County outline
Where Chippewa County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 96.8% of Chippewa County’s measured area and water for 3.2%. Its combined area converts to 2,696.9 square kilometers or approximately 666,409 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 1,008.43 | 2,611.822 | 645,395.2 |
| Water | 32.834 | 85.04 | 21,013.8 |
| Total | 1,041.264 | 2,696.861 | 666,409 |
How Chippewa County compares
By original Census land area, Chippewa County ranks #13 of 72 in Wisconsin and #671 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 1.339 times the Wisconsin county-equivalent median of 753 square miles. It accounts for 1.9% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete Wisconsin ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of Chippewa County
The Census Bureau estimates that 67,614 people lived in Chippewa County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #821 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #24 of 72 in Wisconsin. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 66,295, the population has grown by 1,319 (+2%), compared with +1.3% for Wisconsin as a whole.
With 1,008.4 square miles of land, that is 67 people per square mile (26 per km²), placing Chippewa County #1,295 nationally for density and #29 in Wisconsin. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the Wisconsin median is 51. Put another way, there are about 9.5 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 66,334 | 66,580 | 66,774 | 66,949 | 67,294 | 67,614 |
| Change | — | +246 | +194 | +175 | +345 | +320 |
U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates. Estimates are revised each year and are not decennial census counts. Density divides the whole population by the whole county’s land area, so it describes an average, not how settlement is distributed within the county. Population sources and methods.
Cities and towns in Chippewa County
Chippewa County is divided into 32 cities and towns. In Wisconsin, county subdivisions are local governments, and together they cover all of the county’s land and residents.
The most populous is Chippewa Falls city, with 15,293 residents (22.6% of the county). The largest by land is Colburn town, at 64.8 mi², or 6.4% of the county’s land. Among those with at least 1,000 residents in 2020, Eau Claire city grew fastest since then (+8.8%).
| County subdivision | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chippewa Falls cityCounty seat | 15,293 | +3.8% | 11.4 | 1.1% |
| Lake Hallie village | 7,396 | +3% | 14.1 | 1.4% |
| Lafayette town | 6,430 | +4.1% | 34.5 | 3.4% |
| Stanley city | 3,782 | −0.8% | 3.79 | 0.4% |
| Bloomer city | 3,634 | −1% | 2.912 | 0.3% |
| Eagle Point town | 3,267 | +1.1% | 61 | 6.1% |
| Wheaton town | 2,785 | +1.1% | 53.9 | 5.3% |
| Eau Claire city | 2,370 | +8.8% | 4.386 | 0.4% |
| Anson town | 2,330 | +1.6% | 37.3 | 3.7% |
| Tilden town | 1,537 | +0.7% | 35.6 | 3.5% |
| Cadott village | 1,473 | −1.9% | 3.402 | 0.3% |
| Cornell city | 1,443 | −1% | 3.787 | 0.4% |
| Sigel town | 1,162 | +2.7% | 35.7 | 3.5% |
| Edson town | 1,121 | −1.7% | 53.9 | 5.3% |
| Bloomer town | 1,085 | −0.2% | 47.1 | 4.7% |
Show the other 17 subdivisions
| Name | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delmar town | 1,027 | +0.5% | 42.4 |
| Woodmohr town | 1,019 | −0.1% | 35 |
| Lake Holcombe town | 1,010 | +0.3% | 26.6 |
| Sampson town | 997 | +2.8% | 62.5 |
| Colburn town | 897 | +0.3% | 64.8 |
| Cleveland town | 892 | −0.3% | 54.1 |
| Howard town | 794 | +1.3% | 35.8 |
| Auburn town | 783 | +1.3% | 35.8 |
| Goetz town | 782 | −2.1% | 29.7 |
| Arthur town | 769 | +0.3% | 42.8 |
| Cooks Valley town | 761 | −0.5% | 34.3 |
| Boyd village | 603 | 0% | 1.853 |
| New Auburn village | 533 | +0.9% | 3.15 |
| Birch Creek town | 508 | +2.4% | 44.3 |
| Ruby town | 478 | +2.8% | 53.5 |
| Estella town | 466 | −0.6% | 31.5 |
| Hallie town | 187 | +18.4% | 7.445 |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each subdivision inside Chippewa County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
Chippewa County is a central county of the Eau Claire, WI Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its 2 county equivalents have 176,647 residents on 1,646.4 square miles of land; Chippewa County accounts for 61.3% of the land and 38.3% of the residents. By combined land it ranks #194 of 393 metropolitan areas, and #258 by population. It belongs to the Eau Claire-Menomonie, WI Combined Statistical Area.
| County equivalent | Population 2025 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|
| Eau Claire County | 109,033 | 637.9 |
| Chippewa County | 67,614 | 1,008.4 |
ZIP codes
14 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Chippewa County; 8 of them have most of their land inside the county, and the others mainly cover neighboring areas.
