Montgomery County is a county in Indiana, United States, home to Wabash College and two historic covered bridges. It had a population of 37,936 at the 2020 census and covers 504.61 square miles (1,306.9 km2) of land, centred near 40°02′N 86°53′W.
Crawfordsville is the county seat and its postal code is 47933. The county has one city, ten incorporated towns, and more than two dozen smaller unincorporated communities spread across 11 civil townships. Montgomery County sits in the Eastern time zone and carries Indiana county FIPS code 54.
Towns & Villages in Montgomery County
Crawfordsville is the county’s only city and by far its largest population center. Ten smaller towns are incorporated (Alamo, Darlington, Ladoga, Linden, New Market, New Richmond, New Ross, Waveland, Waynetown, and Wingate), and the county contains more than two dozen unincorporated crossroads and rural communities. In the table below, “Unincorp.” marks a place with no municipal government of its own; population and ZIP figures are listed only where independently verified, with — standing in for unverified cells.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crawfordsville | City · seat | Union | — | 47933 |
| Alamo | Town | Union | — | 47916 |
| Darlington | Town | Sugar Creek | — | 47940 |
| Ladoga | Town | Clark | — | 47954 |
| Linden | Town | Union | — | 47955 |
| New Market | Town | Madison | — | 47965 |
| New Richmond | Town | Wayne | — | 47967 |
| New Ross | Town | Scott | — | 47968 |
| Waveland | Town | Brown | — | 47989 |
| Waynetown | Town | Wayne | — | 47990 |
| Wingate | Town | Wayne | — | 47994 |
| Ames | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Beckville | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Bowers | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Browns Valley | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Cherry Grove | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Darlington Woods | Unincorp. | Sugar Creek | — | — |
| Deer Mill | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Elmdale | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Fiskville | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Garfield | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Hibernia | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Kirkpatrick | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Lake Holiday | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Lapland | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Linnsburg | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Log Cabin Crossroads | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Mace | Unincorp. | Coal Creek | — | — |
| Manchester | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| North Union | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Parkersburg | Unincorp. | Franklin | — | — |
| Shannondale | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Smartsburg | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Sycamore Ford | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Taylor Corner | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Wesley | Unincorp. | Coal Creek | — | — |
| Whitesville | Unincorp. | Madison | — | — |
| Yountsville | Unincorp. | Ripley | — | — |
Townships
Montgomery County has 11 civil townships, which handle local services such as fire protection, township assistance, and cemetery maintenance. Precise 2020 township-level population figures were not independently verified for this update and are omitted rather than estimated.
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Union | — | Crawfordsville, Alamo, Linden |
| Brown | — | Waveland |
| Clark | — | Ladoga |
| Coal Creek | — | Mace, Wesley |
| Franklin | — | Parkersburg |
| Madison | — | New Market, Whitesville |
| Ripley | — | Yountsville |
| Scott | — | New Ross |
| Sugar Creek | — | Darlington |
| Walnut | — | — |
| Wayne | — | Waynetown, Wingate, New Richmond |
ZIP Codes
- 47933 — Crawfordsville (also serves the surrounding Union Township area)
- 47916 — Alamo
- 47940 — Darlington
- 47954 — Ladoga
- 47955 — Linden
- 47965 — New Market
- 47967 — New Richmond
- 47968 — New Ross
- 47989 — Waveland
- 47990 — Waynetown
- 47994 — Wingate
Smaller unincorporated communities generally share the ZIP code of the nearest post-office town rather than having one of their own.
Geography
Montgomery County lies in Indiana’s west-central region, on rolling farmland cut by Sugar Creek and Coal Creek, both tributaries of the Wabash River. Sugar Creek’s limestone gorge, near Turkey Run and Shades state parks just across the Parke County line, gives the county some of its most rugged terrain; two 19th-century covered bridges, at Darlington and Deer’s Mill, still cross the creek. Farmland covers most of the remaining land area, with corn and soybeans the dominant crops.
Montgomery County borders Tippecanoe County to the north, Clinton County to the northeast, Boone County to the east, Hendricks County to the southeast, Putnam County to the south, Parke County to the southwest, and Fountain County to the west.
Demographics
Montgomery County had 37,936 residents at the 2020 census. Crawfordsville, the county seat and only city, is the largest community by a wide margin, followed by the town of Ladoga. The county’s median household income runs below the Indiana median of $69,477, reflecting its largely rural, agricultural economy. Population density is roughly 75 people per square mile.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture and light manufacturing anchor the county’s economy, alongside education and healthcare centered on Crawfordsville. Wabash College, a private liberal-arts college for men founded in 1832, is one of the county’s largest employers and best-known institutions. Franciscan Health Crawfordsville serves as the county’s main hospital. The county fairgrounds host the annual Montgomery County 4-H Fair each July, a longstanding summer draw for the rural community.
History
Montgomery County was authorized by the Indiana General Assembly on December 21, 1822, and formally organized on March 1, 1823, with its first county election drawing 61 voters. It is named for Richard Montgomery, the Continental Army general killed at the 1775 Battle of Quebec. The first white settlers arrived in the area around 1821. The county’s current courthouse, in Crawfordsville, was completed in 1876 to a design by architect George W. Bunting.
Getting There
Interstate 74 crosses the northeastern part of the county, and U.S. Routes 136 and 231 along with Indiana State Roads 25, 32, 47, 55, 59, and 234 provide the main local connections.
- Lafayette — 22 miles north
- Indianapolis — 50 miles east
- Terre Haute — 45 miles southwest
- Danville, Illinois — 45 miles west
Crawfordsville Regional Airport (KCFJ) sits about 4 miles south-southwest of the city and handles general aviation; the nearest commercial-service airport is Indianapolis International.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Montgomery County, Indiana?
It is in Indiana’s west-central region, about 45 miles northwest of Indianapolis, with Crawfordsville as its county seat.
What is the population of Montgomery County?
37,936 people at the 2020 census.
How big is Montgomery County?
504.61 square miles (1,306.9 km2) of land area.
What is the county seat of Montgomery County?
Crawfordsville is the county seat.
How many towns are in Montgomery County?
One city (Crawfordsville) and ten incorporated towns, plus more than two dozen unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Montgomery County?
Eleven ZIP codes cover the county, led by 47933 for Crawfordsville.
What college is in Montgomery County?
Wabash College, a private men’s liberal-arts college founded in Crawfordsville in 1832.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Indiana.