Vermillion County, Indiana#References

The first settlers in the area arrived in 1816, the same year that the state of Indiana was established. Vigo County was formed in 1818 and included the area that later became Parke and Vermillion counties. In 1821, Parke County was formed, and on January 2, 1824, the Indiana General Assembly created Vermillion County out of Parke County; the act took effect on February 1. The county seat was established at Newport later that year.Bowen 1913, p. 249.

The county was named for the southbound Vermilion River, which flows nearby. The name is spelled in the French/Commonwealth English style with a double letter "l", in contrast to the American English spelling of the adjacent Vermilion County, Illinois. This is one of only a few cases in the United States in which a county borders a county with the same name in another state.{{cite book

|title=Indiana Place Names

|last1=Baker

|first1=Ronald L.

|last2=Carmony

|first2=Marvin

|publisher=Indiana University Press

|year=1975

|location=Bloomington, Indiana

|page=170

}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.howderfamily.com/blog/adjacent-county-same-name-different-state/|title=Adjacent Counties, Same Name, Different States|last=Circle|first=Twelve Mile|date=May 16, 2010|website=Twelve Mile Circle|language=en-US|access-date=May 20, 2019}}

Image:Vermillion County Courthouse 1868 to 1923.jpg

The first courthouse was a frame building. The contract was awarded in June 1824 for $345{{#tag:ref|A $345 capital expense in 1824 would be roughly equivalent to $229,000 in 2009.Williamson, Samuel H. (April 2010). Seven Ways to Compute the Relative Value of a U.S. Dollar Amount, 1774 to present. [http://www.measuringworth.com MeasuringWorth]. Calculations made using Nominal GDP Per Capita, a measure of capital intensivity, using "the 'average' per-person output of the economy in the prices of the current year." This is a measure of the amount of capital and volume of labor required to reproduce the work over varying production methods, but assuming that money represents a proportion of the economy.|group="n"}} and was to be completed by the following November; it was used for county business until a brick building could be constructed. The brick courthouse was contracted in 1831; the completed building was used until January 29, 1844, when the building caught fire. It was repaired and served until 1868 when a third courthouse was built at a cost of $30,000;{{#tag:ref|A $30,000 capital expense in 1868 would be roughly equivalent to $6,410,000 in 2009.|group="n"}} a west wing was added in 1903 at a cost of $28,000.Bowen 1913, p. 256.{{#tag:ref|A $28,000 capital expense in 1903 would be roughly equivalent to $4,000,000 in 2009.|group="n"}} That building was struck by lightning early on the morning of May 27, 1923, and was largely destroyed by fire. Construction on the fourth (and current) courthouse began that same year; Halbert Fillinger and John Bayard were the architects. The stone building was constructed by Jasper Good of Columbus at a cost of $358,707, and the new courthouse was dedicated on June 11, 1925.{{cite book

|last = Counts

|first = Will

|author2=Jon Dilts

|title = The 92 Magnificent Indiana Courthouses

|publisher = Indiana University Press

|year = 1991

|location = Bloomington, Indiana

|isbn = 978-0-253-33638-5

|pages = 172–3

}}{{#tag:ref|A $350,000 capital expense in 1925 would be roughly equivalent to $21,000,000 in 2009.|group="n"}}

Image:REO at 2009 Newport Hill Climb 2.png

The Newport Hill Climb was first held in 1909. The event was started and stopped several times over the years, but the Newport Lions Club now runs the Newport Antique Auto Hill Climb; it has been held continuously since the 1960s and involves several hundred cars each year.{{cite news

|title=Newport Antique Auto Hill Climb marks 100th anniversary of its first race

|url=http://tribstar.com/local/x546420583/Newport-Antique-Auto-Hill-Climb-marks-100th-anniversary-of-its-first-race

|first=Howard

|last=Greninger

|newspaper=Terre Haute Tribune-Star

|date=October 2, 2009

|access-date=February 9, 2011

}}

On January 26, 2017, the wooden grandstand at the Vermillion County Fairgrounds was destroyed by a massive fire. The wooden grandstand was built in 1933 as a WPA work project, and was the oldest wooden grandstand in Indiana. The Cayuga Fire Department said that the cause of the fire is suspicious.{{cite web|author1=Associated Press|title=Massive fire destroys oldest grandstands in Indiana|url=http://cbs4indy.com/2017/01/27/massive-fire-destroys-oldest-grandstands-in-indiana/|publisher=WTTV CBS|access-date=December 18, 2017|date=January 27, 2017}}

