Brown County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 268,740, making it the fourth-most populous county in Wisconsin. The county seat is Green Bay. Brown County is part of the Green Bay metropolitan area.
History
Brown County is one of Wisconsin's two original counties, along with Crawford County. It originally spanned the entire eastern half of the state when formed by the Michigan Territorial legislature in 1818. It was named for Major General Jacob Brown, a military leader during the War of 1812.
Several towns along the Fox River vied for the position of county seat in Brown County's early years. The first county seat was located at Menomoneeville (now a part of Allouez) in 1824. In 1837, a public referendum relocated the county seat to De Pere. The location was put up for the popular vote again in 1854, resulting in the establishment of the present county seat at Green Bay.
The oldest known tree in Wisconsin, a 1,300-year-old cedar growing on the Niagara Escarpment, was found in Brown County.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (14%) is water.
Major highways
- 20px Interstate 41
- 20px Interstate 43
- 20px U.S. Highway 41
- 20px U.S. Highway 141
- 20px Highway 29
- 20px Highway 32
- 20px Highway 54
- 20px Highway 57
- 20px Highway 96
- 20px Highway 160
- 20px Highway 172
Railroads
- Watco
- Canadian National
- Escanaba and Lake Superior Railroad
Buses
- Green Bay Metro
Climate
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