Monroe

Formed January 14, 1818 (25^th county)

Monroe County (139,717), Bloomington (79,148)

The Beaux Arts domed courthouse was built in 1908 in masonry.  It is sited at 6^th Avenue between Walnut and College streets.  Indiana State Highway 45 is five blocks south of the location.  Wing & Mahurin are the courthouse designers.  A Justice Center has been built to augment the courthouse.  Veteran memorials are on the grounds.  There was an 1826 courthouse also in Bloomington, the only county seat.  The county was formed on January 14, 1818 as the 25^th county and named for President James Monroe.  The county was taken from Orange County.  The county seat is named for settler William Bloom. 

Monroe County government consists of a sheriff, 3 Commissioners, and 7 Council Members.  Five Circuit Court Judges serve Monroe County.  The county is in south central Indiana.  Indianapolis, Indiana is northeast and Evansville, Indiana is southwest of the county.  The county center is in Bloomington, 1 mile southeast of the city center.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Morgan, Brown, Jackson, Lawrence, Greene, and Owen counties. 

The area of the county is 395 square miles.  It is 49 out of 92 in the state.   It ranks 12 out of 92 in population in the state.  It has a density of 353.7 persons per square mile making it 13 out of 92 in the state.  Monroe County has 61.6% of its population in its incorporated areas.  There are no Interstates or United States Highways in the county.  The county is a rectangle with a foot extending out of the southeast corner.  Bloomington is located slightly west of center in the county.  Bloomington is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 56.7% of the county population.  This county is in the Bloomington Metropolitan Statistical Area.