County outline
Where Douglas County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 88.1% of Douglas County’s measured area and water for 11.9%. Its combined area converts to 3,832.3 square kilometers or approximately 946,993 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 1,304.272 | 3,378.049 | 834,734.1 |
| Water | 175.404 | 454.294 | 112,258.6 |
| Total | 1,479.676 | 3,832.343 | 946,992.6 |
How Douglas County compares
By original Census land area, Douglas County ranks #4 of 72 in Wisconsin and #460 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 1.732 times the Wisconsin county-equivalent median of 753 square miles. It accounts for 2.4% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete Wisconsin ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of Douglas County
The Census Bureau estimates that 43,990 people lived in Douglas County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #1,138 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #34 of 72 in Wisconsin. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 44,294, the population has declined by 304 (−0.7%), compared with +1.3% for Wisconsin as a whole.
With 1,304.3 square miles of land, that is 34 people per square mile (13 per km²), placing Douglas County #1,901 nationally for density and #47 in Wisconsin. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the Wisconsin median is 51. Put another way, there are about 19 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 44,351 | 44,012 | 44,217 | 44,102 | 43,918 | 43,990 |
| Change | — | −339 | +205 | −115 | −184 | +72 |
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 Douglas County
Douglas County is divided into 22 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 Superior city, with 26,397 residents (60% of the county). The largest by land is Gordon town, at 151.1 mi², or 11.6% of the county’s land. Among those with at least 1,000 residents in 2020, Oakland town grew fastest since then (+2.2%).
| County subdivision | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Superior cityCounty seat | 26,397 | −1.3% | 36.6 | 2.8% |
| Superior townCounty seat | 2,295 | +0.8% | 106.1 | 8.1% |
| Parkland town | 1,228 | +0.7% | 35.1 | 2.7% |
| Amnicon town | 1,213 | −0.5% | 38.9 | 3% |
| Oakland town | 1,196 | +2.2% | 63.9 | 4.9% |
| Lake Nebagamon village | 1,134 | +0.6% | 12.5 | 1% |
| Summit town | 1,048 | +1.6% | 147.3 | 11.3% |
| Hawthorne town | 1,021 | −4.3% | 45.7 | 3.5% |
| Solon Springs town | 996 | +0.2% | 82.7 | 6.3% |
| Wascott town | 912 | +0.6% | 131.3 | 10.1% |
| Gordon town | 750 | −0.8% | 151.1 | 11.6% |
| Maple town | 704 | +0.6% | 32 | 2.5% |
| Lakeside town | 688 | +1.5% | 39.8 | 3.1% |
| Solon Springs village | 674 | +1.8% | 1.564 | 0.1% |
| Superior villageCounty seat | 664 | −1.9% | 1.242 | 0.1% |
Show the other 7 subdivisions
| Name | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bennett town | 648 | +3% | 47.6 |
| Poplar village | 626 | −0.3% | 11.9 |
| Brule town | 602 | −0.7% | 55.4 |
| Oliver village | 409 | +0.7% | 2.076 |
| Highland town | 348 | +1.5% | 76.2 |
| Cloverland town | 240 | −1.6% | 46.1 |
| Dairyland town | 197 | −1% | 139.1 |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each subdivision inside Douglas County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
Douglas County is a central county of the Duluth, MN-WI Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its 3 county equivalents have 281,219 residents on 8,413.6 square miles of land; Douglas County accounts for 15.5% of the land and 15.6% of the residents. By combined land it ranks #13 of 393 metropolitan areas, and #183 by population. It belongs to the Duluth-Grand Rapids, MN-WI Combined Statistical Area.
| County equivalent | Population 2025 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|
| St. Louis CountyMinnesota | 200,518 | 6,248.1 |
| Douglas County | 43,990 | 1,304.3 |
| Carlton CountyMinnesota | 36,711 | 861.2 |
ZIP codes
12 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Douglas County; 10 of them have most of their land inside the county, and the others mainly cover neighboring areas.
548205483054836548385484254849548545485954864548735487454880
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 Douglas County
Douglas County shares a land border with 6 county equivalents, including 3 in Minnesota. It has more land than 3 of them. The largest neighbor is St. Louis County (6,248.1 mi²) and the smallest is Washburn County (797.1 mi²). Together with its neighbors, Douglas County forms a block of 12,921.5 mi² of land, of which it holds 10.1%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. Douglas | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis CountyMinnesota | 6,248.1 | 4.8× larger | Compare |
| Bayfield County | 1,477.9 | 1.1× larger | Compare |
| Pine CountyMinnesota | 1,411.3 | 1.1× larger | Compare |
| Carlton CountyMinnesota | 861.2 | 1.5× smaller | Compare |
| Burnett County | 821.6 | 1.6× smaller | Compare |
| Washburn County | 797.1 | 1.6× smaller | Compare |
How big is Douglas County compared with U.S. states?
Douglas County has more land than 1 of the 50 states. It is about 1.3 times the land area of Rhode Island (1,033.9 mi²), while Delaware, the next larger state, has 1.5 times as much land (1,948.6 mi²). Wisconsin’s county land could hold about 42 areas the size of Douglas County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 36.1 miles (58.1 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 Douglas County?
Douglas County has more land than 2,762 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 Douglas County at #458 nationally by total area, 2 places closer to the top than its land rank. The water assigned to this geography moves it ahead of some county equivalents with more land.
Its water share is 11.9%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 10.7 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 Douglas County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #459 | Pittsburg County, Oklahoma | 1,305.5 | Compare |
| #460 | Douglas County, Wisconsin | 1,304.3 | This county |
| #461 | Finney County, Kansas | 1,302 | 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 46.463218, -91.892477. 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: 3,378,048,638 m²; AWATER: 454,293,052 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 Douglas County?
Douglas County, Wisconsin has 1,304.3 square miles (3,378 km²) of land and 175.4 square miles of water, for a total area of 1,479.7 square miles. It ranks #460 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is Douglas County the largest county in Wisconsin?
No. Douglas County ranks #4 of 72 in Wisconsin by land area. The largest is Marathon County, with 1,545.2 square miles of land.
What counties border Douglas County?
Douglas County shares a land border with Bayfield County, Washburn County, Pine County, Minnesota, Carlton County, Minnesota, St. Louis County, Minnesota, and Burnett County.
What is the population of Douglas County?
The Census Bureau estimates Douglas County had 43,990 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #1,138 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 34 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of Douglas County?
The county seat of Douglas County is Superior.
What cities and towns are in Douglas County?
Douglas County has 22 county subdivisions (cities, towns and townships). The most populous five are Superior city, Superior town, Parkland town, Amnicon town, and Oakland town.
Is Douglas County part of a metropolitan area?
Yes. It is a central county of the Duluth, MN-WI Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has 3 county equivalents and 281,219 residents.
How many ZIP codes are in Douglas County?
12 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Douglas County, and 10 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does Douglas County compare with U.S. states?
It has more land than 1 of the 50 states, including Rhode Island (1,033.9 square miles of land).
How many acres of land are in Douglas County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 834,734 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 946,993 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.