Allen County, Indiana
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Allen County is a county in the U.S. state of
Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...
. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 385,410, making it the third-most populous county in Indiana. The
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
and largest city is
Fort Wayne Fort Wayne is a city in Allen County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. Located in northeastern Indiana, the city is west of the Ohio border and south of the Michigan border. The city's population was 263,886 at the 2020 United S ...
, the second largest city in Indiana. Allen County is included in the Fort Wayne Metropolitan Statistical Area and the
Fort Wayne Fort Wayne is a city in Allen County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. Located in northeastern Indiana, the city is west of the Ohio border and south of the Michigan border. The city's population was 263,886 at the 2020 United S ...
HuntingtonAuburn Combined Statistical Area. Allen County is the cultural and economic center of northeastern Indiana. The county is within a radius of major population centers, including
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,
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,
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, Columbus,
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, Louisville,
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, and within a one-day drive of one-third of the U.S. population and one-fifth of Canadians. Occupied for thousands of years by cultures of
indigenous peoples There is no generally accepted definition of Indigenous peoples, although in the 21st century the focus has been on self-identification, cultural difference from other groups in a state, a special relationship with their traditional territ ...
, Allen County was organized by European Americans on December 17, 1823, from Delaware and Randolph counties; and formed on April 1, 1824, at the Ewing Tavern. The county is named for Colonel John Allen, an attorney and
Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...
state senator who was killed in the
War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...
. Fort Wayne, founded at the confluences of the Maumee, St. Joseph, and St. Marys rivers, was chosen as the county seat in May 1824.


Geography

According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of , the largest county in Indiana, of which (or 99.59%) is land and (or 0.41%) is water.


Adjacent counties

* Noble County (northwest) * DeKalb County (north) * Defiance County, Ohio (northeast) * Paulding County, Ohio (east) * Van Wert County, Ohio (southeast) * Adams County (south) * Wells County (south) * Huntington County (southwest) * Whitley County (west)


Municipalities


Cities


Towns


Census-designated places

* Arcola * Harlan * Hessen Cassel * Hoagland * Lake Everett * Maples


Unincorporated communities


Extinct


Townships


Demographics

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 355,329 people, 137,851 households, and 90,892 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 152,184 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 79.3% white, 11.7% black or African American, 2.7% Asian, 0.4% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 2.9% from other races, and 2.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 6.5% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 33.4% were German, 11.4% were Irish, 10.7% were American, and 8.1% were English. Of the 137,851 households, 34.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.2% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 34.1% were non-families, and 28.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.12. The median age was 35.3 years. The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $60,184. Males had a median income of $45,294 versus $33,685 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,532. About 9.1% of families and 12.3% of the population were below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 17.4% of those under age 18 and 5.8% of those age 65 or over. Fort Wayne is cited as having the highest Burmese
refugee A refugee, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), is a person "forced to flee their own country and seek safety in another country. They are unable to return to their own country because of feared persecution as ...
population in the United States, with between 3,000 and 3,500.


2020 census


Amish community

Since 1852, Allen County has been home to an Old Order Amish community that speaks an
Alsatian dialect Alsatian ( or "Alsatian German"; Lorraine Franconian: ''Elsässerdeitsch''; ; or ) is the group of Alemannic German dialects spoken in most of Alsace, a formerly disputed region in eastern France that has passed between French and German co ...
, which is quite rare among Amish. There are about 3,190 Amish living around Grabill and
New Haven New Haven is a city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound. With a population of 135,081 as determined by the 2020 U.S. census, New Haven is the third largest city in Co ...
as of 2017.The 12 Largest Amish Communities (2017).
at Amish America


