Formed December 30, 1816 (19th county)
Sullivan County (20,820), Sullivan (4,258)
The Neo-Classical masonry courthouse was constructed in 1926 to replace the 1852 structure. It is located on Court Street between Washington and Jackson streets. United States Highway 41 bypasses the city nine blocks west of the courthouse. John B. Bayard is the courthouse designer. The building features a working clock and faux pillars. A hidden rotunda is discovered inside the structure. Sullivan County was created on December 30, 1816 from Knox County as the 19th county. Carlisle (1817) and Merom (1819) were the county seat until 1842 when Sullivan assumed the role. Revolutionary War General Daniel Sullivan provided the inspiration for the county and county seat names.
Sullivan 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, Two Superior Court Judges, and a prosecutor serve Sullivan County (judicial.) The county is in southwest Indiana on the Wabash River border with Illinois. Terre Haute, Indiana is north and Evansville, Indiana is south of the county. The county center is 1.5 miles Southwest of Sullivan. The county is surrounded clockwise by Vigo, Clay, Greene, and Knox counties and Illinois.
The area of the county is 447 square miles. It is 21 out of 92 in the state. It ranks 69 out of 92 in population in the state. It has a density of 46.6 persons per square mile making it 80 out of 92 in the state. Sullivan County has 41.9% of its population in its incorporated areas. United States Highways 41/150 travel north to south through the county from Vigo County to Knox County. The county looks like a vase. The City of Sullivan is located near the center of the county. Sullivan is the county seat and the largest city. It is 20.5% of the county population. This county is in the Terre Haute Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Carlisle
Dugger
Farmersburg
Hymera
Merom
Shelburn
Sullivan