Whitley County, Indiana | |
|---|---|
 Whitley County Courthouse in Columbia City | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofIndiana | |
| Coordinates:41°08′N85°30′W / 41.14°N 85.5°W /41.14; -85.5 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Indiana |
| Founded | February 7, 1835 (authorized) 1838 (organized) |
| Named after | 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 (2020) | |
• Total | 34,191 |
• Estimate (2023) | 34,742 |
| • Density | 101.89/sq mi (39.340/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 3rd |
| Website | whitleygov |
| Indiana county number 92 Last alphabetical county in Indiana. | |
Whitley County is a ruralcounty in theU.S. state ofIndiana. As of the2020 United States census, the population was 36,825.[1] Whitley County is the 49th most populous county in Indiana. Thecounty seat (and only incorporated city) isColumbia City.[2] The county has the highest county number (92) onIndiana license plates, as it is alphabetically the last in the state's list of counties. It is part of theFort Wayne Metropolitan Statistical Area and theFort Wayne–Huntington–AuburnCombined Statistical Area.
Indiana was granted statehood near the end of 1816. On February 7, 1835, the state legislature approved an omnibus bill[3] that authorized the creation of thirteen counties,[4] including Whitley. It was named for Col.William Whitley, who was killed in theBattle of the Thames in theWar of 1812.[5]
The first non-Native American settlers arrived in the area during that year, as a result of the end of theBlack Hawk War and the completion of theErie Canal. They were fromNew England - "Yankee" settlers, descendants of theEnglishPuritans who settledNew England in the colonial era. They were primarily members of theCongregational Church. However, due to theSecond Great Awakening, many of them had converted toMethodism and some had becomeBaptists before coming to Indiana. Whitley County government was organized in 1838.
In the late 1870s, immigrants began arriving fromGermany andIreland.[5]
Prior to white settlement, Whitley County's low rolling hills were densely forested, and dotted with lakes across its northern portion. At present, the available land is mostly deforested and is entirely devoted to agriculture or urban development.[6] Its highest point (approx. 1,000 ft; 300 m ASL) is a small rise NE of Cedar Lake.[7] TheEel River flows southwestward through the lower part of the county, and the Blue River flows southwestward through the upper part.[6]
According to the2010 United States 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.[8]
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In recent years, the 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.[9]
The county government is a constitutional body and is granted specific powers by theConstitution of Indiana and by theIndiana Code.
County Council: The legislative branch of the county government; controls spending and revenue collection in the county. Representatives are elected to four-year terms from county districts. They set 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.[10][11]
Board of Commissioners: The executive body of the county; commissioners are elected to four-year staggered terms in county-wide elections. One commissioner serves as president. The commissioners execute the acts legislated by the council, collect revenue, and manage the county government.[10][11]
Court: The county maintains asmall claims court that handles civil cases. The judge on the court is elected to a term of four years and must be a member of the Indiana bar. The judge is assisted by a constable who is also elected to a four-year term. In some cases, court decisions can be appealed to the state-levelcircuit court.[11]
County Officials: The county has other officers elected to four-year terms, includingsheriff,coroner,auditor,treasurer,recorder,surveyor, and circuitcourt clerk. Members elected to county government positions are required to declareparty affiliations and to be residents of the county.[11]
Whitely County is part ofIndiana's 3rd congressional district, and as of 2025, is represented by RepublicanMarlin Stutzman in theUnited States Congress.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1888 | 2,133 | 46.18% | 2,325 | 50.34% | 161 | 3.49% |
| 1892 | 1,958 | 44.55% | 2,234 | 50.83% | 203 | 4.62% |
