Washington County is a county in Indiana, United States, on the Muscatatuck Plateau in the south-central part of the state, roughly midway between Bloomington and Louisville, Kentucky. It had a population of 28,182 at the 2020 census and covers 516.60 square miles (1,338.0 km2), of which 513.72 square miles (1,330.5 km2) is land, centred near 38°36′N 86°07′W.
Salem is the county seat, and its postal code is 47167. The county has one incorporated city, six incorporated towns, and roughly two dozen unincorporated communities spread across 13 civil townships. It lies in the Eastern time zone and carries FIPS code 18175.
Towns & Villages in Washington County
Washington County has one city (Salem, the seat) and six incorporated towns, plus close to thirty unincorporated communities that appear on county maps and in local usage but have no municipal government of their own. The table below marks incorporated places as Town or City · seat; everything else is Unincorp.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salem | City · seat | Washington | 6,352 | 47167 |
| Campbellsburg | Town | Monroe | 736 | 47108 |
| Hardinsburg | Town | Brown | 239 | 47125 |
| New Pekin | Town | Franklin | 1,417 | 47165 |
| Little York | Town | Polk | 149 | 47139 |
| Livonia | Town | Howard | — | — |
| Saltillo | Town | Gibson | — | — |
| Bartle | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Beck’s Mill | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Blue River | Unincorp. | Gibson | — | — |
| Canton | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Claysville | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Daisy Hill | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Farabee | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Fayetteville | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Georgetown | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Gooseport | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Haleysburg | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Harristown | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Highland | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Hitchcock | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Kossuth | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Martinsburg | Unincorp. | Pierce | — | — |
| McKinley | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Millport | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Mount Carmel | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| New Liberty | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| New Philadelphia | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| New Salem | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Old Pekin | Unincorp. | Franklin | — | — |
| Organ Springs | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Plattsburg | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Pumpkin Center | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Rush Creek Valley | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Smedley | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| South Boston | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
Townships
Washington County is divided into 13 civil townships: Brown, Franklin, Gibson, Howard, Jackson, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Pierce, Polk, Posey, Vernon and Washington. Township-level 2020 census counts are not separately published for this county, so the table below lists confirmed anchor communities only.
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | — | Salem |
| Franklin | — | New Pekin, Old Pekin |
| Monroe | — | Campbellsburg |
| Brown | — | Hardinsburg |
| Polk | — | Little York |
| Gibson | — | Saltillo, Blue River |
| Howard | — | Livonia |
| Pierce | — | Martinsburg |
| Jackson | — | — |
| Jefferson | — | — |
| Madison | — | — |
| Posey | — | — |
| Vernon | — | — |
ZIP Codes
- 47167 — Salem
- 47108 — Campbellsburg
- 47125 — Hardinsburg
- 47165 — New Pekin
- 47139 — Little York
Livonia, Saltillo, and the county’s unincorporated communities have no post office of their own; residents there use the ZIP code of the nearest listed town.
Geography
Washington County sits on the Norman Upland and Mitchell Plain, a belt of low, rolling hills, sinkholes, and karst caves cut by the Blue River and Muscatatuck River watersheds. Most of the county has been cleared for pasture and row-crop farming, though wooded ridges remain along the Blue River in the south and around Beck’s Mill in the southeast. Water covers about 2.87 square miles (7.4 km2) of the total area.
The county borders Jackson County to the north, Scott County to the northeast, Clark County to the east, Floyd County to the southeast, Harrison County to the south, Crawford County to the southwest, Orange County to the west, and Lawrence County to the northwest.
Demographics
The 2020 census counted 28,182 residents, up modestly from the previous decade. Salem, the county seat, is by far the largest place with roughly 6,300 residents; New Pekin is the second-largest incorporated place at about 1,400. The county’s median household income runs below the Indiana median of $69,477, reflecting its largely rural, farm-and-small-manufacturing economic base. Population density is about 55 people per square mile, well under the statewide average.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture remains central to Washington County’s economy, with corn, soybeans, and livestock the dominant enterprises across its rolling farmland. Salem also hosts light manufacturing, and county government, schools, and healthcare providers based in Salem are among the largest employers. Beck’s Mill, a restored 19th-century gristmill southeast of Salem, is a locally known historic landmark and a focal point for county heritage events.
History
Washington County was organized on December 21, 1813, carved from Indian land cessions in what was then Indiana Territory, and named for George Washington. Salem was platted as the county seat the same year and is one of the oldest continuously incorporated towns in southern Indiana. The county’s early economy centered on gristmills powered by the Blue River, of which Beck’s Mill, built in the 1860s, is the best-preserved survivor.
Getting There
Indiana State Road 60 and State Road 135 cross Salem and link the county to Interstate 64 to the south and State Road 50 to the north.
- Louisville, Kentucky — 35 miles southeast
- Bloomington, Indiana — 40 miles northwest
- New Albany, Indiana — 30 miles southeast
- Bedford, Indiana — 30 miles north
The nearest commercial airport is Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, roughly 40 miles southeast of Salem.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Washington County, Indiana?
It is in south-central Indiana, between Louisville, Kentucky, and Bloomington, Indiana.
What is the population of Washington County?
28,182 residents at the 2020 census.
How big is Washington County?
516.60 square miles (1,338.0 km2), of which 513.72 square miles is land.
What is the county seat of Washington County?
Salem is the county seat.
How many towns are in Washington County?
One city (Salem) and six incorporated towns: Campbellsburg, Hardinsburg, Little York, Livonia, New Pekin, and Saltillo, plus close to thirty unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Washington County?
47167 (Salem), 47108 (Campbellsburg), 47125 (Hardinsburg), 47165 (New Pekin), and 47139 (Little York) are the main ZIP codes.
What is Beck’s Mill?
A restored 1860s gristmill on the Blue River southeast of Salem, one of the county’s best-known historic landmarks.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Indiana.