St. Joseph County, Indiana facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Saint Joseph County
U.S. county
Old St. Joseph County courthouse in South Bend, Indiana
Flag Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Indiana
Indiana's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Indiana
Founded	1830
Named for	St. Joseph River
Seat	South Bend
Largest city	South Bend
Area
• Total	461.38 sq mi (1,195.0 km2)
• Land	457.85 sq mi (1,185.8 km2)
• Water	3.54 sq mi (9.2 km2)  0.77%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	272,912
• Estimate  (2023)	272,848
• Density	591.512/sq mi (228.3842/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	2nd
Indiana county number 71 Fifth-most populous county in Indiana as of 2010

St. Joseph County, colloquial St. Joe County by residents, is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 272,912, making it the fifth-most populous county in Indiana. Formed in 1830, it was named for the St. Joseph River which flows through it to Lake Michigan. The county seat is South Bend. St. Joseph County is part of the South Bend–Mishawaka, IN–MI "Michiana", Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 461.38 square miles (1,195.0 km²), of which 457.85 square miles (1,185.8 km²) (or 99.23%) is land and 3.54 square miles (9.2 km²) (or 0.77%) is water.

Cities

St. Joseph River, flowing into St. Joseph County from Elkhart County (top) through Mishawaka

• Mishawaka
• South Bend

Towns

Census-designated places

• Granger
• Notre Dame

Other unincorporated places

Townships

Adjacent counties

• Berrien County, Michigan (north)
• Cass County, Michigan (northeast)
• Elkhart County (east)
• Marshall County (south)
• Starke County (southwest/CST Border)
• LaPorte County (west/CST Border)

Major highways

Freeways

• I-80 / I-90 / Indiana Toll Road
• US 20
• US 31

Other highways

• US 6
• 
  Bus. US 20
• 
  Bus. US 31
• SR 2
• SR 4
• SR 23
• SR 104
• SR 331
• SR 931
• SR 933

Climate and weather

In recent years, average temperatures in South Bend have ranged from a low of 16 °F (−9 °C) in January to a high of 83 °F (28 °C) in July, although a record low of −22 °F (−30 °C) was recorded in January 1943 and a record high of 109 °F (43 °C) was recorded in July 1934. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.98 inches (50 mm) in February to 4.19 inches (106 mm) in June.

Demographics

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 266,931 people, 103,069 households, and 66,365 families residing in the county. The population density was 583.0 inhabitants per square mile (225.1/km²). There were 114,849 housing units at an average density of 250.8 per square mile (96.8/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 78.7% white, 12.7% black or African American, 1.9% Asian, 0.4% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 3.4% from other races, and 2.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 7.3% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 25.3% were German, 15.5% were Irish, 12.0% were Polish, 8.5% were English, and 4.5% were American.

Of the 103,069 households, 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.1% were married couples living together, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 35.6% were non-families, and 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.07. The median age was 36.2 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $57,510. Males had a median income of $45,269 versus $31,667 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,082. About 10.7% of families and 14.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.7% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.

Education

K-12 schools

School districts include:

• John Glenn School Corporation
• Mishawaka School City
• New Prairie United School Corporation
• Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation
• South Bend Community School Corporation
• Union-North United School Corporation

Public high schools in the county include:

• John Adams High School (South Bend district)
• Clay High School (South Bend district)
• James Whitcomb Riley High School (South Bend district)
• Washington High School (South Bend district)
• Mishawaka High School (Mishawaka district)
• Penn High School (Penn-Harris district)

Private schools

Catholic schools on this list are operated by or associated with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fort Wayne–South Bend

• Christ the King [Grades K-8]
• Community Baptist Christian School [Grades K-12]
• Corpus Christi [Grades K-8]
• Covenant Christian School [Grades K-8]
• Granger Christian School [Grades K-12]
• Holy Cross Elementary [Grades K-8]
• Holy Family Elementary [Grades K-8]
• Ironwood Christian School [Grades K-12]
• Mishawaka Catholic School (St. Bavo Campus, St. Joseph Campus & St. Monica Campus) [Grades ECD-8]
• Michiana Christian School [Grades K-5]
• Mishawaka First Baptist School [Grades K-12]
• Marian High School [Grades 9-12]
• North Liberty Christian School [Grades K-5]
• Our Lady of Hungary [Grades K-8]
• Queen of Peace School [Grades K-6]
• Resurrection Lutheran Academy [Grades Pre K-8]
• St. Adalbert Elementary [Grades K-8]
• St. Anthony de Padua School [Grades K-8]
• St. John the Baptist Elementary [Grades K-8]
• St. Joseph Grade School [Grades K-8]
• St. Jude Elementary [Grades K-8]
• St. Mary of the Assumption School [Grades K-8]
• St. Matthew Elementary [Grades K-8]
• St. Patrick School [Grades K-6]
• St. Pius X School [Grades Pre K-8]
• South Bend Christian Center [Grades K-12]
• South Bend Junior Academy [Grades K-8]
• South Bend St. Joseph's High School [Grades 9-12]
• Stanley Clark School [Grades K-8]
• Trinity School at Greenlawn [Grades 6-12]

Colleges and universities

• Bethel College
• Brown Mackie College (closed in 2017)
• Holy Cross College
• Indiana University South Bend
• Ivy Tech North Central
• St. Mary's College
• University of Notre Dame

St. Joseph County Public Library

History

The St. Joseph County Public Library was founded in 1889. Originally known as the South Bend Public Library, it was founded by the South Bend School Corporation and managed by Evelyn Humphries out of a floor of the Oliver Opera House. Humphries soon secured funding for the building of the Main Library which opened to the public in 1896. It was known as "The Castle" due to its unique architecture. In 1902, Virginia Tutt became the second library director. She opened the first library branch in Washington High School in 1918, which often served as a community center for Polish and Hungarian immigrants. The Betty Ruth Spiro Memorial Library replaced "The Castle" in 1959 as the new main library building in downtown South Bend. This building served the community until its renovation in 1992 led to a fire and subsequent damage from smoke and fire sprinklers. The renovation continued and the library was able to open 7 days later thanks to help from the community.

In 2016, Main Library began looking at the need for an expanded space in downtown South Bend to meet the needs of the growing community. After working with consultants and architects, it was decided in October 2018 that Main Library will expand to include a community learning center, renovated exterior, and inner courtyard. St. Joseph County is considering cutting the library's funding by almost $500,000 a year. As a result, on September 5, 2019, hundreds of residents protested in the streets, and all library branches closed early. Overflow crowds backed the county council meeting to show their support for the library. The library ended up losing the funding two years later.

Branches

• Main Library
• Centre Township Branch
• Francis Branch
• German Township Branch
• Lakeville Branch
• LaSalle Branch
• North Liberty Branch
• River Park Branch
• Tutt Branch
• Western Branch

Library Services

Studio 304

Technology hub where patrons can explore 3-D printing, poster printing, iPads, Adobe Creative Suite, gaming, virtual reality rigs, and recording rooms.

Local and family history

Books, newspapers, yearbooks, magazines, and other items of local significance can be examined. Online archives and genealogical websites are also available to reference in the creation of family trees.

Databases

SJCPL subscribes to over 50 databases that can aid in research, education, grant writing, and business development.

Homebound delivery

Library staff members will bring library materials directly to your home if requested.

Notable people

• Thadeus Jay Miller, artist

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Saint Joseph (Indiana) para niños