Jennings County, Indiana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jennings County
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Jennings County courthouse in Vernon, Indiana
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Location within the U.S. state of Indiana
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 Indiana's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Indiana |
| Founded | 1817 |
| Named for | Jonathan Jennings |
| Seat | Vernon |
| Largest city | North Vernon |
| Area | |
| • Total | 378.34 sq mi (979.9 km2) |
| • Land | 376.58 sq mi (975.3 km2) |
| • Water | 1.76 sq mi (4.6 km2) 0.47%% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 27,613 |
| • Density | 72.9846/sq mi (28.1795/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 6th |
| Indiana county number 40 | |
Jennings County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2020, about 27,613 people lived there. The main town, or county seat, is Vernon.
Contents
History of Jennings County
Jennings County was created in 1817. It was named after Jonathan Jennings, who was the very first Governor of Indiana. He was also a congressman for many years. Jonathan Jennings was the governor when the county was officially formed.
Geography of Jennings County
Jennings County covers about 378 square miles (979 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 99.5%, is land, and a small part is water. It's a mostly rural area, meaning you'll see lots of farms and forests.
There are two main towns in the county: Vernon, which is the county seat, and North Vernon. Both are small compared to big cities. The county is located in a good spot, roughly an hour and a quarter drive from three major cities: Indianapolis, Indiana; Cincinnati, Ohio; and Louisville, Kentucky.
It's also home to the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center. This is a special place near North Vernon where people train for homeland security and other emergency situations.
Main Towns and Places
- North Vernon (a city)
- Vernon (a town and the county seat)
Neighboring Counties
Jennings County shares borders with these other counties:
- Decatur County (to the north)
- Ripley County (to the east)
- Jefferson County (to the southeast)
- Scott County (to the south)
- Jackson County (to the west)
- Bartholomew County (to the northwest)
Major Roads
These are the main highways that go through Jennings County:
U.S. Route 50
State Road 3
State Road 7
State Road 250
Parks and Natural Areas
You can find these parks and protected areas in Jennings County:
- Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge (part of it)
- Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge (part of it)
- Muscatatuck County Park
- Selmier State Forest
Climate and Weather
| Weather chart for Vernon, Indiana | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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3
38
22
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2.7
45
26
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3.8
55
34
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4.4
66
43
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4.7
75
52
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3.8
83
61
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4.4
86
65
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4.4
84
63
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2.9
78
56
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3.2
67
44
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3.8
54
36
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3.4
43
27
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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 Vernon, the average temperatures usually range from about 22°F (-6°C) in January to 86°F (30°C) in July. The coldest temperature ever recorded was -24°F (-31°C) in January 1977. The hottest was 105°F (41°C) in July 1954. The county gets about 2.71 inches (6.9 cm) of rain in February and up to 4.72 inches (12 cm) in May.
Population and People
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1820 | 2,000 | — | |
| 1830 | 3,974 | 98.7% | |
| 1840 | 8,829 | 122.2% | |
| 1850 | 12,096 | 37.0% | |
| 1860 | 14,749 | 21.9% | |
| 1870 | 16,218 | 10.0% | |
| 1880 | 16,453 | 1.4% | |
| 1890 | 14,608 | −11.2% | |
| 1900 | 15,757 | 7.9% | |
| 1910 | 14,203 | −9.9% | |
| 1920 | 13,280 | −6.5% | |
| 1930 | 11,800 | −11.1% | |
| 1940 | 13,680 | 15.9% | |
| 1950 | 15,250 | 11.5% | |
| 1960 | 17,267 | 13.2% | |
| 1970 | 19,454 | 12.7% | |
| 1980 | 22,854 | 17.5% | |
| 1990 | 23,661 | 3.5% | |
| 2000 | 27,554 | 16.5% | |
| 2010 | 28,525 | 3.5% | |
| 2020 | 27,613 | −3.2% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 27,622 | −3.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010 |
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In 2010, there were 28,525 people living in Jennings County. Most people living there were white (96.8%). A small number were black or African American (0.8%), Asian (0.2%), or American Indian (0.1%). About 2% of the population was of Hispanic or Latino background.
The average age of people in the county was about 38.4 years old.
Education
If you live in Jennings County, you can get a library card from the Jennings County Public Library in North Vernon.
Famous People from Jennings County
Many interesting people have come from Jennings County, including:
- Sarah T. Bolton, a poet
- Ovid Butler, who founded Butler University
- Royce Campbell, a jazz guitarist
- Cliff Daringer, a baseball player
- Rolla Daringer, a Major League Baseball player
- Lincoln Dixon, a U.S. Representative
- Scott Earl, a Major League Baseball player
- Robert Sanford Foster, a Civil War General
- John "Spider" Miller, a golf team captain
- Jethro New, a frontiersman and army officer
- Jeptha D. New, a U.S. Representative
- John C. New, a Treasurer of the United States
- Horatio C. Newcomb, a Mayor of Indianapolis
- Hannah Milhous Nixon, the mother of President Richard Nixon
- Pat O'Connor, a famous race car driver
- Mike Simon, a Major League Baseball player
- Jessamyn West, an author
- Edgar Whitcomb, the 43rd Governor of Indiana
- Albert Edward Wiggam, a psychologist and author
Images for kids
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Jennings County courthouse in Vernon, Indiana
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Jennings para niños
