Wells County, Indiana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wells County
|
|
|---|---|
Wells County Courthouse in Bluffton
|
|
Location within the U.S. state of Indiana
|
|
 Indiana's location within the U.S. |
|
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Indiana |
| Founded | 1837 |
| Named for | William A. Wells |
| Seat | Bluffton |
| Largest city | Bluffton |
| Area | |
| • Total | 370.25 sq mi (958.9 km2) |
| • Land | 368.09 sq mi (953.3 km2) |
| • Water | 2.16 sq mi (5.6 km2) 0.58%% |
| Population
(2020)
|
|
| • Total | 28,180 |
| • Density | 76.111/sq mi (29.387/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 3rd |
| Indiana county number 90 | |
Wells County is a county in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 28,180. The county seat (and only incorporated city) is Bluffton.
Wells County is included in the Fort Wayne Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Fort Wayne–Huntington–Auburn Combined Statistical Area.
Contents
Geography
According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 370.25 square miles (958.9 km2), of which 368.09 square miles (953.3 km2) (or 99.42%) is land and 2.16 square miles (5.6 km2) (or 0.58%) is water.
Adjacent counties
- Allen County (north)
- Adams County (east)
- Jay County (southeast)
- Blackford County (south)
- Grant County (west)
- Huntington County (northwest)
Cities and towns
Unincorporated towns
Townships
|
|
Major highways
Interstate 69
U.S. Route 224
State Road 1
State Road 3
State Road 116
State Road 124
State Road 201
State Road 218
State Road 301
History
Wells County was formed in 1837. It was named for Capt. William A. Wells, who was captured by Native Americans as a young boy and adopted by the Miami chief Little Turtle. He eventually became a scout for Gen. "Mad Anthony" Wayne. Capt. Wells was killed by Potawatomi allied with the British at the Battle of Fort Dearborn at the outbreak of the War of 1812. The Potawatomi ate Capt. Wells' heart to gain part of his courage.
There was also an accident that occurred at the Clock Tower, known as the County courthouse. While either fixing or building the roof, a man fell to the grounds of Main Street. He landed on his legs, and he lived for about a week before dying. The force of the fall thrust his pelvis into his rib cage. If he would have fallen any other way, he would have died on the spot.
Climate and weather
| Weather chart for Bluffton, Indiana | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
2
30
16
|
1.8
34
19
|
2.6
46
29
|
3.2
58
40
|
4.1
70
51
|
3.9
80
61
|
3.9
84
64
|
3.7
81
62
|
3.1
75
55
|
2.5
63
42
|
3
48
33
|
2.7
35
23
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| temperatures in °F precipitation totals in inches source: The Weather Channel |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Metric conversion
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In recent years, average temperatures in Bluffton have ranged from a low of 16 °F (−9 °C) in January to a high of 84 °F (29 °C) in July, although a record low of −24 °F (−31 °C) was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of 104 °F (40 °C) was recorded in July 1980. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.83 inches (46 mm) in February to 4.11 inches (104 mm) in May.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1840 | 1,822 | — | |
| 1850 | 6,152 | 237.7% | |
| 1860 | 10,844 | 76.3% | |
| 1870 | 13,585 | 25.3% | |
| 1880 | 18,442 | 35.8% | |
| 1890 | 21,514 | 16.7% | |
| 1900 | 23,449 | 9.0% | |
| 1910 | 22,418 | −4.4% | |
| 1920 | 20,509 | −8.5% | |
| 1930 | 18,411 | −10.2% | |
| 1940 | 19,099 | 3.7% | |
| 1950 | 19,564 | 2.4% | |
| 1960 | 21,220 | 8.5% | |
| 1970 | 23,821 | 12.3% | |
| 1980 | 25,401 | 6.6% | |
| 1990 | 25,948 | 2.2% | |
| 2000 | 27,600 | 6.4% | |
| 2010 | 27,636 | 0.1% | |
| 2015 (est.) | 27,964 | 1.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2013 |
|||
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 27,636 people, 10,780 households, and 7,684 families residing in the county. The population density was 75.1 inhabitants per square mile (29.0/km2). There were 11,659 housing units at an average density of 31.7 per square mile (12.2/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 97.3% white, 0.4% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.3% black or African American, 0.8% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.0% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 38.4% were German, 12.3% were English, 10.8% were Irish, and 10.3% were American.
Of the 10,780 households, 33.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.1% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 28.7% were non-families, and 24.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.00. The median age was 40.2 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $56,885. Males had a median income of $41,871 versus $30,031 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,169. About 6.2% of families and 8.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.8% of those under age 18 and 3.6% of those age 65 or over.
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Wells (Indiana) para niños
