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Howard County, Indiana facts for kids

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Howard County
Howard County courthouse in Kokomo, Indiana
Howard County courthouse in Kokomo, Indiana
Official seal of Howard County
Seal
Map of Indiana highlighting Howard County
Location within the U.S. state of Indiana
Map of the United States highlighting Indiana
Indiana's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Indiana
Founded 1844
Named for Tilghman Howard
Seat Kokomo
Largest city Kokomo
Area
 • Total 293.92 sq mi (761.2 km2)
 • Land 293.06 sq mi (759.0 km2)
 • Water 0.86 sq mi (2.2 km2)  0.29%%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 83,658
 • Density 284.628/sq mi (109.8957/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional districts 4th, 5th
Indiana county number 34

Howard County is one of 92 counties in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 83,658. The county seat is Kokomo. Originally named Richardville County, it was renamed in 1846 to commemorate General Tilghman Ashurst Howard.

Howard County comprises the Kokomo, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 293.92 square miles (761.2 km2), of which 293.06 square miles (759.0 km2) (or 99.71%) is land and 0.86 square miles (2.2 km2) (or 0.29%) is water.

Adjacent counties

History

This county was organized in 1844. It was first known as Richardville County. Its first name honored Jean Baptiste Richardville, a chief of the Miami. Richardville's name was Pe-che-wa, which translates to “Wildcat”, hence Wildcat Creek.

In 1846, the name was changed to Howard County, in honor of Gen. Tilghman Howard, U.S. Representative from Indiana, who died in 1844.

Notable locations

  • Kokomo Reservoir (Wildcat Creek Reservoir)
  • Western Days Festival: First week of June, in Russiaville, Indiana
  • Howard County 4-H Fair, in Greentown, Indiana
  • Koh-Koh-Mah & Foster Living History Encampment, mid-September
  • Kokomo-Howard County Public Library

Communities

City

Towns

Former census-designated place

Townships

  • Center
  • Clay
  • Ervin
  • Harrison
  • Honey Creek
  • Howard
  • Jackson
  • Liberty
  • Monroe
  • Taylor
  • Union

Other places

Climate and weather

Weather chart for Kokomo, Indiana
J F M A M J J A S O N D
 
 
2.5
 
30
15
 
 
2.3
 
36
19
 
 
3.3
 
47
28
 
 
3.7
 
60
38
 
 
4.1
 
71
49
 
 
4
 
81
58
 
 
4.4
 
84
62
 
 
4.2
 
82
60
 
 
3.1
 
76
52
 
 
3
 
64
41
 
 
3.6
 
49
32
 
 
3.2
 
36
21
temperatures in °F
precipitation totals in inches
source: The Weather Channel

In recent years, average temperatures in Kokomo 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 −26 °F (−32 °C) was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of 110 °F (43 °C) was recorded in July 1936. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.29 inches (58 mm) in February to 4.37 inches (111 mm) in July.

Transportation

Airports

  • Kokomo Municipal Airport

Highways

  • US 31
  • US 35
  • SR 19
  • SR 22
  • SR 26
  • SR 213
  • SR 931

Bus services

  • City-Line Trolley Serves the city of Kokomo. It is a fixed transportation route that is free to ride and has free wifi.
  • Trailways A service running from Indianapolis through Kokomo, and then to South Bend.
  • Greyhound Lines A nationwide service, the Kokomo stop is at the Marathon gas station on North Reed Road, and Gano Street.

Walking trails

  • Walk Of Excellence – serves the city of Kokomo.
  • Industrial Heritage Trail – serves the city of Kokomo.
  • Nickel Plate Trail – ends in northern Howard County in unincorporated community, Cassville. Connects directly to Industrial Heritage Trail in Kokomo.
  • Cloverleaf Trail - Serves the West side to downtown of the city of Kokomo.
  • Comet Trail – serves the town of Greentown, and is exactly one mile in length.
  • Historic Downtown Trail – serves the city of Greentown, marked with information about Greentown's history.

Education

Colleges and universities

  • Indiana University Kokomo (IUK)
  • Indiana Wesleyan University – Kokomo Campus
  • Ivy Tech Community College
  • Purdue College of Technology

Public school districts

Private schools

  • Redeemer Lutheran School (K–8)
  • Sts. Joan of Arc and St. Patrick Catholic School (K–8)
  • Temple Christian School (K–12)
  • Victory Christian Academy (K–12)
  • Acacia Academy (K–8)

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1850 6,657
1860 12,524 88.1%
1870 15,847 26.5%
1880 19,584 23.6%
1890 26,186 33.7%
1900 28,575 9.1%
1910 33,177 16.1%
1920 43,965 32.5%
1930 46,696 6.2%
1940 47,752 2.3%
1950 54,498 14.1%
1960 69,509 27.5%
1970 83,198 19.7%
1980 86,896 4.4%
1990 80,827 −7.0%
2000 84,964 5.1%
2010 82,752 −2.6%
2020 83,658 1.1%
2023 (est.) 83,831 1.3%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2013 2020

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 82,752 people, 34,301 households, and 22,604 families residing in the county. The population density was 282.4 inhabitants per square mile (109.0/km2). There were 38,679 housing units at an average density of 132.0 per square mile (51.0/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 88.6% white, 6.9% black or African American, 0.9% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.8% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.7% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 22.4% were German, 15.3% were American, 10.8% were English, and 10.2% were Irish.

Of the 34,301 households, 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.3% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 34.1% were non-families, and 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.92. The median age was 40.7 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $55,479. Males had a median income of $50,838 versus $33,196 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,759. About 13.1% of families and 16.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.9% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Howard (Indiana) para niños

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