Image:Map of Vermillion County, Indiana.svg

Vermillion County is less than {{convert|10|mi}} from east to west at its widest point, but it extends over {{convert|37|mi}} from north to south. It shares a {{convert|6.5|mi|adj=on}} border with Warren County to the north. Its eastern border is defined by the Wabash River. Fountain and Parke counties lie across the river to the northeast and southeast, respectively. Vermillion County is the southernmost county in Indiana entirely on the right bank of the Wabash. Vigo County, from which Parke and Vermillion counties were formed, lies to the south. The county's western border is shared with the state of Illinois. To the northwest lies Vermilion County, Illinois; its county seat, Danville, is west of the northern border of Vermillion County. To the southwest is Edgar County; its county seat, Paris, is west of Vermillion County's southern border. The state capital of Indianapolis lies about {{convert|65|mi}} to the east.{{cite map

|url = http://www.nationalatlas.gov/mapmaker/mapmaker/?saved=T&left=942110.210505145&right=1217547.30641032&top=-345989.425392403&bottom=-539630.050392403&mWidth=1320&mHeight=928&visLayers=states,grid,statecap,stateanno,roads,sf,us,countiesanno,counties&visCats=CAT-States,CAT-boundary,CAT-Roads,CAT-trans,CAT-Counties

|title = Region of Vermillion County, Indiana

|publisher = National Atlas of the United States

|access-date = December 19, 2010

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120104231748/http://www.nationalatlas.gov/mapmaker/mapmaker/?saved=T&left=942110.210505145&right=1217547.30641032&top=-345989.425392403&bottom=-539630.050392403&mWidth=1320&mHeight=928&visLayers=states,grid,statecap,stateanno,roads,sf,us,countiesanno,counties&visCats=CAT-States,CAT-boundary,CAT-Roads,CAT-trans,CAT-Counties

|archive-date = January 4, 2012

|url-status = dead

}}

According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of {{convert|259.93|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|256.88|sqmi}} (or 98.83%) is land and {{convert|3.05|sqmi}} (or 1.17%) is water. The Vermillion River, for which the county was named, enters from Illinois to the west and crosses the county to empty into the Wabash River near Cayuga. Forests cover about 23% of the county, or about {{convert|37865|acre}},

{{cite report

|title = Indiana Statewide Forestry Strategy

|url = http://www.in.gov/dnr/forestry/files/fo-Strategy_6_2010.pdf#page=19

|author = Indiana Department of Natural Resources' Division of Forestry

|year = 2010

|publisher = Indiana DNR

|format = PDF

|access-date = December 24, 2010

}} and consist principally of deciduous hardwoods among which maple–beech and oak–hickory forests are the most common.

{{cite web

|author=USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Area State & Private Forestry

|title=Forests of Indiana: A 1998 Overview

|url=http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/misc/in98forests/webversion/whatypes.htm

|access-date=December 24, 2010

}}

At a meeting of the board of commissioners on March 23, 1824 (the same year the county was formed), four townships were created: Clinton, Helt, Highland, and Vermillion. Later, Eugene Township was created out of portions of Highland and Vermillion; the north end of Highland Township became part of Warren County.Bowen 1913, pp. 252-253.

There are seven incorporated towns in Vermillion County. Cayuga is located near the confluence of the Vermillion and Wabash rivers, along State Road 63 just west of its intersection with State Road 234. Clinton is the largest settlement in the county with a population of about 5100, and lies further to the south along the Wabash River, between it and State Road 63; State Road 163 passes through the town to reach U.S. Route 41 on the east side of the river. Fairview Park is just north of Clinton; State Road 63 passes through the north end of the town. Dana is a small town just north of the intersection of U.S. Route 36 and State Road 71. Newport is located just east of State Road 63, a few miles south of Cayuga; it is the county seat, although it is one of the smallest towns in the county. Perrysville is also located along the Wabash River, on State Road 32 just east of its intersection with State Road 63. Universal is in the far southern part of the county, west of State Road 63.{{cite web

|url=http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/f?p=gnispq:2:::NO::P1_CLASS,P1_COUNTY,P1_STATE:Populated%20Place,Vermillion,Indiana

