Newton

Formed December 18, 1859 (92^nd county)

Newton County (13,825), Kentland (1,638)

The tan brick and masonry courthouse, built in 1906, is on 3^rd, Graham, 4^th, Dunlap streets.  United States Highway 24 is 1 block south.  There was a previous courthouse in Kentland dating from 1861, and a 1840 courthouse in Brook.  The courthouse architect was Joseph T. Hutton in Neo-Classical style.  A government center is located 10 miles north of Kentland.  A military gun sits on the courthouse grounds.  The county was created on 1835 as the 92^nd and last county but realigned in its current size in December 18, 1859.  The county was taken from Jasper County.  Revolutionary War hero John Newton provided the inspiration for the county name.  The county seat is named for founder A. J. Kent.  Newton County was the birthplace of 1 Indiana Governor, Warren T. McCray. 

Newton County government consists of a sheriff, 3 Commissioners, and 7 Council Members.  A Circuit Court Judge and a Superior Court Judge serve Newton County.  The county is in northwest Indiana on the border with Illinois.  Gary, Indiana is directly north and Indianapolis, Indiana is southeast of the county.  The Kankakee River forms its northern border.  The county center is 15.6 miles North of Kentland nearer Morocco.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Lake, Jasper, and Benton counties and Illinois.  

The area of the county is 402 square miles.  It is 43 out of 92 in the state.   It ranks 82 out of 92 in population in the state.  It has a density of 34.4 persons per square mile making it 88 out of 92 in the state.  Newton County has 34.4% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 65 clips the northeast corner of the county from Lake County, north, to Jasper County, east.  United States Highway 24 crosses the county east to west from Jasper County to Illinois.  United States Highway 41 goes north to south from Lake County to Benton County.  United States Highway 52 enters joined with United States Highway 41 from the south, Benton County, splits to join United States Highway 24 to go west into Illinois.  The county is a tall rectangle with a wandering northern river border.  Kentland is in the southern quarter near the southern border.  Kentland is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 11.9% of the county population.  This county is in the Chicago-Naperville-Joliet Metropolitan Statistical Area.