US Land Life

Minnesota

Buying Land in Washington County, Minnesota

Washington County, seat Stillwater, is one of the fastest-growing counties in the Twin Cities metro -- an estimated 291,448 residents in 2025, up nearly 9% since 2020. Its zoning is split cleanly in two: the county's own Development Code governs only its six unincorporated townships, while roughly seventeen incorporated cities (Woodbury, Cottage Grove, Stillwater, Oakdale, Lake Elmo, and others) each run their own separate zoning. Two other things matter here more than in most Minnesota counties: a well-documented, still-active East Metro groundwater contamination plume from legacy 3M waste disposal, and a federal Wild & Scenic River zoning overlay along the St. Croix.

Zoning Splits Cleanly: Six Townships Under County Code, ~17 Cities Self-Governed

Case-by-case / verify locally

Washington County's own 10-chapter Development Code governs land use only in the county's six civil townships -- Baytown, Denmark, Grey Cloud Island, May, Stillwater, and West Lakeland -- each of which has also adopted its own Comprehensive Land Use Plan under the Metropolitan Council's regional framework, layered under the county code. The county's roughly seventeen incorporated cities, including Woodbury (the county's largest city), Cottage Grove, the county seat of Stillwater, Forest Lake, Oakdale, Lake Elmo, and Afton, each administer their own separate zoning and building permits entirely apart from the county. Confirm which of these two governs a specific parcel before assuming the county Development Code applies -- most of the county's population and developed land sits inside a city, not a township.

East Metro PFAS Groundwater Contamination Is a Real, Ongoing Consideration

Case-by-case / verify locally

Legacy 3M waste disposal in Oakdale, Woodbury, Cottage Grove, and the former Washington County Landfill in Lake Elmo created a PFAS ('forever chemical') groundwater plume covering more than 150 square miles across the East Metro, still slowly moving toward the St. Croix River. An $850 million 2018 state settlement funds free testing and treatment for eligible private wells, and the state has since committed a further $700 million toward municipal water infrastructure for 14 affected communities, with a 2026 MPCA study recommending large-scale regional groundwater treatment. If you're buying land in or near Oakdale, Woodbury, Cottage Grove, or Lake Elmo -- especially anything relying on a private well -- checking your parcel's status is a real, worthwhile step, not a formality. See our dedicated page on Washington County groundwater/PFAS contamination for how to check and what it means for a specific well.

The St. Croix Riverway Adds a Federal-Level Zoning Overlay Along the East Border

Case-by-case / verify locally

Along the county's eastern edge, the Lower St. Croix National Scenic Riverway -- part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System since 1972 -- brings a dedicated county zoning overlay (Development Code Chapter 5, Lower St. Croix River Bluffland & Shoreland Management) on top of the county's general Shoreland Management rules (Chapter 6), intended to preserve water quality, habitat, and the river corridor's undeveloped visual character. This is a materially different, more restrictive layer than standard Minnesota shoreland rules elsewhere in the county. See our dedicated page on the Lower St. Croix Riverway overlay for what it actually restricts.

One of the Twin Cities Metro's Fastest-Growing Counties

Generally favorable

Washington County grew an estimated 8.9% from 2020 to 2025, among the fastest rates in the Twin Cities metro alongside Carver and Scott Counties, while core metro counties Hennepin and Ramsey lost population over a similar period. That growth is concentrated in the county's cities rather than its townships, meaning land in the six townships remains comparatively less built-out and competitive than land inside the growth-oriented cities.

Zoning: county Development Code for six townships, separate city codes for the rest

Washington County's Development Code is organized into 10 chapters and governs land use in the county's six civil townships and other unincorporated land -- Baytown, Denmark, Grey Cloud Island, May, Stillwater, and West Lakeland. All six have their own adopted Comprehensive Land Use Plans consistent with the Metropolitan Council's 2030 Regional Development Framework, which sit under the county's zoning code rather than replacing it. A Planning Advisory Commission and a Board of Adjustment and Appeals (established under Minn. Stat. 394.27) hear variances, administrative appeals of the Zoning Administrator's decisions, and building-permit denial appeals, with the Zoning Administrator providing staff support.