|title=Geographic Names Information System: Populated places in Vermillion County, Indiana

|author=United States Geological Survey

|access-date=December 19, 2010

}}

In addition to the towns, there are also many unincorporated communities. Helt Township has more than any other township and includes the communities of Alta, Bono, Highland, Hillsdale, Jonestown, Saint Bernice, and Summit Grove. Clinton Township contains Blanford, Centenary, Klondyke, and Syndicate. Highland Township includes Flat Iron, Gessie, Rileysburg, and Tree Spring. Eugene Township, which contains Cayuga, has just one unincorporated community: Eugene, which is just north of Cayuga.

At least three other communities once existed in Vermillion County but have since become extinct: Quaker, Randall, and Toronto.

Image:Tree Spring, Indiana.png{{Clear left}}

{{climate chart

|Newport

|15|32|1.91

|20|38|1.80

|29|49|2.84

|39|62|3.38

|50|73|4.26

|60|82|4.53

|63|85|4.16

|60|83|3.66

|52|77|3.05

|41|65|2.81

|33|50|3.19

|21|37|2.54

|float=right

|units=imperial

|clear=both

|source=The Weather Channel{{cite web

|url=http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USIN0481

|title=Monthly Averages for Newport, Indiana

|access-date=January 27, 2011

|publisher=The Weather Channel

}}}}

Vermillion County is in the humid continental climate region of the United States along with most of Indiana. Its Köppen climate classification is Dfa,{{cite web

|url = http://snow.cals.uidaho.edu/clim_map/koppen_usa_map.htm

|title = Köppen Climate Classification for the Conterminous United States

|publisher = Idaho State Climate Services

|access-date = January 23, 2011

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090930221052/http://snow.cals.uidaho.edu/Clim_Map/koppen_usa_map.htm

|archive-date = September 30, 2009

|url-status = dead

}} meaning that it is cold, has no dry season, and has a hot summer.{{cite web

|url=http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/11/1633/2007/hess-11-1633-2007.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071024063821/http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/11/1633/2007/hess-11-1633-2007.pdf |archive-date=October 24, 2007 |url-status=live

|title=Updated world map of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification

|author2=Finlayson, B. L. |author3=McMahon, T. A.

|first=M. C.

|last=Peel

|publisher=Copernicus Publications

|year=2007

|page=1636

|access-date=January 23, 2011

}} In recent years, temperatures in Newport have ranged from an average low of {{convert|15|°F}} in January to a high of {{convert|85|°F}} in July, although a record low of {{convert|-26|°F}} was recorded in 1994, and a record high of {{convert|105|°F}} was recorded in 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from {{convert|1.80|in}} inches in February to {{convert|4.53|in}} inches in June.

{{nowrap|Interstate 74}} passes from east to west through the north end of the county;{{cite web

|url = http://www.highwayexplorer.com/EndsPage.php?id=3074§ion=1

|title = Interstate 74

|publisher = Highway Explorer

|access-date = December 11, 2010

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110711165619/http://www.highwayexplorer.com/EndsPage.php?id=3074§ion=1

|archive-date = July 11, 2011

|url-status = dead

}} U.S. Route 136 does so as well, about {{convert|1.5|mi}} further to the north.{{cite web

|url = http://www.highwayexplorer.com/EndsPage.php?id=2136§ion=1

|title = U.S. Route 136

|publisher = Highway Explorer

|access-date = December 11, 2010

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110711165623/http://www.highwayexplorer.com/EndsPage.php?id=2136§ion=1

|archive-date = July 11, 2011

|url-status = dead

}} U.S. Route 36 crosses the south part of the county on its way from Rockville to Chrisman, Illinois, passing just south of Dana.{{cite web

|url = http://www.highwayexplorer.com/EndsPage.php?id=2036§ion=1

|title = U.S. Route 36

|publisher = Highway Explorer

|access-date = December 11, 2010

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131216072050/http://www.highwayexplorer.com/EndsPage.php?id=2036§ion=1

|archive-date = December 16, 2013

|url-status = dead

}}

{{nowrap|State Road 32}} runs from the state line through Perrysville and continues east toward Crawfordsville.{{cite web

