Dearborn

Formed March 7, 1803 (3^rd county)

Dearborn County (50,680), Lawrenceburg (5,134)

The Classical Revival courthouse for Dearborn County is located on Mary Street between High and Williams streets.  United States Highway 50 is five blocks north and west of the site.  The masonry facility was built in 1873 using the designs of George Kyle.  A county Administration Building was added in 1984 and a Justice Center is being added as of 2018.  Veteran memorials are on the grounds.  Dearborn County was formed on March 7, 1803 from parts of Clark County and the State of Ohio as the 3^rd county.  Lawrenceburg was the first county seat until 1836 when Wilmington took over until 1844 when it reverted once again to Lawrenceburg.  It is named for United States Secretary of War Henry Dearborn.  The county seat is named for the town founder’s wife’s maiden name.  Dearborn County was the birthplace of 2 Indiana Governors, Albert G. Porter and Winfield T. Durbin. 

Dearborn County government consists of a sheriff, an auditor, a clerk, a coroner, a treasurer, and an assessor (executive).  It has 7 Council Members (legislative.)  A Circuit Court Judge, Two Superior Court Judges, and a prosecutor serve Dearborn County (judicial.) The county is in southeast Indiana on the Ohio River border with Kentucky and on the border with Ohio.  Indianapolis, Indiana is northwest and Cincinnati, Ohio is directly east of the county.  The county center is 13.5 miles Northwest of Lawrenceburg nearer Manchester.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Franklin County and Ohio and Kentucky and Ohio and Ripley counties. 

The area of the county is 305 square miles.  It is 81 out of 92 in the state.  It ranks 28 out of 92 in population in the state.  It has a density of 166.1 persons per square mile making it 24 out of 92 in the state.  Dearborn County has 32.1% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 74 crosses the northern part of the county east to west from Ohio to Ripley County.  United States Highway 50 goes through the southern part of the county east to west from Ohio to Ripley County.  United States Highway 52 enters from the north, Franklin County, and joins Interstate Highway 74 to exit to the east, Ohio.  The county looks like a plow with a wandering river south and east borders.  Lawrenceburg is located in the southeast part of the county on the Ohio River.  Lawrenceburg is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 10.1% of the county population.  This county is in the Cincinnati-Middletown Metropolitan Statistical Area.

West Harrison