Ripley County, Indiana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ripley County
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Ripley County Courthouse in Versailles
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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 | December 27, 1816 |
| Named for | Eleazer Wheelock Ripley |
| Seat | Versailles |
| Largest city | Batesville |
| Area | |
| • Total | 448.06 sq mi (1,160.5 km2) |
| • Land | 446.43 sq mi (1,156.2 km2) |
| • Water | 1.64 sq mi (4.2 km2) 0.37%% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 28,995 |
| • Density | 64.7123/sq mi (24.9856/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 6th |
| Website | http://www.ripleycounty.com/ |
| Indiana county number 69 FIPS Code 137 |
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Ripley County is a county located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Indiana. In 2020, about 28,995 people lived here. The main town and county seat is Versailles.
Contents
History of Ripley County
Ripley County was created on December 27, 1816. It was formed at the same time as Jennings County. The county was named after General Eleazer Wheelock Ripley. He was an officer who fought in the War of 1812. General Ripley was known for his role in battles like the Battle of Lundy's Lane and the Siege of Fort Erie in 1814.
Geography and Nature
The county seat of Ripley County is Versailles. This town was chosen as the county seat in 1818 and was planned out in 1819.
Ripley County covers a total area of about 448 square miles (1,160 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 446 square miles (1,156 square kilometers), is land. Only a small part, about 1.64 square miles (4.25 square kilometers), is water.
Townships in Ripley County
Ripley County is divided into several smaller areas called townships. These help organize the county.
- Adams
- Brown
- Center
- Delaware
- Franklin
- Jackson
- Johnson
- Laughery
- Otter Creek
- Shelby
- Washington
Local Communities
Many smaller communities are found throughout Ripley County. Some of these are:
- Allen Crossing
- Ballstown
- Behlmer Corner
- Benham
- Clinton
- Correct
- Cross Plains
- Cross Roads
- Dabney
- Delaware
- Dewberry
- Elrod
- Friendship
- Haney Corner
- Jackson
- Jolleyville
- Laugheryville
- Lookout
- Morris
- Negangards Corner
- New Carrollton
- New Marion
- Old Milan
- Olean
- Otter Village
- Penntown
- Pierceville
- Prattsburg
- Rexville
- Spades
- Stringtown
- Stumpke Corner
Historic Ghost Towns
Neighboring Counties
Ripley County shares borders with several other counties:
- Dearborn County (to the east)
- Decatur County (to the northwest)
- Franklin County (to the north)
- Jefferson County (to the south)
- Jennings County (to the west)
- Ohio County (to the east–southeast)
- Switzerland County (at the southeast tip)
Main Roads and Highways
Several important roads pass through Ripley County, connecting it to other areas:
Interstate 74 runs east–west across the northern part of the county.
US Route 50 goes east–west through the middle of the county, passing through Holton and Versailles.
US Route 421 enters from Decatur County and goes south through Versailles.
State Road 46 runs east–west near Interstate 74 in the north.
State Road 48 runs east–west through the upper part of the county, including Napoleon.
State Road 62 starts near Cross Plains and goes east through Friendship.
State Road 101 starts near US Route 50 and goes north to Penntown.
State Road 129 goes south from Batesville through Versailles and Cross Plains.
State Road 229 enters from Franklin County at Batesville and goes south and west.
State Road 350 starts at Osgood and goes east through Delaware and Pierceville.
Protected Natural Areas
Part of the Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge is located in Ripley County. This area helps protect wildlife and their habitats.
Climate and Weather Patterns
| Weather chart for Versailles, Indiana | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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3.1
35
18
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2.7
40
21
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3.8
51
30
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4.1
62
38
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5.3
71
47
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4
79
57
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3.9
84
61
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4.6
82
59
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2.9
76
51
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3
65
40
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3.1
52
32
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3.5
40
23
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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 Versailles, the average temperatures change throughout the year. In January, it's usually cold, with lows around 18°F (about -8°C). In July, it gets warm, with highs around 84°F (about 29°C). The coldest temperature ever recorded was -28°F (-33°C) in January 1994. The hottest was 100°F (38°C) in July 1999.
The amount of rain and snow also varies. February usually has the least precipitation, about 2.71 inches (6.9 cm). May typically has the most, about 5.27 inches (13.4 cm).
Population and People
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1820 | 1,822 | — | |
| 1830 | 3,989 | 118.9% | |
| 1840 | 10,392 | 160.5% | |
| 1850 | 14,820 | 42.6% | |
| 1860 | 19,054 | 28.6% | |
| 1870 | 20,977 | 10.1% | |
| 1880 | 21,627 | 3.1% | |
| 1890 | 19,350 | −10.5% | |
| 1900 | 19,881 | 2.7% | |
| 1910 | 19,452 | −2.2% | |
| 1920 | 18,694 | −3.9% | |
| 1930 | 18,078 | −3.3% | |
| 1940 | 18,898 | 4.5% | |
| 1950 | 18,763 | −0.7% | |
| 1960 | 20,641 | 10.0% | |
| 1970 | 21,138 | 2.4% | |
| 1980 | 24,398 | 15.4% | |
| 1990 | 24,616 | 0.9% | |
| 2000 | 26,523 | 7.7% | |
| 2010 | 28,818 | 8.7% | |
| 2020 | 28,995 | 0.6% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 29,227 | 1.4% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010 |
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In 2010, there were 28,818 people living in Ripley County. There were 10,789 households, which are groups of people living together. Most people in the county were white (97.6%). Smaller groups included Asian, American Indian, and Black or African American people. About 1.5% of the population was of Hispanic or Latino background.
Many families in Ripley County have children under 18 living at home. The average household had about 2.63 people. The average age of people in the county was around 39.2 years old.
The average income for a household in the county was about $47,697 per year. For families, the average income was about $57,305 per year.
Education and Schools
Ripley County has several school districts that serve its students:
- Batesville Community School Corporation
- Jac-Cen-Del Community School Corporation
- Milan Community Schools
- South Ripley Community School Corporation
- Sunman-Dearborn Community School Corporation
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Ripley (Indiana) para niños
