Perry

Formed November 1, 1814 (12^th county)

Perry County (19,170), Tell City (7,516)

A Modern red/brown brick courthouse, located on Paine Street at 22^nd Street, was built in 1994.  Indiana State Highway 37 passes in front of the building.  Andrew Churchill is the building architect.  The county was formed on November 1, 1814 from parts of Gibson and Warrick counties as the 12^th county.  Troy was the first county seat.  Rome had an 1818 courthouse, Cannelton had an 1896 courthouse, and Tell City has the current courthouse.  The county is named for War of 1812 hero Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry.  The county seat is named for Swiss legend William Tell. 

Perry 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 and a prosecutor serve Perry County (judicial.) The county is in southern Indiana on the Ohio River.  Kentucky is directly south across the Ohio River.  Louisville, Kentucky is east and Evansville, Indiana is west of the county.  The county center is 8.1 miles Northeast of Tell City nearer Gatchel.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Crawford County and Kentucky and Spencer and Dubois counties. 

The area of the county is 382 square miles.  It is 58 out of 92 in the state.   It ranks 75 out of 92 in population in the state.  It has a density of 50.2 persons per square mile making it 75 out of 92 in the state.  Perry County has 48.9% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 64 crosses the county east to west from Crawford County to Spencer County.  The county is shaped like a large mouth funnel.  Tell City is on the southwestern border.  Tell City is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 39.2% of the county population.