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County · code 55095

Polk CountyWisconsin

Polk County is a county in Wisconsin, on the border with Minnesota, founded in 1853, with its seat at Balsam Lake.

  • Founded1853
  • County seatBalsam Lake
  • Named forJames K. Polk
  • Land area914 sq mi + 42 sq mi water
  • Population44,977 2020 Census
  • Parcels mapped48,997 checked 14 October 2026
Open the free map Click any parcel in Polk County: acreage, parcel id, address and who publishes the map. No sign-in.

Updated

BurnettSt. CroixChisago, MNBarronWashington, MN Balsam Lake Census outline · seat marked

Where it is

Polk 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 CountyBrown 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 CountyPortage CountyPrice CountyRacine CountyRichland CountyRock CountyRusk CountySt. Croix CountySauk CountySawyer CountyShawano CountySheboygan CountyTaylor CountyTrempealeau CountyVernon CountyVilas CountyWalworth CountyWashburn CountyWashington CountyWaukesha CountyWaupaca CountyWaushara CountyWinnebago CountyWood CountyPolk County Polk
Counties of Wisconsin · Polk highlighted

History

Formed in 1853 from St. Croix County

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

Polk was created from ST. Croix on March 14, 1853, but was not fully organized and remained attached to ST. Croix for judicial purposes. Polk became fully organized on November 25, 1853, when it was detached from ST. Croix. Between 1856 and 1871, Polk lost territory to the creation and organization of neighboring counties, including Burnett and what became Barron County. Polk gained back territory from what was then called Dallas (now Barron) in 1863.

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

  1. 1853
    Polk County created Polk created from St. Croix; Polk not fully organized, attached to St. Croix "for judicial purposes."
    from St. Croix
    · Wis. Laws 1853, gen., ch. 31, secs. 1-2, 6/pp. 28-30
  2. 1856
    Lost territory Polk lost to creation of Burnett; Burnett not fully organized, attached to Polk "for judicial purposes."
    to Burnett
    · Wis. Laws 1856, reg. sess., gen., ch. 94, sec. 1/pp. 98-99
  3. 1859
    Lost territory Polk lost to creation of Dallas (now Barron); Dallas not fully organized, attached to Polk "for all purposes civil and judicial."
    to Dallasto Barron
    · Wis. Laws 1859, gen., ch. 191, secs. 1-2, 4/pp. 214-215
  4. 1863
    Gained territory Polk gained from Dallas (now Barron).
    from Dallasfrom Barron
    · Wis. Laws 1862, gen., ch. 387, secs. 1-4/pp. 241-242; Wis. Laws 1863, gen., ch. 106, secs. 1-3/p. 136
  5. 1866
    Lost territory Polk lost to Burnett.
    to Burnett
    · Wis. Laws 1866, priv. and loc., ch. 466, secs. 1-2/p. 1103
Show all 10 changes (5 more)
  1. 1853
    Polk County created Polk created from St. Croix; Polk not fully organized, attached to St. Croix "for judicial purposes."
    from St. Croix
    · Wis. Laws 1853, gen., ch. 31, secs. 1-2, 6/pp. 28-30
  2. 1853
    Changed Polk fully organized, detached from St. Croix.
    St. Croix
    · Wis. Laws 1853, gen., ch. 31, secs. 1-2, 4-6/pp. 28-29
  3. 1856
    Lost territory Polk lost to creation of Burnett; Burnett not fully organized, attached to Polk "for judicial purposes."
    to Burnett
    · Wis. Laws 1856, reg. sess., gen., ch. 94, sec. 1/pp. 98-99
  4. 1859
    Lost territory Polk lost to creation of Dallas (now Barron); Dallas not fully organized, attached to Polk "for all purposes civil and judicial."
    to Dallasto Barron
    · Wis. Laws 1859, gen., ch. 191, secs. 1-2, 4/pp. 214-215
  5. 1860
    Changed Dallas (now Barron) detached from Polk, attached to Dunn "for all purposes civil and judicial."
    DallasBarronDunn
    · Wis. Laws 1860, gen., ch. 33, secs. 1-2/p. 34
  6. 1863
    Gained territory Polk gained from Dallas (now Barron).
    from Dallasfrom Barron
    · Wis. Laws 1862, gen., ch. 387, secs. 1-4/pp. 241-242; Wis. Laws 1863, gen., ch. 106, secs. 1-3/p. 136
  7. 1865
    Changed Burnett fully organized, detached from Polk.
    Burnett
    · Wis. Laws 1864, gen., ch. 74, secs. 1, 3, 6/pp. 84-85
  8. 1866
    Lost territory Polk lost to Burnett.
    to Burnett
    · Wis. Laws 1866, priv. and loc., ch. 466, secs. 1-2/p. 1103
  9. 1866
    Changed Burnett re-attached to Polk "for judicial purposes."
    Burnett
    · Wis. Laws 1866, priv. and loc., ch. 480, sec. 1/p. 1189; Wis. Laws 1867, gen., ch. 104, sec. 1/p. 96; Wis. Laws 1868, gen., ch. 40, sec. 1/p. 41; Wis. Laws 1869, gen., ch. 173, secs. 1-2/pp. 228-229
  10. 1871
    Changed Burnett fully organized, detached from Polk.
    Burnett
    · History of Northern Wisconsin, 171; Wis. Laws 1871, gen., ch. 83, secs. 1, 6/pp. 114-116

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Polk

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

Polk by the Census

Population
44,977 2020 Census count
Housing units
24,129 2020 Census count
Land area
914 square miles
Water area
42 square miles
People per sq mi
49 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

Polk County's official site

We have found the county's site but not its offices yet; start there.

County government

See your own lot on these maps

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Questions

Common questions about Polk County

When was Polk County founded?
Polk County was founded in 1853, formed from St. Croix County, and named after James K. Polk.
What is the county seat of Polk County?
The county seat of Polk County is Balsam Lake.
Is there an online parcel map for Polk County?
Yes. Polk County publishes a parcel map of 48,997 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Polk County's boundary or name changed?
Polk County was created in 1853 from St. Croix County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 9 later changes, chiefly involving Burnett County, Barron County and Dallas County.
Is my lot in a flood zone?
We do not have flood maps for Polk 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