County · code 55081
Monroe CountyWisconsin
Monroe County is located in Wisconsin and was created in 1854 from La Crosse County, with its county seat at Sparta.
- Founded1854
- County seatSparta
- Named forJames Monroe
- Land area901 sq mi + 7.2 sq mi water
- Population46,274 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped39,239 checked 15 October 2026
Where it is
Monroe 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 1854 from La Crosse County
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Monroe County was created on March 21, 1854, from La Crosse County and was named after James Monroe. The county expanded through multiple boundary adjustments: it gained territory from Jackson County in 1856 and again in 1883, then exchanged small areas with Jackson County along the Black River in 2000, and lost a small area to Vernon County in 1939.
- 1854Monroe County created Monroe created from La Crosse. · Wis. Laws 1854, gen., ch. 35, secs. 1-3/pp. 43-44
- 1856Gained territory Monroe gained from Jackson. · Wis. Laws 1856, ext. sess., gen., ch. 145, secs. 1-3/p. 269
- 1883Gained territory Monroe gained from Jackson. · Wis. Laws 1883, ch. 194, secs. 1, 3/p. 152
- 1939Lost territory Monroe lost small area to Vernon. · Wis. Laws 1939, ch. 192, secs. 1, 6/pp. 327-328
- 1943Boundary clarified Monroe boundaries were clarified (no change).no change· Wis. Laws 1943, ch. 177/pp. 253-255
- 2000Exchanged territory Monroe exchanged small areas with Jackson along the Black River. · Wis. Laws 1999, ch. 25/pp. 807-808
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Monroe
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 39,239 parcels from Monroe County. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
edited 20 November 2025 · checked 15 October 2026 -
Address points Missing
No public address points layer found for Monroe 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
Monroe 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
Monroe County's official site
We have found the county's site but not its offices yet; start there.
County government
- County government
The official website of Monroe County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Monroe 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 Monroe County
- When was Monroe County founded?
- Monroe County was founded in 1854, formed from La Crosse County, and named after James Monroe.
- What is the county seat of Monroe County?
- The county seat of Monroe County is Sparta.
- Is there an online parcel map for Monroe County?
- Yes. Monroe County publishes a parcel map of 39,239 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Monroe County's boundary or name changed?
- Monroe County was created in 1854 from La Crosse County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 4 later changes, chiefly involving Jackson County and Vernon County.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Monroe County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby