County · code 18183
Whitley CountyIndiana
Whitley County is a county in Indiana with its seat in Columbia City. The county was formed on February 7, 1835, from parts of Allen, Elkhart, and Grant counties and was named after William Whitley.
- Founded1835
- County seatColumbia City
- Named forWilliam Whitley
- Land area336 sq mi + 2.4 sq mi water
- Population34,191 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped20,462 checked 15 October 2026
Where it is
Whitley on the map of Indiana
Indiana has 92 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.
History
Formed in 1835 from Allen County, Elkhart County and Grant County
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Whitley County was created in 1835 from Non-County Area 8 attached to Allen County, Non-County Area 13 attached to Elkhart County, and Non-County Area 15 attached to Grant County, though it was not fully organized at that time with parts attached to Allen, Elkhart, and Grant for administrative and judicial purposes. In 1836, Whitley County was detached from Allen, Elkhart, and Grant and attached to Huntington County for administrative and judicial purposes. Whitley County was fully organized on April 1, 1838, when it was detached from Huntington County. In 1859, Whitley County gained territory from Noble County.
- 1835Whitley County created Whitley created from Non-County Area 8 attached to Allen, Non-County Area 13 attached to Elkhart, and Non-County Area 15 attached to Grant; Whitley not fully organized, parts attached to Allen, Elkhart, and Grant for administrative and judicial purposes. · Ind. Acts 1834, 19th sess., gen., ch. 25, sec. 6/p. 45
- 1836Changed Whitley detached from Allen, Elkhart, and Grant; attached to Huntington for administrative and judicial purposes. · Ind. Acts 1835, 20th sess., gen., ch. 55/p. 84
- 1838Changed Whitley fully organized, detached from Huntington. · Ind. Acts 1837, 22d sess., loc., ch. 230/p. 408
- 1859
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Whitley
Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.
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Parcels Good enough
Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 20,462 parcels from Indiana Geographic Information Office (IndianaMap). Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
edited 6 October 2026 · checked 15 October 2026 -
Address points Official
One point per address, 17,403 in all from Indiana Geographic Information Office (IGIO).
edited 8 March 2026 · checked 13 October 2026 -
Buildings Reference
Roof outlines traced from aerial imagery from FEMA Response Geospatial Office with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Good for seeing what is on a lot; not accurate enough to set a fence from.
checked 18 October 2026
- Official
- from the office that keeps the record
- Good enough
- a reliable statewide or national copy
- Fallback
- a guide only; check the official record
- Missing
- nothing public found yet
People and land
Whitley by the Census
Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Rules and offices
Who to ask before you build, dig or sell
Official county pages only. We link to them; we do not copy them, because they change.
Inside a city or town, permits usually come from that city rather than the county.
Permits
Zoning and code
County government
- County government
The official website of Whitley County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Whitley County on Parcel Chart's free map and click your parcel. Save it with a free account; the full record of your place (site map, projects, documents) is Pro, in early access.
Questions
Common questions about Whitley County
- When was Whitley County founded?
- Whitley County was founded in 1835, formed from Allen County, Elkhart County and Grant County, and named after William Whitley.
- What is the county seat of Whitley County?
- The county seat of Whitley County is Columbia City.
- Is there an online parcel map for Whitley County?
- Yes. Indiana Geographic Information Office (IndianaMap) publishes a parcel map of 20,462 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Whitley County's boundary or name changed?
- Whitley County was created in 1835 from Allen County, Elkhart County and Grant County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 3 later changes, chiefly involving Huntington County, Allen County and Elkhart County.
- Who issues building permits in Whitley County?
- The county's page on building permits: Driveway Permits. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Whitley County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby