Jay County, Indiana | |
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 Location within the U.S. state ofIndiana | |
 Indiana's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:40°26′N85°01′W / 40.43°N 85.01°W /40.43; -85.01 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Indiana |
| Founded | February 7, 1835 (authorized) 1836 (organized) |
| Named after | John Jay |
| Seat | Portland |
| Largest city | Portland |
| Area | |
• Total | 384.08 sq mi (994.8 km2) |
| • Land | 383.90 sq mi (994.3 km2) |
| • Water | 0.18 sq mi (0.47 km2) 0.05% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 20,478 |
• Estimate (2024)[1] | 20,164 |
| • Density | 52.5/sq mi (20.3/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 3rd |
| Website | jaycounty |
| Indiana county number 38 | |
| Jay County Sheriff's Department | |
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| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Operations jurisdiction | Jay, Indiana, United States |
| Legal jurisdiction | As per operations jurisdiction |
| General nature | |
| Operational structure | |
| Agency executives |
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| Facilities | |
| Jails | 1 |
Jay County is acounty in theU.S. state ofIndiana. As of 2020, the population was 20,478.[2] Thecounty seat isPortland.[3]
The Indiana State Legislature passed an omnibus county bill on February 7, 1835[4] that authorized the creation of thirteen counties[5] in northeast Indiana, including Jay - the only county in the United States named forJohn Jay, co-author ofThe Federalist Papers, Secretary of Foreign Affairs under theArticles of Confederation, and firstChief Justice of the United States. John Jay had died in 1829.[6]
Jay County lies on the east side of Indiana; its east border abuts the western border ofOhio. Its low, rolling terrain is entirely devoted to agriculture or urban development.[7] Its highest point (1,121 feet/342 meters ASL) is a small rise on the east border with Ohio, 2,600 feet north of the county's SE corner.[8] The Salamonie River originates near Salamonia in southeastern Jay County and flows generally northwestwardly into Blackford County (It joins the Wabash River from the south in Wabash County).According to the2010 United States census, the county has a total area of 384.08 square miles (994.8 km2), of which 383.90 square miles (994.3 km2) (or 99.95%) is land and 0.18 square miles (0.47 km2) (or 0.05%) is water.[9]
Sources: National Atlas,[10] US Census Bureau[11]
| Portland, Indiana | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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In recent years, average temperatures in Portland have ranged from a low of 15 °F (−9 °C) in January to a high of 84 °F (29 °C) in July, although a record low of −29 °F (−34 °C) was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of 102 °F (39 °C) was recorded in June 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.87 inches (47 mm) in January to 4.40 inches (112 mm) in July.[12]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1840 | 3,863 | — | |
| 1850 | 7,047 | 82.4% | |
| 1860 | 11,399 | 61.8% | |
| 1870 | 15,000 | 31.6% | |
| 1880 | 19,282 | 28.5% | |
| 1890 | 23,478 | 21.8% | |
| 1900 | 26,818 | 14.2% | |
| 1910 | 24,961 | −6.9% | |
| 1920 | 23,318 | −6.6% | |
| 1930 | 20,846 | −10.6% | |
| 1940 | 22,601 | 8.4% | |
| 1950 | 23,157 | 2.5% | |
| 1960 | 22,572 | −2.5% | |
| 1970 | 23,575 | 4.4% | |
| 1980 | 23,239 | −1.4% | |
| 1990 | 21,512 | −7.4% | |
| 2000 | 21,806 | 1.4% | |
| 2010 | 21,253 | −2.5% | |
| 2020 | 20,478 | −3.6% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 20,164 | −1.5% | |
| US Decennial Census[13] 1790-1960[14] 1900-1990[15] 1990-2000[16] 2024[1] | |||
As of the2010 United States census, there were 21,253 people, 8,133 households, and 5,647 families in the county.[17] The population density was 55.4 inhabitants per square mile (21.4/km2). There were 9,221 housing units at an average density of 24.0 per square mile (9.3/km2).[9] The racial makeup of the county was 97.0% white, 0.4% Asian, 0.3% black or African American, 0.1% American Indian, 1.3% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.7% of the population.[17] In terms of ancestry, 34.1% wereGerman, 13.1% wereAmerican, 11.7% wereEnglish, and 11.6% wereIrish.[18]
Of the 8,133 households, 32.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.6% were married couples living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 30.6% were non-families, and 25.6% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.10. The median age was 39.0 years.[17]
The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $47,926. Males had a median income of $38,142 versus $26,928 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,946. About 10.0% of families and 13.5% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 22.7% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.[19]
The county government is a constitutional body, and is granted specific powers by theConstitution of Indiana and by theIndiana Code.
