Dearborn County is a county in Indiana, United States, on the Ohio River at the point where Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky meet. It had a population of 50,679 at the 2020 census and covers 307.42 square miles (796.2 km2) centred near 39°09′N 84°59′W.
Lawrenceburg is the county seat, and its postal code is 47025. The county has 3 cities, 4 incorporated towns and two census-designated places, plus a scatter of unincorporated communities and 14 civil townships. The county is in the Eastern time zone and carries FIPS code 18029.
Towns & Villages in Dearborn County
Dearborn County’s population is concentrated in its river-corridor cities and in fast-growing suburban communities near the Ohio and Kentucky lines; most of the interior is rural townships and unincorporated crossroads. CDP = census-designated place (unincorporated but tracked by the Census Bureau); Unincorp. = unincorporated community with no formal municipal government.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawrenceburg | City · seat | Lawrenceburg | 4,865 | 47025 |
| Aurora | City | York | 3,720 | 47001 |
| Greendale | City | Lawrenceburg | 4,323 | 47025 |
| Bright | CDP | Harrison | 7,313 | 47025 |
| Hidden Valley | CDP | Harrison | — | 47025 |
| Dillsboro | Town | Clay | 1,467 | 47018 |
| Moores Hill | Town | Caesar Creek | 605 | 47032 |
| Saint Leon | Town | Jackson | — | 47012 |
| West Harrison | Town | Harrison | — | 47060 |
| Guilford | Unincorp. | Center | — | 47022 |
| New Alsace | Unincorp. | York | — | 47012 |
| Yorkville | Unincorp. | York | — | — |
| Manchester | Unincorp. | Manchester | — | — |
| Farmers Retreat | Unincorp. | Manchester | — | — |
| Logan | Unincorp. | Logan | — | — |
| Wilmington | Unincorp. | Logan | — | — |
| Weisburg | Unincorp. | Sparta | — | — |
| Sparta | Unincorp. | Sparta | — | — |
| Cochran | Unincorp. | Miller | — | — |
| Kyle | Unincorp. | Miller | — | — |
| Chesterville | Unincorp. | Center | — | — |
| Cold Springs | Unincorp. | Center | — | — |
| Dover | Unincorp. | Center | — | — |
| Hardinsburg | Unincorp. | Kelso | — | — |
| Bonnell | Unincorp. | Hogan | — | — |
| Braysville | Unincorp. | Washington | — | — |
| Hubbells Corner | Unincorp. | Washington | — | — |
| Wrights Corner | Unincorp. | Washington | — | — |
| Lawrenceville | Unincorp. | Lawrenceburg | — | — |
| Mount Sinai | Unincorp. | Manchester | — | — |
| Oldtown | Unincorp. | Lawrenceburg | — | — |
Greendale and Lawrenceburg share ZIP 47025 and sit directly against each other along US 50 — treat the two as one built-up area for postal purposes. Bright and Hidden Valley, both unincorporated growth areas in Harrison Township near the Ohio line, are frequently confused for one another; Bright is the larger, older crossroads community and Hidden Valley the newer subdivision cluster south of it.
Townships
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Lawrenceburg | — | Lawrenceburg, Greendale, Oldtown, Lawrenceville |
| Harrison | — | Bright, Hidden Valley, West Harrison |
| York | — | Aurora, Yorkville, New Alsace |
| Center | — | Guilford, Chesterville, Cold Springs, Dover |
| Clay | — | Dillsboro |
| Caesar Creek | — | Moores Hill |
| Jackson | — | Saint Leon |
| Manchester | — | Manchester, Farmers Retreat, Mount Sinai |
| Logan | — | Logan, Wilmington |
| Sparta | — | Sparta, Weisburg |
| Miller | — | Cochran, Kyle |
| Washington | — | Braysville, Hubbells Corner, Wrights Corner |
| Kelso | — | Hardinsburg |
| Hogan | — | Bonnell |
ZIP Codes
- 47025 — Lawrenceburg (also serves Greendale and Bright)
- 47001 — Aurora
- 47018 — Dillsboro
- 47032 — Moores Hill
- 47012 — Saint Leon (also serves New Alsace)
- 47060 — West Harrison
- 47022 — Guilford
Smaller unincorporated communities such as Manchester, Sparta and Weisburg receive mail under a neighboring town’s ZIP rather than one of their own.
