Wells County, Indiana

County in Indiana, United States

U.S. county in Indiana

Wells County

U.S. county

Wells County Courthouse in Bluffton

Wells County Courthouse in Bluffton

Map of Indiana highlighting Wells County

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/sq mi (29/km2)
Time zone| UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)| UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district| 3rd
Website| www.wellscounty.org
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.[1] The county seat (and only incorporated city) is Bluffton.[2]

Wells County is included in the Fort Wayne Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Fort Wayne–Huntington–Auburn Combined Statistical Area.

## Contents

* 1 History
* 2 Geography
* 2.1 Adjacent counties
* 2.2 City and towns
* 2.3 Unincorporated communities
* 2.4 Townships
* 2.5 Major highways
* 3 Climate and weather
* 4 Government
* 5 Demographics
* 6 2010 Census
* 7 Education
* 8 See also
* 9 External links
* 10 References

## History

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The future state of Indiana was first regulated by passage of the Northwest Ordinance in 1787. The governing structure created by this act created Wayne County as part of Indiana Territory in 1796. As the Territory's lands began filling with settlers, other counties were organized, and in December 1816 the State of Indiana was admitted to the Union. The state legislature approved (on 7 February 1835) an omnibus bill which authorized the division of portions of Wayne County into thirteen counties.[3] Wells was named for William A. Wells.[4] It was assigned to Allen County for legislative and administrative affairs at first.

On 2 February 1837 an act was passed by the state, authorizing Wells County to be organized independent of Allen County, and specifying 1 May for the date of first meeting. However, that meeting did not take place, so an act dated 20 January 1838 further authorized the meeting of appointed commissioners to decide on a county seat. That vote was completed on 5 March 1838, selecting Bluffton.[5]

## Geography

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The low rolling hills of Wells County have been deforested and are now completely devoted to agriculture and urban development. The Wabash River flows to the northwest, draining the central and upper part of the county, while the lower part is drained by the Salamonie River, also flowing to the northwest.[6] The highest point on the terrain (935 feet/285 meters ASL) is an isolated rise on the county's south borderline with Jay County, one-half mile (0.8 km) east of the NE corner of Blackford County.[7]

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.[8]

### Adjacent counties

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* Allen County \- north
* Adams County \- east
* Jay County \- southeast
* Blackford County \- south
* Grant County \- west
* Huntington County \- northwest

### City and towns

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* Bluffton (city/county seat)
* Markle (town; partly in Huntington County)
* Ossian (town)
* Poneto (town - named Worthington from 1871 to 1881)
* Uniondale (town)
* Vera Cruz (town)
* Zanesville (town; partly in Allen County)

### Unincorporated communities

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* Craigville
* Curryville
* Dillman
* Domestic
* Five Points
* Greenville
* Greenwood
* Jeff
* Keystone
* Kingsland
* Liberty Center
* McNatts
* Mount Zion
* Murray
* North Oaks
* Nottingham
* Petroleum
* Phenix
* Reiffsburg
* Riverside
* Rockford
* Tocsin
* Toll Gate Heights
* Travisville
* Wellsburg

### Townships

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* Chester
* Harrison
* Jackson
* Jefferson
* Lancaster
* Liberty
* Nottingham
* Rockcreek
* Union

### Major highways

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* Interstate 69
* U.S. Route 224
* State Road 1
* State Road 3
* File:Indiana 116.svg State Road 116
* State Road 124
* File:Indiana 201.svg State Road 201
* State Road 218
* File:Indiana 301.svg State Road 301

## Climate and weather

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Bluffton, Indiana

Climate chart (explanation)

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1.8

2.6

3.2

4.1

3.9

3.9

3.7

3.1

2.5

2.7

Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
Precipitation totals in inches
Source: The Weather Channel[9]
| Metric conversion

104

100

Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
Precipitation totals in mm

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.[9]

## Government

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See also: Government of Indiana

The county government is a constitutional body, and is granted specific powers by the Constitution of Indiana, and by the Indiana Code.

