Ohio County, Indiana

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Rising Sun, Indiana
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Ohio County
Ohio County
County
	Ohio County Courthouse in Rising Sun
	Location within the U.S. state of Indiana
	Indiana's location within the U.S.
	Coordinates: 38°57′N 84°58′W / 38.95°N 84.97°W
Country	United States
State	Indiana
Founded	1844
Named for	Ohio River
Seat	Rising Sun
Largest city	Rising Sun
Area
• Total	87.43 sq mi (226.4 km2)
• Land	86.14 sq mi (223.1 km2)
• Water	1.29 sq mi (3.3 km2) 1.48%
Population (2020)
• Total	5,940
• Estimate (2023)	6,004
• Density	68/sq mi (26/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	6th
	Indiana county number 58; FIPS County Code 115; Smallest county in Indiana in area; Least populated county in Indiana

Ohio County is a county located in southeastern Indiana. With a 2020 population of 5,940, and an area of just 87 square miles, Ohio County is the smallest county in Indiana by area and the least populous.^[1] The county seat and only incorporated municipality is Rising Sun.^[2]^[3] The county was officially established in 1844 and was one of the last Indiana counties to be created. Ohio County borders the state of Kentucky across the Ohio River for which it was named. It is part of the Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county is divided into four townships which provide local services.^[4]^[5] Three state roads pass through or into the county.^[6]

History

Dearborn County was formed from Indiana Territory in 1803, and its borders were modified several times, both before and after the creation of the state of Indiana in 1816. Ohio County was created out of Dearborn County, authorized by legislative action effective January 4, 1844, to resolve a dispute of county seat between Rising Sun and Lawrenceburg.^[7] It was named for the Ohio River, which defines its eastern border.^[8]

The Ohio County courthouse was built in the county seat of Rising Sun in 1845. It is a two-story Greek Revival brick building measuring about 60 feet (18 m) by 40 feet (12 m), including the portico supported by Doric pillars.^[9] This courthouse is still in use and is the oldest continuously used courthouse in the state.^[10]

Geography

According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 87.43 square miles (226.4 km²), of which 86.14 square miles (223.1 km²) (or 98.52%) is land and 1.29 square miles (3.3 km²) (or 1.48%) is water.^[11]

Adjacent counties

Boone County, Kentucky – east
Dearborn County – north
Ripley County – northwest
Switzerland County – south

Communities

Incorporated communities

Rising Sun – on the banks of the Ohio River

Unincorporated communities

Townships

Transportation

Highways

US Route 50 in Dearborn County passes within 2 miles (3.2 km) of Ohio County's northern border.^[12]
State Road 56 enters from Switzerland County to the south and passes east along the southern border, then north through Rising Sun and along the river, continuing north to Dearborn county.^[13]
State Road 156 runs along the Ohio River in Switzerland County, and enters the far southeast part of Ohio County, continuing NW and north to its intersection with State Road 56, 1.5 miles inside Ohio County.^[14]
State Road 262 enters from Dillsboro and crosses the county in a general eastern direction, ending in Rising Sun.^[15]

Railroads

There are no active railroad lines in the county.^[16]

Education

Ohio County has two schools managed by a single school corporation.^[17] The Ohio County Elementary–Middle School served a total of 636 students during the 2009–2010 school year.^[18] Rising Sun High School served a total of 264 students during the same period.^[19]

Ohio County residents are served by the Ohio County Public Library with a single branch in Rising Sun.^[20]

Climate and weather

In recent years, average temperatures in Rising Sun have ranged from a low of 21 °F (−6 °C) in January to a high of 87 °F (31 °C) in July, although a record low of −23 °F (−31 °C) was recorded in January 1994 and a record high of 104 °F (40 °C) was recorded in July 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.92 inches (74 mm) in October to 4.83 inches (123 mm) in June.^[21]

Government

The county government is a constitutional body granted specific powers by the Constitution of Indiana and the Indiana Code. The county council is the legislative branch of the county government and controls all spending and revenue collection. Representatives are elected from county districts. The council members serve four-year terms and are responsible for setting salaries, the annual budget and special spending. The council also 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.^[22]^[23]

