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Counties in Indiana 

The U.S. state of Indiana has 92 counties. Each county serves as the local level of government within its borders. Although Indiana was organized into the United States since the Northwest Ordinance in 1787, its land was not always available for settlement. Eventually, land was purchased from Native Americans by treaties and Indian removals. The oldest counties are generally in the south near the Ohio River, whereas newer ones were in the north in territory acquired later. The oldest and newest counties in Indiana are Knox County, created in 1790, and Newton County, created in 1859.

As of the 2000 United States Census, the population of Indiana was 6,045,485, the average population of Indiana's 92 counties is 65,712, with Marion County as the most populous (860,454), and Ohio County (5,623) the least. The average land area is 396 square miles (1,030 km2). The largest county is Allen (657 sq. mi., 1,702 km²) and the smallest is Ohio (87 sq. mi., 225 km²).[1] According to the Constitution of Indiana, no county may be created of less than 400 square miles, nor may any county smaller than this be further reduced in size.

Many Indiana counties are named for United States Founding Fathers and personalities of the American Revolutionary War, the War of 1812 and Battle of Tippecanoe; early leaders of Indiana Territory and Indiana, as well as surrounding states like Michigan and Kentucky; plus Native American tribes and geographical features.

What follows is an alphebetical order listing of Indiana's counties, their county seats, the date of their founding and the origin of the county's name.

See a listing of Counties in Indiana in timeline order here

ADAMS--Decatur--2/7/1835--named for President John Quincy Adams

ALLEN--Ft. Wayne--12/17/1823--named for Col. John Allen, killed at River Raisin

BARTHOLOMEW--Columbus--1/8/1821--named for Gen. Joseph Bartholomew, wounded at the Battle of Tippecanoe

BENTON--Fowler--2/18/1840--named for Thomas H. Benton, U.S. Senator

BLACKFORD--Hartford City--2/15/1838--named for Judge Isaac Blackford

BOONE--Lebanon--1/29/1830--named for Daniel Boone

BROWN--Nashville--2/4/1836--named for Gen. Jacob Brown of War of 1812

CARROLL--Delphi--1/7/1828--named for Charles Carroll, signer of the Declaration of Independence

CASS--Logansport--12/18/1828--named for Gen. Lewis Cass, Governor of Michigan

CLARK--Jeffersonville--2/3/1801--named for Gen. George Rogers Clark

CLAY--Brazil--2/12/1825--named for Senator Henry Clay

CLINTON--Frankfort--1/29/1830--named for DeWitt Clinton, Governor of New York

CRAWFORD--English--1/29/1818--named for Col. William Crawford, burned at the stake in 1782

DAVIES--Washington--2/24/1816--named for Col. Joseph H. Daviess, killed in the Battle of Tippecanoe

DEARBORN--Lawrenceburg--3/7/1803--named for Gen. Henry Dearborn, Secretary of War

DECATUR--Greensburg--12/31/1821--named for Commodore Stephen Decatur

DEKALB--Auburn--2/7/1835--named for German nobleman, Baron DeKalb

DELAWARE--Muncie--1/26/1827--named for Delaware Indian tribe (an earlier Delaware County was formed 1/20/1820)

DUBOIS--Jasper--12/20/1817--named for Toussaint Dubois, who served under William Henry Harrison

ELKHART--Goshen--1/29/1830--named for the Elkhart River

FAYETTE--Connersville--12/28/1818--named for Gen. Lafayette

FLOYD--New Albany--1/2/1819--named for Col. John Floyd of Kentucky

FOUNTAIN--Covington--12/30/1825--named for Major Fountain of Kentucky, killed at Ft. Wayne in 1790

FRANKLIN--Brookville--2/1/1811--named for Benjamin Franklin

FULTON--Rochester--2/7/1835--named for Robert Fulton

GIBSON--Princeton--4/1/1813--named for Gen. John Gibson, official of Indiana Territory

GRANT--Marion--2/10/1831--named for Samuel and Moses Grant, killed by Indians in 1789

GREENE--Bloomfield--1/5/1821--named for Gen. Nathaniel Greene, a participant in the American Revolution

HAMILTON--Noblesville--1/8/1823--named for Alexander Hamilton

HANCOCK--Greenfield--1/26/1827--named for John Hancock, first signer of the Declaration of Independence

HARRISON--Corydon--12/1/1808--named for Gen. William Henry Harrison, 1st Territorial Governor of Indiana

HENDRICKS--Danville--12/20/1823--named for Indiana Governor, William Hendricks

HENRY--New Castle--12/31/1821--named for Patrick Henry, Governor of Virginia

HOWARD--Kokomo--1/15/1844--named for Tilghman A. Howard, Indiana statesman (originally Richardville County, named for Miami Chief, Richardville)

HUNTINGTON--Huntington--2/2/1832--named for Samuel Huntington, signer of the Declaration of Independence

JACKSON--Brownstown--1/1/1816--named for Gen. Andrew Jackson

JASPER--Rensselaer--2/7/1835--named for Sgt. Jasper, killed at Savannah

JAY--Portland--2/7/1835--name for John Jay, Governor of New York

JEFFERSON--Madison--11/23/1810--named for President Thomas Jefferson

JENNINGS--Vernon--12/27/1816--named for Jonathan Jennings, Indiana's first governor

