Whitley County, Indiana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Whitley County
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Whitley County courthouse in Columbia City
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Location within the U.S. state of Indiana
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Indiana's location within the U.S. |
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Country | United States |
State | Indiana |
Founded | 7 February 1835 (authorized) 1838 (organized) |
Named for | William Whitley |
Seat | Columbia City |
Largest city | Columbia City |
Area | |
• Total | 337.91 sq mi (875.2 km2) |
• Land | 335.57 sq mi (869.1 km2) |
• Water | 2.34 sq mi (6.1 km2) 0.69%% |
Population | |
• Estimate
(2020)
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34,191 |
• Density | 101.6/sq mi (39.2/km2) |
Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
Congressional district | 3rd |
Indiana county number 92 |
Whitley County is a rural county in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 34,191. Whitley County is the 49th largest county in Indiana. The county seat (and only incorporated city) is Columbia City. The county has the highest county number (92) on Indiana license plates, as it is alphabetically the last in the state's list of counties. It is part of the Fort Wayne Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Fort Wayne–Huntington–Auburn Combined Statistical Area.
Contents
Geography
According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 337.91 square miles (875.2 km2), of which 335.57 square miles (869.1 km2) (or 99.31%) is land and 2.34 square miles (6.1 km2) (or 0.69%) is water.
Adjacent counties
- Noble County (north)
- Allen County (east)
- Huntington County (south)
- Wabash County (southwest)
- Kosciusko County (west)
City
Towns
Census-designated place
Other unincorporated places
Townships
- Cleveland
- Columbia
- Etna-Troy
- Jefferson
- Richland
- Smith
- Thorncreek
- Union
- Washington
Major highways
- U.S. Route 24
- U.S. Route 30
- U.S. Route 33
- Indiana State Road 5
- Indiana State Road 9
- Indiana State Road 14
- Indiana State Road 105
- Indiana State Road 109
- Indiana State Road 114
- Indiana State Road 205
History
The first non-Native American settlers arrived in what is now Whitley County in 1835. They arrived as a result of the end of the Black Hawk War as well as the completion of the Erie Canal. They consisted entirely of settlers from New England. These were "Yankee" settlers, that is to say they were descended from the English Puritans who settled New England in the colonial era. They were primarily members of the Congregational Church though due to the Second Great Awakening many of them had converted to Methodism and some had become Baptists before coming to what is now Whitley County. When the New England settlers arrived in what is now Whitley County there was nothing but a dense virgin forest and wild prairie. Whitley County was formed in 1838. It was named for Col. William Whitley, who was killed in the Battle of the Thames in the War of 1812. In the late 1870s immigrants began arriving from Germany and Ireland.
Climate and weather
Weather chart for Columbia City, Indiana | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2.1
31
14
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1.8
35
18
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2.9
46
27
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3.7
58
37
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3.7
70
48
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4.4
79
58
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3.8
83
62
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3.6
81
59
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3.5
74
51
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2.8
62
40
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3.3
48
31
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2.9
36
21
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temperatures in °F precipitation totals in inches source: The Weather Channel |
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Metric conversion
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In recent years, average temperatures in Columbia City have ranged from a low of 14 °F (−10 °C) in January to a high of 83 °F (28 °C) in July, although a record low of −24 °F (−31 °C) was recorded in January 1994 and a record high of 103 °F (39 °C) was recorded in June 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.80 inches (46 mm) in February to 4.44 inches (113 mm) in June.
Demographics
Historical population | |||
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Census | Pop. | %± | |
1840 | 1,237 | — | |
1850 | 5,190 | 319.6% | |
1860 | 10,730 | 106.7% | |
1870 | 14,399 | 34.2% | |
1880 | 16,941 | 17.7% | |
1890 | 17,768 | 4.9% | |
1900 | 17,328 | −2.5% | |
1910 | 16,892 | −2.5% | |
1920 | 15,660 | −7.3% | |
1930 | 15,931 | 1.7% | |
1940 | 17,001 | 6.7% | |
1950 | 18,828 | 10.7% | |
1960 | 20,954 | 11.3% | |
1970 | 23,395 | 11.6% | |
1980 | 26,215 | 12.1% | |
1990 | 27,651 | 5.5% | |
2000 | 30,707 | 11.1% | |
2010 | 33,292 | 8.4% | |
2015 (est.) | 33,406 | 0.3% | |
U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2013 |
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 33,292 people, 13,001 households, and 9,228 families residing in the county. The population density was 99.2 inhabitants per square mile (38.3/km2). There were 14,281 housing units at an average density of 42.6 per square mile (16.4/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 97.6% white, 0.3% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.3% black or African American, 0.4% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.5% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 38.2% were German, 12.6% were Irish, 12.5% were American, and 9.3% were English.
Of the 13,001 households, 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.4% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.0% were non-families, and 24.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 2.99. The median age was 40.1 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $63,487. Males had a median income of $44,883 versus $30,724 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,644. About 5.1% of families and 6.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.2% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over.
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Whitley (Indiana) para niños