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County · code 55009

Brown CountyWisconsin

Brown County is in Wisconsin and was created in 1818 as a Michigan Territory county; its seat is Green Bay. The county is named after Jacob Brown.

  • Founded1818
  • County seatGreen Bay
  • Named forJacob Brown
  • Land area530 sq mi + 86 sq mi water
  • Population268,740 2020 Census
  • Parcels mapped105,877 checked 16 October 2026
Open the free map Click any parcel in Brown County: acreage, parcel id, address and who publishes the map. No sign-in.

Updated

OutagamieOcontoManitowocKewauneeShawano Green Bay Census outline · seat marked

Where it is

Brown on the map of Wisconsin

Wisconsin has 72 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.

Adams CountyAshland CountyBarron CountyBayfield CountyBuffalo CountyBurnett CountyCalumet CountyChippewa CountyClark CountyColumbia CountyCrawford CountyDane CountyDodge CountyDoor CountyDouglas CountyDunn CountyEau Claire CountyFlorence CountyFond du Lac CountyForest CountyGrant CountyGreen CountyGreen Lake CountyIowa CountyIron CountyJackson CountyJefferson CountyJuneau CountyKenosha CountyKewaunee CountyLa Crosse CountyLafayette CountyLanglade CountyLincoln CountyManitowoc CountyMarathon CountyMarinette CountyMarquette CountyMenominee CountyMilwaukee CountyMonroe CountyOconto CountyOneida CountyOutagamie CountyOzaukee CountyPepin CountyPierce CountyPolk CountyPortage CountyPrice CountyRacine CountyRichland CountyRock CountyRusk CountySt. Croix CountySauk CountySawyer CountyShawano CountySheboygan CountyTaylor CountyTrempealeau CountyVernon CountyVilas CountyWalworth CountyWashburn CountyWashington CountyWaukesha CountyWaupaca CountyWaushara CountyWinnebago CountyWood CountyBrown County Brown
Counties of Wisconsin · Brown highlighted

History

Founded in 1818

An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.

Brown County was created by Michigan Territory on December 3, 1818, from non-county area in present Michigan and Wisconsin. When Wisconsin Territory was created from Michigan Territory on July 3, 1836, Brown County became a Wisconsin Territory county. Between 1836 and 1840, Brown County lost significant territory to the creation of Calumet, Dodge, Fond du Lac, Manitowoc, Marquette, Portage, Sheboygan, Washington, and Winnebago counties, though some of these new counties remained attached to Brown for judicial purposes until they were fully organized.

Boundary changes from the Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; the 5 that matter most are shown first.