|url = http://www.highwayexplorer.com/EndsPage.php?id=1032§ion=1

|title = State Road 32

|publisher = Highway Explorer

|access-date = December 11, 2010

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110711165648/http://www.highwayexplorer.com/EndsPage.php?id=1032§ion=1

|archive-date = July 11, 2011

|url-status = dead

}} {{nowrap|State Road 63}} runs the length of the county from north to south on its way to Terre Haute in the south;{{cite web

|url = http://www.highwayexplorer.com/EndsPage.php?id=1063§ion=1

|title = State Road 63

|publisher = Highway Explorer

|access-date = December 11, 2010

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120309073005/http://highwayexplorer.com/EndsPage.php?id=1063§ion=1

|archive-date = March 9, 2012

|url-status = dead

}} {{nowrap|State Road 71}} begins at State Road 63 near Newport and runs southwest, then south through Dana and Bono before ending at Blanford.{{cite web

|url = http://www.highwayexplorer.com/EndsPage.php?id=1071§ion=1

|title = State Road 71

|publisher = Highway Explorer

|access-date = December 11, 2010

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120309073308/http://highwayexplorer.com/EndsPage.php?id=1071§ion=1

|archive-date = March 9, 2012

|url-status = dead

}} There, {{nowrap|State Road 163}} runs east through Clinton to join U.S. Route 41 on the east side of the Wabash River.{{cite web

|url = http://www.highwayexplorer.com/EndsPage.php?id=1163§ion=1

|title = State Road 163

|publisher = Highway Explorer

|access-date = December 11, 2010

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120406012913/http://highwayexplorer.com/EndsPage.php?id=1163§ion=1

|archive-date = April 6, 2012

|url-status = dead

}} {{nowrap|State Road 234}} runs from the Indiana border through Cayuga, continuing east through Kingman in Fountain County.{{cite web

|url = http://www.highwayexplorer.com/EndsPage.php?id=1234§ion=1

|title = State Road 234

|publisher = Highway Explorer

|access-date = December 11, 2010

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110711165656/http://www.highwayexplorer.com/EndsPage.php?id=1234§ion=1

|archive-date = July 11, 2011

|url-status = dead

}}

CSX Transportation operates a railroad line running from Danville, Illinois to Terre Haute. This line runs most of the length of Vermillion County from north to south, passing through Rilesyburg, Cayuga, and Clinton before crossing the Wabash River. Another CSX line coming from Decatur, Illinois, enters the county from the west and meets the north–south line near Hillsdale. The {{convert|6|mi|adj=on}} Vermilion Valley Railroad passes through the very north edge of the county on its way from the Flex-N-Gate factory west of Covington to Danville, Illinois.

The county has three small airports, the Clinton Airport, located in Clinton, Gessie Airport located in Gessie, and Universal Heli Port located in Universal.{{cite web

|url=http://www.gcr1.com/5010web/airport.cfm?Site=1I7

|title=Clinton

|publisher=AirportIQ

|access-date=February 9, 2011

|archive-date=July 11, 2011

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711080427/http://www.gcr1.com/5010web/airport.cfm?Site=1I7

|url-status=dead

}} The Indianapolis International Airport is located about {{convert|65|mi}} to the east.{{cite web

|url=http://www.in.gov/indot/3052.htm

|title=Indiana Public Use Airports

|publisher=Indiana Department of Transportation

|access-date=February 1, 2011

|archive-date=September 15, 2010

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100915151136/http://www.in.gov/indot/3052.htm

|url-status=dead

}}

Vermillion County's economy is supported by a labor force of approximately 7,924 workers with an unemployment rate in December 2010 of 12.5%. Government jobs make up 13% of the county's employment. Manufacturing accounts for 12.4%, and construction 10%, while 8.5% of the county's jobs relate to farming.{{cite web

|author=STATS Indiana

|url=http://www.stats.indiana.edu/profiles/profiles.asp?scope_choice=a&county_changer=18165&button1=Get+Profile&id=2&page_path=Area+Profiles&path_id=11&panel_number=1

|title=InDepth Profile: Vermillion County, Indiana

|access-date=February 9, 2011

|publisher=Indiana Business Research Center

}}

The largest private employers in Vermillion County as of 2017 are as follows. This list

excludes franchises, retail, and majority part-time employers.{{cite web| url=http://www.westcentralindianaedc.com/images/stories/vermillion-county-employers.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170413201251/http://westcentralindianaedc.com/images/stories/vermillion-county-employers.pdf |archive-date=April 13, 2017 |url-status=live |title=Vermillion County Indiana Employers |website=westcentralindianaedc.com

|publisher=Accelerate West Central Indiana Economic Development |access-date=January 8, 2018}}

