Wood

Formed January 1, 1856 (53^rd county)

Wood County (74,218), Wisconsin Rapids (18,870), Marshfield (18,930)               

The Modern masonry and concrete building was built in 1955.  It sits on Market Street at 3^rd Street.  Wisconsin State Highway 54 is three blocks to the east of the site.  Donn Hougen is the architect.  The courthouse overlooks the Wisconsin River.  A classier 1881 courthouse preceded the current one also in Wisconsin Rapids, the only county seat.  Wood County was founded on January 1, 1856 from Portage County as the 53^rd county.  It is named for Judge Joseph Wood.  The county seat was named for the local Wisconsin River rapids. 

Wood County government consists of a sheriff and 16 Supervisors.  Three Circuit Court Judges and Five Municipal Court Judges serve Wood County.  Wood County is situated in the central part of the state.  The geographical center of Wisconsin is 9 miles southeast of Marshfield in the county.  Green Bay, Wisconsin is east and Madison, Wisconsin is southeast of the county.  The county center is 12.7 miles Northwest of Wisconsin Rapids nearer Vesper.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Marathon, Portage, Adams, Juneau, Jackson, and Clark counties. 

The area of the county is 793.1 square miles.  It is 31 out of 72 in the state.  It ranks 22 out of 72 in population in the state.  It has a density of 93.6 persons per square mile making it 22 out of 72 in the state.  Wood County has 61.8% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 10 crosses east to west through the county from Portage County to Clark County.  The county resembles a fat letter L.  Wisconsin Rapids is located in the southeast quarter of the county. Marshfield is on the northwest border of the county.  Wisconsin Rapids is the county seat and Marshfield is the largest city.  Wisconsin Rapids is 25.4% of the county population while Marshfield is 25.5% of the county population.  This county is in the Marshfield-Wisconsin Rapids Micropolitan Statistical Area.