5443354703547245472654727547295473054732547395474554748547575476654768
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are the Census Bureau’s approximations of USPS ZIP Code service areas, from the 2020 Census relationship files. Lighter codes have less than half of their land in this county. Post-office-box and single-address ZIP Codes have no tabulation area.
Counties bordering Chippewa County
Chippewa County shares a land border with 6 county equivalents. It has more land than 5 of them. The largest neighbor is Clark County (1,209.7 mi²) and the smallest is Eau Claire County (637.9 mi²). Together with its neighbors, Chippewa County forms a block of 6,457.9 mi² of land, of which it holds 15.6%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. Chippewa | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clark County | 1,209.7 | 1.2× larger | Compare |
| Taylor County | 975.1 | about the same | Compare |
| Rusk County | 913.5 | 1.1× smaller | Compare |
| Barron County | 863.1 | 1.2× smaller | Compare |
| Dunn County | 850.2 | 1.2× smaller | Compare |
| Eau Claire County | 637.9 | 1.6× smaller | Compare |
How big is Chippewa County compared with U.S. states?
Chippewa County has less land than any of the 50 states. Rhode Island, the smallest state by land area, has 1,033.9 mi², about 1 times as much. Wisconsin’s county land could hold about 54 areas the size of Chippewa County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 31.8 miles (51.1 km) on each side. Real county shapes are rarely square, so this is a scale reference rather than a width or driving distance.
State figures are the sums of each state’s county-equivalent land measurements in the same Census release, so states and counties are compared on the same basis. Published state totals can differ slightly because of rounding. Compare all states · Counties bigger than entire states.
What stands out about Chippewa County?
Chippewa County has more land than 2,551 of the other 3,221 county equivalents in the dataset.
A median is the middle county-equivalent measurement, not the average of the largest and smallest. All three bars use the same linear scale. Very small areas may appear as a thin sliver; the labels retain their values.
Does including water change its rank?
Using land plus water places Chippewa County at #731 nationally by total area, 60 places farther from the top than its land rank. Other county equivalents gain more area when their water measurements are included.
Its water share is 3.2%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 2 percentage points higher. This describes the statistical geography’s land/water mix, not flood exposure or developable land.
Closest positions in the national land ranking
These entries sit immediately beside Chippewa County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #670 | Houghton County, Michigan | 1,009.1 | Compare |
| #671 | Chippewa County, Wisconsin | 1,008.4 | This county |
| #672 | Rock County, Nebraska | 1,008.3 | Compare |
Calculated from the same Census release as the area table. Total-area order uses original ALAND + AWATER; water shares and chart labels use published square miles. Calculation details.
Representative coordinates
The Census internal point is 45.069092, -91.283505. It represents a location inside the geography; it is not necessarily the centroid or the address of a courthouse.
Source and precision
U.S. Census Bureau, 2026 Gazetteer Files, Counties. Original ALAND: 2,611,822,003 m²; AWATER: 85,039,802 m². Rankings use ALAND; exact ties use ascending GEOID. Tables preserve Census-published square miles to three decimals, with conversions based on those values.
Common questions
How big is Chippewa County?
Chippewa County, Wisconsin has 1,008.4 square miles (2,611.8 km²) of land and 32.8 square miles of water, for a total area of 1,041.3 square miles. It ranks #671 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is Chippewa County the largest county in Wisconsin?
No. Chippewa County ranks #13 of 72 in Wisconsin by land area. The largest is Marathon County, with 1,545.2 square miles of land.
What counties border Chippewa County?
Chippewa County shares a land border with Eau Claire County, Rusk County, Dunn County, Taylor County, Clark County, and Barron County.
What is the population of Chippewa County?
The Census Bureau estimates Chippewa County had 67,614 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #821 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 67 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of Chippewa County?
The county seat of Chippewa County is Chippewa Falls.
What cities and towns are in Chippewa County?
Chippewa County has 32 county subdivisions (cities, towns and townships). The most populous five are Chippewa Falls city, Lake Hallie village, Lafayette town, Stanley city, and Bloomer city.
Is Chippewa County part of a metropolitan area?
Yes. It is a central county of the Eau Claire, WI Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has 2 county equivalents and 176,647 residents.
How many ZIP codes are in Chippewa County?
14 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Chippewa County, and 8 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does Chippewa County compare with U.S. states?
It has less land than every state. Rhode Island, the smallest, has 1 times as much land.
How many acres of land are in Chippewa County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 645,395 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 666,409 acres. One square mile equals 640 acres.
Why might another source show a different area?
Check whether it reports land or total area, its Census vintage, and its rounding. Our guide explains how to reconcile county area figures.
Can this establish a property boundary?
No. Statistical measurements and generalized maps do not establish property lines. Consult the relevant local surveying or land-records authority.