County · code 55111
Sauk CountyWisconsin
Sauk County is a county in Wisconsin with its seat in Baraboo, formed on January 11, 1840. Named after the Sauk people, Sauk County was created from Crawford, Dane, and Portage Counties.
- Founded1840
- County seatBaraboo
- Named forSauk people
- Land area832 sq mi + 18 sq mi water
- Population65,763 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped49,698 checked 14 October 2026
Where it is
Sauk 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 1840 from Crawford County, Dane County and Portage County
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Sauk County was created by Wisconsin Territory from Crawford, Dane, and Portage Counties, initially attached to Dane for all county and judicial purposes. The county was fully organized and detached from Dane on March 11, 1844, and lost part of its territory to the creation of Richland County in 1842. Wisconsin statehood came on May 29, 1848, after which Sauk County gained and later lost territory to Adams County through several boundary adjustments between 1848 and 1853.
- 1840Sauk County created Sauk created by Wisconsin Territory from Crawford, Dane, and Portage; Sauk not fully organized, attached to Dane "for all county and judicial purposes." · Wis. Terr. Laws 1839-1840, no. 23, secs. 1-3/p. 32
- 1842
- 1848Became part of Wisconsin Sauk 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
- 1849
- 1850Gained territory Sauk gained part of Non-County Area 10; Non-County Area 10 eliminated. · Wis. Rev. Stat. 1849, ch. 2, secs. 2, 24, 26/pp. 51, 56-57 and ch. 157, sec. 1/p. 747
Show all 9 changes
- 1840Sauk County created Sauk created by Wisconsin Territory from Crawford, Dane, and Portage; Sauk not fully organized, attached to Dane "for all county and judicial purposes." · Wis. Terr. Laws 1839-1840, no. 23, secs. 1-3/p. 32
- 1842
- 1844
- 1848Changed Adams not fully organized, attached to Sauk "for all purposes." · Wis. Terr. Laws 1848, pp. 168-169
- 1848Became part of Wisconsin Sauk 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
- 1849
- 1850Gained territory Sauk gained part of Non-County Area 10; Non-County Area 10 eliminated. · Wis. Rev. Stat. 1849, ch. 2, secs. 2, 24, 26/pp. 51, 56-57 and ch. 157, sec. 1/p. 747
- 1853
- 1853Changed Adams fully organized, detached from Sauk. · Wis. Laws 1853, gen., ch. 30, secs. 1, 6/pp. 26-28
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Sauk
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 49,698 parcels. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
edited 13 December 2024 · checked 14 October 2026 -
Address points Missing
No public address points layer found for Sauk 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
Sauk 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
Permits
County government
- County government
The official website of Sauk County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Sauk 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 Sauk County
- When was Sauk County founded?
- Sauk County was founded in 1840, formed from Crawford County, Dane County and Portage County, and named after Sauk people.
- What is the county seat of Sauk County?
- The county seat of Sauk County is Baraboo.
- Is there an online parcel map for Sauk County?
- Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 49,698 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Sauk County's boundary or name changed?
- Sauk County was created in 1840 from Crawford County, Dane County and Portage County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 8 later changes, chiefly involving Adams County, Dane County and Richland County.
- Who issues building permits in Sauk County?
- The county's page on building permits: Forms - Permits - Applications. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
- Who issues septic and well permits in Sauk County?
- The county's page on septic systems and wells: Staff.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Sauk County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby