Howard

Formed January 15, 1844 (90^th county)

Howard County (83,659), Kokomo (59,603)                

An Art Deco masonry courthouse was built in 1936.  It sits on a square at Sycamore, Main, Walnut, and Buckeye streets.  Indiana State Highway 22 runs in front of the building.  Oscar F. Cook was the building designer.  The county was organized on January 15, 1844 as the 90^th county originally named Richardville County.  The county was taken from Native American Territory.  The name was changed in 1846 to honor United States Congressman Tilghman Howard.  The county seat is named for Native American legend KOKOMAH.  Howard County was the birthplace of 1 Indiana Governor, Edward L. Jackson. 

Howard 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, Four Superior Court Judges, and a prosecutor serve Howard County (judicial.) The county is in north central Indiana.  Indianapolis, Indiana is south and South Bend, Indiana is north of the county.  The county center is in Kokomo 2.9 miles East of the city center.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Miami, Grant, Tipton, Clinton, Carroll, and Cass counties.  There was an 1870 version of the courthouse also in Kokomo the only county seat.  The Wildcat River flows through the middle of the county. 

The area of the county is 293 square miles.  It is 82 out of 92 in the state.   It ranks 18 out of 92 in population in the state.  It has a density of 285.5 persons per square mile making it 16 out of 92 in the state.  Howard County has 75.7% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 31 goes north to south through the county from Miami County to Tipton County.  United States Highway 35 goes east to northwest from Grant County to Cass County.  The county looks like backwards small letter r lying on its face.  Kokomo is located west of center in the county.  Kokomo is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 71.3% of the county population.  The county seat is pronounced KOE-KOE-MOE.  This county is in the Kokomo Metropolitan Statistical Area.