County outline
Where Dunn County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 98.4% of Dunn County’s measured area and water for 1.6%. Its combined area converts to 2,237.5 square kilometers or approximately 552,892 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 850.16 | 2,201.904 | 544,102.4 |
| Water | 13.734 | 35.571 | 8,789.8 |
| Total | 863.894 | 2,237.475 | 552,892.2 |
How Dunn County compares
By original Census land area, Dunn County ranks #26 of 72 in Wisconsin and #980 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 1.129 times the Wisconsin county-equivalent median of 753 square miles. It accounts for 1.6% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete Wisconsin ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of Dunn County
The Census Bureau estimates that 46,223 people lived in Dunn County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #1,084 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #32 of 72 in Wisconsin. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 45,449, the population has grown by 774 (+1.7%), compared with +1.3% for Wisconsin as a whole.
With 850.2 square miles of land, that is 54 people per square mile (21 per km²), placing Dunn County #1,471 nationally for density and #34 in Wisconsin. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the Wisconsin median is 51. Put another way, there are about 12 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 45,462 | 44,534 | 45,648 | 45,768 | 46,006 | 46,223 |
| Change | — | −928 | +1,114 | +120 | +238 | +217 |
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 Dunn County
Dunn County is divided into 30 cities and towns. In Wisconsin, county subdivisions are local governments, and together they cover all of the county’s land and residents; a few are unorganized areas without their own government.
The most populous is Menomonie city, with 16,664 residents (36.1% of the county). The largest by land is Spring Brook town, at 60.1 mi², or 7.1% of the county’s land. Among those with at least 1,000 residents in 2020, Elk Mound town grew fastest since then (+9.2%).
| County subdivision | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Menomonie cityCounty seat | 16,664 | −1.1% | 14.3 | 1.7% |
| Menomonie townCounty seat | 3,514 | +3.2% | 41.7 | 4.9% |
| Tainter town | 2,690 | +2.2% | 32.9 | 3.9% |
| Red Cedar town | 2,480 | +4.8% | 38.6 | 4.5% |
| Elk Mound town | 2,057 | +9.2% | 33.7 | 4% |
| Spring Brook town | 1,793 | +5.8% | 60.1 | 7.1% |
| Dunn town | 1,477 | +0.3% | 55.7 | 6.5% |
| Colfax town | 1,275 | +2.1% | 34.1 | 4% |
| Colfax village | 1,193 | +1.8% | 1.39 | 0.2% |
| Elk Mound village | 1,084 | +9.8% | 2.277 | 0.3% |
| Boyceville village | 1,077 | −0.8% | 3.759 | 0.4% |
| Rock Creek town | 1,013 | +1.5% | 30.6 | 3.6% |
| Sherman town | 986 | +6% | 35.2 | 4.1% |
| Eau Galle town | 799 | +3.8% | 47.1 | 5.5% |
| Stanton town | 780 | +1.2% | 33.9 | 4% |
Show the other 15 subdivisions
| Name | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Haven town | 704 | +4.9% | 36.3 |
| Lucas town | 703 | +0.9% | 35.7 |
| Hay River town | 650 | +4% | 35.6 |
| Tiffany town | 643 | +3.2% | 30.1 |
| Sand Creek town | 603 | +0.3% | 35.8 |
| Weston town | 568 | −0.5% | 41.5 |
| Otter Creek town | 527 | +6.7% | 36.7 |
| Wilson town | 525 | +2.7% | 35.6 |
| Knapp village | 485 | +1.3% | 1.57 |
| Sheridan town | 477 | +3.5% | 35.8 |
| Grant town | 399 | +1% | 36.8 |
| Wheeler village | 327 | −0.6% | 0.823 |
| Ridgeland village | 262 | +0.4% | 0.454 |
| Peru town | 243 | +5.7% | 19.2 |
| Downing village | 225 | −2.6% | 2.955 |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each subdivision inside Dunn County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
Dunn County is a central county of the Menomonie, WI Micropolitan Statistical Area. Dunn County is the area’s only county equivalent, so the micro area has the same 850.2 square miles of land. By combined land it ranks #244 of 542 micropolitan areas, and #257 by population. It belongs to the Eau Claire-Menomonie, WI Combined Statistical Area.
ZIP codes
22 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Dunn County; 9 of them have most of their land inside the county, and the others mainly cover neighboring areas.
54005540135470154703547215472454725547285473054734547365473754739547405474954751547555475754762547635476754772
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 Dunn County
Dunn County shares a land border with 6 county equivalents. It has more land than 4 of them. The largest neighbor is Chippewa County (1,008.4 mi²) and the smallest is Pepin County (232 mi²). Together with its neighbors, Dunn County forms a block of 4,887.8 mi² of land, of which it holds 17.4%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. Dunn | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chippewa County | 1,008.4 | 1.2× larger | Compare |
| Barron County | 863.1 | about the same | Compare |
| St. Croix County | 722.2 | 1.2× smaller | Compare |
| Eau Claire County | 637.9 | 1.3× smaller | Compare |
| Pierce County | 574 | 1.5× smaller | Compare |
| Pepin County | 232 | 3.7× smaller | Compare |
How big is Dunn County compared with U.S. states?
Dunn County has less land than any of the 50 states. Rhode Island, the smallest state by land area, has 1,033.9 mi², about 1.2 times as much. Wisconsin’s county land could hold about 64 areas the size of Dunn County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 29.2 miles (46.9 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 Dunn County?
Dunn County has more land than 2,242 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 Dunn County at #1,057 nationally by total area, 77 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 1.6%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 0.4 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 Dunn County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #979 | Conecuh County, Alabama | 850.3 | Compare |
| #980 | Dunn County, Wisconsin | 850.2 | This county |
| #981 | Rockingham County, Virginia | 849.8 | 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 44.947751, -91.897645. 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: 2,201,904,321 m²; AWATER: 35,571,121 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 Dunn County?
Dunn County, Wisconsin has 850.2 square miles (2,201.9 km²) of land and 13.7 square miles of water, for a total area of 863.9 square miles. It ranks #980 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is Dunn County the largest county in Wisconsin?
No. Dunn County ranks #26 of 72 in Wisconsin by land area. The largest is Marathon County, with 1,545.2 square miles of land.
What counties border Dunn County?
Dunn County shares a land border with Chippewa County, St. Croix County, Barron County, Pepin County, Eau Claire County, and Pierce County.
What is the population of Dunn County?
The Census Bureau estimates Dunn County had 46,223 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #1,084 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 54 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of Dunn County?
The county seat of Dunn County is Menomonie.
What cities and towns are in Dunn County?
Dunn County has 30 county subdivisions (cities, towns and townships). The most populous five are Menomonie city, Menomonie town, Tainter town, Red Cedar town, and Elk Mound town.
Is Dunn County part of a metropolitan area?
Yes. It is a central county of the Menomonie, WI Micropolitan Statistical Area.
How many ZIP codes are in Dunn County?
22 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Dunn County, and 9 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does Dunn County compare with U.S. states?
It has less land than every state. Rhode Island, the smallest, has 1.2 times as much land.
How many acres of land are in Dunn County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 544,102 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 552,892 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.