Clark County is a

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

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 ...

, located directly across the

Ohio River The Ohio River () is a river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing in a southwesterly direction from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to its river mouth, mouth on the Mississippi Riv ...

from

Louisville Louisville is the most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeast, and the 27th-most-populous city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 24th-largest city; however, by populatio ...

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 ...

. At the 2020 census, the population was 121,093. 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 ...

is Jeffersonville. Clark County is part of the Louisville/Jefferson County, KY–IN Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Clark County lies on the north bank of the

. A significant gateway to the state of

, Clark County's settlement began in 1783. The state of

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

rewarded General

George Rogers Clark George Rogers Clark (November 19, 1752 – February 13, 1818) was an American military officer and surveyor from Virginia who became the highest-ranking Patriot (American Revolution), Patriot military officer on the American frontier, nort ...

and his regiment for their victorious capture of Forts Kaskaskia, Cahokia, and Vincennes from the British, by granting them of land. A small portion of this land, , became known as Clarksville, the first authorized American settlement in the

Northwest Territory The Northwest Territory, also known as the Old Northwest and formally known as the Territory Northwest of the River Ohio, was formed from part of the unorganized western territory of the United States after the American Revolution. Established ...

, founded the next year in 1784.Clark County Genealogical Records
Retrieved January 21, 2008 Clark County was formed on February 3, 1801, with territory annexed from Knox, the first county formed in the Territory in 1790. This original area in Clark County was subsequently altered and reduced with the formation of other counties: Harrison (1808), Franklin, Jefferson, and Wayne (1811), Switzerland and Washington (1814), Jackson and Ripley (1816), Jennings (1817), Crawford and Randolph (1818), Fayette and Floyd (1819), Scott (1820), Union (1821), Decatur and Rush (1822). The first county seat was established in Springville, on April 7, 1801. Jeffersonville was platted in 1802, and on June 9 the Territorial Governor (

William Henry Harrison William Henry Harrison (February 9, 1773April 4, 1841) was the ninth president of the United States, serving from March 4 to April 4, 1841, the shortest presidency in U.S. history. He was also the first U.S. president to die in office, causin ...

) ordered that it be regarded as the county seat. However, on December 14, 1810, the seat designation was given to Charlestown, which retained the designation until 1873, when on September 23 the Jefforsonville mayor ( Luther Warder) successfully campaigned for the county seat's return. Clark County was a hotbed for antislavery sentiment during the territorial period. In 1807, citizens petitioned Congress to uphold the legal prohibition of slavery established in the Northwest Ordinance in response to efforts by Harrison and his supporters to have the prohibition repealed. Many settlers were Quakers who had migrated from North Carolina to escape the oppressive conditions of the slave states and did not want to see slavery be established in Indiana. From its beginning Clark County's history, culture and growth have been linked to the development of the river. Early nineteenth-century steamboats transported goods to the upper Ohio, providing opportunities for commercial and industrial growth in the county. In 1832, James Howard founded the Howard shipyards making Clark County a leader in shipbuilding.Clark County Government – History
March 19, 2013. Retrieved November 19, 2013 The railroad brought further economic growth. The Monon line spanned from New Albany to Chicago, and the Jeffersonville, Madison, and Indianapolis Railroad provided Clark County and southern Indiana with access to the northern trading centers of Indianapolis and Chicago. Industries locating to Clark County during the nineteenth century included the Louisville Cement Company in Speed, Indiana and the Ford Plate Glass Company established in Jeffersonville in 1876. During the 1920s, Clark County attracted the Colgate-Palmolive Company to the Clarksville Riverfront. Colgate purchased the former Indiana Reformatory building in 1923. The company rehabilitated and adapted the building for its dedication in 1924. It stayed in business until early 2008. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

the county prospered. The federal government began the Indiana Arsenal near Charlestown in 1940. Producing smokeless powder for the war effort, the arsenal employed up to 20,000. Howard shipyards was commissioned by the Navy to produce landing craft. Later Howard shipyards reorganized as Jeffersonville Boat and Machine Company ( Jeffboat) — a current major employer (1991). When the war ended, the county experienced significant residential and commercial growth, aided by the 1956 Interstate Act. The improved access provided by

Interstate 65 Interstate 65 (I-65) is a major north–south Interstate Highway System, interstate highway in the central United States. As with most primary interstates ending in 5, it is a major crosscountry, north–south route, connecting between th ...

encouraged additional subdivisions and shopping centers. View of Louisville from Clarksville

Clark County history has been closely associated with the development of the

. From its beginnings, Clark County relied on the river for economic opportunities. Clark County has diversified its economic base, lessened its dependency on the river, and continues to develop in new directions. However, the county still looks to the river as one link to its significant pioneer heritage.

