Newton County, Indiana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Newton County, Indiana
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Newton County Courthouse in Kentland
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Location in the state of Indiana
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Indiana's location in the U.S.
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Indiana |
| Organized | February 7, 1835 |
| Abolished | 1839 |
| Re-organized | December 8, 1859 |
| Named for | Sgt. John Newton |
| County seat | Kentland |
| Largest town | Kentland (population and total area) |
| Incorporated Municipalities |
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| Government | |
| • Type | County |
| • Body | Board of Commissioners |
| Area | |
| • County | 403.44 sq mi (1,044.9 km2) |
| • Land | 401.76 sq mi (1,040.6 km2) |
| • Water | 1.68 sq mi (4.4 km2) |
| • Metro | 10,874 sq mi (28,160 km2) |
| Area rank | 43rd largest county in Indiana |
| • Region | 2,726 sq mi (7,060 km2) |
| Elevation | 692 ft (211 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • County | 13,830 |
| • Estimate
(2023)
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13,960  |
| • Rank | 82nd largest county in Indiana |
| • Density | 34.280/sq mi (13.236/km2) |
| • Region | 819,537 |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (Central) |
| ZIP Codes |
46310, 46349, 46381, 47922, 47942-43, 47948, 47951, 47963, 47978
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| Area code | 219 |
| Congressional district | 4th |
| Indiana Senate district | 6th |
| Indiana House of Representatives districts | 15th and 19th |
| FIPS code | 18-111 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0450376 |
| Interstate and U.S. Routes |    
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| State Routes |      
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| Airport | Kentland Municipal
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| Waterways | Iroquois River – Kankakee River |
| Website | www.newtoncounty.in.gov |
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| Demographic | Proportion |
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| White | 96.2% |
| Black | 0.4% |
| Asian | 0.3% |
| Islander | 0.0% |
| Native | 0.3% |
| Other | 2.8% |
| Hispanic (any race) |
5.0% |
Newton County is a county located near the northwestern corner of the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2020, the population was 13,830. This county is part of Northwest Indiana as well as the Chicago metropolitan area. The county seat is Kentland. The county is divided into 10 townships which provide local services.
Contents
History
The original Newton County was formed by statute on February 7, 1835, and was a roughly square area some 30 miles on a side, encompassing what is now the northern half of the county, the northern half of Jasper County, and a large section to the north. The northern border was cut back to the Kankakee River on February 1, 1836, with all land north of the Kankakee River going to Lake and Porter counties. The county was abolished and combined with Jasper County in 1839. On December 8, 1859, the county was re-created and the borders were redrawn to essentially their current state.
Newton County is named after Sgt. John Newton, who served under Gen. Francis Marion (the "Swamp Fox") in the American Revolutionary War. It is adjacent to Jasper County, which was named after Sgt. William Jasper, whose story is similar. At least four other states, Georgia, Mississippi, Missouri and Texas, have adjacent Jasper and Newton Counties, as though these two were remembered as a pair.
Upon its re-creation, Newton County was the last of Indiana's 92 counties to be organized.
Geography
According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 403.44 square miles (1,044.9 km2), of which 401.76 square miles (1,040.6 km2) (or 99.58%) is land and 1.68 square miles (4.4 km2) (or 0.42%) is water.
Beaver Lake, once Indiana's largest lake before being drained, existed in what is now Newton County.
J.C. Murphy Lake is at the center of Willow Slough Fish and Wildlife Area.
Newton County is the site of the Kentland crater, a probable meteorite impact crater located between Kentland and Goodland.
Major highways
Interstate 65
U.S. Route 24
U.S. Route 41
U.S. Route 52
State Road 10
State Road 14
State Road 16
State Road 55
State Road 71
State Road 114
Railroads
- CSX Transportation
- Toledo, Peoria and Western Railway
Adjacent counties
- Lake County (north)
- Jasper County (east)
- Benton County (south/ET Border)
- Iroquois County, Illinois (west)
- Kankakee County, Illinois (northwest)
Municipalities
The municipalities in Newton County, and their populations as of the 2010 Census, are:
Towns
Census-designated places
- Lake Village – 765
- Roselawn – 4,131
Other unincorporated places
- Ade
- Beaver City
- Conrad
- Effner
- Enos
- Foresman
- Newton
- Pembroke
- Perkins
- Sumava Resorts
- Thayer
Townships
The 10 townships of Newton County, with their housing units as of the 2010 Census, are:
- Beaver
- Colfax
- Grant
- Iroquois
- Jackson
- Jefferson
- Lake
- Lincoln
- McClellan
- Washington
Climate and weather
| Weather chart for Kentland, Indiana | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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1.8
31
14
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1.6
36
18
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2.8
48
29
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3.4
61
38
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4.1
73
50
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4.5
82
60
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4
85
63
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3.7
83
60
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3.3
78
53
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2.8
65
41
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3.2
49
31
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2.4
36
20
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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 Kentland have ranged from a low of 14 °F (−10 °C) in January to a high of 85 °F (29 °C) in July, with a record low of −25 °F (−32 °C) recorded in January 1985 and a record high of 104 °F (40 °C) recorded in June 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.60 inches (41 mm) in February to 4.51 inches (115 mm) in June.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1860 | 2,360 | — | |
| 1870 | 5,829 | 147.0% | |
| 1880 | 8,167 | 40.1% | |
| 1890 | 8,803 | 7.8% | |
| 1900 | 10,448 | 18.7% | |
| 1910 | 10,504 | 0.5% | |
| 1920 | 10,144 | −3.4% | |
| 1930 | 9,841 | −3.0% | |
| 1940 | 10,775 | 9.5% | |
| 1950 | 11,006 | 2.1% | |
| 1960 | 11,502 | 4.5% | |
| 1970 | 11,606 | 0.9% | |
| 1980 | 14,844 | 27.9% | |
| 1990 | 13,551 | −8.7% | |
| 2000 | 14,566 | 7.5% | |
| 2010 | 14,244 | −2.2% | |
| 2020 | 13,830 | −2.9% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 13,960 | −2.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010 |
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As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 14,244 people, 5,503 households, and 3,945 families residing in the county. The population density was 35.5 inhabitants per square mile (13.7/km2). There were 6,030 housing units at an average density of 15.0 per square mile (5.8/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 96.2% white, 0.4% black or African American, 0.3% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 1.8% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 5.0% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 30.4% were German, 16.9% were Irish, 11.0% were English, 8.1% were Polish, 7.6% were Dutch, and 6.5% were American.
Of the 5,503 households, 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.3% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 28.3% were non-families, and 23.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.00. The median age was 42.4 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $60,242. Males had a median income of $45,389 versus $29,891 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,055. About 4.8% of families and 8.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.0% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Public schools in Newton County are administered by two districts:
- North Newton School Corporation
- South Newton School Corporation
High Schools and Middle Schools
- North Newton Junior-Senior High School
- South Newton High School
- South Newton Middle School
Elementary Schools
- Lake Village Elementary School
- Lincoln Elementary School
- Morocco Elementary School
- South Newton Elementary School
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Newton (Indiana) para niños
