Jasper, Indiana | |
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 Flag  Seal  Logo | |
| Motto: "The Nation's Wood Capital" | |
 Location of Jasper in Dubois County, Indiana. | |
| Coordinates:38°23′29″N86°55′51″W / 38.39139°N 86.93083°W /38.39139; -86.93083 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Indiana |
| County | Dubois |
| Township | Bainbridge,Boone,Madison |
| Founded | 1818 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Ryan Craig (R) (Taking office on 1 April 2026) |
| Area | |
• Total | 13.34 sq mi (34.55 km2) |
| • Land | 13.25 sq mi (34.32 km2) |
| • Water | 0.089 sq mi (0.23 km2) |
| Elevation | 466 ft (142 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 16,703 |
| • Density | 1,260.5/sq mi (486.68/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP codes | 47546, 47547, 47549 |
| Area code | 812 & 930 |
| FIPS code | 18-37782[3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 2395458[2] |
| Website | www |
Jasper is a city in and thecounty seat ofDubois County, Indiana, United States, located along thePatoka River. The population was 16,703 at the 2020 census making it the 48th largest city inIndiana. On November 4, 2007, Dubois County returned to theEastern Time Zone, after having moved to theCentral Time Zone the previous year. Land use in the area is primarily agricultural. The Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame, which honors players and others associated with the national pastime who were born or lived in Indiana, is located in Jasper.
Jasper was founded in 1818.[4] The Enlow family were the first settlers of the town.[5] Jasper was originally going to be named "Eleanor" after the wife of early settler Joseph Enlow, but she opted to suggest a name herself, and named the city after a passage in the Bible (Revelation 21:19).[6]
Jasper was not officially platted until 1830.[7] That year, the community became the new county seat of Dubois County, succeedingPortersville.[8]
The Jasper post office has been in operation since 1832.[9] During theNew Deal era,Jessie Hull Mayer won a federal commission to paint amural as part of theSection of Painting and Sculpture′s projects, later called theSection of Fine Arts, of theTreasury Department.Indiana Farming Scene in Late Autumn depicts a harvest scene on a farmstead, with no indication of the town.[10] In 1975, the painting was featured as part of a film,Art for Main Street: The Indiana Post Office Murals, produced by theIndiana Historical Society.[11]
Jasper was incorporated as a town in 1866, and was incorporated into a city in 1915.[12][13]
According to the 2010 census, Jasper has a total area of 13.191 square miles (34.16 km2), of which 13.1 square miles (33.93 km2) (or 99.31%) is land and 0.091 square miles (0.24 km2) (or 0.69%) is water.[14]
The city is located in the townships ofBainbridge,Madison andBoone.[citation needed]
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally cool winters. According to theKöppen Climate Classification system, Jasper, IN has ahumid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.
| Climate data for Jasper, IN | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 37.1 (2.8) | 41.9 (5.5) | 53.3 (11.8) | 65.0 (18.3) | 74.2 (23.4) | 83.2 (28.4) | 86.5 (30.3) | 85.4 (29.7) | 79.5 (26.4) | 67.9 (19.9) | 54.0 (12.2) | 40.5 (4.7) | 64.0 (17.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 20.6 (−6.3) | 24.0 (−4.4) | 32.9 (0.5) | 43.3 (6.3) | 52.6 (11.4) | 62.4 (16.9) | 65.6 (18.7) | 63.2 (17.3) | 55.0 (12.8) | 43.9 (6.6) | 34.5 (1.4) | 24.0 (−4.4) | 43.5 (6.4) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 2.8 (71) | 2.5 (64) | 3.6 (91) | 4.1 (100) | 5.1 (130) | 4.3 (110) | 4.3 (110) | 3.1 (79) | 3.2 (81) | 3.5 (89) | 4.1 (100) | 3.3 (84) | 43.9 (1,109) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 5 (13) | 3 (7.6) | 2 (5.1) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 3 (7.6) | 13 (33.3) |
| Average precipitation days | 8 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 105 |
| Average snowy days | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 |
| Source: bestplaces.net[15] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 547 | — | |
| 1880 | 1,040 | 90.1% | |
| 1890 | 1,281 | 23.2% | |
| 1900 | 1,863 | 45.4% | |
| 1910 | 2,196 | 17.9% | |
| 1920 | 2,539 | 15.6% | |
| 1930 | 3,905 | 53.8% | |
| 1940 | 5,041 | 29.1% | |
| 1950 | 5,215 | 3.5% | |
| 1960 | 6,737 | 29.2% | |
| 1970 | 8,641 | 28.3% | |
| 1980 | 9,097 | 5.3% | |
| 1990 | 10,030 | 10.3% | |
| 2000 | 12,100 | 20.6% | |
| 2010 | 15,038 | 24.3% | |
| 2020 | 16,703 | 11.1% | |
| Source: US Census Bureau | |||
Jasper is the principal city of theJasper Micropolitan Statistical Area, amicropolitan area that covers Dubois andPike counties[16] and had a combined population of 54,734 at the2010 census.[3]
As of thecensus[17] of 2010, the population of Jasper was 15,038 and there were 5,994 households. The gender makeup of the city is 49.2% male and 50.8% female.
