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County in Minnesota, United States

Washington County is a county in the U. S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 267,568, making it the fifth most populous county in Minnesota. Its county seat is Stillwater. The largest city in the county is Woodbury, the eighth largest city in Minnesota and the fourth largest Twin Cities suburb. Washington County is included in the Minneapolis St. Paul Bloomington, MN WI Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Early development in the area was on the St. Croix River, which now forms the boundary with Wisconsin on the county's eastern side. The river provided a waterway to move settlers upstream and to transport logs downstream. The heavily forested area fostered an early logging and lumber economy. The area's first settlers arrived at the future Afton in 1837. In 1838 settlers started Dacotah, at the north edge of present Stillwater, at the junction of Brown's Creek and the St. Croix. The creek's name is from the founder of this settlement, Joseph Renshaw Brown. However, a sawmill was built at Marine on St. Croix in 1839, and another was built in the current location of downtown Stillwater in 1844. The success of these soon attracted the settlers from Dacotah, and that community declined. This area was part of Wisconsin Territory until the eastern part of that territory achieved statehood in 1848. Brown and other leaders called a meeting (the "Stillwater Convention") on August 26, 1848. The convention drafted a Memorial to Congress that a new territory be created with the name “Minnesota,” and elected Henry Hastings Sibley to deliver this citizens' petition to the U. S. Congress. Because of this convention, Stillwater calls itself the “Birthplace of Minnesota.” Congress responded by creating Minnesota Territory effective March 3, 1849. The newly established territorial legislature created nine counties across the territory in October 1849. Washington County was one of the nine, named for George Washington, with Stillwater named as county seat. The county's first sheriff was appointed in 1849, and the county's school district began in 1850. After the forests were depleted, the economy of Washington County became primarily agricultural. With the growth of neighboring Ramsey County and St. Paul, some of Washington County developed based on tourism and recreation, as with Mahtomedi and Landfall. Late in the 20th century, the population greatly increased with the suburban expansion of St. Paul.

Washington County lies on the east side of Minnesota. Its east border abuts the west border of the state of Wisconsin (across the St. Croix River). The Mississippi River flows south southeastward west of Washington County, and forms the southwest border of the county as it flows toward its confluence with the St. Croix (at the county's southernmost point). Washington County terrain consists of low rolling hills, sloping to the south and east, with its highest point on the lower west border at 1,053 feet (321 m) ASL. The county has a total area of 423 square miles (1,096 km2), of which 384 square miles (995 km2) is land and 38 square miles (98 km2) (9.1%) is water. It is the fourth smallest county in Minnesota by land area and fifth smallest by total area.

As of the census of 2000, there were 201,130 people, 71,462 households, and 54,668 families in the county. The population density was There were 73,635 housing units at an average density of The racial makeup of the county was 93.63% White, 1.83% Black or African American, 0.39% Native American, 2.14% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.60% from other races, and 1.37% from two or more races. There were 71,462 households, out of which 41.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.80% were married couples living together, 8.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.50% were non families. 18.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.19. The county population contained 29.40% under the age of 18, 6.80% from 18 to 24, 32.90% from 25 to 44, 23.20% from 45 to 64, and 7.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 98.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.80 males. The median income for a household in the county was $66,305, and the median income for a family was $74,576 (these figures had risen to $78,067 and $90,867 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $49,815 versus $33,804 for females. The per capita income for the county was $28,148. About 2.00% of families and 2.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.50% of those under age 18 and 4.10% of those age 65 or over.

Washington County has had three locations listed as Environmental Protection Agency Superfund sites due to soil and groundwater contamination. The Baytown Township Ground Water Plume and the Oakdale Dump are currently listed, while the Washington County Landfill was cleaned up and removed from the Superfund list in 1996.