Washington County is a county in Wisconsin, United States, part of the Milwaukee metropolitan area, in the southeastern part of the state. It had a population of 136,761 at the 2020 census and covers 436 square miles (1,130 km2) centred near 43°22′N 88°14′W.
West Bend is the county seat, and its postal code is 53095. The county contains 3 cities, 6 villages and about a dozen unincorporated communities spread across 12 towns (townships). Washington County observes Central Time and carries FIPS code 55131.
Towns & Villages in Washington County
Washington County has three incorporated cities (West Bend, plus shares of Hartford and Milwaukee), six incorporated villages, and roughly two dozen unincorporated communities and crossroads scattered across the county’s twelve towns. Unincorporated places carry no municipal government of their own and are governed by their surrounding town; several straddle town lines and are listed under the town where their historic center sits.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Bend | City · seat | Barton / West Bend | — | 53095 |
| Hartford | City | Hartford (partly Dodge Co.) | — | 53027 |
| Germantown | Village | Germantown | — | 53022 |
| Jackson | Village | Jackson | — | 53037 |
| Kewaskum | Village | Kewaskum (partly Fond du Lac Co.) | — | 53040 |
| Newburg | Village | Trenton (partly Ozaukee Co.) | — | 53060 |
| Richfield | Village | — (self-governing since 1998) | — | 53076 |
| Slinger | Village | Polk | — | 53086 |
| Allenton | CDP | Addison | — | 53002 |
| Ackerville | Unincorp. | Polk | — | — |
| Addison | Unincorp. | Addison | — | — |
| Aurora | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Barton | Unincorp. | Barton | — | — |
| Boltonville | Unincorp. | Farmington | — | — |
| Cedar Creek | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Cedar Lake | Unincorp. | Erin | — | — |
| Cheeseville | Unincorp. | Erin | — | — |
| Dheinsville | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Diefenbach Corners | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Fillmore | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Goldenthal | Unincorp. | Farmington | — | — |
| Hubertus | Unincorp. | Polk | — | 53033 |
| Keowns | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Kirchhayn | Unincorp. | Trenton | — | — |
| Kohlsville | Unincorp. | Wayne | — | — |
| Mayfield | Unincorp. | Erin | — | — |
| Meeker | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Myra | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Nabob | Unincorp. | Wayne | — | — |
| Nenno | Unincorp. | Trenton | — | — |
| Orchard Grove | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Pike Lake | Unincorp. | Hartford | — | — |
| Rockfield | Unincorp. | Germantown | — | — |
| Rugby Junction | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Saint Anthony | Unincorp. | Erin | — | — |
| Saint Lawrence | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Saint Michaels | Unincorp. | Polk | — | — |
| Thompson | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Victory Center | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Wayne | Unincorp. | Wayne | — | — |
| Willow Creek | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Young America | Unincorp. | Wayne | — | — |
Two entries drop naming collisions elsewhere in Wisconsin: this county’s Cedar Creek and Cedar Lake are hamlets in the towns of Polk and Erin, distinct from the larger Cedar Creek settlement in neighboring Ozaukee County. Population figures for individual unincorporated places are not separately reported by the Census Bureau and are omitted rather than estimated.
Townships
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Addison | — | Allenton, Addison |
| Barton | — | Barton (annexed largely into the City of West Bend) |
| Erin | — | Holy Hill, Cedar Lake, Cheeseville, Saint Anthony, Mayfield |
| Farmington | — | Boltonville, Goldenthal |
| Germantown | — | Rockfield (Village of Germantown is a separate municipality) |
| Hartford | — | Pike Lake (City of Hartford is a separate municipality) |
| Jackson | — | (Village of Jackson is a separate municipality) |
| Kewaskum | — | (Village of Kewaskum is a separate municipality) |
| Polk | — | Hubertus, Ackerville, Saint Michaels (Village of Slinger is a separate municipality) |
| Trenton | — | Kirchhayn, Nenno (Village of Newburg is a separate municipality) |
| Wayne | — | Kohlsville, Young America, Nabob |
| West Bend | — | (City of West Bend is a separate municipality) |
The Town of Richfield was dissolved in 1998 when it consolidated into the Village of Richfield, so no separate township government remains there. 2020 census figures are published for the county’s cities and villages but not broken out by township on a comparable basis, so per-township totals are omitted here rather than estimated.
