County outline
Where La Crosse County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 94.1% of La Crosse County’s measured area and water for 5.9%. Its combined area converts to 1,243.3 square kilometers or approximately 307,233 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 451.806 | 1,170.172 | 289,155.8 |
| Water | 28.245 | 73.154 | 18,076.8 |
| Total | 480.051 | 1,243.326 | 307,232.6 |
How La Crosse County compares
By original Census land area, La Crosse County ranks #61 of 72 in Wisconsin and #2266 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 0.6 times the Wisconsin county-equivalent median of 753 square miles. It accounts for 0.8% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete Wisconsin ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of La Crosse County
The Census Bureau estimates that 121,339 people lived in La Crosse County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #540 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #12 of 72 in Wisconsin. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 120,796, the population has grown by 543 (+0.4%), compared with +1.3% for Wisconsin as a whole.
With 451.8 square miles of land, that is 269 people per square mile (104 per km²), placing La Crosse County #549 nationally for density and #11 in Wisconsin. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the Wisconsin median is 51. Put another way, there are about 2.4 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 120,955 | 119,368 | 120,346 | 120,719 | 120,963 | 121,339 |
| Change | — | −1,587 | +978 | +373 | +244 | +376 |
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 La Crosse County
La Crosse County is divided into 18 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 La Crosse city, with 50,784 residents (41.9% of the county). The largest by land is Farmington town, at 75.3 mi², or 16.7% of the county’s land. Among those with at least 1,000 residents in 2020, Holmen village grew fastest since then (+13.4%).
| County subdivision | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Crosse cityCounty seat | 50,784 | −3.6% | 21.7 | 4.8% |
| Onalaska city | 20,297 | +7.8% | 10.6 | 2.4% |
| Holmen village | 12,105 | +13.4% | 7.972 | 1.8% |
| Onalaska town | 5,809 | −0.6% | 34.1 | 7.6% |
| West Salem village | 5,288 | −0.6% | 3.349 | 0.7% |
| Shelby town | 4,668 | −2.6% | 24.7 | 5.5% |
| Holland town | 4,512 | −0.1% | 39.5 | 8.7% |
| Campbell town | 4,092 | −4.4% | 3.767 | 0.8% |
| Hamilton town | 2,311 | −2.9% | 48.9 | 10.8% |
| Greenfield town | 2,177 | −0% | 30.1 | 6.7% |
| Farmington town | 2,122 | −1.3% | 75.3 | 16.7% |
| Bangor village | 1,564 | +9% | 1.677 | 0.4% |
| Medary town | 1,563 | −1.8% | 9.658 | 2.1% |
| Barre town | 1,262 | −0.5% | 20.7 | 4.6% |
| Burns town | 915 | −2.5% | 48.2 | 10.7% |
Show the other 3 subdivisions
| Name | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rockland village | 754 | −1.4% | 0.648 |
| Bangor town | 609 | −0.8% | 34.7 |
| Washington town | 507 | −3.1% | 36.2 |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each subdivision inside La Crosse County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
La Crosse County is a central county of the La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its 3 county equivalents have 171,182 residents on 1,795.5 square miles of land; La Crosse County accounts for 25.2% of the land and 70.9% of the residents. By combined land it ranks #176 of 393 metropolitan areas, and #265 by population. It belongs to the La Crosse-Onalaska-Sparta, WI-MN Combined Statistical Area.
| County equivalent | Population 2025 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|
| La Crosse County | 121,339 | 451.8 |
| Vernon County | 31,443 | 791.6 |
| Houston CountyMinnesota | 18,400 | 552.1 |
ZIP codes
15 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in La Crosse County; 9 of them have most of their land inside the county, and the others mainly cover neighboring areas.
546015460354614546195462354636546425464454650546535465654658546615466754669
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 La Crosse County
La Crosse County shares a land border with 6 county equivalents, including 2 in Minnesota. Each of them has more land than La Crosse County. The largest neighbor is Jackson County (987.9 mi²) and the smallest is Houston County (552.1 mi²). Together with its neighbors, La Crosse County forms a block of 5,043.5 mi² of land, of which it holds 9%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. La Crosse | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson County | 987.9 | 2.2× larger | Compare |
| Monroe County | 900.9 | 2× larger | Compare |
| Vernon County | 791.6 | 1.8× larger | Compare |
| Trempealeau County | 733 | 1.6× larger | Compare |
| Winona CountyMinnesota | 626.2 | 1.4× larger | Compare |
| Houston CountyMinnesota | 552.1 | 1.2× larger | Compare |
How big is La Crosse County compared with U.S. states?
La Crosse County has less land than any of the 50 states. Rhode Island, the smallest state by land area, has 1,033.9 mi², about 2.3 times as much. Wisconsin’s county land could hold about 120 areas the size of La Crosse County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 21.3 miles (34.2 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 La Crosse County?
La Crosse County has more land than 956 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 La Crosse County at #2,243 nationally by total area, 23 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 5.9%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 4.7 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 La Crosse County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #2265 | St. Francois County, Missouri | 451.9 | Compare |
| #2266 | La Crosse County, Wisconsin | 451.8 | This county |
| #2267 | Smyth County, Virginia | 451.4 | 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 43.908226, -91.111577. 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: 1,170,172,395 m²; AWATER: 73,153,072 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 La Crosse County?
La Crosse County, Wisconsin has 451.8 square miles (1,170.2 km²) of land and 28.2 square miles of water, for a total area of 480.1 square miles. It ranks #2266 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is La Crosse County the largest county in Wisconsin?
No. La Crosse County ranks #61 of 72 in Wisconsin by land area. The largest is Marathon County, with 1,545.2 square miles of land.
What counties border La Crosse County?
La Crosse County shares a land border with Monroe County, Trempealeau County, Vernon County, Winona County, Minnesota, Jackson County, and Houston County, Minnesota.
What is the population of La Crosse County?
The Census Bureau estimates La Crosse County had 121,339 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #540 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 269 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of La Crosse County?
The county seat of La Crosse County is La Crosse.
What cities and towns are in La Crosse County?
La Crosse County has 18 county subdivisions (cities, towns and townships). The most populous five are La Crosse city, Onalaska city, Holmen village, Onalaska town, and West Salem village.
Is La Crosse County part of a metropolitan area?
Yes. It is a central county of the La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has 3 county equivalents and 171,182 residents.
How many ZIP codes are in La Crosse County?
15 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in La Crosse 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 La Crosse County compare with U.S. states?
It has less land than every state. Rhode Island, the smallest, has 2.3 times as much land.
How many acres of land are in La Crosse County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 289,156 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 307,233 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.