County outline
Where Monroe County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 99.2% of Monroe County’s measured area and water for 0.8%. Its combined area converts to 2,351.9 square kilometers or approximately 581,171 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 900.904 | 2,333.331 | 576,578.6 |
| Water | 7.176 | 18.586 | 4,592.6 |
| Total | 908.08 | 2,351.916 | 581,171.2 |
How Monroe County compares
By original Census land area, Monroe County ranks #19 of 72 in Wisconsin and #847 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 1.196 times the Wisconsin county-equivalent median of 753 square miles. It accounts for 1.7% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete Wisconsin ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of Monroe County
The Census Bureau estimates that 46,572 people lived in Monroe County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #1,076 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #30 of 72 in Wisconsin. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 46,276, the population has grown by 296 (+0.6%), compared with +1.3% for Wisconsin as a whole.
With 900.9 square miles of land, that is 52 people per square mile (20 per km²), placing Monroe County #1,516 nationally for density and #36 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 | 46,307 | 46,174 | 46,043 | 46,246 | 46,505 | 46,572 |
| Change | — | −133 | −131 | +203 | +259 | +67 |
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 Monroe County
Monroe County is divided into 36 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 Sparta city, with 9,974 residents (21.4% of the county). The largest by land is Little Falls town, at 68.5 mi², or 7.6% of the county’s land. Among those with at least 1,000 residents in 2020, Angelo town grew fastest since then (+2.7%).
| County subdivision | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sparta cityCounty seat | 9,974 | −0.5% | 8.006 | 0.9% |
| Tomah city | 9,600 | +0.6% | 7.865 | 0.9% |
| Sparta townCounty seat | 3,277 | +0.7% | 47.2 | 5.2% |
| La Grange town | 1,964 | −0.2% | 29.8 | 3.3% |
| Angelo town | 1,737 | +2.7% | 34.4 | 3.8% |
| Little Falls town | 1,545 | +2.2% | 68.5 | 7.6% |
| Tomah town | 1,464 | −0.9% | 31.2 | 3.5% |
| Byron town | 1,245 | −0.8% | 35.4 | 3.9% |
| Cashton village | 1,174 | +1.3% | 1.271 | 0.1% |
| Leon town | 1,151 | +0.7% | 35.7 | 4% |
| Wilton town | 997 | +3.5% | 34.9 | 3.9% |
| Portland town | 871 | +3.6% | 35.8 | 4% |
| Jefferson town | 868 | +3.1% | 34.7 | 3.9% |
| Lincoln town | 806 | −0.1% | 33.1 | 3.7% |
| Oakdale town | 763 | +1.1% | 35.7 | 4% |
Show the other 21 subdivisions
| Name | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adrian town | 753 | +2.3% | 35.2 |
| Clifton town | 749 | +2.3% | 34.1 |
| Glendale town | 724 | +9% | 35.6 |
| Greenfield town | 687 | +1.5% | 35.3 |
| Wellington town | 673 | +0.7% | 35.4 |
| Sheldon town | 666 | +2.8% | 35.4 |
| Norwalk village | 604 | −1.1% | 1.03 |
| Wells town | 584 | +3.4% | 35.7 |
| Warrens village | 534 | −0.4% | 1.476 |
| Wilton village | 523 | −1.9% | 0.891 |
| Ridgeville town | 489 | +3.4% | 34.3 |
| Grant town | 485 | +1.7% | 35.7 |
| Kendall village | 465 | −2.7% | 0.764 |
| Lafayette town | 393 | −9.2% | 35.3 |
| Oakdale village | 307 | +1.7% | 0.741 |
| New Lyme town | 196 | +1.6% | 35.4 |
| Wyeville village | 117 | −4.1% | 0.565 |
| Melvina village | 94 | +2.2% | 0.486 |
| Scott town | 93 | −7% | 34 |
| Ontario village | 0 | — | 0.004 |
| Rockland village | 0 | — | 0.07 |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each subdivision inside Monroe County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
Monroe County is a central county of the Sparta, WI Micropolitan Statistical Area. Monroe County is the area’s only county equivalent, so the micro area has the same 900.9 square miles of land. By combined land it ranks #214 of 542 micropolitan areas, and #253 by population. It belongs to the La Crosse-Onalaska-Sparta, WI-MN Combined Statistical Area.
ZIP codes
12 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Monroe County; 6 of them have most of their land inside the county, and the others mainly cover neighboring areas.
539295461554618546195463854648546515465354656546605466654670
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 Monroe County
Monroe County shares a land border with 4 county equivalents. It has more land than 3 of them. The largest neighbor is Jackson County (987.9 mi²) and the smallest is La Crosse County (451.8 mi²). Together with its neighbors, Monroe County forms a block of 3,899.3 mi² of land, of which it holds 23.1%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. Monroe | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson County | 987.9 | 1.1× larger | Compare |
| Vernon County | 791.6 | 1.1× smaller | Compare |
| Juneau County | 767.1 | 1.2× smaller | Compare |
| La Crosse County | 451.8 | 2× smaller | Compare |
How big is Monroe County compared with U.S. states?
Monroe County has less land than any of the 50 states. Rhode Island, the smallest state by land area, has 1,033.9 mi², about 1.1 times as much. Wisconsin’s county land could hold about 60 areas the size of Monroe County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 30 miles (48.3 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 Monroe County?
Monroe County has more land than 2,375 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 Monroe County at #936 nationally by total area, 89 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 0.8%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 0.4 percentage points lower. 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 Monroe County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #846 | Beckham County, Oklahoma | 901.7 | Compare |
| #847 | Monroe County, Wisconsin | 900.9 | This county |
| #848 | Howard County, Texas | 900.8 | 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 43.945175, -90.619969. 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: 2,333,331,301 m²; AWATER: 18,585,230 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 Monroe County?
Monroe County, Wisconsin has 900.9 square miles (2,333.3 km²) of land and 7.176 square miles of water, for a total area of 908.1 square miles. It ranks #847 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is Monroe County the largest county in Wisconsin?
No. Monroe County ranks #19 of 72 in Wisconsin by land area. The largest is Marathon County, with 1,545.2 square miles of land.
What counties border Monroe County?
Monroe County shares a land border with Jackson County, Vernon County, Juneau County, and La Crosse County.
What is the population of Monroe County?
The Census Bureau estimates Monroe County had 46,572 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #1,076 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 52 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of Monroe County?
The county seat of Monroe County is Sparta.
What cities and towns are in Monroe County?
Monroe County has 36 county subdivisions (cities, towns and townships). The most populous five are Sparta city, Tomah city, Sparta town, La Grange town, and Angelo town.
Is Monroe County part of a metropolitan area?
Yes. It is a central county of the Sparta, WI Micropolitan Statistical Area.
How many ZIP codes are in Monroe County?
12 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Monroe County, and 6 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does Monroe County compare with U.S. states?
It has less land than every state. Rhode Island, the smallest, has 1.1 times as much land.
How many acres of land are in Monroe County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 576,579 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 581,171 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.