Washburn County, Wisconsin

Not to be confused with Washburn, Wisconsin.

Washburn County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is named after Governor Cadwallader C. Washburn.^[2] As of the 2020 census, the population was 16,623.^[1] Its county seat is Shell Lake.^[3] The county was created in 1883.^[4] The county is considered a high-recreation retirement destination by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.^[5]

Washburn County
County
Historical Museum in Shell Lake, Wisconsin
Location within the U.S. state of Wisconsin
Wisconsin's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 45°54′N 91°47′W
Country	United States
State	Wisconsin
Founded	1883
Named after	Cadwallader C. Washburn
Seat	Shell Lake
Largest city	Spooner
Area
• Total	853 sq mi (2,210 km2)
• Land	797 sq mi (2,060 km2)
• Water	56 sq mi (150 km2)  6.6%
Population  (2020)[1]
• Total	16,623
• Estimate  (2023)	16,930
• Density	20.9/sq mi (8.1/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	7th
Website	www.co.washburn.wi.us

Geography

Soils of Washburn County

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 853 square miles (2,210 km²), of which 797 square miles (2,060 km²) is land and 56 square miles (150 km²) (6.6%) is water.^[6]

Major highways

The sign for Washburn County on WIS48

• U.S. Highway 53
• U.S. Highway 63
• Highway 48 (Wisconsin)
• Highway 70 (Wisconsin)
• Highway 77 (Wisconsin)
• Highway 253 (Wisconsin)

Railroads

• Canadian National
• Wisconsin Great Northern Railroad

Buses

Airport

Shell Lake Municipal Airport (KSSQ) serves the county and surrounding communities.

Adjacent counties

• Douglas County - north
• Bayfield County - northeast
• Sawyer County - east
• Rusk County - southeast
• Barron County - south
• Burnett County - west

National protected area

• Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway (part)

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1890	2,926		—
1900	5,521		88.7%
1910	8,196		48.5%
1920	11,377		38.8%
1930	11,103		−2.4%
1940	12,496		12.5%
1950	11,665		−6.7%
1960	10,301		−11.7%
1970	10,601		2.9%
1980	13,174		24.3%
1990	13,772		4.5%
2000	16,036		16.4%
2010	15,911		−0.8%
2020	16,623		4.5%
U.S. Decennial Census[7] 1790–1960[8] 1900–1990[9] 1990–2000[10] 2010[11] 2020[1]

2020 census

As of the census of 2020,^[1] the population was 16,623. The population density was 20.9 people per square mile (8.1 people/km²). There were 12,708 housing units at an average density of 15.9 units per square mile (6.1 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 92.9% White, 1.2% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.2% Black or African American, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.5% from other races, and 4.8% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 1.8% Hispanic or Latino of any race.

2000 census

2000 Census Age Pyramid for Washburn County

As of the 2000 census,^[12] there were 16,036 people, 6,604 households, and 4,530 families residing in the county. The population density was 20 people per square mile (7.7 people/km²). There were 10,814 housing units at an average density of 13 units per square mile (5.0 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.27% White, 0.17% Black or African American, 1.01% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.12% from other races, and 1.22% from two or more races. 0.89% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 33.9% were of German, 11.4% Norwegian, 7.0% Irish, 6.2% Swedish, 6.1% English and 5.6% American ancestry.

There were 6,604 households, out of which 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.6% were married couples living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.4% were non-families. 26.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.88.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.8% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 27.1% from 45 to 64, and 18.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 101.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.3 males.

