Jay County, Indiana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jay County
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Jay County Courthouse
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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 | February 7, 1835 (authorized) 1836 (organized) |
| Named for | 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 (0.5 km2) 0.05%% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 20,478 |
| • Density | 54/sq mi (20.9/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 3rd |
| 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 a county in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2020, the population was 20,478. The county seat is Portland.
Contents
History
The Indiana State Legislature passed an omnibus county bill on February 7, 1835 that authorized the creation of thirteen counties in northeast Indiana, including Jay - the only county in the United States named for John Jay, co-author of The Federalist Papers, Secretary of Foreign Affairs under the Articles of Confederation, and first Chief Justice of the United States. John Jay had died in 1829.
Geography
Jay County lies on the east side of Indiana; its east border abuts the western border of Ohio. Its low, rolling terrain is entirely devoted to agriculture or urban development. 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. 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 the 2010 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.
Adjacent counties
- Adams County - north
- Mercer County, Ohio - east
- Darke County, Ohio - southeast
- Randolph County - south
- Delaware County - southwest
- Blackford County - west
- Wells County - northwest
Cities & Towns
Townships
- Bearcreek
- Greene
- Jackson
- Jefferson
- Knox
- Madison
- Noble
- Penn
- Pike
- Richland
- Wabash
- Wayne
Unincorporated communities
Major highways
Sources: National Atlas, US Census Bureau
US 27
SR 1
SR 18
SR 26
SR 67
SR 167
Climate and weather
| Weather chart for Portland, Indiana | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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1.9
32
15
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1.9
37
18
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2.6
48
27
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3.6
60
38
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3.9
71
49
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4.1
80
59
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4.4
84
62
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4
82
60
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2.7
76
52
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2.6
64
40
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3
50
32
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2.5
37
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 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.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 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% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 20,032 | −5.7% | |
| US Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2013 |
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As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 21,253 people, 8,133 households, and 5,647 families in the county. 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). 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. In terms of ancestry, 34.1% were German, 13.1% were American, 11.7% were English, and 11.6% were Irish.
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.
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 the poverty line, including 22.7% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Jay para niños
