County · code 55021
Columbia CountyWisconsin
Columbia County is in Wisconsin and has its seat in Portage. The county was formed in 1846 and is named after Christopher Columbus.
- Founded1846
- County seatPortage
- Named forChristopher Columbus
- Land area766 sq mi + 30 sq mi water
- Population58,490 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped43,190 checked 15 October 2026
Where it is
Columbia on the map of Wisconsin
Wisconsin has 72 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.
History
Formed in 1846 from Portage County
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Columbia County was created by Wisconsin Territory from Portage County on May 1, 1846. When Wisconsin became a state on May 29, 1848, Columbia County became a county in the state of Wisconsin. On March 8, 1849, Columbia County gained territory from Portage County.
- 1846Columbia County created Columbia created by Wisconsin Territory from Portage. · Wis. Terr. Laws 1846, pp. 76-77
- 1848Became part of Wisconsin Columbia 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
- 1849Gained territory Columbia gained from Portage. · Wis. Laws 1849, ch. 77, secs. 1-6/pp. 47-48
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Columbia
Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.
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Parcels Good enough
Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 43,190 parcels. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
edited 13 December 2024 · checked 15 October 2026 -
Address points Missing
No public address points layer found for Columbia County yet.
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Buildings Reference
Roof outlines traced from aerial imagery from FEMA Response Geospatial Office with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Good for seeing what is on a lot; not accurate enough to set a fence from.
checked 18 October 2026
- 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
Columbia by the Census
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.
Records
- Clerk of court: deeds and plats
Directory
Zoning and code
County government
- County government
The official website of Columbia County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Columbia County on Parcel Chart's free map and click your parcel. Save it with a free account; the full record of your place (site map, projects, documents) is Pro, in early access.
Questions
Common questions about Columbia County
- When was Columbia County founded?
- Columbia County was founded in 1846, formed from Portage County, and named after Christopher Columbus.
- What is the county seat of Columbia County?
- The county seat of Columbia County is Portage.
- Is there an online parcel map for Columbia County?
- Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 43,190 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Columbia County's boundary or name changed?
- Columbia County was created in 1846 from Portage County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 2 later changes, chiefly involving Portage County.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Columbia County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby