# Ozaukee and Washington Counties

Ozaukee and Washington are counties in Southeast Wisconsin. The most populous city is Port Washington.

## Regions

* Ozaukee County
* Washington County

## Cities

* 43.288333-87.98751 Cedarburg
* 43.3192-87.93172 Grafton
* 43.4314-88.04753 Newburg
* 43.393333-87.8811114 Port Washington
* 43.256111-88.1938895 Richfield
* 43.425-88.1833336 West Bend

## Understand

Washington County is the hinterland of Ozaukee County, which was a commercial port on Lake Michigan from the 1870s to 2004. The cities in Ozaukee were connected to Milwaukee and Sheboygon by interurban rail until the late 1940s. Today the port continues as a marina and the trail built on the rail right-of-way is popular both with locals and people bicycling from Milwaukee.

### Visitor information

* Ozaukee County Tourism (Ozaukee County Tourism Council), toll-free: +1-800-403-9898. (updated Feb 2025)
* Visit Washington County (Washington County Convention & Visitors Bureau), ☏ +1 262-677-5069, info@visitwashingtoncounty.com. (updated Feb 2025)

## Get in
### By car

The main freeways are I-43 through Ozaukee County and US-45 through Washington County. I-41 passes through portions of western Washington County.

### By bicycle

Ozaukee Interurban Trail (Ozaukee-Sheboygan Interurban Trail), ☏ +1 262-284-8257. Traverses Ozaukee County from Milwaukee County in the south to Sheboygan County in the north. Except for a few small sections, entirely off-road. (updated Feb 2025)

### By bus

Neither Ozaukee nor Washington have intercity bus service, but their shared-ride taxis services will make trips to and from Milwaukee County for connections with the Milwaukee County Transit System.
* Transfer to Ozaukee County
** 43.18445-87.962721 MCTS Route 12 (Pick 'n Save). (updated Feb 2025)
** 43.17555-87.919052 MCTS Routes 68 and 49U (Brown Deer Park & Ride) (Lot on south side of Brown Deer Road west of I-43). (updated Feb 2025)
** 43.18707-88.007243 MCTS Route 67 (Alexian Village), 9301 N 76th St. (updated Feb 2025)
** 43.17465-87.913294 MCTS Route 68 (CVS), 8661 N Port Washington Rd, Fox Point. (updated Feb 2025)
* Transfer to Washington County
** 43.17872-88.044035 MCTS Blue Line and Route 88, 12400 W Bradley Rd, Milwaukee. (updated Feb 2025)

## Get around
### By shared-ride taxi

Both counties offer shared-ride taxi service, which is scheduled by calling at least a day in advance. Cost is dependent on distance, with surcharges for crossing into another county's service area.
The cities of West Bend and Hartford have separate services for trips within their respective boundaries.
* Ozaukee County Transit, ☏ +1 262-284-TAXI (8294). M-F 5AM-11:30PM, Sa 8:30AM-10PM, Su 8AM-6PM. $3.50-$13. (updated Feb 2025)
* Washington County Shared-Ride Taxi Service, ☏ +1 262-338-2908, toll-free: +1-888-285-TAXI (8294). M-F 5AM-9PM, Sa 5AM-8:30PM, Su 8AM-4PM. $10-33. (updated Feb 2025)

## Do

* 43.4964-87.79471 Harrington Beach State Park, 531 Cty Hwy D, Belgium, ☏ +1 262-285-3015. 6AM-11PM daily. Biking, boating, fishing, hiking, swimming, and other outdoor activities. (updated Feb 2025)

## Stay safe

While swimming in Lake Michigan can be fun for the entire family, the tides can be dangerous for even experienced open-water swimmers. The National Weather Service provides detailed “know before you go” information. Be aware of the swim-risk forecast and whether there are any advisories for the beach you want to visit. None of the Lake Michigan beaches in Ozaukee County have lifeguards.