Johnson

Formed December 31, 1823 (49^th county)

Johnson County (161,768), Franklin (25,327), Greenwood (63,832)

The unique red brick building in Franklin was built in 1882 and renovated in 1983.  It is on Jefferson Street at Main Street.  Indiana State Highway 44 is Jefferson Street.  George W. Bunting is the courthouse designer in Victorian Eclectic style.  Two annexes have been added, one in 1983 and the other in 1996.  A clock tower tops the structure.  The county was established on December 31, 1823 from Native American Territory as the 49^th county.  Franklin has been the only county seat.  The county is named for Indiana Supreme Court Justice John Johnson.  The county seat is named for American Statesman Benjamin Franklin.  He is also the namesake of Franklin County.  Johnson County was the birthplace of 2 Indiana Governors, Paul V. McNutt and Roger D. Branigin. 

Johnson County government consists of a sheriff, 3 Commissioners, and 7 Council Members.  A Circuit Court Judge and Four Superior Court Judges serve Johnson County.  The county is in central Indiana.  Indianapolis, Indiana is directly north of the county.  The county center is 5.3 miles West-Southwest of Franklin nearer Providence.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Marion, Shelby, Bartholomew, Brown, and Morgan counties. 

The area of the county is 320 square miles.  It is 75 out of 92 in the state.   It ranks 11 out of 92 in population in the state.  It has a density of 505.5 persons per square mile making it 8 out of 92 in the state.  Johnson County has 71.4% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 65 goes north to south through the county from Marion County to Shelby County.  United States Highway 31 parallels Interstate Highway 65 from Marion County to Bartholomew County.  The county is a rectangle shape.  Franklin is located slightly east of center in the county.  Greenwood is on the northern border of the county.  Franklin is the county seat and Greenwood is the largest city.  Franklin is 15.7% of the county population while Greenwood is 39.5% of the county population.  This county is in the Indianapolis-Carmel Metropolitan Statistical Area.