Harrison County is a county in Indiana, United States, about 20 miles west of Louisville, Kentucky, along the Ohio River. It had a population of 39,654 at the 2020 census, an estimated 40,437 by 2025, and covers 484.52 square miles (1,254.9 km2) centred near 38°12′N 86°07′W.
Corydon is the county seat and Indiana’s former state capital; its postal code is 47112. The county holds 9 towns, 1 census-designated place and 21 unincorporated communities across 12 townships, and it runs on Eastern Time. Its FIPS code is 18061.
Towns & Villages in Harrison County
Harrison County has 31 named places on record: 9 incorporated towns, 1 census-designated place (New Salisbury) and 21 unincorporated communities with no local government of their own. CDP stands for census designated place; Unincorp. covers crossroads and rural communities with no formal boundary. An older version of this page listed roughly twenty additional names — Hancock Chapel, Kings Store, Sugar Grove and similar — that could not be traced to any current gazetteer or township record, so they have been left off pending verification.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corydon | Town · seat | Harrison | 2,715 | 47112 |
| Milltown | Town | Blue River | — | — |
| Palmyra | Town | Morgan | — | 47164 |
| Lanesville | Town | Franklin | 614 | 47136 |
| Elizabeth | Town | Posey | 137 | 47117 |
| Crandall | Town | Jackson | 131 | 47114 |
| Mauckport | Town | Heth | 83 | 47142 |
| New Middletown | Town | Webster | 77 | 47160 |
| Laconia | Town | Boone | 73 | 47135 |
| New Amsterdam | Town | Washington | 27 | — |
| New Salisbury | CDP | Spencer | — | 47161 |
| Depauw | Unincorp. | Spencer | — | 47115 |
| Bradford | Unincorp. | — | — | 47107 |
| Central | Unincorp. | — | — | 47110 |
| Ramsey | Unincorp. | — | — | 47166 |
| Bridgeport | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Buena Vista | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Byrneville | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Central Barren | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Corydon Junction | Unincorp. | Harrison | — | — |
| Dogwood | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Evans Landing | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Fairdale | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Fishtown | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Frenchtown | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Glidas | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Moberly | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Mott | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| New Boston | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Rosewood | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Valley City | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| White Cloud | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
New Amsterdam and Mauckport sit less than two miles apart on the Ohio River and share a single ZIP, 47142, so mail addressed to either town clears through the Mauckport post office. Milltown’s post office and its 47145 ZIP code sit just across the line in Crawford County, so the town is not counted among Harrison County’s own ZIP codes even though most of its residents live on the Harrison County side.
Townships
Harrison County is divided into 12 civil townships. Population figures below are from the 2010 census, the most recent year with published township-level totals; several smaller townships have no incorporated town of their own.
| Township | Pop. (2010) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Harrison | 12,484 | Corydon, Corydon Junction |
| Jackson | 6,042 | Crandall |
| Franklin | 4,104 | Lanesville |
| Blue River | 2,064 | Milltown |
| Boone | 1,391 | Laconia |
| Heth | 1,278 | Mauckport |
| Morgan | — | Palmyra |
| Posey | — | Elizabeth |
| Spencer | — | New Salisbury, Depauw |
| Washington | — | New Amsterdam |
| Webster | — | New Middletown |
| Taylor | — | — |
ZIP Codes
- 47112 — Corydon
- 47136 — Lanesville
- 47117 — Elizabeth
- 47161 — New Salisbury
- 47164 — Palmyra
- 47115 — Depauw
- 47166 — Ramsey
- 47135 — Laconia
- 47142 — Mauckport (also serves New Amsterdam)
- 47114 — Crandall
- 47110 — Central
- 47160 — New Middletown
- 47107 — Bradford (post office box ZIP only)
Bridgeport, Buena Vista, Byrneville, Central Barren, Corydon Junction, Dogwood, Evans Landing, Fairdale, Fishtown, Frenchtown, Glidas, Moberly, Mott, New Boston, Rosewood, Valley City and White Cloud have no ZIP code of their own; mail there is delivered under the nearest incorporated town’s code.
Geography
Harrison County sits in Indiana’s hilly southern border zone, along a stretch of the Ohio River that forms the county’s entire southern edge. Of its 486.52 square miles, 484.52 are land and 2.00 are water. The Knobstone Escarpment runs along the county’s eastern side, and the Blue River and Indian Creek are the largest inland waterways, both draining south into the Ohio. Harrison-Crawford State Forest and O’Bannon Woods State Park cover a large block of wooded, cave-riddled terrain in the county’s southwest corner.
