County outline
Where Elkhart County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 99% of Elkhart County’s measured area and water for 1%. Its combined area converts to 1,212 square kilometers or approximately 299,501 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 463.158 | 1,199.574 | 296,421.1 |
| Water | 4.813 | 12.466 | 3,080.3 |
| Total | 467.971 | 1,212.039 | 299,501.4 |
How Elkhart County compares
By original Census land area, Elkhart County ranks #16 of 92 in Indiana and #2219 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 1.168 times the Indiana county-equivalent median of 396.4 square miles. It accounts for 1.3% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete Indiana ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of Elkhart County
The Census Bureau estimates that 208,774 people lived in Elkhart County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #350 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #6 of 92 in Indiana. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 207,049, the population has grown by 1,725 (+0.8%), compared with +2.8% for Indiana as a whole.
With 463.2 square miles of land, that is 451 people per square mile (174 per km²), placing Elkhart County #376 nationally for density and #10 in Indiana. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the Indiana median is 88. Put another way, there are about 1.4 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 206,985 | 206,970 | 207,185 | 207,133 | 208,196 | 208,774 |
| Change | — | −15 | +215 | −52 | +1,063 | +578 |
U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates. Estimates are revised each year and are not decennial census counts. Density divides the whole population by the whole county’s land area, so it describes an average, not how settlement is distributed within the county. Population sources and methods.
Cities and towns in Elkhart County
8 incorporated places lie at least partly in Elkhart County. Together they are home to 103,735 people (49.7%); the other 105,039 (50.3%) live outside any incorporated place, in unincorporated communities and rural areas.
The largest is Elkhart city, with 54,092 residents in the county. The county seat, Goshen city, has 34,525 residents. Among places with at least 1,000 residents in 2020, Middlebury town grew fastest since then (+1.7%).
| Incorporated place | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elkhart city | 54,092 | +0.4% | 29 |
| Goshen cityCounty seat | 34,525 | +0.1% | 17.9 |
| Nappanee cityAlso in 1 other county | 6,572 | −0.8% | 4.931 |
| Middlebury town | 3,752 | +1.7% | 4.608 |
| Wakarusa town | 2,005 | +0.6% | 2.203 |
| Bristol town | 1,818 | +1.2% | 5.735 |
| Millersburg town | 971 | +1% | 0.646 |
| Syracuse townAlso in 1 other county | 0 | — | 2.214 |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each place inside Elkhart County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer, for the whole place even where it extends into other counties. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
Elkhart County is a central county of the Elkhart-Goshen, IN Metropolitan Statistical Area. Elkhart County is the area’s only county equivalent, so the metro area has the same 463.2 square miles of land. By combined land it ranks #366 of 393 metropolitan areas, and #230 by population. It belongs to the South Bend-Elkhart-Mishawaka, IN-MI Combined Statistical Area.
ZIP codes
17 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Elkhart County; 11 of them have most of their land inside the county, and the others mainly cover neighboring areas.
4650746514465164651746526465284653046540465424654346550465534656146565465674657346767
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are the Census Bureau’s approximations of USPS ZIP Code service areas, from the 2020 Census relationship files. Lighter codes have less than half of their land in this county. Post-office-box and single-address ZIP Codes have no tabulation area.
Counties bordering Elkhart County
Elkhart County shares a land border with 7 county equivalents, including 2 in Michigan. It has more land than 4 of them. The largest neighbor is Kosciusko County (531.4 mi²) and the smallest is LaGrange County (379.6 mi²). Together with its neighbors, Elkhart County forms a block of 3,677.2 mi² of land, of which it holds 12.6%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. Elkhart | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kosciusko County | 531.4 | 1.1× larger | Compare |
| St. Joseph CountyMichigan | 500.6 | 1.1× larger | Compare |
| Cass CountyMichigan | 490.1 | 1.1× larger | Compare |
| St. Joseph County | 457.8 | about the same | Compare |
| Marshall County | 443.6 | about the same | Compare |
| Noble County | 410.8 | 1.1× smaller | Compare |
| LaGrange County | 379.6 | 1.2× smaller | Compare |
How big is Elkhart County compared with U.S. states?