A board of commissioners serves as the county's executive body. The commissioners are elected county–wide to staggered four–year terms. One commissioner serves as board president. The board executes the acts legislated by the council, collects revenue, and manages day-to-day functions of the county government.^[22]^[23]

The county maintains a small claims court that can handle some civil cases. The judge on the court is elected to a term of four years and must be a member of the Indiana Bar Association. The judge is assisted by a constable who is elected to a four-year term. In some cases, court decisions can be appealed to the state level circuit court which is shared with neighboring Dearborn County.^[23]^[24]

The county has several other elected offices, including sheriff, coroner, auditor, treasurer, recorder, surveyor and circuit court clerk; they are elected to four–year terms. Members elected to county government positions are required to declare party affiliations and be residents of the county.^[23]

Each of the townships has a trustee who administers rural fire protection and ambulance service, provides poor relief and manages cemetery care, among other duties.^[5] The trustee is assisted in these duties by a three-member township board. The trustees and board members are elected to four-year terms.^[25]

Ohio County is part of Indiana's 6th congressional district; Indiana Senate district 43;^[26] and Indiana House of Representatives district 68.^[27]

United States presidential election results for Ohio County, Indiana^[28]
Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party
Year	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	2,392	75.60%	750	23.70%	22	0.70%
2016	2,118	72.51%	686	23.49%	117	4.01%
2012	1,759	62.40%	994	35.26%	66	2.34%
2008	1,713	58.70%	1,158	39.68%	47	1.61%
2004	1,796	60.72%	1,139	38.51%	23	0.78%
2000	1,515	60.79%	951	38.16%	26	1.04%
1996	1,098	44.38%	1,083	43.78%	293	11.84%
1992	1,009	40.14%	970	38.58%	535	21.28%
1988	1,412	55.79%	1,113	43.97%	6	0.24%
1984	1,503	58.32%	1,068	41.44%	6	0.23%
1980	1,264	52.23%	1,074	44.38%	82	3.39%
1976	1,027	43.95%	1,300	55.63%	10	0.43%
1972	1,368	59.50%	922	40.10%	9	0.39%
1968	1,053	46.04%	991	43.33%	243	10.63%
1964	905	39.21%	1,397	60.53%	6	0.26%
1960	1,314	56.25%	1,015	43.45%	7	0.30%
1956	1,237	53.07%	1,087	46.63%	7	0.30%
1952	1,219	51.92%	1,119	47.66%	10	0.43%
1948	1,031	46.55%	1,173	52.96%	11	0.50%
1944	1,126	51.56%	1,043	47.76%	15	0.69%
1940	1,186	49.33%	1,210	50.33%	8	0.33%
1936	1,022	42.87%	1,362	57.13%	0	0.00%
1932	997	43.25%	1,288	55.88%	20	0.87%
1928	1,230	57.10%	911	42.29%	13	0.60%
1924	989	46.98%	1,058	50.26%	58	2.76%
1920	1,177	50.91%	1,097	47.45%	38	1.64%
1916	597	47.46%	632	50.24%	29	2.31%
1912	406	36.02%	553	49.07%	168	14.91%
1908	619	49.13%	622	49.37%	19	1.51%
1904	962	60.66%	584	36.82%	40	2.52%
1900	730	53.25%	632	46.10%	9	0.66%
1896	705	52.61%	634	47.31%	1	0.07%
1892	662	51.72%	606	47.34%	12	0.94%
1888	726	55.25%	585	44.52%	3	0.23%

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1850	5,308		—
1860	5,462		2.9%
1870	5,837		6.9%
1880	5,563		−4.7%
1890	4,955		−10.9%
1900	4,724		−4.7%
1910	4,329		−8.4%
1920	4,024		−7.0%
1930	3,747		−6.9%
1940	3,782		0.9%
1950	4,223		11.7%
1960	4,165		−1.4%
1970	4,289		3.0%
1980	5,114		19.2%
1990	5,315		3.9%
2000	5,623		5.8%
2010	6,128		9.0%
2020	5,940		−3.1%
2023 (est.)	6,004	^[29]	1.1%
U.S. Decennial Census^[30] 1790-1960^[31] 1900-1990^[32] 1990-2000^[33] 2010-2017^[1]