The administration of public schools in Vermillion County is divided between two school districts, North Vermillion Community School Corporation and South Vermillion Community School Corporation, with each one taking different portions of the county.{{cite map|author=Geography Division|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st18_in/schooldistrict_maps/c18165_vermillion/DC20SD_C18165.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Vermillion County, IN|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|date=December 18, 2020|access-date=2025-06-06}} - [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st18_in/schooldistrict_maps/c18165_vermillion/DC20SD_C18165_SD2MS.txt Text list] The North Vermillion district administers North Vermillion Junior-Senior High School and North Vermillion Elementary School, both located just north of Cayuga along State Road 63.{{cite web

|url=http://www.nvc.k12.in.us/

|title=North Vermillion Community School Corporation

|access-date=December 19, 2010

}} The South Vermillion district administers schools located in Clinton, including South Vermillion High School, South Vermillion Middle School, and three elementary schools: Central, Ernie Pyle, and Van Duyn. It also manages the Parke Vermillion Education and Training Interlocal (PVETI) in Hillsdale.{{cite web

|url = http://www.svc.k12.in.us/

|title = South Vermillion Community School Corporation

|access-date = December 19, 2010

}}{{Dead link|date=July 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

There are no colleges or universities within Vermillion County, but there are several nearby. Indiana State University is a public four-year college in Terre Haute in neighboring Vigo County, about {{convert|30|mi}} to the south of Newport. Rose–Hulman Institute of Technology, a smaller private college also in Terre Haute, specializes in teaching engineering, mathematics, and science. Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana has 23 campuses throughout the state; the nearest to Vermillion County is in Terre Haute.

The Vermillion County Public Library has branches in Cayuga, Newport, and Dana.{{cite web

|url=http://www.newportlibrary.info/

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071120020058/http://www.newportlibrary.info/

|url-status=usurped

|archive-date=November 20, 2007

|title=Vermillion County Public Library

|access-date=February 9, 2011

}} In 1909 a Carnegie library was built in Clinton; it was expanded in 1947 and in 1953. In the early 1990s it was determined that an entirely new building was needed, and this was completed in 1994.{{cite web

|url=http://www.clintonpl.lib.in.us/

|title=Clinton Public Library

|access-date=February 9, 2011

}}

Union Hospital, located in Terre Haute to the south, operates a hospital in Clinton.{{cite web

|url = http://www.uhhg.org/unionhospital-clinton

|title = Union Hospital Clinton

|access-date = February 9, 2011

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110728141349/http://www.uhhg.org/unionhospital-clinton/

|archive-date = July 28, 2011

|url-status = dead

}}

Image:HenryDWashburn.JPG

Image:Claudematthewsindiana.jpg

Image:Ernie Pyle.jpg

Henry Dana Washburn was born in Vermont in 1832; in 1850 he moved to Vermillion County, studied law, and opened a practice in Newport in 1853. He served in the Civil War on the Union side as a lieutenant colonel and later as a general; after the war he was elected to the United States House of Representatives and served through 1869. In 1870 he headed an expedition which explored the area that later became Yellowstone National Park. He died 1871 in Clinton and is buried at Riverside Cemetery.{{cite web

|url=http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=W000172

|title=Biographical Directory of the United States Congress: Washburn, Henry Dana

|publisher=United States Congress

|access-date=December 19, 2010

}}

Claude Matthews was the governor of Indiana from 1893 to 1897. He was born in Kentucky in 1845; he moved to Vermillion County in 1867 and became a prominent farmer. He was elected Indiana Secretary of State in 1890, and governor in 1893. He died in 1898 in Indianapolis and is buried in Clinton; he was 52 years old.{{cite book

|editor=Gugin, Linda C.

|editor2=St. Clair, James E.

