Government
The county’s interests are served by a Board of Supervisors staffed by a county administrator. The City of Menomonie has a mayor/city council form of government with eleven council persons elected on a ward basis.Each of Dunn County‘s 29 cities, villages and townships is governed by an elected council and mayor, village or town boards.
Dunn County was formed out of a portion of Chippewa County on February 19, 1854. The “Seat of Justice” for the county was originally located in Dunnville, near the mouth of the Red Cedar River. When it burned to the ground in 1858, the county seat was moved to Menomonie, where it has remained.
The name for the county was derived from Charles Dunn, the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Wisconsin Territory, appointed by Andrew Jackson in 1835. The county covers 858 square miles.
Built for Business
Value-added agriculture products, distribution and manufacturing are the fastest growing industries in this vibrant county. Top employers include Walmart Distribution, Phillips-Medisize Corporation, 3M, Con Agra, Andersen Window, and Mayo Clinic Health Systems-Red Cedar. The University of Wisconsin-Stout, known as Wisconsin’s Polytechnic University, and Chippewa Valley Technical College (CVTC) provide significant employment and collaborate with area businesses to meet workforce needs.
UW-Stout boasts the only polymer/plastics and manufacturing engineering programs in the UW System. Its Manufacturing Outreach Center provides strategic direction, process improvement and training to manufacturers across Northcentral Wisconsin. The Stout Technology Transfer Institute within UW-Stout’s Discovery Center helps area businesses become more competitive through the application of innovative technologies. CVTC also provides customized labor training programs for area businesses.
A regional business fund, incentives offered by individual municipalities, and reliable, affordable utilities encourage startups and expansions in Dunn County. Sites are available in industrial parks within the county’s key communities of Menomonie, Boyceville, Colfax, and Elk Mound.
Businesses and residents throughout the county benefit from exceptional highway infrastructure including interstate Highway 94 as well as state Highways 12, 25 and 29. The county is also served by two railroads, Canadian National and Union Pacific, and two airports, with the Chippewa Valley Regional Airport just 20 minutes away. Several locations throughout the county have compressed natural gas for transportation fleets.
The scenic natural beauty, enhanced by the Red Cedar River and other waterways, draws both visitors and new residents to Dunn County. Menomonie, the county’s most populated community, was voted #15 on the Smithsonian Magazine’s list of the Best Small Towns in America.