Government

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 seven member county council has the ultimate decision-making power regarding fiscal affairs of the county government and controls all the spending and revenue collection in the county. Four representatives are elected from county districts, and three members are elected at large. The council members serve four-year terms. They are responsible for setting salaries, the annual budget, and special spending. The council also 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. Board of Commissioners: The executive and administrative body of the county is made of a three-member board of commissioners. The commissioners are elected county-wide, in staggered terms, and each serves a four-year term. One of the commissioners serves as president of the board. The commissioners are charged with enacting and executing legislation, the collection of revenue, and managing the day-to-day functions of the county government. Court: The county maintains a Circuit Court and a Superior Court. These are the trial courts of general jurisdiction. Allen Superior Court hears the vast majority of cases, and has several divisions with multiple courtrooms. There are 9 judges hearing cases on the Allen Superior Court; the Chief Judge of the Allen Superior Court is the Honorable Frances "Fran" C. Gull, first elected as a judge in 1996. County Officials: The county has several other elected offices, including
sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland, the , which is common ...
, coroner,
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, treasurer, recorder, surveyor, and circuit court clerk. Each of these elected officers serves a term of four years and oversees a different part of county government. Members elected to county government positions are required to declare a party affiliation and to be residents of the county. The county government operates the
jail A prison, also known as a jail, gaol, penitentiary, detention center, correction center, correctional facility, or remand center, is a facility where people are imprisoned under the authority of the state, usually as punishment for various cr ...
, maintains rural roads, operates the major local courts, keeps files of deeds and mortgages, maintains vital records, administers
public health Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the de ...
regulations, and participates with the state in the provision of welfare and other social services. Allen County is part of Indiana's 3rd congressional district and is represented by Jim Banks in the
United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature, legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, including a Lower house, lower body, the United States House of Representatives, ...
. It is part of Indiana Senate districts 14, 15, 16, 17 and 19; and
Indiana House of Representatives The Indiana House of Representatives is the lower house of the Indiana General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Indiana. The House is composed of 100 members representing an equal number of constituent districts. House mem ...
districts 50, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84 and 85. Over the last 100 years, Allen County has been a Republican stronghold in presidential elections. The Democratic national landslides of
Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...
in 1932 and 1936 as well as Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964 constitute the only occasions since then that a Republican presidential candidate failed to carry the county, and even in 1964, Johnson only won the county by 1.4% and less than 1,500 votes. As of 2020,
Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...
was the highest vote earner for a Democratic candidate in the history of the county with 73,189 votes.
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
achieved the same feat for his party, with 92,083 votes. Although Allen County is rather conservative for an urban county, the presence of Fort Wayne makes the county one of the Democrats' strongest counties in Indiana. In 2008,
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
became the first Democratic president after Johnson to receive 40% of the county's vote. While he lost the county by 4 points, the closest that a Democrat has come to carrying the county, he won the city of Fort Wayne itself by six points. However, in 2016,
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
won the county by 19 points and city by 6, but in 2020, while
Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...
lost the county by 11 points, he recaptured Fort Wayne. The last Democratic Governor to win the county was Frank O'Bannon in
2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...
and the last Senator was Evan Bayh during his 2004 landslide. Following the 1930 Census, Fort Wayne was drawn into Indiana's 4th congressional district, which essentially became the 3rd district following 2000 Census. Fort Wayne has been represented in House by Republicans for all but 20 years since 1932. The streak was only broken by four Democrats: James Indus Farley from 1933 to 1939, Edward H. Kruse for a single term in 1949–1951, J. Edward Roush from 1971 to 1977 and Jill Long Thompson from 1989 to 1995.


Elected officials

* Board of Commissioners ** Richard E. Beck Jr. ** Therese M. Brown ** F. Nelson Peters *
Prosecuting Attorney A prosecutor is a legal representative of the prosecution in states with either the adversarial system, which is adopted in common law, or inquisitorial system, which is adopted in civil law. The prosecution is the legal party responsible ...
, Michael McAlexander *
Sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland, the , which is common ...
, Troy R. Hershberger * County Treasurer, William Royce (information as of January 2024)


Court house

The Allen County Courthouse was designed by Brentwood S. Tolan of Fort Wayne, and was built by James Stewart and Company of Saint Louis, Missouri. When the cornerstone was laid in 1897, the oldest man in the county, Louis Peltier, was present; he remembered Fort Wayne when it was a fort. The courthouse was completed in 1902 at a total cost of $817,553. At its dedication, Mayor Henry C. Berghoff and Governor Winfield T. Durbin were present. President
Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), also known as Teddy or T.R., was the 26th president of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909. Roosevelt previously was involved in New York (state), New York politics, incl ...
was scheduled to attend as well, although he ultimately did not. Built in the
Beaux-Arts architecture Beaux-Arts architecture ( , ) was the academic architectural style taught at the in Paris, particularly from the 1830s to the end of the 19th century. It drew upon the principles of French neoclassicism, but also incorporated Renaissance and ...
style, it was one of the most expensive courthouses in the state. It also was filled with artwork that cost more than other entire courthouses of the time. The courthouse has been protected as a
National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...
since 2003. The building is now used primarily as a government annex, as most of the offices were moved across Main Street to the Edwin J. Rousseau Centre in 1971.