|title=The Governors of Indiana

|publisher=Indiana Historical Society Press

|location=Indianapolis, Indiana

|year=2006

|isbn=0-87195-196-7

|pages=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780871951960/page/n227 204]–208

|url-access=registration

|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780871951960

}}

Ernie Pyle was born on a farm near Dana in 1900. He served for three months in the United States Navy Reserve at the end of World War I; after the war he attended Indiana University but left before graduating to take a newspaper job. He served for several years as the managing editor at the Washington Daily News, and later became the nation's first aviation columnist. He began as a roving correspondent in 1935, and became a war correspondent when the United States entered World War II. His work during the war earned him a Pulitzer Prize. He died in combat in 1945.{{cite news

|url=https://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/bday/0803.html

|title=Ernie Pyle Is Killed on Ie Island; Foe Fired When All Seemed Safe

|newspaper=The New York Times

|date=April 19, 1945

|access-date=December 19, 2010

}}

Ken Kercheval was born in Clinton{{Cite web|url=http://www.tribstar.com/news/local_news/hometown-boy-embraces-promise-i-made-clinton-native-ken-kercheval/article_98ee1181-8d40-5580-818c-39c4801be484.html|title = Hometown boy embraces 'Promise I Made': Clinton native Ken Kercheval takes role in Dreams Come True production}} in 1935 and became an actor in 1962; he is best known for his role as "Cliff Barnes" in the television series Dallas.

Dana Lewman lived in Vermillion County until she was six. She is best known for the Breaking Good podcast.{{Cite web |last=Tribune-Star |first=Mark Bennett |title='Breaking Good' in rural America |url=https://www.tribstar.com/features/valley_life/breaking-good-in-rural-america/article_3fe8ccad-0cb3-5437-93fe-ab876b312816.html |access-date=October 10, 2022 |website=Terre Haute Tribune-Star |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Tribune-Star |first=Mark Bennett |title=Revisiting a hard past to help others |url=https://www.tribstar.com/features/valley_life/revisiting-a-hard-past-to-help-others/article_df891516-b9c1-58a4-8f67-620b3c39f053.html |access-date=October 10, 2022 |website=Terre Haute Tribune-Star |language=en}} The five-part series chronicles her early life and teenage summers in various towns within the county, including Dana and Clinton.{{Cite web |date=September 24, 2021 |title=J. Dana Trent turns her drug-dealing childhood into a podcast about poverty and faith |url=https://religionnews.com/2021/09/24/j-dana-trent-turns-her-drug-dealing-childhood-into-a-podcast-about-poverty-and-faith/ |access-date=October 10, 2022 |website=Religion News Service |language=en-US}}

{{see also|Government of Indiana}}

The county government is a constitutional body, and is granted specific powers by the Constitution of Indiana, and by the Indiana Code.

County Council: The county council is the fiscal body of the county government and controls all the spending and revenue collection in the county. The 7 representatives are elected from 4 county districts and 3 at-large positions. The council members serve four-year terms. They are responsible for setting salaries, the annual budget, and special spending. The council also has limited authority to impose local taxes, in the form of an income and property tax that is subject to state level approval, excise taxes, and service taxes.{{cite web|author=Indiana Code|author-link=Indiana Code|url=http://www.in.gov/legislative/ic/code/title36/ar2/ch3.html |title=Title 36, Article 2, Section 3|access-date=September 16, 2008|publisher=IN.gov}}{{cite web|author= Indiana Code|author-link= Indiana Code|url= http://www.in.gov/legislative/ic/code/title3/ar10/ch2.pdf |title= Title 2, Article 10, Section 2 |access-date=September 16, 2008|publisher=IN.gov}}

Board of Commissioners: The executive body of the county is made of a board of commissioners. The commissioners are elected county-wide, in staggered terms, and each serves a four-year term. One of the commissioners, typically the most senior, serves as president. The commissioners are charged with executing the acts legislated by the council, collecting revenue, and managing the day-to-day functions of the county government.

Court: The county maintains a small claims court that can handle some civil cases. The judge on the court is elected to a term of six years and must be a member of the Indiana Bar Association. The judge is assisted by a constable who is also elected to a four-year term. In some cases, court decisions can be appealed to the state level circuit court.

County Officials: The county has several other elected offices, including sheriff, coroner, auditor, treasurer, recorder, surveyor, and circuit court clerk Each of these elected officers serves a term of four years and oversees a different part of county government. Members elected to county government positions are required to declare party affiliations and to be residents of the county.