Elkhart County has less land than any of the 50 states. Rhode Island, the smallest state by land area, has 1,033.9 mi², about 2.2 times as much. Indiana’s county land could hold about 77 areas the size of Elkhart County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 21.5 miles (34.6 km) on each side. Real county shapes are rarely square, so this is a scale reference rather than a width or driving distance.
State figures are the sums of each state’s county-equivalent land measurements in the same Census release, so states and counties are compared on the same basis. Published state totals can differ slightly because of rounding. Compare all states · Counties bigger than entire states.
What stands out about Elkhart County?
Elkhart County has more land than 1,003 of the other 3,221 county equivalents in the dataset.
A median is the middle county-equivalent measurement, not the average of the largest and smallest. All three bars use the same linear scale. Very small areas may appear as a thin sliver; the labels retain their values.
Does including water change its rank?
Using land plus water places Elkhart County at #2,292 nationally by total area, 73 places farther from the top than its land rank. Other county equivalents gain more area when their water measurements are included.
Its water share is 1%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 0.1 percentage points lower. This describes the statistical geography’s land/water mix, not flood exposure or developable land.
Closest positions in the national land ranking
These entries sit immediately beside Elkhart County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #2218 | Leavenworth County, Kansas | 463.4 | Compare |
| #2219 | Elkhart County, Indiana | 463.2 | This county |
| #2220 | Holt County, Missouri | 462.7 | Compare |
Calculated from the same Census release as the area table. Total-area order uses original ALAND + AWATER; water shares and chart labels use published square miles. Calculation details.
Representative coordinates
The Census internal point is 41.600693, -85.863986. It represents a location inside the geography; it is not necessarily the centroid or the address of a courthouse.
Source and precision
U.S. Census Bureau, 2026 Gazetteer Files, Counties. Original ALAND: 1,199,572,604 m²; AWATER: 12,465,423 m². Rankings use ALAND; exact ties use ascending GEOID. Tables preserve Census-published square miles to three decimals, with conversions based on those values.
Common questions
How big is Elkhart County?
Elkhart County, Indiana has 463.2 square miles (1,199.6 km²) of land and 4.813 square miles of water, for a total area of 468 square miles. It ranks #2219 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is Elkhart County the largest county in Indiana?
No. Elkhart County ranks #16 of 92 in Indiana by land area. The largest is Allen County, with 657.1 square miles of land.
What counties border Elkhart County?
Elkhart County shares a land border with Kosciusko County, St. Joseph County, LaGrange County, Cass County, Michigan, St. Joseph County, Michigan, Noble County, and Marshall County.
What is the population of Elkhart County?
The Census Bureau estimates Elkhart County had 208,774 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #350 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 451 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of Elkhart County?
The county seat of Elkhart County is Goshen.
What cities and towns are in Elkhart County?
Elkhart County has 8 incorporated places. The most populous five are Elkhart city, Goshen city, Nappanee city, Middlebury town, and Wakarusa town; 105,039 residents live outside any incorporated place.
Is Elkhart County part of a metropolitan area?
Yes. It is a central county of the Elkhart-Goshen, IN Metropolitan Statistical Area.
How many ZIP codes are in Elkhart County?
17 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Elkhart County, and 11 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does Elkhart County compare with U.S. states?
It has less land than every state. Rhode Island, the smallest, has 2.2 times as much land.
How many acres of land are in Elkhart County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 296,421 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 299,501 acres. One square mile equals 640 acres.
Why might another source show a different area?
Check whether it reports land or total area, its Census vintage, and its rounding. Our guide explains how to reconcile county area figures.
Can this establish a property boundary?
No. Statistical measurements and generalized maps do not establish property lines. Consult the relevant local surveying or land-records authority.