  1. 1818
    Brown County created Brown created by Michigan Territory from non-county area in present Michigan and Wisconsin. · Terr. Papers U.S., 10:803-804
  2. 1834
    Exchanged territory Brown exchanged with Crawford, lost to creation of Milwaukee. Milwaukee not fully organized, attached to Brown "for judicial purposes."
    with Crawfordwith Milwaukee
    · Mich. Terr. Laws, 3:1325
  3. 1836
    Became part of Wisconsin Brown became a county in Wisconsin Territory when Wisconsin Territory was created from Michigan Territory; Brown exchanged with Michigan Territory. · Terr. Papers U.S., 27:41-52; U.S. Stat., vol. 5, ch. 54 [1836]/pp. 10-16
  4. 1836
    Lost territory Brown lost to creation of Calumet, Dodge, Fond du Lac, Manitowoc, Marquette, Portage, Sheboygan, Washington, Non-County Area 3, and Non-County Area 4. Calumet, Fond du Lac, Manitowoc, Marquette, Portage, and Sheboygan not fully organized, attached to Brown "for judicial purposes."
    to Calumetto Dodgeto Fond du Lacto Manitowocto Marquetteto Portageto Sheboyganto Washington
    · Wis. Terr. Laws 1836, no. 28, secs. 5-12, 14/pp. 93-94
  5. 1848
    Became part of Wisconsin Brown became a county in the state of Wisconsin. · U.S. Stat., vol. 9, ch. 89 [1846]/pp. 56-58, and ch. 50 [1848]/pp. 233-235; Van Zandt, 128, 130
Show all 34 changes (29 more)
  1. 1818
    Brown County created Brown created by Michigan Territory from non-county area in present Michigan and Wisconsin. · Terr. Papers U.S., 10:803-804
  2. 1834
    Exchanged territory Brown exchanged with Crawford, lost to creation of Milwaukee. Milwaukee not fully organized, attached to Brown "for judicial purposes."
    with Crawfordwith Milwaukee
    · Mich. Terr. Laws, 3:1325
  3. 1835
    Changed Milwaukee fully organized, detached from Brown.
    Milwaukee
    · Mich. Terr. Laws, 4:136-137
  4. 1836
    Became part of Wisconsin Brown became a county in Wisconsin Territory when Wisconsin Territory was created from Michigan Territory; Brown exchanged with Michigan Territory. · Terr. Papers U.S., 27:41-52; U.S. Stat., vol. 5, ch. 54 [1836]/pp. 10-16
  5. 1836
    Lost territory Brown lost to creation of Calumet, Dodge, Fond du Lac, Manitowoc, Marquette, Portage, Sheboygan, Washington, Non-County Area 3, and Non-County Area 4. Calumet, Fond du Lac, Manitowoc, Marquette, Portage, and Sheboygan not fully organized, attached to Brown "for judicial purposes."
    to Calumetto Dodgeto Fond du Lacto Manitowocto Marquetteto Portageto Sheboyganto Washington
    · Wis. Terr. Laws 1836, no. 28, secs. 5-12, 14/pp. 93-94
  6. 1839
    Changed Manitowoc and Sheboygan organized "for all the purposes of county government;" Manitowoc and Sheboygan remained attached to Brown "for judicial purposes."
    ManitowocSheboygan
    · Wis. Terr. Laws 1838-1839, loc. acts, no. 5, secs. 1, 4, 5/pp. 9-10
  7. 1839
    Changed Fond du Lac organized "for the purposes of county government;" Fond du Lac remained attached to Brown "for judicial purposes."
    Fond du Lac
    · Wis. Terr. Laws 1838-1839, loc. acts, no. 56, secs. 5-6/p. 129
  8. 1840
    Lost territory Brown lost to creation of Winnebago; Winnebago not fully organized, attached to Brown "for judicial purposes."
    to Winnebago
    · Wis. Terr. Laws 1839-1840, no. 12, secs. 8-10/pp. 18-20; Wis. Terr. Laws 1841-1842, p. 74
  9. 1840
    Changed Calumet organized "for all purposes of county government;" Calumet remained attached to Brown "for judicial purposes."
    Calumet
    · Wis. Terr. Laws 1839-1840, no. 12, secs. 1-7/pp. 18-20
  10. 1840
    Changed Calumet's 2 March 1840 organization for county purposes was repealed; Calumet re-attached to Brown for all county and judicial purposes.
    Calumet
    · Wis. Terr. Laws 1840, spec. sess., ch. 40, secs. 13-17/pp. 78-79
  11. 1841
    Gained territory Brown gained from Crawford and Marquette, lost to Portage. Portage detached from Brown, attached to Dane "for judicial purposes."
    from Crawfordfrom Marquettefrom Portagefrom Dane
    · Wis. Terr. Laws 1840-1841, no. 38, secs. 1-3, 12/pp. 73-75
  12. 1842
    Changed Calumet's organization "for all purposes of county government" was reenacted; Calumet remained attached to Brown "for judicial purposes." Winnebago organized "for all purposes of county government;" Winnebago remained attached to Brown "for judicial purposes."
    CalumetWinnebago
    · Wis. Terr. Laws 1841-1842, p. 74
  13. 1844
    Changed Fond du Lac fully organized, detached from Brown. Calumet detached from Brown, attached to Fond du Lac "for judicial purposes." Marquette organized "for county purposes;" Marquette detached from Brown, attached to Fond du Lac "for judicial purposes."
    Fond du LacCalumetMarquette
    · Wis. Terr. Laws 1843-1844, pp. 8-11
  14. 1844
    Changed Winnebago detached from Brown, attached to Fond du Lac "for judicial purposes."