ZIP Codes
- 53095 — West Bend
- 53090 — West Bend (west side)
- 53027 — Hartford
- 53022 — Germantown
- 53037 — Jackson
- 53040 — Kewaskum (also serves Kewaskum-area rural addresses)
- 53086 — Slinger
- 53076 — Richfield
- 53033 — Hubertus
- 53002 — Allenton
- 53060 — Newburg (PO Box delivery only)
Most unincorporated communities and crossroads use the ZIP code of their nearest post office town rather than a code of their own; Colgate, an unincorporated community that overlaps Washington and Waukesha counties, is served by ZIP 53017.
Geography
Washington County sits on rolling terrain shaped by the Wisconsin Glaciation, including part of the Kettle Moraine system of forested ridges and kettle lakes in the county’s west. Big Cedar Lake and Little Cedar Lake, both in the Town of Polk, are the county’s largest natural lakes, and Pike Lake near Hartford anchors a state park of the same name. The Milwaukee River rises in the county’s northwestern towns and flows south through West Bend on its way toward Lake Michigan. Of the county’s 436 square miles, 431 are land and about 5 are water.
Washington County borders Fond du Lac County to the northwest, Sheboygan County to the northeast, Ozaukee County to the east, Milwaukee County to the southeast, Waukesha County to the south, and Dodge County to the west.
Demographics
Washington County had 136,761 residents at the 2020 census. West Bend, the county seat, is the largest city, and Germantown, in the county’s southeast corner, is the largest village. The county’s median household income runs above the Wisconsin median of $74,631, reflecting its position as a Milwaukee-area commuter county, though a verified county-specific figure was not available for this profile. Population density works out to roughly 317 people per square mile of land.
Economy & Local Life
West Bend Mutual Insurance Company, headquartered in the city of West Bend, is one of the county’s largest employers, alongside cookware manufacturer Regal Ware in Kewaskum. Manufacturing remains a significant part of the county’s economy along the Milwaukee River corridor, while the towns to the west and north stay largely agricultural, with dairy and cash-grain farms. The Kettle Moraine’s lakes and trails, and the Basilica of Holy Hill in the Town of Erin, draw visitors from across southeastern Wisconsin.
History
Washington County was created on December 7, 1836, from part of the original Milwaukee County, and organized as a separate government in 1845. It is named for George Washington. The location of the county seat was contested from 1848 to 1852 among Port Washington, Grafton, Cedarburg and West Bend before West Bend prevailed and the courthouse was built there. Ozaukee County was split off from Washington County’s eastern towns in 1853.
Getting There
Interstate 41 and US Routes 41 and 45 run north-south through the county, connecting Germantown, Jackson and West Bend to Milwaukee to the south and Fond du Lac to the north; Wisconsin Highways 33, 60, 83 and 144 provide east-west and local links.
- Milwaukee — 35 miles southeast of West Bend
- Fond du Lac — 25 miles north of West Bend
- Madison — 75 miles west of West Bend
- Sheboygan — 30 miles northeast of West Bend
Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport, about 40 miles southeast, is the nearest major commercial airport; West Bend Municipal and Hartford Municipal airports serve general aviation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Washington County, Wisconsin?
It is in the southeastern part of Wisconsin, within the Milwaukee metropolitan area, roughly 35 miles northwest of downtown Milwaukee.
What is the population of Washington County?
It had a population of 136,761 at the 2020 census.
How big is Washington County?
It covers 436 square miles (1,130 km2), of which about 431 square miles are land.
What is the county seat of Washington County?
West Bend is the county seat.
How many towns and villages are in Washington County?
The county has 3 cities, 6 villages, and about two dozen unincorporated communities across its 12 towns.
What ZIP codes are in Washington County?
Main ZIP codes include 53095 and 53090 (West Bend), 53027 (Hartford), 53022 (Germantown), 53037 (Jackson), 53040 (Kewaskum), 53086 (Slinger) and 53076 (Richfield).
What is Holy Hill?
It is the Basilica of Holy Hill, a Roman Catholic shrine and minor basilica on a Kettle Moraine hilltop in the Town of Erin, one of the county’s best-known landmarks.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Wisconsin.