Pike County, Indiana facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Pike County
U.S. county
Pike County Courthouse in Petersburg
Location within the U.S. state of Indiana
Indiana's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Indiana
Founded	December 21, 1816
Named for	Zebulon Pike
Seat	Petersburg
Largest city	Petersburg
Area
• Total	341.09 sq mi (883.4 km²)
• Land	334.24 sq mi (865.7 km²)
• Water	6.86 sq mi (17.8 km²) 2.01%%
Population (2020)
• Total	12,250
• Density	35.914/sq mi (13.867/km²)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	8th
Indiana county number 63 First county created after statehood 2010 median center of U.S. population

Pike County is a place in the southwest part of Indiana, a state in the United States. In 2020, about 12,250 people lived there. The main town, or county seat, is Petersburg. Pike County is special because in 2010, the exact middle point of the U.S. population was located there.

Pike County is also part of the Jasper area, which is a group of towns and cities that are connected economically.

History of Pike County
Geography of Pike County
Climate and Weather
Population of Pike County
- Pike County in 2010
Education in Pike County
See also

History of Pike County

In 1787, the new United States created the Northwest Territory. This huge area included what is now Indiana. Later, in 1800, a part of this territory became the Indiana Territory. Thomas Jefferson, who was President, chose William Henry Harrison to be its first governor. The capital was set up in Vincennes.

Over time, more territories were formed, and Indiana became its current size. On December 11, 1816, Indiana officially became a state.

Land and Early Settlers

Before Indiana became a state, the U.S. government worked to get land from the Native American tribes. This happened through agreements and treaties, like the Treaty of 1804 and the Treaty of Fort Wayne in 1809. These agreements helped clear the way for new settlers in the area that would become Pike County. The first settlers started arriving around 1800.

How Pike County Was Formed

The area of Pike County was first part of Knox County in 1790. As more people moved in, this large county was divided into smaller ones. For example, Gibson County was created in 1813, and Warrick County was formed shortly after.

Then, on December 21, 1816, just ten days after Indiana became a state, the state government decided to create Pike County. It was made from parts of Gibson, Knox, and Perry counties. The first leaders of the county chose Petersburg as the county seat in 1817. The town was named after Peter Brenton, who owned the land where it was built. A post office opened in Petersburg in 1823.

Who Was Pike County Named After?

Pike County was named after Zebulon Pike. He was a famous explorer who led an expedition in 1806–1807 to explore the southwestern part of the Louisiana Purchase. He also fought in the War of 1812. He was a high-ranking officer when he died during a battle in Canada.

Courthouses of Pike County

The first courthouse in Pike County was a simple two-story building made of logs. It was built in Petersburg in 1817. Later, in 1834, a new two-story brick building replaced it. A third, even larger courthouse was built in 1868. The building that stands today was built in 1922.

Important People and Developments

From 1959 to 1963, two U.S. senators from Indiana, Vance Hartke and Homer E. Capehart, both came from Pike County. A U.S. Senator is a person elected to represent their state in the U.S. Congress, helping to make laws for the country.

In 2015, a new highway, Interstate 69, was completed in northern Pike County. This helped the local economy by making it easier for people and goods to travel.

Geography of Pike County

Pike County has low hills that have mostly been turned into farmland. However, many of the areas around rivers and streams are still covered in trees. The highest point in the county is about 650 feet (198 meters) above sea level, located northeast of Stendal.

Some parts of Pike County, especially near the Ohio River, used to have strip mines. This is where minerals are dug out from close to the surface. Most of these areas have been cleaned up and restored, but some still show signs of past mining.

The White River flows along the northern edge of the county. The Patoka River also flows through the middle part of the county and forms part of its western border with Gibson County.

Pike County covers about 341 square miles (883 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 334 square miles (865 square kilometers), is land, and the rest is water.

Neighboring Counties

Daviess County – northeast
Dubois County – east
Warrick County – south
Gibson County – west
Knox County – northwest

Main Roads

Interstate 69
SR 56
SR 57
SR 61
SR 64
SR 65
SR 257
SR 356
SR 364

Protected Natural Areas

Columbia Mine Preserve (part)
Interlake State Recreation Area (part)
Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge and Management Area (part)

Cities and Towns

Petersburg (the county seat)

Other Communities

Otwell

Townships

Clay
Jefferson
Lockhart
Logan
Madison
Marion
Monroe
Patoka
Washington

Climate and Weather

Weather chart for Petersburg, Indiana

2.7

4.1

4.2

5.1

3.8

4.2

3.8

2.8

4.5

3.4

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
75 3 -6	69 7 -4	103 12 1	107 19 7	131 24 12	97 28 17	106 31 19	96 30 18	75 27 14	72 21 7	114 13 2	87 6 -3
temperatures in °C • precipitation totals in mm

The weather in Petersburg, Pike County, changes with the seasons. In January, the average low temperature is about 21°F (–6°C). In July, the average high temperature is about 87°F (31°C).

The coldest temperature ever recorded was -18°F (–28°C) in December 1989. The hottest was 101°F (38°C) in September 2002. The amount of rain and snow changes throughout the year. May usually gets the most precipitation, about 5.14 inches (131 mm). February is usually the driest, with about 2.73 inches (69 mm).

Population of Pike County

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1820	1,472	—
1830	2,475	68.1%
1840	4,769	92.7%
1850	7,720	61.9%
1860	10,078	30.5%
1870	13,779	36.7%
1880	16,383	18.9%
1890	18,544	13.2%
1900	20,486	10.5%
1910	19,684	−3.9%
1920	18,684	−5.1%
1930	16,361	−12.4%
1940	17,045	4.2%
1950	14,995	−12.0%
1960	12,797	−14.7%
1970	12,281	−4.0%
1980	13,465	9.6%
1990	12,509	−7.1%
2000	12,837	2.6%
2010	12,845	0.1%
2020	12,250	−4.6%
2023 (est.)	12,106	−5.8%
US Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010

Pike County in 2010

In 2010, there were 12,845 people living in Pike County. They lived in 5,186 households, and 3,645 of these were families. On average, there were about 38 people per square mile.

Most of the people living in Pike County were white (98.2%). A small number were Black or African American (0.3%), Asian (0.2%), or American Indian (0.2%). About 0.9% of the population was of Hispanic or Latino background.

Many people in Pike County have ancestors from different places. For example, 25.7% said their background was American, 25.1% were German, 15.8% were Irish, and 11.4% were English.

About 29.6% of households had children under 18 living with them. Most households (57.3%) were married couples. The average household had 2.44 people.

The average income for a household in the county was about $47,697 per year. For families, it was about $49,423. About 12.9% of all people in the county lived below the poverty line. This means their income was below a certain level set by the government.

Education in Pike County

Pike County has one main school district called the Pike County School Corporation. This district runs Pike Central High School, which is the high school for the area.