Climate

In recent years, average temperatures in Fort Wayne have ranged from a low of in January to a high of in July, although a record low of was recorded in January 1918 and a record high of was recorded in June 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from in February to in June.


Economy

In the latter half of the 20th century, shifts in manufacturing patterns led to the reduction of the number of manufacturing plants and jobs in Allen County. However, Allen County's economy has diversified with time to include defense and security, healthcare, and insurance. Agriculture is also a vital part of the county's economy. In 2009, ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...
'' ranked the Fort Wayne metropolitan area 67th on its list of 200 metropolitan areas in the "Best Places For Business And Careers" report. Individually, Fort Wayne was ranked 5th in cost of living and 12th in cost of doing business. : Companies headquartered in Allen County:


Education

Allen County is home of Purdue Fort Wayne (PFW), with an enrollment of 14,192, it is the fifth-largest
public university A public university, state university, or public college is a university or college that is State ownership, owned by the state or receives significant funding from a government. Whether a national university is considered public varies from o ...
campus in Indiana. The county also holds the main campus of the Northeast Region of Ivy Tech Community College, the second-largest public
community college A community college is a type of undergraduate higher education institution, generally leading to an associate degree, certificate, or diploma. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an open enr ...
campus in Indiana.
Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a state university system, system of Public university, public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. The system has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration o ...
maintains the third public higher educational facility in the city with the Fort Wayne Center for Medical Education, a branch of the IU School of Medicine. Religious-affiliated schools in the county include the University of Saint Francis (Roman Catholic), Concordia Theological Seminary (
Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...
), and Indiana Wesleyan University ( Wesleyan Church). Business and technical schools include Indiana Institute of Technology (IIT) as well as regional branches of Trine University, Brown Mackie College, Harrison College, ITT Technical Institute, and International Business College.


K-12 schools

Public education is offered in the four districts: East Allen County Schools, Fort Wayne Community Schools, Northwest Allen County Schools, and Southwest Allen County Schools. By means of private education, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend operate 13 schools within Allen County, while Lutheran Schools of Indiana operate 14 schools within the county. In addition, Blackhawk Christian School and Canterbury School offer private K-12 education in Fort Wayne, while Amish Parochial Schools of Indiana has schools through eighth grade in rural eastern Allen County.


Libraries

Fort Wayne and Allen County residents have been served by the Allen County Public Library (ACPL) and its thirteen branches since its founding in 1895 as the Fort Wayne Public Library. The entire library system began an $84.1 million overhaul of its branches in 2002, finishing work by 2007. The centerpiece, the Main Library Branch, now covers , featuring an art gallery, underground parking garage, bookstore, café, and community auditorium. According to data from 2005, 5.4 million materials were borrowed by patrons, and 2.5 million visits were made throughout the library system. The Fred J. Reynolds Historical Genealogy Department, located in the Main Library Branch, is the largest public
genealogy Genealogy () is the study of families, family history, and the tracing of their lineages. Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kin ...
department in the United States, home to more than 350,000 printed volumes and 513,000 items of microfilm and microfiche.


Parks

In addition to the Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation department (see List of parks in Fort Wayne, Indiana), Allen County Parks operates four parks: * Fox Island (southwest Allen County near Aboite) * Metea (northeast Allen County near Leo) * Payton (northern Allen County near Huntertown) * Cook's Landing (northern Allen County on Coldwater Rd.) Allen County Parks are only partially tax supported. Operating expenses must be met through user and program fees. Admission is $2.00 per person age 7 and older. Passes are available on an annual basis (good for one year from purchase date) starting at $15.00. Activities at various parks include hiking, swimming, fishing, sledding, cross-country skiing (rentals available), playgrounds, picnic areas, play fields, and many nature-based programs for all ages. Wheeled vehicles (except wheelchairs) are not permitted on trails, and pets are not permitted in the state nature preserve areas (clearly marked).


Transportation


Highways

* Airport Expressway


Airports

* Fort Wayne International Airport * Smith Field


Railroads

* Chicago Fort Wayne and Eastern Railroad * CSX Transportation * Napoleon, Defiance & Western Railroad * Norfolk Southern Railway


See also

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


References


Further reading

* * ()


External links


Allen County official website

Allen County Parks Department

ARCH, Inc. (Allen County historic architecture preservation group)

Fort Wayne/Allen County Convention and Visitors Bureau

Greater Fort Wayne Inc. - Economic Development for Allen County
{{Authority control Indiana counties Fort Wayne, IN Metropolitan Statistical Area 1824 establishments in Indiana Populated places established in 1824