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 6,128 people, 2,477 households, and 1,737 families residing in the county.^[34] The population density was 71.1 inhabitants per square mile (27.5/km²). There were 2,784 housing units at an average density of 32.3 per square mile (12.5/km²).^[11] The racial makeup of the county was 98.1% white, 0.4% black or African American, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.3% from other races, and 0.7% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.1% of the population.^[34] In terms of ancestry, 33.5% were German, 12.6% were Irish, 12.2% were American, and 7.3% were English.^[35]

Of the 2,477 households, 28.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.2% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.9% were non-families, and 25.2% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.91. The median age was 43.7 years.^[34]

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $64,271. Males had a median income of $49,241 versus $30,536 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,703. About 5.5% of families and 8.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.4% of those under age 18 and 8.6% of those age 65 or over.^[36]

References

^ ^a ^b "Ohio County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 4, 2011. Retrieved September 25, 2011.
^ "Find a County – Ohio County IN". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on February 27, 2014. Retrieved December 3, 2011.
^ "Ohio County IN – County Subdivision and Place. GCT-PH1. Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2000". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 16, 2020. Retrieved February 9, 2011.
^ "Ohio". Indiana Township Association. Archived from the original on June 1, 2009. Retrieved December 3, 2011.
^ ^a ^b "Duties". United Township Association of Indiana. Retrieved January 6, 2011.
^ "Indiana Transportation Map 2009–2010" (PDF). Indiana Dept. of Transportation. 2009. Retrieved December 16, 2010.
^ History of Dearborn and Ohio Counties, Indiana 1885, p9. 111–9.
^ Baker, Ronald L.; Carmony, Marvin (1975). Indiana Place Names. Bloomington IN: Indiana University Press. p. 121.
^ History of Dearborn and Ohio Counties, Indiana 1885, pp. 123–124.
^ Counts, Will; Jon Dilts (1991). The 92 Magnificent Indiana Courthouses. Bloomington IN: Indiana University Press. pp. 162–3. ISBN 978-0-253-33638-5.
^ ^a ^b "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
^ "US Route 50". Highway Explorer. Archived from the original on October 12, 2012. Retrieved December 11, 2011.
^ "State Road 56". Highway Explorer. Archived from the original on March 9, 2012. Retrieved December 11, 2011.
^ "State Road 156". Highway Explorer. Archived from the original on April 6, 2012. Retrieved December 11, 2011.
^ "State Road 262". Highway Explorer. Archived from the original on April 6, 2012. Retrieved December 11, 2011.
^ "State of Indiana 2011 Rail System Map" (PDF). Indiana Dept. of Transportation. 2011. Retrieved June 19, 2011.
^ "Ohio County School Corporations". Indiana Department of Education. Retrieved December 3, 2011.
^ "Ohio County Elem-Middle Sch - Overview". Indiana Department of Education. Retrieved December 3, 2011.
^ "Rising Sun High School - Overview". Indiana Department of Education. Retrieved December 3, 2011.
^ "Indiana public library directory" (PDF). Indiana State Library. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
^ ^a ^b "Monthly Averages for Rising Sun, Indiana". The Weather Channel. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
^ ^a ^b Indiana Code. "Title 36, Article 2, Section 3". Government of Indiana. Retrieved September 16, 2008.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Indiana Code. "Title 2, Article 10, Section 2" (PDF). Government of Indiana. Retrieved September 16, 2008.
^ "Indiana Trial Courts: Types of Courts". Indiana Courts. Archived from the original on October 19, 2011. Retrieved December 3, 2011.
^ "Government". United Township Association of Indiana. Retrieved January 6, 2011.
^ "Indiana Senate Districts". State of Indiana. Retrieved July 14, 2011.
^ "Indiana House Districts". State of Indiana. Retrieved July 14, 2011.
^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
^ "US Decennial Census". US Census Bureau. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". US Census Bureau. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). US Census Bureau. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
^ "Selected Social Characteristics in the United States – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 14, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
^ "Selected Economic Characteristics – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 14, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2015.