Formed February 7, 1836 (82nd county)
Adams County (35,811), Decatur (9,918)
The red brick and facility was built in 1872 on a city square. The building is surrounded by 2nd, Madison, 3rd, and Court streets. United States Highway 224 is one block north of the site. The building was designed by J. C. Johnson in Second Empire style. The building was remodeled in 1900, in 1970, and in 2005. The building features a clock tower with veterans’ memorials and a bear statue on the grounds. There was also an 1839 courthouse in Decatur. There is a 1906 Superior Court building augmenting the courthouse and an old school was converted to a County Service Complex in 1995. The county was organized on February 7, 1836 and named for President John Quincy Adams. The county was taken from Native American Territory as the 82nd county with Decatur as the only county seat. The county seat is named for War of 1812 hero Commodore Stephen Decatur. He is also the namesake for Decatur County.
Adams County government consists of a sheriff, 3 Commissioners, and 7 Council Members. A Circuit Court Judge and a Superior Court Judge serve Adams County. The county is in northeast Indiana on the border with Ohio. Fort Wayne, Indiana is directly north and Indianapolis, Indiana is southwest of the county. The county center is 8.2 miles South of Decatur nearer Monroe. The county is surrounded clockwise by Allen County and Ohio and Jay and Wells counties.
The area of the county is 339 square miles. It is 71 out of 92 in the state. It ranks 45 out of 92 in population in the state. It has a density of 105.6 persons per square mile making it 37 out of 92 in the state. Adams County has 45.3% of its population in its incorporated areas. United States Highway 27 crosses the county north to south from Allen County to Jay County. United States Highway 33 enters from the north joined with United States Highway 27 and splits to travels southeast into Ohio. United States Highway 224 goes east to west from Ohio to Wells County. The county is a tall rectangle. Decatur is located in the northern third of the county. Decatur is the county seat and the largest city. It is 27.7% of the county population. This county is in the Decatur Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Berne
Decatur
Geneva
Monroe
