Dubois County, Indiana Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Dubois County
U.S. county
The Dubois County courthouse in Jasper, Indiana
Location within the U.S. state of Indiana
Indiana's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Indiana
Founded	December 20, 1818
Named for	Toussaint Dubois
Seat	Jasper
Largest city	Jasper
Area
• Total	435.33 sq mi (1,127.5 km²)
• Land	427.27 sq mi (1,106.6 km²)
• Water	8.06 sq mi (20.9 km²) 1.85%%
Population (2020)
• Total	43,637
• Estimate (2023)	43,546
• Density	97.4/sq mi (37.6/km²)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	8th
Indiana county number 19

Dubois County is a special area called a county in the state of Indiana, United States. It's like a big neighborhood with its own local government. In 2020, about 43,637 people lived here. The main town and center of the county is Jasper. Dubois County is also the main part of the Jasper Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is a group of nearby towns that are connected.

History of Dubois County
Geography of Dubois County
People of Dubois County (Demographics)
- 2020 Census Information
Economy in Dubois County
- Fun for Visitors (Tourism)
Education in Dubois County
- School Corporations
- High Schools
How to Get Around (Infrastructure)
- Major Highways
See also

History of Dubois County

Dubois County was officially created on December 20, 1818. It was formed from parts of Orange, Pike, and Perry counties.

The county is named after Toussaint Dubois. He was a French person who fought bravely in important wars like the American Revolutionary War, the Battle of Tippecanoe, and the War of 1812. Dubois was a merchant, which means he bought and sold goods, and he mostly lived in Vincennes. Sadly, he drowned in 1816 while crossing a river.

In 1818, a serious illness called "milk sickness" affected many people in the county. About half of the residents became sick and died. This happened because cows ate a poisonous plant called white snakeroot. The poison then passed into their milk. People who drank this milk became very ill. Many new settlers from the East didn't know about this dangerous plant.

Dubois County has changed its time zone a couple of times. On April 2, 2006, it switched to the Central Time Zone. Then, on November 4, 2007, it went back to the Eastern Time Zone. These changes caused some disagreements, as some towns preferred one time zone over the other.

The very first county seat, or main town, was Portersville. But in 1830, the county seat was moved south to Jasper, where it is today.

Geography of Dubois County

Dubois County covers a total area of about 435 square miles. Most of this area, about 427 square miles, is land. The rest, about 8 square miles, is water.

Cities in Dubois County

Towns in Dubois County

Other Places to Know

Some other communities in Dubois County are called census-designated places or unincorporated places. These are smaller communities that are not officially cities or towns.

Dubois (a census-designated place)

Here are some other smaller communities:

Townships in Dubois County

Counties are often divided into smaller areas called townships. Here are the townships in Dubois County:

Bainbridge
Boone
Cass
Columbia
Ferdinand
Hall
Harbison
Jackson
Jefferson
Madison
Marion
Patoka

Neighboring Counties

Dubois County shares its borders with several other counties:

Martin County (to the north)
Orange County (to the northeast)
Crawford County (to the east)
Perry County (to the southeast)
Spencer County (to the south)
Warrick County (to the southwest)
Pike County (to the west)
Daviess County (to the northwest)

Climate and Weather in Jasper

Weather chart for Jasper, Indiana

2.8

4.1

4.7

5.3

4.7

4.4

4.1

3.6

3.2

4.3

3.5

temperatures in °F
precipitation totals in inches
source: The Weather Channel

Metric conversion

J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
77 3 -7	71 7 -4	104 12 1	118 18 6	134 23 11	119 28 16	111 30 19	105 29 17	90 26 13	80 19 7	109 13 2	89 6 -4
temperatures in °C • precipitation totals in mm

The weather in Jasper, Indiana, changes throughout the year. In January, the average low temperature is around 20°F (about -7°C). In July, the average high temperature is around 86°F (about 30°C).

The coldest temperature ever recorded was -25°F (-32°C) in January 1994. The hottest temperature ever recorded was 104°F (40°C) in July 1966.

The amount of rain and snow also changes. February usually has the least amount of precipitation, while May often has the most.

People of Dubois County (Demographics)

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1820	1,168	—
1830	1,778	52.2%
1840	3,632	104.3%
1850	6,321	74.0%
1860	10,394	64.4%
1870	12,597	21.2%
1880	15,992	27.0%
1890	20,253	26.6%
1900	20,357	0.5%
1910	19,843	−2.5%
1920	19,915	0.4%
1930	20,553	3.2%
1940	22,579	9.9%
1950	23,785	5.3%
1960	27,463	15.5%
1970	30,934	12.6%
1980	34,238	10.7%
1990	36,616	6.9%
2000	39,674	8.4%
2010	41,889	5.6%
2020	43,637	4.2%
2023 (est.)	43,546	4.0%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2013

In 2010, there were 41,889 people living in Dubois County. This means there were about 98 people per square mile. Most of the people living here were white (95.1%). Other groups included Asian (0.5%), Black or African American (0.3%), and American Indian (0.2%). About 6.0% of the population was of Hispanic or Latino origin.

Many families in Dubois County have German roots (58.0%). Other common backgrounds include American (9.0%), Irish (8.1%), and English (6.7%).

In 2010, about 34.2% of households had children under 18 living with them. The average age of people in the county was about 39.9 years old.

2020 Census Information

The 2020 census showed that the population of Dubois County was 43,637.

Dubois County Racial Composition
Race	Num.	Perc.
White (Not Hispanic)	38,137	87.4%
Black or African American (Not Hispanic)	190	0.44%
Native American (Not Hispanic)	55	0.13%
Asian (Not Hispanic)	247	0.56%
Pacific Islander (Not Hispanic)	5	0.01%
Other/Mixed (Not Hispanic)	857	2%
Hispanic or Latino	4,146	9.5%

Economy in Dubois County

The economy in Dubois County is strong. In 2010, the average income for a household was about $47,697 per year. For families, it was about $64,286 per year. The average income for each person in the county was $24,801. A small number of families (6.9%) and people (9.6%) lived below the poverty line.

Fun for Visitors (Tourism)

Dubois County offers some great places for visitors and outdoor activities.

Patoka Lake is a large lake on the eastern side of the county. Many national bass fishing tournaments are held here, attracting anglers from all over.
The Hoosier National Forest is also partly located in the county. This forest is a beautiful place for hiking, camping, and enjoying nature.