Monroe County, Indiana

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Template:Infobox U.S. county

Monroe County is a county in the U.S. state of Indiana. In 1910 the US Census Bureau calculated the nation's mean population center to lie in Monroe County.[1] The population was 139,718 at the 2020 United States census.[2] The county seat is Bloomington.[3] Monroe County is part of the Bloomington, Indiana, Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

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Monroe County was formed in 1818 from portions of Orange County. It was named for James Monroe,[4] fifth President of the United States, who was in that office from 1817 until 1825.

Demographics

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Template:US Census population

2020 census

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As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 139,718. The median age was 31.0 years. 16.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 14.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 99.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 98.1 males age 18 and over.[5][6]

The racial makeup of the county was 81.9% White, 3.7% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 6.0% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.5% from some other race, and 6.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 4.6% of the population.[6]

78.8% of residents lived in urban areas, while 21.2% lived in rural areas.[7]

There were 58,268 households in the county, of which 21.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 36.9% were married-couple households, 26.1% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 29.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 35.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[5]

There were 63,606 housing units, of which 8.4% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 51.9% were owner-occupied and 48.1% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.0%.[5]

2021 American Community Survey

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According to the American Community Survey, as of 2021, there were 56,714 households with the average household size of 2.18 persons. Out of those 27,340 households were families with the average family size of 2.87 persons, 22.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them. A total of 37.3% of all households were householders living alone.[8]

The median income for a household in the county was $51,945 (in 2021 USD) and the per capita income was $30,609. Males had a median income of $52,263 versus $47,953 for females.[9]

About 10.6% of families and 22.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.7% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.[10][11]

Geography

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According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 411.32 square miles (1,065.3 km2), of which 394.51 square miles (1,021.8 km2) (or 95.91%) is land and 16.81 square miles (43.5 km2) (or 4.09%) is water.[12] The county terrain is low rolling hills, covered with vegetation and largely devoted to agricultural use or urban development. The eastern part is carved with drainages and gullies, leading to Griffy Lake.[13] The county's highest point is McGuire Benchmark, just NW of Bloomington, at 994 ft (303 m) ASL.[14]

Adjacent counties

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Bodies of water

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File:Griffy Lake - dam drain - DSCF4386.JPG
Griffy Lake, seen from its dam

Monroe County is divided between the basins of the East Fork and West Fork of Indiana's White River.[15] The northern part drains to the West Fork; the southern part of the county drains to the East Fork, primarily via the Salt Creek and its tributaries, such as the Clear Creek (known as the "Campus River" on Indiana University Bloomington campus).

Several artificial reservoirs have been constructed by damming the county's creeks. The largest is Monroe Lake, a large reservoir on Salt Creek in the southeastern part of the county. It is used both for recreational purposes and to supply the city with drinking water.[15] Until the late 1960s, the main source of water supply was the smaller Lake Lemon (constructed 1953), in the northeastern part of the county; it is now the backup water source and is mainly used for recreation.[16]

The third largest is Griffy Lake, on the northern slope of the county. Constructed in 1924 by damming Griffy Creek, it was Bloomington's main water source until 1954; it is now used primarily for recreation although it also serves as an emergency water source.[15][17][18] In 2012–2013, the lake was drained, the dam repaired, and the lake was refilled.

A smaller lake, Weimer (Wapehani) in the Clear Creek basin, was constructed for water supply purposes, but during most of its history was used purely for recreation - mainly fishing.[19] In 2017 authorities revealed plans to drain this lake permanently, as it was considered to be unsafe.[20] This was carried out in the summer of 2018.

Limestone has been quarried in Monroe County since 1826.[21] A number of abandoned limestone quarries in the county are now cliff-surrounded lakes (as seen in the 1979 film Breaking Away), stable without ongoing human intervention.

National protected areas

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File:Leonard Springs Reservoir - seen from the dam - DSCF7386.JPG
The defunct Leonard Springs Reservoir, now inhabited by beavers.

