Jefferson County, Indiana

Jefferson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2020, the population was 33,147. The county seat is Madison.

History

Jefferson County was formed on February 1, 1811, from Dearborn and Clark Counties. It was named for Thomas Jefferson, principal draftsman of the Northwest Ordinance and President of the United States from 1801 through 1809.

Jefferson County was one of Indiana's first counties, and many important early Hoosiers came from Madison, including William Hendricks. Throughout the early history of the state, Madison was one of the leading cities competing with Vincennes, and later New Albany, to be the largest city in the state. The county fell into economic decline after the American Civil War, as industry began to shift from southern Indiana to the northern part of the state.

On the evening of May 20, 2009, the county courthouse caught fire. The fire began in the steeple of the courthouse, which was under reconstruction for Madison's bicentenary. The roof of the dome had just been painted gold. Fire departments from across southern Indiana and northern Kentucky arrived to put out the fire, which burned for several hours, destroyed much of the inside of the building and the county records. The fire forced the evacuation of the nearby county jail, and effectively shut down the downtown area of the city. It was later determined the fire was accidentally started by workers who were welding on the metal roof dome.

The tallest waterfall in Indiana, Fremont Falls, is located in Hanover.

Geography

According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of , of which (or 99.38%) is land and (or 0.62%) is water.

Cities and towns

Brooksburg
Dupont
Hanover
Madison (county seat)

Census-designated places

Canaan
Deputy
Kent

Townships

Graham
Hanover
Lancaster
Madison
Milton
Monroe
Republican
Saluda
Shelby
Smyrna

Adjacent counties

Ripley County (north)
Switzerland County (east)
Carroll County, Kentucky (southeast)
Trimble County, Kentucky (south)
Clark County (southwest)
Scott County (west)
Jennings County (northwest)

Major highways

Sources: National Atlas, U.S. Census Bureau

25px U.S. Route 421
25px Indiana State Road 3
25px Indiana State Road 7
25px Indiana State Road 56
25px Indiana State Road 62
25px Indiana State Road 250
25px Indiana State Road 256
25px Indiana State Road 356
25px Indiana State Road 362

National protected area

Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Climate and weather

In recent years, average temperatures in Madison have ranged from a low of in January to a high of in July, although a record low of was recorded in December 1989 and a record high of was recorded in July 1954. Average monthly precipitation ranged from in September to in May.

Board of Commissioners: The executive body of the county is made of a board of commissioners. The commissioners are elected county-wide, in staggered terms, and each serves a four-year term. One of the commissioners, typically the most senior, serves as president. The commissioners are charged with executing the acts legislated by the council, collecting revenue, and managing the day-to-day functions of the county government. It is also part of Indiana Senate district 45 and is split between Indiana House of Representatives districts 66, 67 and 69.

Politics