JOHNSON--Franklin--12/31/1822--named for Judge John Johnson, one of Indiana's 1st Supreme Court Judges

KNOX--Vincennes--6/30/1790--named for Gen. Henry Knox, first Secretary of War (first county)

KOSCIUSKO--Warsaw--2/7/1835--named for Gen. Kosciusko, hero of the American Revolution

LAGRANGE--LaGrange--2/2/1832--named for Gen. Lafayette's home near Paris

LAKE--Crown Point--1/28/1836--named for Lake Michigan

LAPORTE--LaPorte--1/9/1832--named after a French term meaning "the door"

LAWRENCE--Bedford--1/7/1818--named for Capt. James Lawrence, War of 1812

MADISON--Anderson--1/4/1823--named for President James Madison

MARION--Indianapolis--12/31/1821--named for Gen. Francis Marion of the American Revolution

MARSHALL--Plymouth--2/7/1835--named for Chief Justice John Marshall

MARTIN--Shoals--1/17/1820--named for Maj. John T. Martin of Kentucky

MIAMI--Peru--1/30/1833--named for Miami Indians

MONROE--Bloomington--1/14/1818--named for President James Monroe

MONTGOMERY--Crawfordsville--12/21/1822--named for Gen. Richard Montgomery, killed at Quebec

MORGAN--Martinsville--12/31/1831--named for Gen. Daniel Morgan of the American Revolution

NEWTON--Kentland--2/7/1835--(reorganized in 1859)--named for Sgt. John Newton of the American Revolution

NOBLE--Albion--2/7/1835--named for Noah Noble a governor of Indiana

OHIO--Rising Sun--1/4/1844--named for the Ohio River (the smallest county)

OWEN--Spencer--12/21/1818--named for Col. Abraham Owen, killed in the Battle of Tippecanoe

ORANGE--Paoli--2/1/1816--named for Orange County, North Carolina

PARKE--Rockville--1/9/1821--named for Benjamin Parke, first Territorial delegate to Congress

PERRY--Tell City--11/1/1814--named for Commodore Oliver H. Perry

PIKE--Petersburg--12/21/1816--named for Gen. Zebulon Pike, killed in the War of 1812

PORTER--Valparaiso--2/7/1835--named for Commodore David Porter who served in the War of 1812

POSEY--Mt. Vernon--11/1/1814--named for Thomas Posey, the last governor of the Indiana Territory.

PULASKI--Winamac--2/7/1835--named for Count Casimer Pulaski, killed in the American Revolution

PUTNAM--Greencastle--12/31/1821--named for Gen. Israel Putnam who served in the American Revolution

RANDOLPH--Winchester--1/10/1818--named for Thomas Randolph, killed at the Battle of Tippecanoe

RIPLEY--Versailles--12/27/1816--named for Gen. E.W. Ripley of the War of 1812

RUSH--Rushville--12/31/1821--named for Dr. Benjamin Rush

SCOTT--Scottsburg--1/12/1820--named for Gen. Charles Scott who fought in the Indian Wars

SHELBY--Shelbyville--12/31/1821--named for Isaac Shelby who served in the American Revolution

SPENCER--Rockport--1/10/1818--named for Capt. Spier Spencer, killed at the Battle of Tippecanoe

STARKE--Knox--2/7/1835--named for Gen. John Starke, victorious general at the Battle of Bennington

ST.JOSEPH--South Bend--1/29/1830--named for Joseph, the husband of the Virgin Mary

STEUBEN--Angola--2/7/1835--named for Baron Von Steuben who served in the American Revolution

SULLIVAN--Sullivan--12/30/1816--named for Daniel Sullivan who was killed by Indians

SWITZERLAND--Vevay--10/1/1814--named for the country of Switzerland

TIPPECANOE--Lafayette--1/20/1826--named for the Tippecanoe River and battleground

TIPTON--Tipton--1/15/1844--named for Gen. John Tipton a U.S. Senator

UNION--Liberty--1/5/1821--named for the union of states

VANDERBURGH--Evansville--1/7/1818--named for Henry Vanderburgh, a territorial judge

VERMILLION--Newport--1/2/1824--named for the Vermillion River

VIGO--Terre Haute--1/21/1818--named for Col. Francis Vigo, an outstanding pioneer

WABASH--1/20/1820 (reorganized 1/30/1833)--named for the Wabash River

WARREN--Williamsport--1/19/1827--named for Gen. Joseph Warren who was killed at Bunker Hill

WARRICK--Boonville--3/9/1813--named for Capt. Jacob Warrick who was killed at the Battle of Tippecanoe

WASHINGTON--Salem--12/21/1813--named for President George Washington

WAYNE--Richmond--11/27/1810--named for Gen. "Mad" Anthony Wayne the hero of Fallen Timbers

WELLS--Bluffton--2/7/1835--named for Capt. William Wells who was killed during the Ft. Dearborn massacre

WHITE--Monticello--2/1/1834--named for Col. Isaac White who was killed in the Battle of Tippecanoe

WHITLEY--Columbia City--2/7/1835--named for Col. William Whitley who was killed at the Battle of the Thames

 

 
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