Eau Claire, WI Metro Area
The Eau Claire, WI metro area is made up of 2 counties in Wisconsin: Eau Claire and Chippewa. About 176,647 people lived there on July 1, 2025 (Census estimate), 2.7% more than in April 2020.
- Population, July 2025
- 176,647 2.7% more than in April 2020
- Type
- Metropolitan statistical area
- Counties
- 2, both central
- Land area
- 1,646 sq mi (4,264 km²)
- Time zone
- Central TimeUTC-06:00 in January; UTC-05:00 in July
- State
- Wisconsin
- Combined statistical area
- Eau Claire-Menomonie, WI
- CBSA code
- 20740
Counties in the Eau Claire, WI metro area, largest first
| County | Role | Population, July 2025 | Share of the area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eau Claire County | Central | 109,033 | 61.7% |
| Chippewa County | Central | 67,614 | 38.3% |
A central county holds the area’s core, an urban area of at least 50,000 people. This area has no outlying counties: no neighboring county sends enough commuters to join it. A county belongs to one metro or micro area at most, and it counts whole, countryside included.
Principal city
- Eau Claire70,322 people
OMB names the area after its largest principal cities. A principal city is the area’s largest city, plus any other city that is very large or a big job center, and smaller ones with at least as many jobs as working residents (2020 Census and commuting figures). People counts are American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates.
Part of the Eau Claire-Menomonie, WI combined statistical area
OMB joins neighboring metro and micro areas into a combined statistical area when enough people commute between them. The other area in this one is
- Menomonie, WI Micro Area46,223 people
Bordering metro and micro areas, nearest first
Areas with a county on this area’s edge. Distances are straight lines between the areas’ largest cities.
- Menomonie, WI Micro Area21 mi west
- Rice Lake, WI Micro Area47 mi north
Before using this answer on a form
A metro or micro area is a statistical area that OMB draws for federal statistics. It is not a city, a local government or a mailing address, and it is not a measure of urban and rural: whole counties count, rural parts included. Programs that use metro areas, such as housing income limits or wage rates, can use their own version of these lists; check the program’s own list for an address.
Find the metro area where you are now, find your county, or see every metro and micro area by population.