Geography

Clark County lies on the east edge of Indiana; its eastern border abuts the northern border of the state of Kentucky (across the Ohio River). The terrain is low rolling hills, with the area either devoted to agriculture or urban development. The west part of the county is carved with drainages. The highest point on the terrain is a ridge WNW of Henryville near the border with Scott County, at ASL. According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of , of which (or 99.05%) is land and (or 0.96%) is water.

Adjacent counties

* Scott County - north * Jefferson County – northeast * Trimble County, Kentucky – northeast *

Oldham County, Kentucky Oldham County is a county located in the north central part of the U.S. state and commonwealth of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 67,607. Its county seat is La Grange. The county is named for Colonel William Oldham. Old ...

– east *

Jefferson County, Kentucky Jefferson County is a county located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 782,969. It is the most populous county in the commonwealth (with more than twice the population of sec ...

– south * Floyd County – southwest * Washington County – west Clark County is one of the few counties in the US to border two counties of the same name in different states (Jefferson County Indiana and Kentucky)-

Cities

* Charlestown * Jeffersonville

Towns

* Borden * Clarksville * Sellersburg * Utica

Census-designated places

* Henryville * Memphis * New Washington

Unincorporated places

Source: * Arctic Springs * Belknap * Bennettsville *

Bethlehem Bethlehem is a city in the West Bank, Palestine, located about south of Jerusalem, and the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate. It had a population of people, as of . The city's economy is strongly linked to Tourism in the State of Palesti ...

* Black Diamond * Blue Lick * Broom Hill * Carwood * Cementville * Clarke *

Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

* Dyeton * Floyd *

Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...

* Haussdale * Henze *

Hibernia () is the Classical Latin name for Ireland. The name ''Hibernia'' was taken from Greek geographical accounts. During his exploration of northwest Europe (), Pytheas of Massalia called the island ''Iérnē'' (written ). In his book ''Geogr ...

* Hughes * Longview Beach * Marysville * Nabb * New Market * Oak Park * Otisco *

Otto Otto is a masculine German given name and a surname. It originates as an Old High German short form (variants '' Audo'', '' Odo'', '' Udo'') of Germanic names beginning in ''aud-'', an element meaning "wealth, prosperity". The name is recorded fr ...

* Prairie Crossing * Prather * Pulltight * River Ridge * Rockford *

Solon Solon (; ; BC) was an Archaic Greece#Athens, archaic History of Athens, Athenian statesman, lawmaker, political philosopher, and poet. He is one of the Seven Sages of Greece and credited with laying the foundations for Athenian democracy. ...

Speed In kinematics, the speed (commonly referred to as ''v'') of an object is the magnitude of the change of its position over time or the magnitude of the change of its position per unit of time; it is thus a non-negative scalar quantity. Intro ...

St Joseph According to the Gospel, canonical Gospels, Joseph (; ) was a 1st-century Jews, Jewish man of Nazareth who was Espousals of the Blessed Virgin Mary, married to Mary, mother of Jesus, Mary, the mother of Jesus, and was the legal father of Jesus ...

Starlight Starlight is the light emitted by stars. It typically refers to visible electromagnetic radiation from stars other than the Sun, observable from Earth at night, although a component of starlight is observable from Earth during daytime. Sunlig ...

* Sunset Village *

Underwood Underwood may refer to: People *Underwood (surname), people with the surname Places Australia *Underwood, Queensland, a suburb of Logan City, Australia *Underwood, Tasmania, a locality United Kingdom *Underwood, Devon, a List of United Kingdom ...

* Watson * Wilson

Extinct towns

Andalusia Andalusia ( , ; , ) is the southernmost autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Peninsular Spain, located in the south of the Iberian Peninsula, in southwestern Europe. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomou ...

* Claysburg *

Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

* Port Fulton * Springville

Townships

* Carr * Charlestown * Jeffersonville *

Monroe Monroe or Monroes may refer to: People and fictional characters * Monroe (surname) * Monroe (given name) * James Monroe, 5th President of the United States * Marilyn Monroe, actress and model Places United States * Monroe, Arkansas, an unincorp ...