That county authority stops at city limits. Washington County's roughly seventeen incorporated cities -- Stillwater, Woodbury (the county's largest city), Cottage Grove, Forest Lake, Oakdale, Lake Elmo, Afton, Bayport, Birchwood Village, Dellwood, Grant, Hugo, Landfall, Mahtomedi, Newport, Pine Springs, St. Paul Park, and Willernie -- each maintain and enforce their own separate zoning ordinance and building permit process. Given how much of the county's population and development sits inside these cities rather than the six townships, confirming which government has jurisdiction over a specific parcel is the essential first step here, more so than in a more rural, mostly-unincorporated county.

Two land-use issues distinct enough to cover on their own pages

Washington County has two land-use realities substantial and specific enough that we've given each its own dedicated page rather than compressing them into a paragraph here. The first is the East Metro 3M PFAS groundwater contamination -- a large, well-documented, still-moving plume affecting private wells across parts of Oakdale, Woodbury, Cottage Grove, and Lake Elmo, now the subject of a major state settlement, free well testing and treatment programs, and an active regional cleanup plan. The second is the Lower St. Croix National Scenic Riverway zoning overlay along the county's eastern border, a federally designated Wild & Scenic river corridor with its own bluffland and shoreland management chapter in the county's Development Code, materially different from standard Minnesota shoreland rules elsewhere in the county.

Separately from the 3M plume, we also found documentation of nitrate groundwater contamination concentrated specifically in Cottage Grove and Denmark Township, tied to land use practices and locally sensitive geology rather than to 3M's legacy waste sites. If a target parcel sits in either area, or relies on a private well anywhere in the county, checking current well and groundwater status directly with the county or MPCA is worth the extra step regardless of which specific contamination source might be relevant.

Who to Call Before Buying Land in Washington County

We could not confirm a direct phone number for Washington County Environmental Health's PFAS/contamination-areas program beyond its webpage -- for private well sampling specifically, contact MPCA's East Metro well sampling program directly (see our dedicated PFAS page for that contact) rather than the county. Because roughly seventeen of the county's municipalities run entirely separate zoning departments, none of the county contacts above are the right call for a parcel inside an incorporated city -- contact that specific city government instead.

Planning & Zoning

Washington County Zoning Administrator (Development Code)

Zoning permits, variances, and land-use questions for the county's six townships and other unincorporated land; for parcels inside an incorporated city, contact that city directly.

Phone: 651-430-4300Official website →

Environmental Health

Washington County Environmental Health / PFAS Program

Contamination-area status, well water testing, and PFAS/nitrate groundwater questions for a specific parcel.

Official website →

Assessor / Property Tax

Washington County Assessor

Property classification, assessed value, and property tax questions.

Phone: 651-430-6175Official website →

Recorder / Clerk / Land Records

Washington County Land Records and Recording

Deeds, easements, and other recorded land documents.

Phone: 651-430-6755Official website →

GIS / Parcel Records

Washington County GIS

Parcel maps and GIS layers drawing on Assessor, Land Records, Recorder, and Surveyor data.

Official website →

Want to know if this specific parcel actually works?

Tell us what you're looking at and we'll connect you with a local land specialist who can help you sanity-check it before you go further.

Get local guidance

Topics Specific to Washington County

East Metro PFAS Groundwater Contamination →Lower St. Croix Riverway Overlay →

Sources

  1. Zoning and Land Use — Washington County, Minnesota (accessed 2026-09)
  2. Washington County Development Code — Minnesota Environmental Quality Board (accessed 2026-09)
  3. Cities and Townships — Washington County, Minnesota (accessed 2026-09)
  4. Zoning Maps — Washington County, Minnesota (accessed 2026-09)
  5. Washington County, Minnesota — Wikipedia (accessed 2026-09)
  6. Contamination Areas — Washington County, Minnesota (accessed 2026-09)
  7. East Metro | 3M PFAS contamination — Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (accessed 2026-09)
  8. Background and overview of the Lower St. Croix Riverway — Minnesota DNR (accessed 2026-09)
  9. Recent Population Growth in the Metro Area — Minnesota DEED (accessed 2026-09)
  10. Property Records and Taxpayer Services — Washington County, Minnesota (accessed 2026-09)
  11. Land Records and Recording — Washington County, Minnesota (accessed 2026-09)
  12. About Washington County (Maps) — Washington County, Minnesota (accessed 2026-09)

Last reviewed 2026-09