Decatur

Formed December 31, 1821 (38^th county)

Decatur (26,471), Greensburg (12,314)

A twin towered light red brick building was built in 1860 and added to in 1890 and 1997.  It was remodeled in 1977.  It is on a square at Main, Broadway, Washington, and Franklin streets.  United States Highway 421 is Washington Street.  The Romanesque Revival and Italianate building was designed by Edwin May.  One tower has a clock and veteran memorials are on the grounds.  The county was established on December 31, 1821 from Native American Territory the 38^th county with Greensburg as the only county seat.  It is named for War of 1812 hero Commodore Stephen Decatur.  He is also the namesake of the county seat of Adams County.  The county seat is named for Greensburg, Pennsylvania. 

Decatur 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, a Superior Court Judge, and a prosecutor serve Decatur County (judicial.) The county is located in southeast Indiana.  Indianapolis, Indiana is northwest and Cincinnati, Ohio is southeast of the county.  The county center is 2.8 miles Southwest of Greensburg.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Rush, Franklin, Ripley, Jennings, Bartholomew, and Shelby counties. 

The area of the county is 373 square miles.  It is 63 out of 92 in the state.  It ranks 59 out of 92 in population in the state.  It has a density of 71.0 persons per square mile making it 58 out of 92 in the state.  Decatur County has 55.8% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 74 travels northwest to southeast through the county from Shelby County to Franklin County.  United States Highway 421 is joined with Interstate Highway 74 from Shelby County, split, and goes southeast into Ripley County.  The county’s shape resembles a fat letter J.  Greensburg is in the northern third of the county.  Greensburg is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 46.5% of the county population.  This county is in the Greensburg Micropolitan Statistical Area.