County outline
Where Henry County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 99.3% of Henry County’s measured area and water for 0.7%. Its combined area converts to 1,022.6 square kilometers or approximately 252,692 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 391.877 | 1,014.957 | 250,801.3 |
| Water | 2.954 | 7.651 | 1,890.6 |
| Total | 394.831 | 1,022.608 | 252,691.8 |
How Henry County compares
By original Census land area, Henry County ranks #52 of 92 in Indiana and #2566 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 0.988 times the Indiana county-equivalent median of 396.4 square miles. It accounts for 1.1% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete Indiana ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of Henry County
The Census Bureau estimates that 49,137 people lived in Henry County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #1,038 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #29 of 92 in Indiana. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 48,914, the population has grown by 223 (+0.5%), compared with +2.8% for Indiana as a whole.
With 391.9 square miles of land, that is 125 people per square mile (48 per km²), placing Henry County #850 nationally for density and #30 in Indiana. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the Indiana median is 88. Put another way, there are about 5.1 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 48,905 | 48,919 | 48,649 | 48,887 | 49,021 | 49,137 |
| Change | — | +14 | −270 | +238 | +134 | +116 |
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 Henry County
16 incorporated places lie at least partly in Henry County. Together they are home to 25,759 people (52.4%); the other 23,378 (47.6%) live outside any incorporated place, in unincorporated communities and rural areas.
The largest is New Castle city, with 17,390 residents in the county. Among places with at least 1,000 residents in 2020, Knightstown town grew fastest since then (+0.8%).
| Incorporated place | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Castle cityCounty seat | 17,390 | −0.1% | 7.329 |
| Middletown town | 2,248 | +0.2% | 1.158 |
| Knightstown town | 2,165 | +0.8% | 1.044 |
| Spiceland town | 961 | +0.6% | 1.445 |
| Kennard town | 447 | 0% | 0.423 |
| Mount Summit town | 353 | +0.6% | 0.21 |
| Mooreland town | 341 | +0.6% | 0.143 |
| Sulphur Springs town | 337 | +1.2% | 0.8 |
| Lewisville town | 335 | +0.6% | 0.281 |
| Straughn town | 267 | +0.8% | 0.141 |
| Shirley townAlso in 1 other county | 223 | +5.2% | 0.361 |
| Dunreith town | 172 | +1.2% | 0.124 |
| Cadiz town | 162 | 0% | 0.143 |
| Springport town | 136 | +1.5% | 0.119 |
| Greensboro town | 127 | +1.6% | 0.11 |
Show the other 1 places
| Name | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blountsville town | 95 | 0% | 0.113 |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each place inside Henry County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer, for the whole place even where it extends into other counties. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
Henry County is a central county of the New Castle, IN Micropolitan Statistical Area. Henry County is the area’s only county equivalent, so the micro area has the same 391.9 square miles of land. By combined land it ranks #497 of 542 micropolitan areas, and #233 by population. It belongs to the Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie, IN Combined Statistical Area.
ZIP codes
23 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Henry County; 15 of them have most of their land inside the county, and the others mainly cover neighboring areas.
4605646117461484618647302473274733447337473444734647351473524735447356473604736147362473664738447385473864738747388
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 Henry County
Henry County shares a land border with 7 county equivalents. It has more land than 2 of them. The largest neighbor is Randolph County (452.4 mi²) and the smallest is Fayette County (215 mi²). Together with its neighbors, Henry County forms a block of 3,019.2 mi² of land, of which it holds 13%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. Henry | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Randolph County | 452.4 | 1.2× larger | Compare |
| Madison County | 451.9 | 1.2× larger | Compare |
| Rush County | 408.1 | about the same | Compare |
| Wayne County | 401.8 | about the same | Compare |
| Delaware County | 392.1 | about the same | Compare |
| Hancock County | 306 | 1.3× smaller | Compare |
| Fayette County | 215 | 1.8× smaller | Compare |
How big is Henry County compared with U.S. states?
Henry County has less land than any of the 50 states. Rhode Island, the smallest state by land area, has 1,033.9 mi², about 2.6 times as much. Indiana’s county land could hold about 91 areas the size of Henry County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 19.8 miles (31.9 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 Henry County?
Henry County has more land than 656 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 Henry County at #2,625 nationally by total area, 59 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 0.7%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 0.4 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 Henry County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #2565 | Delaware County, Indiana | 392.1 | Compare |
| #2566 | Henry County, Indiana | 391.9 | This county |
| #2567 | Cole County, Missouri | 391.6 | 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 39.925293, -85.399159. 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: 1,014,957,933 m²; AWATER: 7,652,087 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 Henry County?
Henry County, Indiana has 391.9 square miles (1,015 km²) of land and 2.954 square miles of water, for a total area of 394.8 square miles. It ranks #2566 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is Henry County the largest county in Indiana?
No. Henry County ranks #52 of 92 in Indiana by land area. The largest is Allen County, with 657.1 square miles of land.
What counties border Henry County?
Henry County shares a land border with Delaware County, Rush County, Wayne County, Hancock County, Madison County, Randolph County, and Fayette County.
What is the population of Henry County?
The Census Bureau estimates Henry County had 49,137 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #1,038 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 125 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of Henry County?
The county seat of Henry County is New Castle.
What cities and towns are in Henry County?
Henry County has 16 incorporated places. The most populous five are New Castle city, Middletown town, Knightstown town, Spiceland town, and Kennard town; 23,378 residents live outside any incorporated place.
Is Henry County part of a metropolitan area?
Yes. It is a central county of the New Castle, IN Micropolitan Statistical Area.
How many ZIP codes are in Henry County?
23 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Henry County, and 15 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does Henry County compare with U.S. states?
It has less land than every state. Rhode Island, the smallest, has 2.6 times as much land.
How many acres of land are in Henry County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 250,801 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 252,692 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.