Washington

Formed January 1, 1836 (14^th county)

Washington County (136,756), West Bend (31,740)                

The Modern tan brick and stone building was erected in 1962.  It sits on Washington Street between Indiana Avenue and Schmidt Road.  Wisconsin State Highway 33 is Washington Street in the town.  Ray R. Gauger provided the designs.  The building was enlarged in 1980.  There was a classic 1889 courthouse previously.  Veteran memorials are on the grounds of the old courthouse.  The county was founded on January 1, 1836 as the 14^th county with West Bend as the only county seat.  Washington County is named for United States President George Washington.  The county seat name comes from the western bend in the Milwaukee River. 

Washington County government consists of a sheriff and 30 Supervisors.  Three Circuit Court Judges and One Municipal Court Judge serve Washington County.  The county is in the southeast part of Wisconsin.  Milwaukee, Wisconsin is southeast and Madison, Wisconsin is southwest of the county.  The county center is 7 miles Southwest of West Bend nearer Cedar Creek.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Sheboygan, Ozaukee, Milwaukee, Waukesha, Dodge, and Fond du Lac counties. 

The area of the county is 430.7 square miles.  It is 63 out of 72 in the state.  It ranks 11 out of 72 in population in the state.  It has a density of 317.5 persons per square mile making it 9 out of 72 in the state.  Washington County has 72.6% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 41 crosses the county northwest to south from Dodge County to Waukesha County.  United States Highway 45 enters from Fond du Lac County, north, and joins United States Highway 41 into Waukesha County.  The county is an overall rectangle that jogs to the west toward the south.  West Bend is located in the northern third of the county.  West Bend is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 23.2% of the county population.  This county is in the Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis Metropolitan Statistical Area.