Washington County lies to the north, Floyd County to the east, and Crawford County to the west. Across the Ohio River in Kentucky lie Meade County to the southwest, Hardin County to the south and Jefferson County, home to Louisville, to the southeast. Washington County, Floyd County, Crawford County, Meade County, Hardin County and Jefferson County all border Harrison County.
Demographics
Harrison County had a population of 39,654 at the 2020 census, and the latest estimate puts the county near 40,437 residents. Corydon and Lanesville are the largest incorporated communities, though most residents live in unincorporated areas outside any town limits. Median household income runs $74,475, higher than Indiana’s statewide figure of $69,477 (2023 ACS). Population density works out to roughly 82 people per square mile of land, low for a county this close to the Louisville metro area, since most of the county remains rural and forested.
Economy & Local Life
Health care and social assistance employs the most workers in the county, about 3,202 people, followed by manufacturing at 2,718 and retail trade at 2,012. Caesars Southern Indiana, a riverboat-turned-land casino and hotel near Elizabeth, opened in 1998 and employs roughly 1,600 people, making it the county’s single largest private employer. Harrison County Hospital in Corydon employs about 504. Squire Boone Caverns, near Mauckport, and the county’s share of Harrison-Crawford State Forest and O’Bannon Woods State Park draw the bulk of the county’s tourism traffic, alongside Wyandotte Caves just across the line in Crawford County. Average commute time runs 30.5 minutes, longer than the national average, reflecting how many residents drive into the Louisville metro area for work.
History
Indiana’s territorial legislature organized Harrison County on 1 December 1808, naming it for William Henry Harrison, then governor of Indiana Territory and later the ninth U.S. president. Corydon became the territorial capital in 1813 and remained Indiana’s state capital from statehood in 1816 until 1825, when the seat of government moved to Indianapolis. Indiana’s first state constitution was drafted in Corydon in June 1816, reportedly under a large elm tree that still stands on the old capitol grounds.
The Battle of Corydon was fought on 9 July 1863, when Confederate cavalry under General John Hunt Morgan clashed with local militia during Morgan’s Raid. It is the only Civil War battle fought on Indiana soil.
Getting There
Interstate 64 crosses the county’s northern half. US 150 and State Roads 62, 64, 111, 135, 211, 337 and 462 also serve the county.
- Louisville, Kentucky — about 20 miles east
- New Albany, Indiana — about 15 miles east
- Salem, Indiana — about 20 miles north
- Leavenworth, Indiana — about 20 miles west
Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, roughly 25 miles east of Corydon, is the nearest major commercial airport. Robinson Airpark, a general-aviation field one mile northwest of Elizabeth, handles small private aircraft. No Amtrak route serves Harrison County; the nearest scheduled passenger rail is well outside the county.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Harrison County located?
It sits in Indiana’s hilly southern border zone along the Ohio River, about 20 miles west of Louisville, Kentucky, bordered by Washington, Floyd and Crawford counties in Indiana and Meade, Hardin and Jefferson counties in Kentucky.
What is the population of Harrison County?
39,654 at the 2020 census, with a 2025 estimate near 40,437.
How big is Harrison County?
486.52 square miles (1,254.9 km2), of which 484.52 square miles are land.
Harrison County’s county seat is what town?
Corydon is the county seat, and it served as Indiana’s territorial and state capital from 1813 to 1825.
How many towns are in Harrison County?
Nine incorporated towns — Corydon, Milltown, Palmyra, Lanesville, Elizabeth, Crandall, Mauckport, New Middletown and Laconia — plus New Amsterdam, and the census-designated place of New Salisbury.
What ZIP codes does Harrison County use?
47112 for Corydon, 47136 for Lanesville, 47117 for Elizabeth, 47161 for New Salisbury, 47164 for Palmyra, 47135 for Laconia, 47142 for Mauckport and New Amsterdam, 47114 for Crandall, 47160 for New Middletown, plus 47115, 47166 and 47110 for smaller communities.
What is Harrison County known for?
Corydon’s role as Indiana’s first state capital, the 1863 Battle of Corydon during Morgan’s Raid, and Caesars Southern Indiana, the county’s largest employer.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Indiana.