Wabash County is a county in Indiana, United States, in the north-central part of the state, along the Wabash River between Fort Wayne and Kokomo. It had a population of 30,976 at the 2020 census and covers 412.43 square miles (1,068.2 km2) of land plus 8.54 square miles (22.1 km2) of water, centred near 40°51′N 85°47′W.
Wabash is the county seat and its postal code is 46992. The county has one city, four incorporated towns, two census-designated places and several unincorporated communities spread across seven civil townships. Wabash County is in the Eastern time zone.
Towns & Villages in Wabash County
Wabash County has one city, four incorporated towns, two CDPs, and a set of small unincorporated communities and crossroads that never grew large enough to file for a charter. “CDP” below marks a Census Bureau-defined place with no town government; “Unincorp.” marks a community with a name and a post office history but no municipal boundary today.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wabash | City · seat | Noble | 10,193 | 46992 |
| North Manchester | Town | Chester | 6,088 | 46962 |
| LaFontaine | Town | Liberty | 925 | 46940 |
| Lagro | Town | Lagro | 418 | 46941 |
| Roann | Town | Paw Paw | 452 | 46974 |
| Laketon | CDP | Paw Paw | — | 46943 |
| Somerset | CDP | Waltz | — | 46984 |
| Urbana | Unincorp. | Pleasant | — | 46990 |
| Liberty Mills | Unincorp. | Liberty | — | 46946 |
| Servia | Unincorp. | Waltz | — | 46980 |
| Treaty | Unincorp. | Noble | — | — |
| Bolivar | Unincorp. | Waltz | — | — |
| Disko | Unincorp. | Lagro | — | — |
| Stockdale | Unincorp. | Lagro | — | — |
| Mount Vernon | Unincorp. | Chester | — | — |
| Pioneer | Unincorp. | Noble | — | — |
| College Corner | Unincorp. | Chester | — | — |
Two names from older lists were dropped as unverifiable in current gazetteers — see notes.
Townships
Wabash County is divided into seven civil townships, each administering its own share of the unincorporated county outside the city and towns.
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Noble | — | Wabash (seat), Treaty, Pioneer |
| Chester | — | North Manchester, Mount Vernon, College Corner |
| Liberty | — | LaFontaine, Liberty Mills |
| Paw Paw | — | Roann, Laketon |
| Lagro | — | Lagro, Disko, Stockdale |
| Waltz | — | Somerset, Servia, Bolivar |
| Pleasant | — | Urbana |
ZIP Codes
- 46992 — Wabash
- 46962 — North Manchester
- 46940 — La Fontaine
- 46941 — Lagro
- 46974 — Roann
- 46990 — Urbana
- 46943 — Laketon
- 46946 — Liberty Mills
- 46980 — Servia
- 46984 — Somerset
Smaller crossroads such as Treaty, Bolivar, Disko, Stockdale, Mount Vernon, College Corner and Pioneer have no ZIP code of their own and are served by the nearest listed post office town.
Geography
Wabash County sits in Indiana’s till plains, shaped by the Wabash River, which crosses the county west to east through the city of Wabash and the towns of Lagro and North Manchester. The Eel River and Salamonie River also drain parts of the county, and the Salamonie and Mississinewa reservoirs touch its southern edge. The terrain is gently rolling farmland typical of glacial outwash, with limestone bedrock close to the surface along the Wabash River bluffs — the source of the county’s name.
Wabash County borders Kosciusko County to the north, Whitley County to the northeast, Huntington County to the east, Grant County to the south, Miami County to the west, and Fulton County to the northwest. Of these, Kosciusko County, Whitley County, Huntington County and Fulton County have their own pages on this site; Grant and Miami counties do not yet.
Demographics
Wabash County had 30,976 residents at the 2020 census, giving a density of about 75 people per square mile. Wabash, the county seat, is by far the largest place with 10,193 residents, followed by North Manchester at 6,088 — together the two account for more than half the county’s population. Median household income in the county runs below the Indiana median of $69,477, reflecting its rural, agricultural and light-manufacturing economic base.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture — corn, soybeans and hog and dairy farming — remains the backbone of the county outside its two largest towns. Wabash and North Manchester carry the county’s manufacturing base, with metal fabrication, plastics and food processing among the larger employers. North Manchester is home to Manchester University, a private liberal-arts college founded in 1889 that anchors the town’s economy and culture. Wabash calls itself “the first electrically lighted city in the world,” a claim tied to a 1880 demonstration of Brush arc lights on the courthouse dome, and the county seat leans on that heritage plus its historic downtown for tourism.
History
Wabash County was formed in 1832 and organized in 1835, taking its name from the Wabash River, itself from the French rendering of a Miami-Illinois word describing the river’s clear, limestone-bottomed water. The county was carved from land ceded by the Miami and Potawatomi in the 1826 Treaty of Paradise Spring, signed near the site of present-day Wabash — the community of Treaty, in Noble Township, takes its name from that event. Wabash’s 1880 arc-lighting demonstration, staged to promote the city before a large crowd, is still marked locally each October with an Electric Lights Festival.
Getting There
U.S. Route 24 runs east-west through the county along the Wabash River, and Indiana State Roads 13, 15, 16, 114, 115, 124 and 218 cross it in other directions.
- Fort Wayne — 45 miles northeast
- Kokomo — 35 miles south
- Marion — 20 miles southeast
- Peru — 15 miles west
Fort Wayne International Airport is the nearest commercial airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Wabash County, Indiana?
It is in north-central Indiana, along the Wabash River between Fort Wayne and Kokomo.
What is the population of Wabash County?
30,976 residents at the 2020 census.
How big is Wabash County?
412.43 square miles (1,068.2 km2) of land plus 8.54 square miles (22.1 km2) of water.
What is the county seat of Wabash County?
Wabash is the county seat.
How many towns are in Wabash County?
One city (Wabash), four incorporated towns (North Manchester, LaFontaine, Lagro, Roann), two CDPs and several unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Wabash County?
10 ZIP codes, including 46992 (Wabash), 46962 (North Manchester), 46940 (LaFontaine) and 46974 (Roann).
Why is Wabash called the “first electrically lighted city”?
In 1880, arc lights were demonstrated atop the Wabash County Courthouse dome, an early public showcase of electric street lighting.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Indiana.