    WinnebagoFond du Lac
    · Harney, 120-121; Wis. Terr. Laws 1843-1844, pp. 10-11
  15. 1846
    Changed Sheboygan fully organized, detached from Brown.
    Sheboygan
    · Wis. Terr. Laws 1846, pp. 74-75
  16. 1848
    Changed Manitowoc fully organized, detached from Brown.
    Manitowoc
    · Wis. Terr. Laws 1848, pp. 47-48
  17. 1848
    Became part of Wisconsin Brown became a county in the state of Wisconsin. · U.S. Stat., vol. 9, ch. 89 [1846]/pp. 56-58, and ch. 50 [1848]/pp. 233-235; Van Zandt, 128, 130
  18. 1849
    Lost territory Brown lost to Marquette.
    to Marquette
    · Wis. Laws 1849, ch. 73, sec. 1/p. 44
  19. 1849
    Lost territory Brown lost to Winnebago.
    to Winnebago
    · Wis. Laws 1849, ch. 79, secs. 1-2/p. 49; Wis. Rev. Stat., 1849, ch. 2, secs. 3, 30/pp. 51, 57-58
  20. 1850
    Lost territory Brown lost to Manitowoc.
    to Manitowoc
    · Wis. Laws 1850, ch. 166, secs. 1-2/p. 138
  21. 1851
    Lost territory Brown lost to creation of Oconto; Oconto not fully organized, attached to Brown "for all judicial purposes."
    to Oconto
    · Wis. Laws 1851, ch. 44, sec. 1/pp. 31-32
  22. 1851
    Lost territory Brown lost to creation of Door.
    to Door
    · Wis. Laws 1851, ch. 66, sec. 1/p. 50
  23. 1851
    Lost territory Brown lost to creation of Outagamie and Waupaca; Outagamie not fully organized, attached to Brown "for judicial purposes."
    to Outagamieto Waupaca
    · Wis. Laws 1851, chs. 78, 83/pp. 57, 60-61
  24. 1851
    Changed Outagamie organized "for the purposes of county government;" Outagamie remained attached to Brown "for judicial purposes."
    Outagamie
    · Wis. Laws 1851, ch. 83, secs. 2, 6/pp. 60-61
  25. 1852
    Changed Outagamie fully organized, detached from Brown.
    Outagamie
    · Wis. Laws 1852, ch. 123, secs. 1-2, 5/pp. 210-211
  26. 1854
    Changed Oconto fully organized, detached from Brown.
    Oconto
    · Wis. Laws 1854, gen., ch. 14, secs. 1, 7/pp. 21-22
  27. 1855
    Changed Oconto re-attached to Brown "for judicial purposes."
    Oconto
    · Wis. Laws 1855, gen., ch. 11, sec. 2/p. 14
  28. 1855
    Changed Door detached from Manitowoc, attached to Brown "for judicial purposes."
    DoorManitowoc
    · Wis. Laws 1855, priv. and loc., ch. 397, secs. 1, 7/pp. 597-598
  29. 1857
    Changed Oconto fully organized, detached from Brown.
    Oconto
    · Wis. Laws 1857, priv. and loc., ch. 309, secs. 1, 4/pp. 805-806
  30. 1861
    Changed Door fully organized, detached from Brown.
    Door
    · Wis. Laws 1860, gen., ch. 236, sec. 1/p. 212
  31. 1919
    Gained territory Brown gained small areas from Oconto and Shawano.
    from Ocontofrom Shawano
    · Wis. Laws 1919, reg. sess., ch. 96, secs. 1, 6/pp. 104, 106; ch. 617, secs. 1-2/pp. 1085-1086; ch. 702/pp. 1343-1344
  32. 1943
    Boundary clarified Brown boundaries were clarified (no change).
    no change
    · Wis. Laws 1943, ch. 177/pp. 253-255
  33. 1965
    Gained territory Brown gained small area from Shawano.
    from Shawano
    · Wis. Laws 1965, ch. 267, sec. 1/pp. 494-495
  34. 1967
    Lost territory Brown lost small area to Shawano.
    to Shawano
    · Wis. Laws 1967, ch. 243, sec. 1/p. 648

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Brown

Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.

Official
from the office that keeps the record
Good enough
a reliable statewide or national copy
Fallback
a guide only; check the official record
Missing
nothing public found yet

People and land

Brown by the Census

Population
268,740 2020 Census count
Housing units
112,908 2020 Census count
Land area
530 square miles
Water area
86 square miles
People per sq mi
507 population ÷ land area

Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Rules and offices

Who to ask before you build, dig or sell

Official county pages only. We link to them; we do not copy them, because they change.

Inside a city or town, permits usually come from that city rather than the county.

Zoning and code

County government

See your own lot on these maps

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Questions

Common questions about Brown County

When was Brown County founded?
Brown County was founded in 1818, and named after Jacob Brown.
What is the county seat of Brown County?
The county seat of Brown County is Green Bay.
Is there an online parcel map for Brown County?
Yes. Brown County publishes a parcel map of 105,877 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Brown County's boundary or name changed?
Brown County was created in 1818. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 32 later changes, chiefly involving Calumet County, Manitowoc County and Oconto County.
Is my lot in a flood zone?
We do not have flood maps for Brown County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby

Counties next door