County Council: The legislative branch of the county government; controls spending and revenue collection in the county. Representatives are elected to four-year terms from county districts. They set salaries, the annual budget, and special spending. The council has limited authority to impose local taxes, in the form of an income and property tax that is subject to state level approval, excise taxes, and service taxes.[10][11]

Board of Commissioners: The executive body of the county; commissioners are elected county-wide to staggered four-year terms. One commissioner serves as president. The commissioners execute acts legislated by the council, collect revenue, and manage the county government.[10][11]

Court: The county maintains a small claims court that handles civil cases. The judge on the court is elected to a term of four years. The judge is assisted by a constable who is also elected to a four-year term. In some cases, court decisions can be appealed to the state level circuit court.[11]

County Officials: The county has other elected offices, including sheriff, coroner, auditor, treasurer, recorder, surveyor, and circuit court clerk. The officers are elected to four-year terms. Members elected to county government positions are required to declare party affiliations and to be residents of the county.[11]

United States presidential election results for Wells County, Indiana[12] Year  | Republican | Democratic | Third party

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No. | % | No. | % | No. | %
2020 | 10,855  | 77.10% | 2,928  | 20.80%  | 297  | 2.11%
2016 | 10,005  | 75.30% | 2,586  | 19.46%  | 695  | 5.23%
2012 | 9,256  | 71.46% | 3,436  | 26.53%  | 260  | 2.01%
2008 | 8,504  | 64.98% | 4,403  | 33.64%  | 181  | 1.38%
2004 | 9,168  | 74.21% | 3,112  | 25.19%  | 74  | 0.60%
2000 | 7,755  | 68.74% | 3,319  | 29.42%  | 207  | 1.83%
1996 | 6,322  | 55.98% | 3,752  | 33.22%  | 1,220  | 10.80%
1992 | 5,799  | 48.17% | 3,282  | 27.26%  | 2,958  | 24.57%
1988 | 7,712  | 68.93% | 3,437  | 30.72%  | 39  | 0.35%
1984 | 7,579  | 69.40% | 3,274  | 29.98%  | 67  | 0.61%
1980 | 5,864  | 56.14% | 3,760  | 36.00%  | 821  | 7.86%
1976 | 5,596  | 56.33% | 4,250  | 42.78%  | 88  | 0.89%
1972 | 6,425  | 65.77% | 3,244  | 33.21%  | 100  | 1.02%
1968 | 5,361  | 53.07% | 3,827  | 37.89%  | 913  | 9.04%
1964 | 4,018  | 39.96%  | 5,945  | 59.12% | 92  | 0.91%
1960 | 6,034  | 58.91% | 4,128  | 40.30%  | 80  | 0.78%
1956 | 5,703  | 58.32% | 3,984  | 40.74%  | 91  | 0.93%
1952 | 5,380  | 55.85% | 3,963  | 41.14%  | 290  | 3.01%
1948 | 4,288  | 47.15%  | 4,726  | 51.97% | 80  | 0.88%
1944 | 4,708  | 50.03% | 4,475  | 47.56%  | 227  | 2.41%
1940 | 4,898  | 47.75%  | 5,236  | 51.05% | 123  | 1.20%
1936 | 3,606  | 36.59%  | 6,189  | 62.81% | 59  | 0.60%
1932 | 3,073  | 32.25%  | 6,236  | 65.45% | 219  | 2.30%
1928 | 4,142  | 48.93%  | 4,246  | 50.16% | 77  | 0.91%
1924 | 3,932  | 44.92%  | 4,537  | 51.83% | 285  | 3.26%
1920 | 4,430  | 47.61%  | 4,653  | 50.01% | 222  | 2.39%
1916 | 1,947  | 37.26%  | 2,928  | 56.03% | 351  | 6.72%
1912 | 812  | 15.95%  | 2,760  | 54.20% | 1,520  | 29.85%
1908 | 2,185  | 35.92%  | 3,345  | 54.99% | 553  | 9.09%
1904 | 2,565  | 40.74%  | 3,127  | 49.67% | 604  | 9.59%
1900 | 2,290  | 37.50%  | 3,599  | 58.94% | 217  | 3.55%
1896 | 2,212  | 36.63%  | 3,728  | 61.74% | 98  | 1.62%
1892 | 1,668  | 33.90%  | 2,725  | 55.37% | 528  | 10.73%
1888 | 1,926  | 37.17%  | 2,942  | 56.77% | 314  | 6.06%