Each of the townships has a trustee who administers rural fire protection and ambulance service, provides poor relief and manages cemetery care, among other duties. The trustee is assisted in these duties by a three-member township board. The trustees and board members are elected to four-year terms.{{cite web

|url=http://unitedtownships.org/?page_id=95

|title=Government

|publisher=United Township Association of Indiana

|access-date=January 6, 2011

}}

Based on 2000 census results, Vermillion County is part of Indiana's 8th congressional district, the 38th Indiana Senate district,{{cite web

|url=http://www.stats.indiana.edu/maptools/maps/boundary/legislative/state%20senate%20districts.gif

|title=Indiana Senate Districts

|format=GIF

|publisher=Stats Indiana

|access-date=January 23, 2011

}} and the 42nd Indiana House of Representatives district.{{cite web

|url=http://www.stats.indiana.edu/maptools/maps/boundary/legislative/state%20house%20districts.gif

|title=Indiana House Districts

|format=GIF

|publisher=Stats Indiana

|access-date=January 23, 2011

}} The county traditionally leaned Democratic, but since Barack Obama won it (and Indiana) in the 2008 presidential election, the county has swung heavily to the Republican Party.

{{PresHead|place=Vermillion County, Indiana|source={{Cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|last=Leip|first=David|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=May 20, 2018}}}}

{{PresRow|2024|Republican|5,174|1,928|164|Indiana}}

{{PresRow|2020|Republican|5,184|2,145|161|Indiana}}

{{PresRow|2016|Republican|4,513|2,081|379|Indiana}}

{{PresRow|2012|Republican|3,426|2,979|198|Indiana}}

{{PresRow|2008|Democratic|3,010|4,003|122|Indiana}}

{{PresRow|2004|Republican|3,536|3,424|57|Indiana}}

{{PresRow|2000|Democratic|3,130|3,370|133|Indiana}}

{{PresRow|1996|Democratic|2,334|3,251|1,068|Indiana}}

{{PresRow|1992|Democratic|2,360|3,652|1,820|Indiana}}

{{PresRow|1988|Democratic|3,674|4,044|54|Indiana}}

{{PresRow|1984|Republican|4,428|3,666|60|Indiana}}

{{PresRow|1980|Republican|4,195|3,793|412|Indiana}}

{{PresRow|1976|Democratic|3,674|4,791|73|Indiana}}

{{PresRow|1972|Republican|4,764|3,515|44|Indiana}}

{{PresRow|1968|Democratic|3,607|3,845|1,185|Indiana}}

{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|3,397|5,957|28|Indiana}}

{{PresRow|1960|Democratic|4,798|5,391|38|Indiana}}

{{PresRow|1956|Republican|5,352|5,149|32|Indiana}}

{{PresRow|1952|Democratic|5,283|5,708|52|Indiana}}

{{PresRow|1948|Democratic|4,685|5,426|293|Indiana}}

{{PresRow|1944|Republican|4,998|4,912|53|Indiana}}

{{PresRow|1940|Democratic|5,716|6,174|83|Indiana}}

{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|4,320|7,188|127|Indiana}}

{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|4,115|6,390|367|Indiana}}

{{PresRow|1928|Republican|5,192|4,793|115|Indiana}}

{{PresRow|1924|Republican|4,489|2,779|1,867|Indiana}}

{{PresRow|1920|Republican|4,916|3,218|1,305|Indiana}}

{{PresRow|1916|Republican|2,607|2,343|1,028|Indiana}}

{{PresRow|1912|Democratic|1,621|1,780|1,481|Indiana}}

{{PresRow|1908|Republican|2,568|1,844|640|Indiana}}

{{PresRow|1904|Republican|2,724|1,437|426|Indiana}}

{{PresRow|1900|Republican|2,322|1,799|158|Indiana}}

{{PresRow|1896|Republican|2,141|1,814|39|Indiana}}

{{PresRow|1892|Republican|1,723|1,437|275|Indiana}}

{{PresFoot|1888|Republican|1,730|1,438|136|Indiana}}

• Clinton
• Eugene
• Helt
• Highland
• Vermillion

• Cayuga
• Clinton
• Dana
• Fairview Park
• Newport
• Perrysville
• Universal

• Blanford
• Saint Bernice

{{US Census population

|1830= 5692

|1840= 8274

|1850= 8661

|1860= 9422

|1870= 10840

|1880= 12025

|1890= 13154

|1900= 15252

|1910= 18865

|1920= 27625

|1930= 23238

|1940= 21787

|1950= 19723

|1960= 17683

|1970= 16793

|1980= 18229

|1990= 16773

|2000= 16788

|2010= 16212

|2020= 15439

|estyear=2023

|estimate=15417

|estref={{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/tables.html|title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=April 2, 2024}}

