Perry County is a county in Indiana, United States, on the Ohio River in the hilliest part of the state. It had a population of 19,170 at the 2020 census and covers 386.29 square miles (1,000.5 km2) of land and water, centred near 38°05′N 86°38′W.
Tell City is the county seat, and its postal code is 47586. The county has three incorporated towns (Tell City, Cannelton, and Troy), roughly two dozen unincorporated communities, and seven civil townships. Perry County sits in the Central time zone and carries FIPS code 18123.
Towns & Villages in Perry County
Perry County’s settlement pattern is one small river city, two smaller river towns, and a scatter of hamlets across the Hoosier National Forest uplands. The table below covers every legitimate place name from the county’s community list; CDP means census-designated place, Unincorp. means an unincorporated hamlet or crossroads with no formal boundary.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tell City | City · seat | Anderson | 7,506 | 47586 |
| Cannelton | City | Troy | — | 47520 |
| Troy | Town | Troy | — | 47588 |
| Derby | Unincorp. | Tobin | — | 47525 |
| Bristow | Unincorp. | Union | — | 47515 |
| Leopold | Unincorp. | Leopold | — | 47551 |
| Rome | Unincorp. | Oil | — | 47574 |
| Saint Croix | Unincorp. | Union | — | 47576 |
| Branchville | Unincorp. | Union | — | 47514 |
| Adyeville | Unincorp. | Leopold | — | — |
| Apalona | Unincorp. | Anderson | — | — |
| Bandon | Unincorp. | Clark | — | — |
| Celina | Unincorp. | Oil | — | — |
| Dexter | Unincorp. | Anderson | — | — |
| Dodd | Unincorp. | Clark | — | — |
| Doolittle Mills | Unincorp. | Union | — | — |
| Fenn Haven | Unincorp. | Anderson | — | — |
| Fosters Ridge | Unincorp. | Clark | — | — |
| Gatchel | Unincorp. | Tobin | — | — |
| Gerald | Unincorp. | Union | — | — |
| Hardingrove | Unincorp. | Anderson | — | — |
| Kitterman Corners | Unincorp. | Clark | — | — |
| Lauer | Unincorp. | Leopold | — | — |
| Lilly Dale | Unincorp. | Tobin | — | — |
| Magnet | Unincorp. | Tobin | — | — |
| Mount Pleasant | Unincorp. | Clark | — | — |
| Oriole | Unincorp. | Oil | — | — |
| Ranger | Unincorp. | Anderson | — | — |
| Saint Josephs Shrine | Unincorp. | Anderson | — | — |
| Sassafras | Unincorp. | Oil | — | — |
| Siberia | Unincorp. | Leopold | — | — |
| Terry | Unincorp. | Anderson | — | — |
| Tobinsport | Unincorp. | Tobin | — | — |
| Uniontown | Unincorp. | Union | — | — |
Kitterman Corners and Fosters Ridge are Clark Township crossroads without a post office; both use the Tell City ZIP for mail. Saint Josephs Shrine takes its name from the Monastery of St. Joseph, a Benedictine landmark rather than a town proper.
Townships
Perry County has seven civil townships, which handle local road maintenance, fire protection, and property assessment outside the incorporated cities.
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Anderson | — | Tell City, Apalona, Dexter, Fenn Haven, Hardingrove, Ranger, Terry |
| Troy | — | Cannelton, Troy |
| Union | — | Bristow, Saint Croix, Branchville, Doolittle Mills, Gerald, Uniontown |
| Tobin | — | Derby, Gatchel, Lilly Dale, Magnet, Tobinsport |
| Leopold | — | Leopold, Adyeville, Lauer, Siberia |
| Oil | — | Rome, Celina, Oriole, Sassafras |
| Clark | — | Bandon, Dodd, Fosters Ridge, Kitterman Corners, Mount Pleasant |
ZIP Codes
- 47586 — Tell City (also serves Kitterman Corners and Fosters Ridge)
- 47520 — Cannelton
- 47588 — Troy
- 47525 — Derby
- 47515 — Bristow
- 47576 — Saint Croix
- 47551 — Leopold
- 47574 — Rome
- 47514 — Branchville
The remaining hamlets have no dedicated ZIP and use their nearest post-office town’s code for mail.
Geography
Perry County is Indiana’s hilliest, shaped by knobs and ridges that drop steeply to the Ohio River along its southern border. The Hoosier National Forest covers more than 60,000 acres here, and the Anderson River and Deer Creek are the county’s principal interior waterways. Interstate 64 crosses the northern part of the county, while Indiana State Road 66 and the Ohio River Scenic Byway trace the river bluffs in the south.
Perry County borders Crawford County to the west, Dubois County to the northwest, Spencer County to the north and east, and across the Ohio River, Meade County, Breckinridge County, and Hancock County in Kentucky to the south.
Demographics
Perry County had 19,170 residents at the 2020 census, spread across 381.73 square miles of land for a density of about 50 people per square mile. Tell City, with 7,506 residents, is by far the largest community, followed by Cannelton. Median household income in the county runs below the Indiana median of $69,477, reflecting a rural, manufacturing- and forestry-dependent economy.
Economy & Local Life
Tell City’s economy has long centred on furniture and metal manufacturing, a legacy of its founding by Swiss immigrants who brought woodworking and chair-making trades to the Ohio River. Perry County Memorial Hospital and the Perry Central and Tell City Junior-Senior High School districts are among the county’s larger employers. Tourism tied to the Hoosier National Forest, Ohio River fishing, and the annual Schweizer Fest — Tell City’s Swiss-heritage festival held each summer — brings visitors from across southern Indiana and Kentucky.
History
Perry County was organized on November 1, 1814, carved from Warrick and Gibson Counties, and named for Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, who led American naval forces to victory at the Battle of Lake Erie the year before. Cannelton served as the original county seat and grew around a 19th-century cotton mill powered by nearby coal seams; county government moved to the larger Tell City in the 2000s. Tell City itself was founded in 1858 by the Swiss Colonization Society and named for the legendary Swiss archer William Tell.
Getting There
Interstate 64 crosses the county’s northern townships, and Indiana State Road 37, State Road 66, and State Road 145 connect the river towns to the interstate.
- Evansville, Indiana — 45 miles west
- Louisville, Kentucky — 75 miles east
- Owensboro, Kentucky — 40 miles southwest
- Jasper, Indiana — 25 miles north
The nearest commercial airport is Evansville Regional Airport (EVV).
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Perry County, Indiana?
It sits in southern Indiana on the Ohio River, across from Meade, Breckinridge, and Hancock Counties in Kentucky.
What is the population of Perry County?
19,170 people, per the 2020 census.
How big is Perry County?
386.29 square miles (1,000.5 km2), of which 381.73 square miles is land.
What is the county seat of Perry County?
Tell City is the county seat.
How many towns are in Perry County?
Three incorporated places — Tell City, Cannelton, and Troy — plus about two dozen unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Perry County?
Nine ZIP codes serve the county, led by 47586 (Tell City) and 47520 (Cannelton).
Why is Tell City named that?
Swiss settlers founded it in 1858 and named it for William Tell, the legendary Swiss folk hero.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Indiana.