## Demographics

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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%
2020| 28,180| | 2.0%
US Decennial Census[13]
1790-1960[14] 1900-1990[15]
1990-2000[16] 2010-2013[17] 2018[18][17] 2020[1]

## 2010 Census

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As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 27,636 people, 10,780 households, and 7,684 families in the county.[19] 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).[8] 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.[19] In terms of ancestry, 38.4% were German, 12.3% were English, 10.8% were Irish, and 10.3% were American.[20] 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.[19]

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.[21]

## Education

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School districts include: Bluffton-Harrison Metropolitan School District, Northern Wells Community Schools, and Southern Wells Community Schools.[22]

## See also

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* National Register of Historic Places listings in Wells County, Indiana

## External links

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* William Wells

## References

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1. ^ a b 2020 Population and Housing State Data | Indiana
2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. ^ The thirteen counties: DeKalb, Fulton, Jasper, Jay, Kosciusko, Marshall, Newton, Porter, Pulaski, Stark, Steuben, Wells, and Whitley.
4. ^ Captain William A. Wells 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.
5. ^ Tyndall, John W; Lesh, O E (1918). Standard History of Adams and Wells counties, Indiana. Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co. pp. 304–6.
6. ^ Wells County IN (Google Maps, accessed 6 August 2020)
7. ^ Wells County High Point, Indiana (PeakBagger.com, accessed 6 August 2020)
8. ^ a b "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
9. ^ a b "Monthly Averages for Bluffton IN". The Weather Channel. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
10. ^ a b Indiana Code. "Title 36, Article 2, Section 3". IN.gov. Retrieved September 16, 2008.
11. ^ a b c d Indiana Code. "Title 2, Article 10, Section 2" (PDF). IN.gov. Retrieved September 16, 2008.
12. ^ Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
13. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
14. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
15. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". US Census Bureau. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
16. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
17. ^ a b "Wells County QuickFacts". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved September 25, 2011.
18. ^ "QuickFacts. Wells County IN". US Census Bureau. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
19. ^ a b c "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
20. ^ "Selected Social Characteristics in the US – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 14, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
21. ^ "American FactFinder - Results". factfinder.census.gov. Archived from the original on February 14, 2020. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
22. ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Wells County, IN" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved July 23, 2022. \- Text list

Places adjacent to Wells County, Indiana

| Huntington County | Allen County |

|
|

|  |
Grant County |

Wells County, Indiana

| Adams County
|  |
| Blackford County | Jay County

* v
* t
* e

Municipalities and communities of Wells County, Indiana, United States

County seat: Bluffton

City|

* Bluffton

File:Map of Indiana highlighting Wells County.svgMap of Indiana highlighting Wells County

Towns|

* Markle‡
* Ossian
* Poneto
* Uniondale
* Vera Cruz
* Zanesville‡

Townships|

* Chester
* Harrison
* Jackson
* Jefferson
* Lancaster
* Liberty
* Nottingham
* Rockcreek
* Union

Unincorporated
communities|

* Craigville
* Curryville‡
* Dillman
* Domestic
* Five Points
* Greenville
* Greenwood
* Jeff
* Keystone
* Kingsland
* Liberty Center
* McNatts
* Mount Zion
* Murray
* North Oaks
* Nottingham
* Petroleum
* Phenix
* Reiffsburg
* Riverside
* Rockford
* Tocsin
* Toll Gate Heights
* Travisville
* Wellsburg