Natural wonders

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Communities

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Cities

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Towns

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Census-designated places

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Unincorporated communities

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Former communities

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Townships

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Climate and weather

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Template:Climate chart In recent years, average temperatures in Bloomington have ranged from a low of 19 °F (−7 °C) in January to a high of 86 °F (30 °C) in July, although a record low of −21 °F (−29 °C) was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of 110 °F (43 °C) was recorded in July 1936. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.66 inches (68 mm) in January to 5.12 inches (130 mm) in May.[25]

Government and politics

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See also: Government of Indiana
File:Monroe County Sheriffs Department - P1080464.JPG
Sheriff's office and jail

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 fiscal body of the county government; controls spending and revenue collection in the county. There are four elected members representing districts and three members elected at-large. The council members serve staggered four-year terms. They are responsible for setting salaries, the annual budget, and special spending. The council also has 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.[26][27]

Board of Commissioners: A three-member board serving as the executive and legislative body of the county. The commissioners are elected county-wide, in staggered four-year terms. The president of this board is the county's principal executive officer. The commissioners are charged with setting policy and managing the day-to-day functions of the county government.[26][27]

Court: The county maintains a unified circuit court with nine divisions and a court commissioner who handles civil cases. Judges must be members of the Indiana Bar Association; they are elected to six-year terms. Some court decisions can be appealed to the state level (appeals court, state supreme court).

County Officials: The county has several other elected offices, including sheriff, coroner, auditor, treasurer, recorder, surveyor, assessor, and circuit court clerk. They are elected county-wide to four-year terms. Members elected to county government positions are required to declare party affiliations and to be residents of the county.[27]

Monroe County is part of Indiana's 9th congressional district and is represented in Congress Republican Erin Houchin. It is part of Indiana Senate districts 37, 40 and 44;[28] and Indiana House of Representatives districts 46, 60 and 61.[29]

Courthouse

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The Monroe County Courthouse is the seat of government for Monroe County and is the traditional center of Bloomington. The third courthouse to stand on the Downtown Square, the current courthouse was built in 1907 during a time of great prosperity. Wing & Mahurin designed the building.[citation needed]

Politics

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Monroe County traditionally leaned Republican. However, like many counties with large universities, it has trended strongly towards Democrats in recent years, voting for the Democratic nominee in 7 out of the last 8 presidential elections. In 2008, Barack Obama won the county by the largest margin for a Democrat running for president since 1912. President Obama also became the first Democrat since Franklin Pierce in 1852 to win the county with over 60% of the vote. Since 2008, the county has gone Democratic by large margins, and is now considered one of the few reliably Democratic counties in traditionally Republican Indiana. In recent years, only Marion County (Indianapolis) has been more Democratic. The county has not supported a Republican for president since 2000, when it narrowly supported George W. Bush over Al Gore by a 4.04% plurality.

United States presidential election results for Monroe County, Indiana[30]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
1888 2,054 51.50% 1,815 45.51% 119 2.98%
1892 2,017 45.88% 1,937 44.06% 442 10.05%
1896 2,510 50.20% 2,422 48.44% 68 1.36%
1900 2,788 52.68% 2,397 45.29% 107 2.02%
1904 3,042 55.81% 2,286 41.94% 123 2.26%
1908 3,051 51.48% 2,780 46.91% 95 1.60%
1912 1,388 25.19% 2,396 43.48% 1,727 31.34%
1916 3,033 50.31% 2,796 46.38% 200 3.32%
1920 5,633 53.65% 4,751 45.25% 116 1.10%
1924 6,247 55.22% 4,689 41.45% 376 3.32%
1928 8,883 67.00% 4,317 32.56% 59 0.44%
1932 7,759 47.03% 8,478 51.39% 260 1.58%
1936 8,842 48.82% 9,220 50.91% 48 0.27%
1940 10,311 55.74% 8,117 43.88% 71 0.38%
1944 8,993 55.77% 6,809 42.23% 323 2.00%
1948 9,579 54.64% 7,375 42.07% 578 3.30%
1952 12,072 60.59% 7,745 38.87% 108 0.54%
1956 13,223 62.92% 7,732 36.79% 60 0.29%
1960 14,513 65.42% 7,535 33.97% 136 0.61%
1964 10,309 46.08% 11,918 53.27% 145 0.65%
1968 13,752 50.78% 10,789 39.84% 2,539 9.38%
1972 19,953 56.05% 15,241 42.82% 402 1.13%
1976 18,938 53.06% 16,609 46.53% 148 0.41%
1980 18,233 49.42% 13,316 36.09% 5,345 14.49%
1984 21,772 59.12% 14,719 39.97% 335 0.91%
1988 20,756 56.04% 15,855 42.81% 427 1.15%
1992 16,661 38.22% 19,712 45.22% 7,214 16.55%
1996 16,744 42.27% 18,531 46.78% 4,334 10.94%
2000 19,147 47.61% 17,523 43.57% 3,550 8.83%
2004 22,834 45.25% 26,965 53.43% 668 1.32%
2008 21,118 33.32% 41,450 65.39% 819 1.29%
2012 22,481 39.29% 33,436 58.43% 1,306 2.28%
2016 20,592 35.23% 34,216 58.53% 3,646 6.24%
2020 22,071 34.95% 39,861 63.12% 1,219 1.93%
2024 21,004 35.24% 37,213 62.44% 1,385 2.32%
2016 1 33.33% 1 33.33% 1 33.33%


Education

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Monroe County Public Library operates branches at Bloomington and Ellettsville.[31]

Monroe County is home to Indiana University Bloomington.

