Washington

Formed October 27, 1849 (6^th county)

Washington County (267,563), Stillwater (19,383), Woodbury (75,107)

The Modern red brick and steel building was built in 1975 on 62^nd Street at Oxboro Avenue.  Minnesota State Highway 36 is two blocks north of the location.  Wold Associates provided the building designs.  Veteran memorials are located at the old 1869 courthouse.  A classic courthouse preceded this one and was constructed in 1869.  An Administration Center was built in 1986.  The county was an original county formed on October 27, 1849 as the 6^th county.  Stillwater has always been the county seat.  The county is named for United States President George Washington.  The county seat is named for Stillwater, Maine. 

Washington 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.)  Forty-three District Court Judges serve Washington, Anoka, Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Pine, Sherburne, and Wright counties (judicial.) The county is located on the eastern border of the state.  Wisconsin is on its eastern border.  Minneapolis, Minnesota is directly west of the county.  The county center is 7.3 miles Southwest of Stillwater nearer Lake Elmo.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Chisago County and Wisconsin and Dakota, Ramsey, and Anoka counties. 

The area of the county is 391.7 square miles.  It is 84 out of 87 in the state.  It ranks 5 out of 87 in population in the state.  It has a density of 683.1 persons per square mile making it 5 out of 87 in the state.  Washington County has 95.3% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 94 crosses the county from east to west from Wisconsin to Ramsey County.  United States Highway 10 enters from the east, Wisconsin, and exits to the west, Ramsey County.  United States Highway 12 is joined with Interstate Highway 94 from Wisconsin to Ramsey County.  United States Highway 61 comes from Chisago County, north, goes into Ramsey County, west, reenters to exit into Dakota County, south.  The county looks like a wrench.  Stillwater is located on the eastern border of the county.  Woodbury is in the southwest quarter of the county.  Stillwater is the county seat and Woodbury is the largest city.  Stillwater is 7.2% of the county population while Woodbury is 28.1% of the county population.  This county is in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul-Bloomington Metropolitan Statistical Area.