Wells County is a county in Indiana, United States, in the Fort Wayne Metropolitan Statistical Area of the state’s northeast. It had a population of 28,180 at the 2020 census and covers 370.25 square miles (958.9 km2), of which 368.09 square miles are land, centred near 40°44′N 85°13′W.
Bluffton is the county seat, and its postal code is 46714. The county has one city, six incorporated towns, and roughly two dozen unincorporated communities across nine civil townships. Wells County runs on Eastern Time and carries FIPS code 18179.
Towns & Villages in Wells County
Bluffton is the only city; Markle, Ossian, Poneto, Uniondale, Vera Cruz, and Zanesville are incorporated towns. The rest of the list is unincorporated crossroads communities, farm hamlets, and former rail stops.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluffton | City · seat | — | 10,308 | 46714 |
| Markle | Town | — | 1,071 | 46770 |
| Ossian | Town | — | 3,266 | 46777 |
| Poneto | Town | — | — | — |
| Uniondale | Town | — | — | — |
| Vera Cruz | Town | — | — | — |
| Zanesville | Town | — | — | — |
| Craigville | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Curryville | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Dillman | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Domestic | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Five Points | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Greenville | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Greenwood | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Jeff | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Keystone | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Kingsland | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Liberty Center | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| McNatts | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Mount Zion | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Murray | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| North Oaks | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Nottingham | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Petroleum | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Phenix | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Reiffsburg | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Riverside | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Rockford | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Tocsin | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Toll Gate Heights | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Travisville | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Wellsburg | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
Townships
Wells County is divided into nine civil townships: Chester, Harrison, Jackson, Jefferson, Lancaster, Liberty, Nottingham, Rockcreek, and Union. Township-level population and settlement breakdowns were not independently verified for this profile and are omitted rather than guessed.
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Chester | — | — |
| Harrison | — | — |
| Jackson | — | — |
| Jefferson | — | — |
| Lancaster | — | — |
| Liberty | — | — |
| Nottingham | — | — |
| Rockcreek | — | — |
| Union | — | — |
ZIP Codes
- 46714 — Bluffton (also serves several surrounding unincorporated communities)
- 46777 — Ossian
- 46770 — Markle (also serves the Wells County side of this cross-county town)
Poneto, Uniondale, Vera Cruz, Zanesville, and the county’s unincorporated hamlets share ZIP codes with nearby post-office towns; those specific codes were not independently verified for this profile.
Geography
Wells County sits on gently rolling farmland typical of northeast Indiana, drained by the Wabash River and its tributaries. Land makes up 368.09 square miles of the county’s 370.25-square-mile total, with 2.16 square miles of water. Six counties border Wells: Allen County to the north, Adams County to the east, Jay County to the southeast, Blackford County to the south, Grant County to the west, and Huntington County to the northwest.
Demographics
Wells County had 28,180 residents at the 2020 census. Bluffton, the county seat, is the largest community at 10,308 people, followed by Ossian at 3,266. Indiana’s statewide 2023 ACS median household income was $69,477; a county-level figure was not independently verified for this profile. Given its land area, the county’s population density works out to roughly 76 people per square mile.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture remains central to Wells County’s economy, with corn and soybean farms covering much of the township land outside Bluffton and Ossian. Healthcare is a significant local employer: Bluffton Regional Medical Center, part of the Lutheran Health Network, serves the county seat and surrounding townships. The Bluffton Free Street Fair, one of Indiana’s oldest community fairs, traces its roots to 1898 and remains the county’s best-known annual gathering.
History
The Indiana General Assembly authorized Wells County to organize independent of Allen County on February 2, 1837. The county is named for William A. Wells, a frontiersman and scout active in the region’s early conflicts. Voters chose Bluffton as the county seat on March 5, 1838, and the town has held that role ever since.
Getting There
Indiana and county highways connect Bluffton to the surrounding seats of Allen, Huntington, Adams, Blackford, Jay, and Grant counties. Wells County lies within the Fort Wayne Metropolitan Statistical Area.
- Bluffton — the county seat, roughly north of the Blackford County line
- Ossian — north of Bluffton, near the Allen County line
- Markle — northwest, straddling the Huntington County line
- Poneto — south, near the Blackford County line
Fort Wayne International Airport, in the metro area to the north, is the nearest commercial airport. Wells County has no Amtrak station; the nearest passenger rail service runs through Fort Wayne-area connections.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Wells County seat?
Bluffton is the county seat.
What is the Bluffton postcode?
Bluffton’s postal code is 46714.
What was the population of Wells County at the 2020 census?
Wells County had 28,180 residents at the 2020 census.
How large is Wells County?
Wells County covers 370.25 square miles (958.9 km2), of which 368.09 square miles are land.
When was Wells County organized?
The Indiana General Assembly authorized Wells County to organize independent of Allen County on February 2, 1837.
Who is Wells County named after?
The county is named for William A. Wells, a frontiersman who played a role in the region’s early conflicts.
Which counties border Wells County?
Allen County to the north, Adams County to the east, Jay County to the southeast, Blackford County to the south, Grant County to the west, and Huntington County to the northwest.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Indiana.