| 1896 | 2,242 | 46.85% | 2,494 | 52.12% | 49 | 1.02% |
| 1900 | 2,271 | 47.77% | 2,361 | 49.66% | 122 | 2.57% |
| 1904 | 2,359 | 48.99% | 2,281 | 47.37% | 175 | 3.63% |
| 1908 | 2,302 | 46.57% | 2,493 | 50.43% | 148 | 2.99% |
| 1912 | 1,082 | 24.01% | 2,206 | 48.96% | 1,218 | 27.03% |
| 1916 | 2,191 | 44.69% | 2,510 | 51.19% | 202 | 4.12% |
| 1920 | 4,530 | 52.50% | 3,929 | 45.53% | 170 | 1.97% |
| 1924 | 4,420 | 54.84% | 3,484 | 43.23% | 156 | 1.94% |
| 1928 | 4,519 | 57.43% | 3,294 | 41.86% | 56 | 0.71% |
| 1932 | 3,471 | 39.21% | 5,058 | 57.13% | 324 | 3.66% |
| 1936 | 3,959 | 43.27% | 5,115 | 55.90% | 76 | 0.83% |
| 1940 | 5,100 | 53.34% | 4,404 | 46.06% | 57 | 0.60% |
| 1944 | 5,268 | 55.88% | 4,079 | 43.27% | 80 | 0.85% |
| 1948 | 4,715 | 51.88% | 4,240 | 46.65% | 134 | 1.47% |
| 1952 | 5,893 | 60.28% | 3,755 | 38.41% | 128 | 1.31% |
| 1956 | 6,422 | 63.23% | 3,688 | 36.31% | 47 | 0.46% |
| 1960 | 6,621 | 60.50% | 4,266 | 38.98% | 56 | 0.51% |
| 1964 | 4,896 | 45.56% | 5,798 | 53.95% | 53 | 0.49% |
| 1968 | 5,684 | 53.27% | 3,848 | 36.06% | 1,139 | 10.67% |
| 1972 | 7,489 | 65.67% | 3,838 | 33.65% | 77 | 0.68% |
| 1976 | 6,761 | 54.34% | 5,445 | 43.77% | 235 | 1.89% |
| 1980 | 7,146 | 55.74% | 4,497 | 35.08% | 1,178 | 9.19% |
| 1984 | 7,763 | 67.21% | 3,690 | 31.95% | 98 | 0.85% |
| 1988 | 7,679 | 67.44% | 3,642 | 31.99% | 65 | 0.57% |
| 1992 | 5,217 | 43.27% | 3,569 | 29.60% | 3,270 | 27.12% |
| 1996 | 5,965 | 51.31% | 4,176 | 35.92% | 1,484 | 12.77% |
| 2000 | 8,080 | 64.99% | 4,107 | 33.04% | 245 | 1.97% |
| 2004 | 9,512 | 70.56% | 3,880 | 28.78% | 89 | 0.66% |
| 2008 | 9,124 | 59.99% | 5,862 | 38.55% | 222 | 1.46% |
| 2012 | 10,258 | 68.24% | 4,420 | 29.40% | 354 | 2.35% |
| 2016 | 11,358 | 72.07% | 3,379 | 21.44% | 1,022 | 6.49% |
| 2020 | 12,862 | 73.13% | 4,234 | 24.07% | 492 | 2.80% |
| 2024 | 13,122 | 73.83% | 4,275 | 24.05% | 377 | 2.12% |
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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% | |
| 2020 | 34,191 | 2.7% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 34,742 | [13] | 1.6% |
| US Decennial Census[14] 1790-1960[15] 1900-1990[16] 1990-2000[17] 2010-2013[18] 2017[19] | |||
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 34,191. The median age was 41.8 years. 22.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 98.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 97.0 males age 18 and over.[20][21]
The racial makeup of the county was 94.0%White, 0.5%Black or African American, 0.3%American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%Asian, <0.1%Native Hawaiian andPacific Islander, 0.8% from some other race, and 3.9% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 2.5% of the population.[21]
30.9% of residents lived in urban areas, while 69.1% lived in rural areas.[22]
There were 13,857 households in the county, of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 54.1% were married-couple households, 17.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 21.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 27.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[20]
There were 14,837 housing units, of which 6.6% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 80.8% were owner-occupied and 19.2% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.2%.[20]
As of the2010 United States census, there were 33,292 people, 13,001 households, and 9,228 families in the county.[23] 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).[8] 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.[23] In terms of ancestry, 38.2% wereGerman, 12.6% wereIrish, 12.5% wereAmerican, and 9.3% wereEnglish.[24]
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.[23]
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 thepoverty line, including 7.2% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over.[25]
Places adjacent to Whitley County, Indiana | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofWhitley County, Indiana,United States | ||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| Counties |  | |
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| Municipalities with population over 10,000 in2010 | ||
| Municipalities with population 1,000-10,000 in2010 | ||
| Municipalities with population under 1,000 in2010 | ||
| CDPs | ||
41°08′N85°30′W / 41.14°N 85.50°W /41.14; -85.50
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