The racial makeup of the city was:
Of the total Jasper population:
Jasper is a regional center inSouthwestern Indiana, with German Catholic ancestral roots.[18] Jasper has been called the "Wood Capital of the World", with furniture companies such as Jasper Group,Kimball International, andMasterbrand Cabinets are located here. Also located in Jasper are Southern Indiana Education Center, Jasper Engines and Transmissions, and a satellite campus ofVincennes University.
In 2022, Jasper won the annual Strong Towns "Strongest Town" competition.[19]
The largest industry sectors by employment in Jasper are manufacturing, retail, and health care and social services.[20]
Jasper has the only municipally supported Arts Council in Indiana; it is part of city government. The City of Jasper and the Jasper Community Arts Commission won the Governor's Arts Award in 1987 and 2007.[21]
The Jasper Strassenfest is a four-day event held annually during the first weekend in August. The "Fest" is a celebration between Jasper and its German sister-cityPfaffenweiler, a village in southwest Germany, and some citizens of Pfaffenweiler travel to Jasper around this time of year. The street festival encompasses the city square, and features food stands, rides, abeer garden, parade, fireworks, golf tournament, beauty pageant (Miss Strassenfest), fishing tournament, and a network of German "Polka Masses" at the three Roman Catholic parishes. On average, over 1,300 lb (590 kg) ofbratwurst are consumed during the event.[citation needed]
In 2021, the Thyen-Clark Cultural Center and public lending library opened.[22]
Sites in Jasper listed on theNational Register of Historic Places listings in Dubois County, Indiana include:
Jasper has 18 city parks covering 355 acres (144 ha).[23]
The following persons have held the office ofmayor of Jasper, Indiana.
| Mayor[24] | Term Began | Term Ended | Political Party |
|---|---|---|---|
| George P. Wagner | July 1915 | Dec 1934 | Democrat |
| John Lorey | Jan 1935 | July 1937 | Democrat |
| Roman Kunkel | Aug 1937 | Dec 1942 | Democrat |
| Charles Bartley | Jan 1943 | Aug 1945 | Democrat |
| Herbert Thyen | Sept 1945 | Dec 1951 | Democrat |
| Edward J. Lorey | Jan 1952 | Dec 1959 | Democrat |
| Edwin B. Knies | Jan 1960 | Aug 1963 | Democrat |
| Francis J. Sermersheim | Sept 1963 | Dec 1963 | Democrat |
| Jack E. Newton | Jan 1964 | Dec 1971 | Republican |
| Robert E. Parker | Jan 1972 | Dec 1979 | N/A |
| Jerome "Chick" Alles | Jan 1980 | Dec 1991 | Democrat |
| William J. Schmitt | Jan 1992 | Dec 2011 | Democrat |
| Terry Seitz | Jan 2012 | Dec 2018 | Republican |
| Dean Vonderheide | Jan 2019 | March 2026 | Republican |
| Ryan Craig | April 2026 | N/A | Republican |
In 1970, the school system ofIreland, Indiana, was consolidated into that of Jasper.
Schools in Jasper include:
The following stations are licensed in the city of Jasper
The fictional town of Orson, Indiana, from the TV seriesThe Middle, is based on Jasper.[39]
Jasper participates in thesister cities program, as designated bySister Cities International,[40] and is a sister city ofPfaffenweiler,Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
Places adjacent to Jasper, Indiana | |
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Municipalities and communities ofDubois County, Indiana,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
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| Townships | ||
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| Other communities | ||
| Ghost town | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