Owen Owen may refer to: People and fictional characters * Owen (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or surname Places United States * Owen, Missouri, a ghost town * Owen, Wisconsin * Owen County, Indiana ...

* Silver Creek * Union * Utica * Washington *

Wood Wood is a structural tissue/material found as xylem in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulosic fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin t ...

Transit

* Transit Authority of River City

Major highways

Interstate 265 * US 31

U.S. Route 31 * State Road 3 * State Road 60 * State Road 62 * State Road 160 * State Road 265 * State Road 362

Airport

*KJVY – Clark Regional Airport

Climate and weather

In recent years, average temperatures in Jeffersonville have ranged from a low of in January to a high of in July, although a record low of was recorded in January 1994 and a record high of was recorded in July 1936. Average monthly precipitation ranged from in October to in May. Two towns in Clark County, Marysville and Henryville suffered major damage during the tornado outbreak of March 2–3, 2012.

Government

For most of its history, Clark County was a Democratic-leaning county, its politics more in line with neighboring Kentucky than Indiana. However, the county voted for the national winner in all but 2 elections from 1924 to 2004 (1952, 1968). Since the start of the second millennium, the county has trended strongly Republican, moving away from its previous near-bellwether status. 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 is the legislative branch of the county government and controls all the spending and revenue collection in the county. Four representatives are elected from county districts, and three 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 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. Courts The Clark County Judicial System consists of 8 Courts: * Clark Circuit Court (Judge Daniel Moore) * Clark Superior Court #1 (Judge Vicki Carmichael) * Clark Superior Court #2 (Judge Jerome Jacobi) * Clark Superior Court #3 (Judge Joe P. Weber) * Jeffersonville City Court – Office Expired December 31, 2015 * Charlestown City Court (Judge George Waters) * Clarksville Town Court (Judge Samuel Gwin) * Sellersburg Town Court (Judge Thomas Lowe) By statute, the Circuit and Superior Courts have unlimited jurisdiction with the power to hear civil and criminal cases. City and Town Courts have jurisdiction to hear Ordinance violations and misdemeanor prosecutions, as well as civil actions where the amount in controversy does not exceed five hundred dollars ($500). Judgments in the City and Town Courts may be appealed de novo to the Clark Circuit Court. In addition, Clark Superior Court #3 maintains a Small Claims Docket. Local Rules of Practice may also limit the ability of a Court to hear certain cases. Judgments in other Courts may be appealed to the Indiana Court of appeals or the Indiana Supreme Court. The Circuit and Superior Court Judges are assisted by 3 Magistrates, who are appointed and serve at the direction of the elected Judges. The Circuit and Superior Court Judges are elected on a partisan basis, must reside within the county, and serve six-year terms. The City and Town Court Judges are elected to four-year terms on a partisan basis, and must reside within the City/Town. Felony and Misdemeanor prosecutions are filed by the Prosecuting Attorney, who is elected on a partisan basis, must reside within the county, and serves a term of four years. The current Prosecuting Attorney, Steven D. Stewart, has been in Office since 1989. County officials The county has several other elected offices, including

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 ...

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 A coroner is a government or judicial official who is empowered to conduct or order an inquest into the manner or cause of death. The official may also investigate or confirm the identity of an unknown person who has been found dead within th ...

auditor An auditor is a person or a firm appointed by a company to execute an audit.Practical Auditing, Kul Narsingh Shrestha, 2012, Nabin Prakashan, Nepal To act as an auditor, a person should be certified by the regulatory authority of accounting an ...

treasurer A treasurer is a person responsible for the financial operations of a government, business, or other organization. Government The treasury of a country is the department responsible for the country's economy, finance and revenue. The treasure ...

, recorder,

surveyor Surveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, art, and science of determining the terrestrial two-dimensional or three-dimensional positions of points and the distances and angles between them. These points are usually on the ...

, and circuit

court clerk A court clerk (British English: clerk to the court or clerk of the court ; American English: clerk of the court or clerk of court ) is an officer of the court whose responsibilities include maintaining records of a court and administering oaths ...

. These officers are elected to four-year terms. Members elected to county government positions must declare a

party A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a Hospitality, host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will oft ...

affiliation and be residents of the county.

