Hamilton

Formed January 8, 1823 (47^th county)

Hamilton County (347,465), Noblesville (69,609), Carmel (99,753)

The classic 1879 red brick courthouse was augmented in 1992 with a Justice Center.  The clock tower stands out in this Second Empire structure.  The courthouse was remodeled in 1993.  The building is on Conner between 8^th and 9^th streets.  Indiana State Highway 32 is Conner Street in the town.  Edwin May is the building architect.  The county was created on January 8, 1823 from Native American Territory as the 47^th county with Noblesville as the only county seat.  It is named for United States Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton.  Noblesville is named for the fiancée of the city’s founder. 

Hamilton 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, Six Superior Court Judges, and a prosecutor serve Hamilton County (judicial.) The county is in central Indiana directly north of Indianapolis, Indiana.  The county center is 2.8 miles West-Southwest of Noblesville.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Tipton, Madison, Hancock, Marion, Boone, and Clinton counties. 

The area of the county is 394 square miles.  It is 50 out of 92 in the state.   It ranks 4 out of 92 in population in the state.  It has a density of 881.9 persons per square mile making it 3 out of 92 in the state.  Hamilton County has 93.7% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 69 cuts the southeast corner of the county from Madison County, east, to Marion County, south.  United States Highway 31 goes north to south through the county from Tipton County to Marion County.  United States Highway 421 cuts the southwest corner from Boone County, west, to Marion County, south.  The county shape is square.  Noblesville is in the center of the county.  Carmel is in the southwest part of the county.  Noblesville is the county seat and Carmel is the largest city.  Noblesville is 20.0% of the county population while Carmel is 28.7% of the county population.  This county is in the Indianapolis-Carmel Metropolitan Statistical Area.