Formed January 1, 1883 (66th county)
Washburn County (16,622), Shell Lake (1,375), Spooner (2,477)
The Modern tan brick and masonry structure was completed in 1989. There was also an 1889 courthouse. The courthouse is at the intersection of 4th Avenue and 2nd Street. United States Highway 63 is one block away. Bray Associates Architects designed the building featuring columns. A Law Enforcement Center is added. The county was organized on January 1, 1883 from Burnett County as the 66th county and Shell Lake has always been the county seat. Washburn County is named for Governor Cadwallader C. Washburn. He is also the namesake of the county seat of Bayfield County. The county seat was named for the lake.
Washburn County government consists of a sheriff and 21 Supervisors. One Circuit Court Judge and One Municipal Court Judge serve Washburn County. The county is situated in the northwest part of Wisconsin. Minneapolis, Minnesota is southwest and Green Bay, Wisconsin is southeast of the county. The county center is 15.1 miles Northeast of Shell Lake nearer Trego. The county is surrounded clockwise by Douglas, Bayfield, Sawyer, Rusk, Barron, and Burnett counties.
The area of the county is 797.1 square miles. It is 30 out of 72 in the state. It ranks 58 out of 72 in population in the state. It has a density of 20.9 persons per square mile making it 60 out of 72 in the state. Washburn County has 28.9% of its population in its incorporated areas. United States Highway 53 crosses north to south in the county from Douglas County to Barron County. United States Highway 63 enters from the northeast, Sawyer County, and exits to the southwest, Barron County. The county is a rectangle. Shell Lake is located in the southwest quarter of the county. Spooner is to the north of Shell Lake in the southwest part of the county. Shell Lake is the county seat and Spooner is the largest city. Shell Lake is 8.3% of the county population while Spooner is 14.9% of the county population.
Birchwood
Minong
Shell Lake
Spooner