County Council: The county council is the legislative branch of the county government and controls all the spending and revenue collection in the county. Representatives, elected to four-year terms from county districts, are responsible for setting salaries, the annual budget, and special spending. The council has limited authority to impose local taxes, in the form of an income and property tax that is subject to state level approval, excise taxes, and service taxes.[20][21]
Board of Commissioners: The executive body of the county; commissioners are elected county-wide to staggered four-year terms. One commissioner serves as president. The commissioners execute the acts legislated by the council, collecting revenue, and managing the day-to-day functions of the county government.[20][21]
Court: The county maintains circuit and superior courts with the latter having a small claims division. Both courts have general jurisdiction with the circuit court having exclusive jurisdiction of juvenile and probate matters. The court's judges are elected to six-year terms, and must be admitted to practice law before the state supreme court. In some cases, court decisions can be appealed to the state levelcircuit court.[21]
County Officials: The county has other elected offices, including prosecuting attorney, assessor,sheriff,coroner,auditor,treasurer,recorder,surveyor, and circuitcourt clerk Each officer is elected to four-year terms. Members elected to county government positions are required to declareparty affiliations and to be residents of the county.[21]
Jay County is part ofIndiana's 3rd congressional district;Indiana Senate district 19;[22] andIndiana House of Representatives district 33.[23]
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1888 | 2,811 | 48.42% | 2,741 | 47.22% | 253 | 4.36% |
| 1892 | 2,414 | 41.78% | 2,359 | 40.83% | 1,005 | 17.39% |
| 1896 | 3,473 | 47.66% | 3,680 | 50.50% | 134 | 1.84% |
| 1900 | 3,518 | 48.90% | 3,422 | 47.57% | 254 | 3.53% |
| 1904 | 3,612 | 51.78% | 2,702 | 38.74% | 661 | 9.48% |
| 1908 | 3,256 | 45.75% | 3,370 | 47.35% | 491 | 6.90% |
| 1912 | 1,282 | 20.38% | 2,786 | 44.29% | 2,222 | 35.33% |
| 1916 | 3,075 | 46.49% | 3,070 | 46.41% | 470 | 7.11% |
| 1920 | 6,089 | 53.35% | 4,759 | 41.69% | 566 | 4.96% |
| 1924 | 5,753 | 52.83% | 4,812 | 44.19% | 325 | 2.98% |
| 1928 | 5,998 | 55.31% | 4,759 | 43.89% | 87 | 0.80% |
| 1932 | 5,018 | 42.85% | 6,693 | 57.15% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1936 | 5,233 | 43.73% | 6,535 | 54.61% | 199 | 1.66% |
| 1940 | 6,478 | 49.27% | 6,554 | 49.84% | 117 | 0.89% |
| 1944 | 6,207 | 53.38% | 5,166 | 44.42% | 256 | 2.20% |
| 1948 | 5,635 | 49.25% | 5,520 | 48.24% | 287 | 2.51% |
| 1952 | 7,270 | 58.96% | 4,764 | 38.63% | 297 | 2.41% |
| 1956 | 6,767 | 59.08% | 4,571 | 39.91% | 116 | 1.01% |
| 1960 | 6,519 | 56.73% | 4,899 | 42.63% | 74 | 0.64% |
| 1964 | 4,439 | 39.22% | 6,781 | 59.91% | 98 | 0.87% |
| 1968 | 5,460 | 51.00% | 4,290 | 40.07% | 955 | 8.92% |
| 1972 | 6,090 | 64.21% | 3,349 | 35.31% | 45 | 0.47% |
| 1976 | 4,606 | 52.24% | 4,124 | 46.77% | 87 | 0.99% |
| 1980 | 5,351 | 58.06% | 3,256 | 35.33% | 610 | 6.62% |
| 1984 | 5,975 | 64.90% | 3,174 | 34.47% | 58 | 0.63% |
| 1988 | 5,363 | 62.22% | 3,212 | 37.26% | 45 | 0.52% |
| 1992 | 3,609 | 40.84% | 3,208 | 36.31% | 2,019 | 22.85% |
| 1996 | 3,584 | 44.71% | 3,356 | 41.86% | 1,077 | 13.43% |
| 2000 | 4,687 | 58.37% | 3,167 | 39.44% | 176 | 2.19% |
| 2004 | 5,427 | 65.93% | 2,740 | 33.28% | 65 | 0.79% |
| 2008 | 4,401 | 52.88% | 3,748 | 45.03% | 174 | 2.09% |
| 2012 | 4,645 | 58.79% | 3,063 | 38.77% | 193 | 2.44% |
| 2016 | 5,697 | 71.02% | 1,889 | 23.55% | 436 | 5.44% |
| 2020 | 6,361 | 75.14% | 1,926 | 22.75% | 179 | 2.11% |
| 2024 | 6,217 | 76.61% | 1,747 | 21.53% | 151 | 1.86% |
Jens looked at a map he'd filched from an abandoned gas station. If he was where he thought he was, he'd soon be approaching the grand metropolis of Fiat, by God, Indiana. He managed a smile when he saw that, and declaimed, "And God said, Fiat, Indiana,and there was Indiana."
--Harry Turtledove,Worldwar: In the Balance, New York: Random House (1994), Chapter 14, copyright 1994 by Harry Turtledove. The reference is to the unincorporated town of Fiat near the intersection of Indiana State Routes 1 and 18 in Jay County.
Places adjacent to Jay County, Indiana | |
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Municipalities and communities ofJay County, Indiana,United States | ||
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| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
40°26′N85°01′W / 40.43°N 85.01°W /40.43; -85.01
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