|align-fn=center

|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=U.S. Decennial Census|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=July 10, 2014}}
1790-1960{{cite web|url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu|title=Historical Census Browser|publisher=University of Virginia Library|access-date=July 10, 2014}} 1900-1990{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/in190090.txt|title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=July 10, 2014}}
1990-2000{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100327165705/http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-date=March 27, 2010 |url-status=live|title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=July 10, 2014}} 2010{{cite web|title=State & County QuickFacts|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/18/18167.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=July 10, 2014|archive-date=June 7, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607091955/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/18/18167.html|url-status=dead}}

}}

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 16,212 people, 6,619 households, and 4,533 families residing in the county.{{cite web

|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US18165

|title=DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data

|access-date=July 10, 2015

|publisher=United States Census Bureau

|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213023441/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US18165

|archive-date=February 13, 2020

|url-status=dead

}} The population density was {{convert|63.1|PD/sqmi}}. There were 7,488 housing units at an average density of {{convert|29.1|/sqmi}}.{{cite web

|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY10/0500000US18165

|access-date=July 10, 2015

|title=Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County

|publisher=United States Census Bureau

|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200210225330/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY10/0500000US18165

|archive-date=February 10, 2020

|url-status=dead

}} The racial makeup of the county was 98.3% white, 0.2% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.1% black or African American, 0.3% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.8% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 24.7% were American, 19.5% were German, 11.0% were Irish, 9.8% were English, and 7.9% were Italian.{{cite web

|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0400000US18%7c0500000US18165

|title=DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

|access-date=July 10, 2015

|publisher=United States Census Bureau

|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200214003125/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0400000US18%7C0500000US18165

|archive-date=February 14, 2020

|url-status=dead

}}

Of the 6,619 households, 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.7% were married couples living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 31.5% were non-families, and 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.90. The median age was 41.9 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $50,743. Males had a median income of $41,620 versus $30,168 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,178. About 11.8% of families and 14.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.9% of those under age 18 and 13.2% of those age 65 or over.{{cite web

|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0400000US18%7c0500000US18165

|title=DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

|access-date=July 10, 2015

|publisher=United States Census Bureau

|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200214002232/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0400000US18%7C0500000US18165

|archive-date=February 14, 2020

|url-status=dead

}}

; Parties

{{legend2|{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}|Democratic (41) |border=1px solid #aaaaaa}}

{{legend2|{{party color|Democratic-Republican Party}}|Democratic-Republican (3) |border=1px solid #aaaaaa}}

{{legend2||Independent (1) |border=1px solid #aaaaaa}}

{{legend2|{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}}|Republican (4) |border=1px solid #aaaaaa}}

{{legend2|{{party color|Whig Party (United States)}}|Whig (3) |border=1px solid #aaaaaa}}

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Vermillion County, Indiana
• Western Indiana Community Foundation

{{Reflist|group="n"}}

{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

• {{cite book

|title=History of Parke and Vermillion Counties Indiana

|publisher=B. F. Bowen and Company

|year=1913

|location=Indianapolis

|pages=227–428

|url=https://archive.org/stream/historyofparkeve00bowe#page/226/mode/2up

|access-date=December 10, 2010

}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20061118112949/http://www.vermillionco.org/ Access Vermillion County]
• [http://www.newporthillclimb.com/ Newport Antique Auto Hill Climb]

{{Commons category|Vermillion County, Indiana}}

{{Geographic location

|Centre = Vermillion County, Indiana

|North = Warren County

|Northeast = Fountain County

|East = Parke County

|Southeast =

|South = Vigo County

|Southwest = Edgar County, Illinois

|West =

|Northwest = Vermilion County, Illinois

}}

{{Vermillion County, Indiana}}

{{Indiana}}

{{coord|39.85|-87.46|display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-IN_source:UScensus1990}}

{{authority control}}

Category:Indiana counties

Category:1824 establishments in Indiana

Category:Populated places established in 1824

Category:Terre Haute metropolitan area