Elected county officials

Clark County is part of Indiana's 9th congressional district and is represented in Congress by Republican Trey Hollingsworth.;

Indiana Senate The Indiana State Senate is the upper house of the Indiana General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Indiana. The Senate is composed of 50 members representing an equal number of constituent districts. Senators serve four-year ...

districts 45 and 46; 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 66, 70, 71, 72 and 73. Due to decadal redistricting and the 2022 general election, Clark County is now represented in the

Indiana General Assembly The Indiana General Assembly is the state legislature, or legislative branch, of the U.S. state of Indiana. It is a bicameral legislature that consists of a lower house, the Indiana House of Representatives, and an upper house, the Indiana Sena ...

by District 45 Senator Chris Garten, District 66 Representative Zach Payne, District 70 Representative

Karen Engleman Karen Engleman (born February 15, 1953) is an American politician who has served in the Indiana House of Representatives The Indiana House of Representatives is the lower house of the Indiana General Assembly, the state legislature of the ...

, and District 71 Representative Rita Fleming. The Clark County Council has 5 elected officials (as of May 2018). The Clark County Council of 2019 includes: * Barbara Hollis (District 1) * Janne Newland (District 2) * Brittney Ferree (District 3) * Steve Doherty (District 4) * David Abbott (at-large) * John Miller (at-large) * Kevin Vissing (at-large) * R. Scott Lewis (Attorney) The three elected Clark County Commissioners are (as of 2019): * Jack Coffman * Connie Sellers * Bryan Glover Other county office holders as determined by the 2022 general election: * Prosecutor: Jeremy Mull * Sheriff: Scottie Maples * Clerk: Ryan Lynch * Auditor: Danny Yost * Treasurer: Monty Snelling * Recorder: Steve Gill * Assessor: Butch Love * Surveyor: David Ruckman

Demographics

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 110,232 people, 44,248 households, and 29,474 families in the county. The population density was . There were 47,776 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 87.1% white, 6.9% black or African American, 0.8% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 2.6% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 4.9% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 24.3% were

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

, 15.0% were Irish, 13.0% were American, and 9.8% were English. Of the 44,248 households, 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.4% were married couples living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.4% were non-families, and 27.6% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.98. The median age was 37.9 years. The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $58,090. Males had a median income of $43,053 versus $32,361 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,592. About 9.0% of families and 11.8% 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 17.9% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.

2020 census

Education

Four public school districts and the Archdiocese of Indianapolis serve Clark County. The county is also served by two colleges that offer associate and bachelor's degrees.

Public school districts

Clarksville Community School Corporation * Clarksville Senior High School * Clarksville Middle School * Greenacres Elementary School * George Rogers Clark Elementary School (Closed 05/2010) Silver Creek School Corporation * Silver Creek High School * Silver Creek Middle School * Silver Creek Elementary School Borden–Henryville School Corporation * Borden Jr/Sr High School * Henryville Jr/Sr High School * Borden Elementary School * Henryville Elementary School Greater Clark County Schools * Charlestown Senior High School *

Jeffersonville High School Jeffersonville High School is a public high school located in Jeffersonville, Indiana, United States. The school serves students in grades 9 through 12 from Jeffersonville, Utica, and sections of Clarksville not covered by that town's own hig ...

* New Washington High School * Charlestown Middle School * New Washington Middle School * Parkview Middle School * River Valley Middle School * Bridgepoint Elementary School * Maple Elementary School * New Washington Elementary School * Northaven Elementary School * Parkwood Elementary School * Pleasant Ridge Elementary School * Jonathan Jennings Elementary School * Riverside Elementary School * Spring Hill Elementary School * Thomas Jefferson Elementary School * Utica Elementary School * Wilson Elementary School * Options Alternative School * Corden Porter School

Private schools

; Archdiocese of Indianapolis * Our Lady of Providence Junior-Senior High School * St. Anthony of Padua Elementary School(K–7) * Sacred Heart of Jesus (PK–8) * St. John Paul II School(K–8)

Colleges and universities

* Ivy Tech State College (Non-profit) * Mid-America College of Funeral Services (Non-profit) * Ottawa University – Jeffersonville (Non-Profit)

References

External links

* {{authority control Indiana counties 1801 establishments in Indiana Territory Indiana counties on the Ohio River Louisville metropolitan area Populated places established in 1801