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is a city located in the west-central part of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 61,704 as of the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Eau Claire County, although a small portion of the city lies in neighboring Chippewa County. Eau Claire is the principal city of the Eau Claire, Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a part of the Eau-Claire-Menomonie Combined Statistical Area.
America's Promise named the city as one of the 100 Best Communities for Young People in 2007. Eau Claire was among the first Tree Cities in Wisconsin, having been recognized as such since 1980.
The lumber industry drove Eau Claire's growth in the late 19th century. At one time, there were 22 sawmills operating in the city.
Since the loss of several thousand manufacturing jobs in the early 1990s (due to the closure of the local Uniroyal tire plant), the city's economy was reshaped by the opening of a number of plants engaged in the construction of computer hardware, such as Hutchinson Technology's largest plant, and is home to IDEXX Computer Systems, a division of IDEXX Laboratories.
Eau Claire is home to a few national/regional companies including Cascades Tissue Group, Menards, National Presto Industries, Inc., Midwest Manufacturing, Silver Spring Gardens, Realityworks, and Erbert & Gerbert's.
Today retail, health care and education are the primary employment sectors in Eau Claire.