Whitley County, Indiana facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Whitley County
U.S. county
Whitley County courthouse in Columbia City
Location within the U.S. state of Indiana
Indiana's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Indiana
Founded	February 7, 1835 (authorized) 1838 (organized)
Named for	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
• Density	101.6/sq mi (39.2/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	3rd
Indiana county number 92 Last alphabetical county in Indiana.

Whitley County is a rural county in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 36,825. Whitley County is the 49th largest county in Indiana. The county seat (and only incorporated city) is Columbia City. The county has the highest county number (92) on Indiana license plates, as it is alphabetically the last in the state's list of counties. It is part of the Fort Wayne Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Fort Wayne–Huntington–Auburn Combined Statistical Area.

History

Indiana was granted statehood near the end of 1816. On February 7, 1835, the state legislature approved an omnibus bill that authorized the creation of thirteen counties, including Whitley. It was named for Col. William Whitley, who was killed in the Battle of the Thames in the War of 1812.

The first non-Native American settlers arrived in the area during that year, as a result of the end of the Black Hawk War and completion of the Erie Canal. They were from New England - "Yankee" settlers, descendents of the English Puritans who settled New England in the colonial era. They were primarily members of the Congregational Church though due to the Second Great Awakening many of them had converted to Methodism and some had become Baptists before coming to Indiana. Whitley County government was organized in 1838.

In the late 1870s immigrants began arriving from Germany and Ireland.

Geography

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 to urban development. Its highest point (approx. 1,000 ft; 300 m ASL) is a small rise NE of Cedar Lake. The Eel River flows southwestward through the lower part of the county, and the Blue River flows southwestward through the upper part.

According to the 2010 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.

Adjacent counties

City and towns

Census-designated place

• Tri-Lakes

Unincorporated places

Townships

Lakes

Protected areas

• Deniston Resource Area
• Goose Lake Wetland Conservation Area
• Pisgah Marsh Nongame Area (part)

Major highways

Climate and weather

In recent years, 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.

Demographics

2010 Census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 33,292 people, 13,001 households, and 9,228 families in the county. 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). 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. In terms of ancestry, 38.2% were German, 12.6% were Irish, 12.5% were American, and 9.3% were English.

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.

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 the poverty line, including 7.2% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over.

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Whitley (Indiana) para niños