Washington County, Indiana Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Washington County

U.S. county

Washington County courthouse in Salem

Seal

Location within the U.S. state of Indiana

Indiana's location within the U.S.

Country

United States

State

Indiana

Founded

1814

Largest city

Salem

Area

• Total

516.60 sq mi (1,338.0 km²)

• Land

513.72 sq mi (1,330.5 km²)

• Water

2.87 sq mi (7.4 km²) 0.56%%

Population

(2020)

• Total

28,182

• Estimate

(2023)

28,205

• Density

54.5528/sq mi (21.0630/km²)

Time zone

UTC−5 (Eastern)

• Summer (DST)

UTC−4 (EDT)

Congressional district

9th

Indiana county number 88

Washington County is a place in Indiana, a state in the United States. It's like a big neighborhood or district. In 2020, about 28,182 people lived here. The main town, called the county seat, is Salem. Washington County is also part of the larger Louisville metropolitan area.

Discovering Washington County's Past

Who Were the First Settlers?

Around 1802, a man named Frederick Royce lived near a place called the Lick. This was two miles east of Salem. He was likely the first white person to live in this area. Frederick was a hunter, trader, and made salt.

In 1803, Thomas Hopper became the first person to settle near Hardinsburg.

How Washington County Was Formed

Washington County was officially created in 1814. It was named after George Washington, who was the first President of the United States.

Exploring Washington County's Geography

Washington County covers about 516.60 square miles. Most of this area, about 513.72 square miles, is land. The rest, about 2.87 square miles, is water.

Neighboring Counties

Washington County shares its borders with several other counties:

Jackson County (to the north)
Scott County (to the northeast)
Clark County (to the southeast)
Floyd County (to the south-southeast)
Harrison County (to the south)
Crawford County (to the southwest)
Orange County (to the west)
Lawrence County (to the northwest)

Cities and Towns in Washington County

Here are the main cities and towns you can find in Washington County:

Special Designated Places

Fredericksburg is a census-designated place. This means it's a community that is counted in the census but isn't officially a city or town.

Smaller Communities (Unincorporated Towns)

Many smaller communities are not officially incorporated as cities or towns. Some of these include:

Local Government Areas (Townships)

Washington County is divided into several townships for local government. These include:

Brown
Franklin
Gibson
Howard
Jackson
Jefferson
Madison
Monroe
Pierce
Polk
Posey
Vernon
Washington

Main Roads in Washington County

These are the major highways that run through Washington County:

Indiana State Road 56
Indiana State Road 60
Indiana State Road 135
Indiana State Road 160

Climate and Weather in Washington County

Weather chart for Salem, Indiana

3.3

3.2

4.3

4.6

4.9

3.9

4.4

3.1

2.9

3.9

3.7

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
85 4 -6	81 8 -4	109 13 1	117 19 6	123 24 11	100 29 16	112 31 18	101 30 17	78 26 13	73 20 7	99 13 2	94 7 -3
temperatures in °C • precipitation totals in mm

In Salem, the average temperature in January is about 21°F. In July, it's around 87°F. The coldest temperature ever recorded was -32°F in February 1951. The hottest was 105°F in July 1954.

The amount of rain and snow changes throughout the year. May usually gets the most, about 4.86 inches. October gets the least, about 2.87 inches.

In March 2012, a series of strong storms, including tornadoes, affected Washington County. Sadly, some people lost their lives during this event.

Understanding Washington County's Population

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1820	9,039	—
1830	13,064	44.5%
1840	15,269	16.9%
1850	17,040	11.6%
1860	17,909	5.1%
1870	18,495	3.3%
1880	18,955	2.5%
1890	18,619	−1.8%
1900	19,409	4.2%
1910	17,445	−10.1%
1920	16,645	−4.6%
1930	16,285	−2.2%
1940	17,008	4.4%
1950	16,520	−2.9%
1960	17,819	7.9%
1970	19,278	8.2%
1980	21,932	13.8%
1990	23,717	8.1%
2000	27,223	14.8%
2010	28,262	3.8%
2020	28,182	−0.3%
2023 (est.)	28,205	−0.2%
US Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010

What the 2010 Census Showed

In 2010, there were 28,262 people living in Washington County. These people lived in 10,850 households. A household is a group of people living together.

Most people in the county were white (98.1%). A small number were Asian, American Indian, or African American. About 1.1% of the population was of Hispanic or Latino background.

Many households (34.7%) had children under 18 living with them. About 54.8% of households were married couples. The average age of people in the county was 39.2 years old.

Education in Washington County

Washington County has several school districts that help students learn and grow.

School Districts Serving the County

Salem Community Schools
East Washington School Corporation
South Central Area Special Ed
West Washington School Corporation

East Washington School Corporation

This school district includes:

East Washington Elementary School
East Washington Middle School
Eastern High School

Salem Community Schools

This district includes:

Salem High School
Salem Middle School
Bradie Shrum Elementary School

West Washington School Corporation