Kosciusko County, Indiana

Kosciusko County is a county in Indiana, United States, home to Lake Wawasee, the state’s largest natural lake. It had a population of 80,240 at the 2020 census and covers 554.39 square miles (1,435.9 km2) centred near 41°14′N 85°52′W.

Warsaw is the county seat and the county’s only incorporated city; its postal code is 46580. The county has 12 incorporated towns, 17 civil townships, and lies in the Eastern time zone.

Towns & Villages in Kosciusko County

Kosciusko County has 13 built-up places: one city (Warsaw), twelve incorporated towns, and one unincorporated community with its own post office (Atwood). Everything else on the map — the lake resorts, subdivisions and platted “parks” around Wawasee, Winona Lake and the Tippecanoe chain — is unincorporated and governed directly by its township.

Two of the towns straddle county lines with neighboring counties in the same lake district: Syracuse sits close to the Elkhart County line and North Webster to the Noble County line, but both are wholly within Kosciusko County.

Townships

Kosciusko County has 17 civil townships. Population figures below are not available at township level from a verified source, so the Pop. column is omitted; the table instead notes each township’s principal settlement.

ZIP Codes

• 46580 — Warsaw (also serves the courthouse square and south side)
• 46581 — Warsaw (PO Box only)
• 46582 — Warsaw (standard delivery)
• 46567 — Syracuse
• 46590 — Winona Lake
• 46555 — North Webster
• 46542 — Milford
• 46562 — Pierceton
• 46538 — Leesburg
• 46524 — Etna Green
• 46539 — Mentone
• 46982 — Silver Lake
• 46510 — Claypool
• 46508 — Burket
• 46502 — Atwood (PO Box only)

Sidney has no ZIP code of its own and is served by a neighboring town’s post office.

Geography

Kosciusko County sits in Indiana’s northern lake district, a landscape of glacial moraines and kettle lakes left by the last ice age. Lake Wawasee, near Syracuse, is Indiana’s largest natural lake; Webster Lake, Winona Lake and dozens of smaller lakes draw seasonal residents throughout the county’s north and center. The Tippecanoe River rises in the county’s lake chain and flows south. Of the county’s 554.39 square miles, 531.38 square miles are land and 23.01 square miles are water.

Kosciusko County borders Elkhart County to the north, Noble County to the northeast, Whitley County to the east, Wabash County to the southeast, Fulton County to the south, Marshall County to the west, and St. Joseph County to the northwest.

Demographics

Kosciusko County had 80,240 residents at the 2020 census, a density of about 151 people per square mile of land. Warsaw and Winona Lake, its two largest communities, together account for a large share of the county’s population; the rest is spread across the smaller lake towns and rural townships. Household income in the county has historically run below the Indiana median of $69,477, reflecting a mix of manufacturing wages and agricultural income rather than metro-area pay scales.

Economy & Local Life

Kosciusko County calls itself the “Orthopedic Capital of the World.” Warsaw is headquarters to Zimmer Biomet and DePuy Synthes (a Johnson & Johnson company), two of the world’s largest makers of joint-replacement and orthopedic devices, and the industry supports thousands of local jobs in manufacturing, engineering and logistics. Away from Warsaw, agriculture — corn, soybeans and hog and dairy farming — remains the backbone of the county’s smaller townships, and the lake towns run on seasonal tourism, boating and vacation-home rentals each summer.

History

Kosciusko County was organized in 1836 and named for Tadeusz Kościuszko, the Polish military engineer who served as a general in the American Revolutionary War before returning to Poland. Warsaw, the county seat, takes its name from Kościuszko’s home city, Poland’s capital. Winona Lake grew into a nationally known religious and cultural resort in the early 20th century, home to the Winona Lake Bible Conference and evangelist Billy Sunday, whose winter home still stands in the town.

Getting There

U.S. Route 30 crosses the county east–west through Warsaw, and Indiana State Roads 10, 13, 14, 15, 19 and 25 connect the lake towns to the county seat.

• Fort Wayne — about 40 miles southeast
• South Bend — about 40 miles north
• Elkhart — about 30 miles north
• Indianapolis — about 120 miles south

The nearest commercial airport is Fort Wayne International Airport; South Bend International Airport is a similar distance to the north.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Kosciusko County?
It is in northern Indiana, roughly midway between Fort Wayne and South Bend, in the state’s glacial lake district.

What is the population of Kosciusko County, Indiana?
Kosciusko County had a population of 80,240 at the 2020 census.

How big is Kosciusko County?
The county covers 554.39 square miles (1,435.9 km2), of which 531.38 square miles is land and 23.01 square miles is water.

What is the county seat of Kosciusko County?
Warsaw is the county seat and the county’s only incorporated city.

How many towns are in Kosciusko County?
The county has 12 incorporated towns plus Warsaw, its lone city.

What ZIP codes are in Kosciusko County?
Kosciusko County’s ZIP codes include 46580, 46581 and 46582 (Warsaw), 46567 (Syracuse), 46590 (Winona Lake), 46555 (North Webster), 46542 (Milford), 46562 (Pierceton), 46538 (Leesburg), 46524 (Etna Green), 46539 (Mentone), 46982 (Silver Lake), 46510 (Claypool), 46508 (Burket) and 46502 (Atwood).

What lake is Kosciusko County known for?
Lake Wawasee, near Syracuse, is Indiana’s largest natural lake and the anchor of the county’s resort and boating economy.

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