Footnotes|

‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

* United States portal

* v
* t
* e

Fort Wayne–Huntington–Auburn Combined Statistical Area

Counties|

* Adams
* Allen
* DeKalb
* Huntington
* Noble
* Steuben
* Wells
* Whitley

Municipalities with population
over 10,000 in 2010|

* Auburn
* Fort Wayne
* Huntington
* New Haven

Municipalities with population
1,000-10,000 in 2010|

* Albion
* Andrews
* Angola
* Ashley
* Avilla
* Berne
* Bluffton
* Butler
* Churubusco
* Columbia City
* Decatur
* Fremont
* Garrett
* Geneva
* Grabill
* Hamilton
* Huntertown
* Kendallville
* Leo-Cedarville
* Ligonier
* Markle
* Monroeville
* Ossian
* Roanoke
* Rome City
* South Whitley
* Warren
* Waterloo
* Woodburn

Municipalities with population
under 1,000 in 2010|

* Altona
* Clear Lake
* Corunna
* Cromwell
* Hudson
* Larwill
* Monroe
* Mount Etna
* Orland
* Poneto
* Saint Joe
* Uniondale
* Vera Cruz
* Wolcottville
* Zanesville

CDPs|

* Harlan
* Hoagland
* Kimmell
* Tri-Lakes

* v
* t
* e

State of Indiana

Indianapolis (capital)

Topics|

* Index
* Geography
* History
* City nicknames
* National Historic Landmarks
* State parks
* Symbols
* Transportation
* Tourist attractions
* Index of Indiana-related articles
* Outline

Government|

* Constitution
* Code of Law
* Governor (List)
* Congressional districts (Delegations)
* General Assembly (House & Senate)
* Supreme Court

Society|

* Hoosiers
* Culture
* Crime
* Demographics
* Economy
* Education
* Ghostlore
* Politics
* Party strength
* Sports

Regions|

* Central Indiana
* East Central Indiana
* Wabash Valley
* Northern Indiana
* Northeast Indiana
* Northwest Indiana
* Michiana
* Southern Indiana
* Indiana Uplands
* Kentuckiana
* Southwestern Indiana

Largest cities|

* Anderson
* Bloomington
* Carmel
* Columbus
* Crown Point
* Elkhart
* Evansville
* Fishers
* Fort Wayne
* Gary
* Goshen
* Greenwood
* Hammond
* Indianapolis
* Jeffersonville
* Kokomo
* Lafayette
* Lawrence
* Michigan City
* Mishawaka
* Muncie
* New Albany
* Noblesville
* Portage
* Richmond
* South Bend
* Terre Haute
* Valparaiso
* Westfield
* West Lafayette

Largest towns|

* Avon
* Brownsburg
* Clarksville
* Highland
* Merrillville
* Munster
* St. John
* Plainfield
* Schererville
* Zionsville

Counties|

* Adams
* Allen
* Bartholomew
* Benton
* Blackford
* Boone
* Brown
* Carroll
* Cass
* Clark
* Clay
* Clinton
* Crawford
* Daviess
* Dearborn
* Decatur
* DeKalb
* Delaware
* Dubois
* Elkhart
* Fayette
* Floyd
* Fountain
* Franklin
* Fulton
* Gibson
* Grant
* Greene
* Hamilton
* Hancock
* Harrison
* Hendricks
* Henry
* Howard
* Huntington
* Jackson
* Jasper
* Jay
* Jefferson
* Jennings
* Johnson
* Knox
* Kosciusko
* LaGrange
* Lake
* LaPorte
* Lawrence
* Madison
* Marion
* Marshall
* Martin
* Miami
* Monroe
* Montgomery
* Morgan
* Newton
* Noble
* Ohio
* Orange
* Owen
* Parke
* Perry
* Pike
* Porter
* Posey
* Pulaski
* Putnam
* Randolph
* Ripley
* Rush
* Saint Joseph
* Scott
* Shelby
* Spencer
* Starke
* Steuben
* Sullivan
* Switzerland
* Tippecanoe
* Tipton
* Union
* Vanderburgh
* Vermillion
* Vigo
* Wabash
* Warren
* Warrick
* Washington
* Wayne
* Wells
* White
* Whitley

Coordinates: 40°44′N 85°13′W﻿ / ﻿40.73°N 85.22°W﻿ / 40.73; -85.22
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