Geography
Dearborn County sits in Indiana’s hilly southeastern corner, where the Ohio River cuts a wide, steep-banked valley along the county’s eastern and southern edge. The interior is dissected upland — ridges and hollows drained by Tanners Creek and Laughery Creek — a landscape too broken for large-scale row-crop farming but well suited to hillside vineyards and the Perfect North Slopes ski and snow-tubing resort near Lawrenceburg.
Franklin County lies to the north (Franklin County), Ripley County to the west, and Ohio County to the south, all in Indiana. Across the Ohio River, the county borders Butler County and Hamilton County in Ohio to the northeast and east, and Boone County, Kentucky, to the southeast.
Demographics
Dearborn County’s 2020 population of 50,679 makes it Indiana’s most populous county along the state’s southeastern river border. Lawrenceburg (4,865) and Bright (7,313) are the two largest communities, with Greendale (4,323) and Aurora (3,720) close behind. Median household income runs above the Indiana median of $69,477, reflecting the county’s commuter ties to Cincinnati; population density is roughly 166 people per square mile, concentrated along the US 50 and I-74 corridors near the river.
Economy & Local Life
Riverboat gaming and hospitality anchor the local economy: Hollywood Casino Lawrenceburg, on the Ohio River, is one of the county’s largest employers and a major source of county tax revenue. Manufacturing and logistics firms cluster along I-74 near Greendale and Sunman-adjacent industrial parks, and Perfect North Slopes draws winter visitors from across the Cincinnati metro. Ivy Tech Community College and a Lawrenceburg campus of the local school corporation serve the county’s education needs.
History
Dearborn County was organized in 1803 from a portion of Hamilton County in the Northwest Territory (present-day Ohio), one of Indiana Territory’s original counties, and was named for Henry Dearborn, U.S. Secretary of War under President Jefferson. Lawrenceburg, platted the same year on a bend of the Ohio River, grew into a 19th-century whiskey-distilling and river-trade town; the county’s boundaries have shifted several times as newer counties such as Ripley and Ohio were carved from its original territory.
Getting There
Interstate 74 crosses the county’s northern half, and US Routes 50 and 52 both run through Lawrenceburg and Aurora along the river.
- Cincinnati, Ohio — 20 miles east
- Batesville, Indiana — 20 miles northwest
- Vevay, Indiana — 25 miles southwest
- Brookville, Indiana — 20 miles north
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, about 20 miles southeast, is the nearest commercial airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Dearborn County, Indiana?
It is in Indiana’s southeastern corner, on the Ohio River where Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky meet, part of the Cincinnati metropolitan area.
What is the population of Dearborn County?
50,679 at the 2020 census.
How big is Dearborn County?
307.42 square miles (796.2 km2).
What is the county seat of Dearborn County?
Lawrenceburg is the county seat.
How many towns and cities are in Dearborn County?
Three cities (Lawrenceburg, Aurora, Greendale), four incorporated towns (Dillsboro, Moores Hill, Saint Leon, West Harrison) and two census-designated places (Bright, Hidden Valley), plus numerous unincorporated communities across 14 townships.
What ZIP codes are in Dearborn County?
Main ZIP codes include 47025 (Lawrenceburg/Greendale/Bright), 47001 (Aurora), 47018 (Dillsboro), 47032 (Moores Hill), 47012 (Saint Leon) and 47060 (West Harrison).
What river forms the county’s boundary?
The Ohio River forms Dearborn County’s southeastern and eastern edge, separating it from Ohio and Kentucky.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Indiana.