jpg thumb ( 997x570 ) px right Eau Claire , Wisconsin ) ) Eau Claire is a city in west central Wisconsin just south of Chippewa Falls . 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 .