Quick Facts

Washington County, Wisconsin

Land Area: 430.82 square miles

Location: Northwest of Milwaukee County, within the Milwaukee Metropolitan area.

Population: 126,000 (2005)

County Seat: West Bend.

County Government: An elected Chairman and 30 elected Board Supervisors represent the people. Municipal governments include 13 towns, 5 villages and 2 cities.

Education: Nine school districts, the University of Wisconsin–Washington County and the Moraine Park Technical College.

Public Libraries: Five, part of the Mid-Wisconsin Federated Library System.

Major Manufacturing Industries Include: Machine tooling, metal fabrication, printing, pharmaceutical distribution, photo finishing and trucking.

Businesses Headquartered in Washington County: API Software, Benevolent Corporation, Broan-NuTone, Gehl Company, Helgesen Industries, Kreilkamp Trucking, Regal Ware, Tec Star Manufacturing, Serigraph, Signicast, Steel Craft Corp., SynergyHealth, West Bend Mutual Insurance and Wisconsin Pharmacal Co.

Other Firms with Major Employment: Aurora Medical Center, Maysteel, Sysco Foods and Quad/Graphics.

Cultural Assets: Bast Bell Museum, Dheinsville Settlement, Holy Hill - National Shrine of Mary (the newest basilica in the US), Kettle Moraine Symphony, The Museum of Wisconsin Art (formerly the West Bend Art Museum), Old Courthouse Museum, Schauer Arts Center, West Bend Sculpture Walk and Wisconsin Automotive Museum.

Outdoor Recreation: Hiking, hunting, boating, fishing, golfing, skiing, and snowmobiling are among the many outdoor activities available in Washington County. Major recreation areas include the Northern Unit Kettle Moraine State Forest, Pike Lake State Park, the Ice Age Trail and the Eisenbahn State Trail. Over fifty lakes for fishing and boating.