554 — Phelps
• 54557 — Presque Isle
• 54558 — St. Germain
• 54560 — Sayner
• 54561 — Star Lake

The towns of Cloverland, Lincoln, Plum Lake (outside Sayner and Star Lake), and Washington have no dedicated post office and are served by a neighboring town’s ZIP code.

Geography

Vilas County sits in Wisconsin’s Northwoods, a heavily forested region shaped by glacial lakes. It contains 1,318 lakes, more than any other county in the state, and much of its land lies within the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest and the Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest, alongside extensive county forest holdings. The county is the source of three rivers — the Wisconsin, the Flambeau, and the Presque Isle — and its waters ultimately drain toward Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, and the Mississippi River. Part of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa reservation lies within the county’s borders.

Vilas County borders Gogebic County and Iron County, Michigan to the north; Oneida County to the south; Forest County to the southeast; and Iron County, Wisconsin, to the west.

Demographics

Vilas County had 23,047 residents at the 2020 census. Its two largest communities are the town of Lac du Flambeau, home to the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, and the town of Arbor Vitae, adjoining the neighboring city of Woodruff. Median household income in the county runs below the Wisconsin median of $74,631, reflecting a seasonal, tourism-dependent economy and a large share of retirees; the county’s median age is notably older than the state as a whole. Population density is light at roughly 27 people per square mile of land, concentrated around Eagle River and the lake villages.

Economy & Local Life

Vilas County’s economy runs on tourism built around its lakes and forests: fishing, boating, snowmobiling, and lake-cabin vacationing drive summer and winter business alike. Eagle River anchors the county’s retail and services base and hosts the World Championship Snowmobile Derby each January, a signature Northwoods event. The Lac du Flambeau reservation supports its own tribal government, casino, and cultural institutions, including the George W. Brown Jr. Ojibwe Museum. Outside the lake towns, forestry and outdoor recreation on the surrounding national and state forest lands round out the local economy.

History

Vilas County was organized on April 12, 1893, carved from Oneida County. It was named for William Freeman Vilas, a Wisconsin U.S. Senator and Postmaster General who served in the early 1890s. The county’s Ojibwe communities predate its organization by generations; the Lac du Flambeau reservation was established by an 1854 treaty. Logging drove the county’s earliest non-Native settlement in the late 1800s, and as the timber industry declined in the early 20th century, tourism took its place as the dominant economic driver — a shift still visible in the resorts and cabins that line the county’s lakes today.

Getting There

U.S. Highway 45 and State Highway 70 are the county’s main routes, crossing at Eagle River. Approximate distances from Eagle River:

• Rhinelander — 30 miles south
• Minocqua — 18 miles southwest
• Wausau — 90 miles south
• Ironwood, Michigan — 60 miles north

The nearest commercial airport is Rhinelander-Oneida County Airport (RHI), about 30 miles south of Eagle River.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Vilas County, Wisconsin?
It is in far northern Wisconsin, bordering Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, centred near 46°03′N 89°31′W.

What is the population of Vilas County?
23,047 people at the 2020 census.

How big is Vilas County?
1,018 square miles (2,640 km2), of which about 16% is water — the county has 1,318 lakes.

What is the county seat of Vilas County?
Eagle River is the county seat.

How many towns are in Vilas County?
One incorporated city, 14 organized towns, and three census-designated places.

What ZIP codes are in Vilas County?
Eagle River uses 54521; other towns and villages have their own codes, including 54512 (Boulder Junction), 54538 (Lac du Flambeau), 54540 (Land O’ Lakes), 54558 (St. Germain), and 54561 (Star Lake).

Is there a Native American reservation in Vilas County?
Yes — part of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa reservation lies within the county.

More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Wisconsin.