Transportation

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Major highways

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For many years Monroe County was one of the most populous counties in the USA which did not contain any US highways or Interstate highways. However, in December 2015 the I-69 extension was completed into the county and this distinction disappeared. The highway was further extended north into Morgan County in 2018.

Railways

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File:Monroe County - Victor Pike - abandoned railway - trestle - P1120786.JPG
A trestle on an abandoned railway line (the former Monon Railway mainline) in Perry Township

Although Monroe County has a rich railway history, currently its only railway is the Indiana Rail Road, whose mainline crosses the county from the north-east to the south-west, with branches to a few industrial facilities.[32][33][34] There is no passenger service.

Between 1854 and 2004, an important north–south line connecting the Ohio River with Lake Michigan crossed Monroe County as well, serving Stinesville, Elletsville, Bloomington, Smithville, and Harrodsburg. It was operated by the Monon Railroad throughout much of the 20th century, and later by CSX. The last passenger service operating on this line was Amtrak's Floridian Chicago-Miami service, during 1972–1979. With the termination of this service in 1979, Monroe County lost passenger railway service. CSX continued to use this line for freight for another quarter of a century, but in 2004, it stopped using this line. Large parts of it have since been converted to trails. [21][35]

Air transport

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See also

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References

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  1. ↑ "Mean Center of Population for the United States: 1790 to 2000" (PDF). US Census Bureau. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 3, 2001. Retrieved September 17, 2011.
  2. ↑ "Monroe County, Indiana". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  4. ↑ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. US Government Printing Office. p. 212.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  7. ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  8. ↑ "2021 American Community Survey". US Census Bureau. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  9. ↑ "2021 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS". US Census Bureau. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  10. ↑ "POVERTY STATUS IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS OF FAMILIES". US Census Bureau. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  11. ↑ "POVERTY STATUS IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS". US Census Bureau. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  12. ↑ "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
  13. ↑ Monroe County IN (google maps, accessed 20 December 2019)
  14. ↑ Monroe County IN (peakbagger.com, accessed 20 December 2019)
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Water Basics: Stream Archived September 16, 2012, at the Wayback Machine (City of Bloomington)
  16. ↑ Lake Lemon Conservancy District (LLCD)
  17. ↑ Griffy Lake Nature Preserve
  18. ↑ Abandoned Water Sanitation Station, Water Pump; Bloomington IN Archived December 25, 2012, at archive.today, "The Other Side of Indiana"
  19. ↑ City of Bloomington Environmental Resource Inventory (COBERI) Archived June 9, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  20. ↑ City plans to remove most of dam, lake in Wapehani bike park
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Limestone Industry TIMELINE
  22. ↑ Leonard Springs Nature Park Archived September 17, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  23. ↑ Salt Creek Valley - A New Place to Roost (Lake Monroe Oral History, accessed 11 August 2020)
  24. ↑ Monroe County IN (Google Maps, accessed 11 August 2020)
  25. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named WX
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 Indiana Code. "Title 36, Article 2, Section 3". IN.gov. Retrieved September 16, 2008.
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 27.2 Indiana Code. "Title 2, Article 10, Section 2" (PDF). IN.gov. Retrieved September 16, 2008.
  28. ↑ "Indiana Senate Districts". State of Indiana. Retrieved July 14, 2011.
  29. ↑ "Indiana House Districts". State of Indiana. Retrieved July 14, 2011.
  30. ↑ Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  31. ↑ "Hours & Locations". Monroe County Public Library. Retrieved March 10, 2018.
  32. ↑ Indiana Railroad map
  33. ↑ State of Indiana 2012 railway system map (The branch to Elletsville, labeled "CSX", is presently abandoned.)
  34. ↑ Rail Density)
  35. ↑ Site Highlight: B-Line Trail in Bloomington

Further reading

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  • History of Lawrence and Monroe Counties, Indiana: Their People, Industries, and Institutions. B.F. Bowen. 1914. (Template:Internet Archive)
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Template:Geographic Location

Template:Monroe County, Indiana Template:Indiana Coordinates: 39°10′N 86°31′W / 39.16°N 86.52°W / 39.16; -86.52

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