Vanderburgh County
County
The Old Vanderburgh County Courthouse
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Indiana
Indiana's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 38°01′N 87°35′W / 38.02°N 87.58°W / 38.02; -87.58
Country	United States
State	Indiana
Founded	January 7, 1818
Named for	Henry Vanderburgh
Seat	Evansville
Largest city	Evansville
Area
• Total	236.33 sq mi (612.1 km2)
• Land	233.48 sq mi (604.7 km2)
• Water	2.86 sq mi (7.4 km2)  1.21%
Population  (2020)
• Total	180,136
• Density	800/sq mi (290/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	8th
Website	www.vanderburghgov.org
[1] Indiana county number 82 Eighth-largest county in Indiana by population as of 2020 Eighth-smallest county in Indiana by area

Vanderburgh County is a county in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2020, the population was 180,136.^[2] The county seat is in Evansville.^[3] While Vanderburgh County was the eighth-largest county in 2020 population in Indiana, it is also the eighth-smallest county in area and the smallest in southwestern Indiana, covering only 236 square miles (610 km²).

Vanderburgh County forms the core of the Evansville metropolitan statistical area.

History

Vanderburgh County was formed on January 7, 1818, from Gibson, Posey, and Warrick counties. It was named for Captain Henry Vanderburgh, Revolutionary War veteran and judge for the Indiana Territory.

Geography

According to the 2010 census, the county has an area of 236.33 square miles (612.1 km²), of which 233.48 square miles (604.7 km²) (or 98.79%) is land and 2.86 square miles (7.4 km²) (or 1.21%) is water.^[4]

Regional

• Illinois–Indiana–Kentucky tri-state area
• Southwestern Indiana

Adjacent counties

Cities and towns

Census-designated places

Unincorporated towns

Townships

(2000 population)

Major highways

Climate and weather

In recent years, average temperatures in Evansville have ranged from a low of 25 °F (−4 °C) in January to a high of 91 °F (33 °C) in July, although a record low of −17 °F (−27 °C) was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of 109 °F (43 °C) was recorded in July 1954. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.96 inches (75 mm) in October to 4.78 inches (121 mm) in May.^[5]

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 county council is the fiscal branch of the county government that has the legislative responsibilities for the spending and revenue collection in the county. Four representatives are elected from county districts and three are elected at-large by the entire county. 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.^[6][7]

Board of commissioners: The executive body of the county is made of a board of commissioners. The commissioners are elected county-wide but must live within the district of the seat they hold, 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.^[6][7]

Court: The county has eight state trial courts of original jurisdiction. One circuit court and seven superior courts. The judges offices are non-partisan with terms of six years. A judge must be a member of the Indiana Bar Association. The judges are assisted by magistrates that are appointed. circuit court.^[7]

County officials: The county has several other elected offices, including sheriff, coroner, auditor, 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 party affiliations and to be residents of the county.^[7]