In 2017, there were 153 births, giving a general fertility rate of 70.0 births per 1000 women aged 15–44, the 17th highest rate out of all 72 Wisconsin counties.^[13] Additionally, there were fewer than five reported induced abortions performed on women of Washburn County residence in 2017.^[14]

Communities

Cities

• Shell Lake (county seat)
• Spooner

Villages

• Birchwood
• Minong

Towns

• Barronett
• Bashaw
• Bass Lake
• Beaver Brook
• Birchwood
• Brooklyn
• Casey
• Chicog
• Crystal
• Evergreen
• Frog Creek
• Gull Lake
• Long Lake
• Madge
• Minong
• Sarona
• Spooner
• Springbrook
• Stinnett
• Stone Lake
• Trego

Census-designated places

• Springbrook
• Stone Lake (part)
• Trego

Other unincorporated communities

• Beaver Brook
• Chicago Junction
• Chittamo
• Earl
• Lampson
• Madge
• Nobleton
• Sarona
• Springbrook
• Stanberry

Ghost towns

• Harmon

Politics

Washburn County Services Center

United States presidential election results for Washburn County, Wisconsin^[15]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	6,962	63.42%	3,867	35.22%	149	1.36%
2020	6,334	61.03%	3,867	37.26%	177	1.71%
2016	5,436	59.13%	3,282	35.70%	475	5.17%
2012	4,699	50.60%	4,447	47.88%	141	1.52%
2008	4,303	47.22%	4,693	51.50%	116	1.27%
2004	4,762	49.78%	4,705	49.18%	100	1.05%
2000	3,912	48.63%	3,695	45.93%	438	5.44%
1996	2,703	38.64%	3,231	46.18%	1,062	15.18%
1992	2,586	33.65%	3,080	40.07%	2,020	26.28%
1988	3,074	47.25%	3,393	52.15%	39	0.60%
1984	3,848	54.38%	3,188	45.05%	40	0.57%
1980	3,193	46.41%	3,172	46.10%	515	7.49%
1976	2,787	43.20%	3,503	54.30%	161	2.50%
1972	3,220	56.84%	2,336	41.24%	109	1.92%
1968	2,425	47.63%	2,273	44.65%	393	7.72%
1964	1,865	36.84%	3,181	62.84%	16	0.32%
1960	2,848	54.13%	2,398	45.58%	15	0.29%
1956	2,798	58.88%	1,935	40.72%	19	0.40%
1952	3,184	60.80%	2,039	38.93%	14	0.27%
1948	2,059	41.81%	2,708	54.98%	158	3.21%
1944	2,441	53.85%	2,059	45.42%	33	0.73%
1940	2,805	48.68%	2,901	50.35%	56	0.97%
1936	1,650	31.64%	3,220	61.74%	345	6.62%
1932	1,501	34.68%	2,619	60.51%	208	4.81%
1928	2,898	70.03%	1,192	28.81%	48	1.16%
1924	1,422	38.91%	158	4.32%	2,075	56.77%
1920	2,023	78.26%	352	13.62%	210	8.12%
1916	938	55.37%	644	38.02%	112	6.61%
1912	409	27.52%	398	26.78%	679	45.69%
1908	1,114	69.02%	396	24.54%	104	6.44%
1904	989	77.33%	207	16.18%	83	6.49%
1900	808	73.99%	253	23.17%	31	2.84%
1896	771	73.29%	250	23.76%	31	2.95%
1892	488	57.82%	305	36.14%	51	6.04%

Between 1964 and 2008, Washburn County backed the nationwide winner in every election except for 1988. In 2012, Mitt Romney defeated Barack Obama in the county by a margin of less than 3%, after Obama had won the county by more than 4% in 2008 over John McCain. Washburn County moved significantly to the right in 2016, as Donald Trump took over 59% of the county's vote and won by a margin of over 23%, the best margin of victory for any candidate in the county since 1964. He slightly increased his margin of victory to nearly 24% in 2020 and further increased it to more than 28% in 2024 while turning in the best vote share for a Republican in the county since 1928 at over 63%.

Education

School districts include:^[16]

• Birchwood School District
• Hayward Community School District
• Northwood School District
• Rice Lake Area School District
• Shell Lake School District
• Spooner Area School District

In 1918, the loss of the SS Tuscania prompted the county to burn its German textbooks as part of anti-German sentiment in World War I.^[17]

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Washburn County, Wisconsin