Hendricks

Formed December 20, 1824 (51^st county)

Hendricks County (174,792), Danville (10,565), Plainfield (34,650)

The Classical Renaissance masonry courthouse in Danville was built in 1912 on Main, Washington, Marion, and Jefferson streets.  United States Highway 36 is Main Street in the town.  Clarence Martindale is the building architect.  The building features a working clock.  The grounds have veteran memorials, a fountain, and a liberty bell.  A government center is across the street.  The county was established on December 20, 1824 from Native American Territory as the 51^st county and Danville has always been the county seat.  Indiana Governor William Hendricks provided his name to the county.  The county seat is named for Justice of the Peace Daniel Clark. 

Hendricks 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, Five Superior Court Judges, and a prosecutor serve Hendricks County (judicial.) The county is in central Indiana immediately west of Indianapolis, Indiana.  The county center is 3.5 miles North of Danville.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Boone, Marion, Morgan, Putnam, and Montgomery counties. 

The area of the county is 407 square miles.  It is 38 out of 92 in the state.   It ranks 9 out of 92 in population in the state.  It has a density of 429.5 persons per square mile making it 10 out of 92 in the state.  Hendricks County has 58.7% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 70 crosses the county east to west from Marion County to Morgan County.  Interstate Highway 74 goes northwest to southeast from Boone County to Marion County.  United States Highway 36 travels east to west from Marion County to Putnam County.  United States Highway 40 parallels Interstate Highway 70 from Marion to Putnam counties.  United States Highway 136 parallels Interstate Highway 74 from Boone to Marion counties.  The county is a rectangle with a foot added on.  Danville is located slightly southwest of county center.  Plainfield is on the southeast border.  Danville is the county seat and Plainfield is the largest city.  Danville is 6.0% of the county population while Plainfield is 19.8% of the county population.  This county is in the Indianapolis-Carmel Metropolitan Statistical Area.