Wabasha

Formed October 27, 1849 (5^th county)

Wabasha County (21,380), Wabasha (2,560), Lake City (5,249)

The 1892 Romanesque courthouse was remodeled in 1939 and 1960 to the current red brick and stone building.  It is at the intersection of Jefferson Avenue and Hiawatha Street.  Minnesota State Highway 60 is three blocks to the west.  Albert Zshockse is the building designer.  It was enlarged in 1970.  A Justice Center was built in 2009 and an Administration Center was added recently.  The county was created on October 27, 1849 as the 5^th county with Wabasha as the only county seat.  The county and county seat are named for Native American chiefs. 

Wabasha County government consists of a sheriff, an administrator, an attorney, a treasurer, an auditor, an assessor and a clerk (executive).  It has 5 Commissioners (legislative.)  Twenty-seven District Court Judges serve Wabasha, Dodge, Fillmore, Freeborn, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Rice, Steele, Waseca, and Winona counties (judicial.) Wabasha County is in the southeast part of the state.  Wisconsin is on its eastern border.  Minneapolis, Minnesota is northwest of the county.  The county center is 14.2 miles Southwest of Wabasha nearer Zumbro Falls.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Wisconsin and Winona, Olmsted, and Goodhue counties. 

The area of the county is 525.0 square miles.  It is 65 out of 87 in the state.  It ranks 45 out of 87 in population in the state.  It has a density of 40.7 persons per square mile making it 34 out of 87 in the state.  Wabasha County has 62.4% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 61 passes through the county northeast to southwest from Goodhue County to Winona County.  United States Highway 63 enters joined with United States Highway 61 from Goodhue County, splits and exits south into Olmsted County.  The county looks like a ray gun.  The City of Wabasha is located on the northeast border of the county.  Lake City is on the northern border and extends into Goodhue County.  Wabasha is the county seat and Lake City is the largest city.  Wabasha is 12.0% of the county population while Lake City is 24.6% of the county population.  The county and county seat are pronounced WA-BASH-A.  This county is in the Rochester Metropolitan Statistical Area.