Washington

Formed December 23, 1854 (5^th county)

Washington County (20,865), Blair (7,793)

The classic red brick Renaissance Revival courthouse dates from 1891.  The courthouse is on Colfax Street between 15^th and 16^th streets.  United States Highway 75 passes two blocks east.  O. H. Placey was the courthouse designer.  The building was enlarged in 1995.  A Justice Center is being added in 2020.  An old school augments the courthouse with offices.  Veteran memorials are on the courthouse grounds.  The county was established on December 23, 1854 as the 5^th county.  Washington County is named for United States President George Washington.  The county seat is named for railroad officer, John I. Blair.  Fort Calhoun (1855), De Soto (1858), and Blair (1869) have all served as the county seat. 

Washington County government consists of a sheriff, an attorney, a treasurer and a clerk (executive).  It has 7 Commissioners (legislative.)  Three District Court Judges and Four County Court Judges serve Washington, Burt, Cedar, Dakota, Dixon, Dodge, and Thurston counties (judicial.)  The county is on the eastern border with Iowa.  Omaha, Nebraska is directly south of the county.  The Missouri River forms its eastern border.  The county is 4 miles West-Northwest of Blair.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Burt County and Iowa and Douglas and Dodge counties. 

The area of the county is 390 square miles.  It is 89 out of 93 in the state.  It ranks 17 out of 93 in population in the state.  It has a density of 53.5 persons per square mile making it 9 out of 93 in the state.  Washington County has 52.5% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 30 crosses east to west through the county from Iowa to Dodge County.  United States Highway 75 passes north to south from Burt County to Douglas County.  The county looks like a lounge chair.  Blair is in the eastern half of the county.  Blair is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 37.4% of the county population.  This county is in the Omaha-Council Bluffs Metropolitan Statistical Area.