Wayne County, Indiana

Wayne County is a county in Indiana, United States, on the Ohio border about 70 miles east
of Indianapolis. It had a population of 66,553 at the 2020 census, an estimated 66,169 by 2025,
and covers 401.74 square miles (1,040.5 km2) centred near 39°52′N 85°01′W.

Richmond is the county seat and the county’s only city; its postal code is 47374. The
county holds 1 city, 12 incorporated towns and 16 unincorporated communities across 15
townships, and it runs on Eastern Time. Its FIPS code is 18177.

Towns & Villages in Wayne County

Wayne County has 29 named places on record: 13 incorporated cities and towns and 16
unincorporated communities with no local government of their own. Unincorp. covers crossroads
and rural communities with no formal boundary.

Two entries on the old list were dropped. “East Haven” and “South Richmond”
are neighborhoods inside Richmond’s own city limits, not separate places, so they are folded
into Richmond’s figure above rather than listed twice. “Beesons” and “Hiser”
and “Locust Grove” and “Hoover Mill” are rural crossroads too small to carry
independent population or ZIP records and are omitted here rather than guessed at.

Townships

Wayne County has 15 civil townships. Center Township, containing most of Richmond, is by far
the most populous; the rest are rural and lightly settled.

ZIP Codes

• 47374 — Richmond (also serves 47375, a Richmond PO box ZIP)
• 47330 — Centerville
• 47327 — Cambridge City (also serves Mount Auburn)
• 47346 — Hagerstown
• 47335 — Dublin
• 47341 — Fountain City
• 47339 — Economy

Milton, Greens Fork, Boston, Spring Grove, Whitewater and the county’s unincorporated
communities have no ZIP of their own; mail there is delivered under the nearest incorporated
town’s code.

Geography

Wayne County sits in east-central Indiana on the Whitewater River, a belt of gently rolling
farmland east of the Tipton Till Plain. Of its 404.34 square miles, 401.74 are land and 2.60 are
water, under 1 percent — the county has no large natural lake, and the Whitewater River and
its east and west forks account for most of its surface water. The county also holds Hoosier
Hill, Indiana’s highest natural point at 1,257 feet, near the Ohio line east of Richmond.

Randolph County lies to the north, Preble County and Darke County, both in Ohio, to the east,
Union County to the south, and Fayette County and Henry County to the west. Randolph County, Preble County, Darke County, Union County, Fayette County and Henry County all border Wayne
directly.

Demographics

Wayne County had a population of 66,553 at the 2020 census, and the latest estimate puts the
county near 66,169 residents, a slight decline. Richmond and Centerville are the two largest
communities, with Richmond alone holding well over half the county’s population. Wayne
County’s own median household income figure was not independently verified for this page;
Indiana’s statewide median household income is $69,477 (2023 ACS). Population density works
out to roughly 166 people per square mile of land, typical for a mid-sized Indiana county built
around one micropolitan city.

Economy & Local Life

Richmond anchors the county’s economy as the seat of the Richmond, IN Micropolitan
Statistical Area. Earlham College, a private liberal arts college founded by Quakers in 1847, and
Indiana University East give the city a higher-education base beyond its manufacturing roots. The
Indiana Gateway Industrial Park, straddling Cambridge City and I-70, hosts distribution and
logistics employers including Dot Foods and the research firm Taconic Biosciences. Richmond is
also known in music history as the “cradle of recorded jazz”: Gennett Records ran a
studio there in the 1920s that produced some of the earliest jazz recordings. Cambridge City
holds its Canal Days festival each September, marking the town’s Whitewater Canal history.

History

Indiana’s territorial legislature organized Wayne County in 1811, carving it out of Clark
and Dearborn counties. It was named for General Anthony Wayne, a Revolutionary War officer.
Quaker settlers began arriving around 1806, ahead of the county’s formal organization, and
Quaker meeting houses shaped the region’s early towns.

Before the Civil War, Wayne County held a dense network of Underground Railroad stations.
Levi Coffin and his wife Catharine, Quaker abolitionists in Fountain City, are estimated to have
helped more than 1,000 enslaved people reach freedom from their home, now preserved as the Levi
Coffin House Indiana State Historic Site. In 1873, a dispute over moving the county seat from
Centerville to Richmond turned physical: Centerville residents fired a cannon known as
“Black Betty” at the old courthouse door rather than surrender the county records, and
the damage is still visible above the doorway.

Getting There

Interstate 70 crosses the county’s northern half through Centerville, Cambridge City and
Richmond’s northern edge. US 27, US 35 and US 40 also run through the county, along with
several state routes.

• Indianapolis — about 70 miles west
• Dayton, Ohio — about 40 miles east
• Muncie — about 35 miles north
• Connersville — about 25 miles southwest

Richmond Municipal Airport, on the city’s north side, handles general aviation. Dayton
International Airport, roughly 45 miles east, is the nearest major commercial airport. Wayne
County has no active Amtrak station; the nearest service runs through Indianapolis.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Wayne County located?
It sits in east-central Indiana on the Ohio border, about 70 miles east of Indianapolis, bordered
by Randolph, Preble, Darke, Union, Fayette and Henry counties.

What is the population of Wayne County?
66,553 at the 2020 census, with a 2025 estimate near 66,169.

How big is Wayne County?
404.34 square miles (1,047.2 km2), of which 401.74 square miles are land.

What is the county seat of Wayne County?
Richmond is the county seat and the county’s only city.

How many towns are in Wayne County?
One city, Richmond, plus 12 incorporated towns — Centerville, Cambridge City, Hagerstown,
Dublin, Fountain City, Milton, Greens Fork, Economy, Mount Auburn, Boston, Spring Grove and
Whitewater — and 16 unincorporated communities.

What ZIP codes does Wayne County use?
47374 and 47375 for Richmond; 47330 for Centerville; 47327 for Cambridge City and Mount Auburn;
47346 for Hagerstown; 47335 for Dublin; 47341 for Fountain City; and 47339 for Economy.

What is Wayne County known for?
The Levi Coffin House in Fountain City, a major Underground Railroad station, and Richmond’s
Gennett Records studio, an early hub of recorded jazz.

More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Indiana.