Eau Claire

Formed January 1, 1855 (51^st county)

Eau Claire County (105,702), Eau Claire (69,433)

The Modern concrete structure was built in 1953 to replace a classier 1873 courthouse.  The structure is on Oxford Avenue at Lake Street.  United States Highway 12 is 14 blocks southeast of the facility.  The building was enlarged in 1973, 1988 and 1993.  Childs & Smith are the architects.  The county was established on January 1, 1855 from Chippewa County as the 51^st county and Eau Claire has always been the county seat.  The county and county seat are named for the river which is French for “clear water.” 

Eau Claire County government consists of a Manager, a sheriff, a clerk, a treasurer, and a coroner (executive).  It has 29 Supervisors (legislative.)  Five Circuit Court Judges, One Municipal Court Judge, a district attorney and a court clerk serve Eau Claire County (judicial.)  Eau Claire County is in northwest Wisconsin.  Minneapolis, Minnesota is west and Green Bay, Wisconsin is east of the county.  The county center is 8.6 miles East-Southeast of Eau Claire nearer Fall Creek.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Chippewa, Clark, Jackson, Trempealeau, Buffalo, Pepin, and Dunn counties.  The county is a rectangle.  The City of Eau Claire is located on the northwest border of the county and extends into Chippewa County.  Eau Claire is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 65.7% of the county population.  The county and county seat are pronounced OE-KLAER. 

The area of the county is 638.0 square miles.  It is 44 out of 72 in the state.  It ranks 14 out of 72 in population in the state.  It has a density of 165.7 persons per square mile making it 15 out of 72 in the state.  Eau Claire County has 74.7% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 94 enters the county from the southeast, Trempealeau County, and exits to the west, Dunn County.  United States Highway 12 parallels Interstate Highway 94 from Jackson County to Dunn County.  United States Highway 53 comes from the north, Chippewa County, and goes to the south, Trempealeau County.  This county is in the Eau Claire Metropolitan Statistical Area.