1. Indiana Prevention Resource Center GIS in Prevention County Profiles Series, No. 4
Putnam County, Indiana
Barbara Seitz de Martinez, PhD, MLS, CPP, Project Director
The Indiana Prevention Resource Center at Indiana University is funded, in part, by a contract with the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, financially supported through HHS/Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant. The IPRC is operated by the Department of Applied Health Science and The School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation.

2. GIS in Prevention County Profile Series, No. 4
Putnam County, Indiana
Barbara Seitz de Martinez, PhD, MLS, CPP
Project Director
Project Staff:
Ritika Bhawal, MPH
Ryan Chopra, MPH
Kyoungsun Heo, MPA
Tuba M. Pervin Altay, MPH
Indiana Prevention Resource Center
Opinions expressed herein are those of the authors, and not necessarily those of the Trustees of Indiana University or the Division of Mental Health and Addiction. Indiana University accepts full Responsibility for the content of this publication. ©2005 The Trustees of Indiana University. Permission is extended to reproduce this County Profile for non-profit educational purposes. All other rights reserved.

3. 3. Location and Historical Notes
Putnam County is located in West Central Indiana bordered by the following counties: Montgomery on the north and northwest, Hendricks to the east and northeast, Morgan to the east and southeast, Owen to the south, Clay to the southwest, and Parke to the west. Putnam County is crossed by U.S. Highways 36 and 231 and Interstate 70.
The northern part of Putnam County pertains to the Indiana and Ohio Till Plain land resource area, and the southern part pertains to the Southern Illinois and Indiana Thin Loess and Till Plain land resource area. The area features hickory and oak trees. The land alternates between nearly flat and moderately to steeply sloping.
This county is in the Eastern Time Zone and observes DST. Temperatures range from about 18٥-36٥ in January and from about 63٥-86٥ in July. Average annual precipitation is 40 inches.
The first freeze of the season occurs in Putnam County in the far northwesterly corner between October 10-15, and throughout the rest of the county between October 15 and 20. There are around growing days.
Main crops include hay, corn for grain, soybeans, winter wheat; and main livestock includes cattle/calves, hogs/pigs, and sheep/lambs. Main natural resources include common clay, cement, construction sand and gravel, crushed stone, dimension limestone, and forestland. Water resources include lakes (i.e., Cataract, Glen Flint, Heritage, Martins, Oakalla, and Thomas Lakes; Little Walnut Creek Reservoirs No. 3 and 5), the Eel River, and streams (i.e., Raccoon, Big Walnut, Clear, Mill, Little Walnut, and Deer Creeks).
Communities include the city of Greencastle, which is the county seat, and the towns of Bainbridge, Cloverdale, Roachdale, and Russellville.
Sources: Map from PCensus for MapInfo; Notes from
Indiana Facts: Flying the Colors by John Clements, 1995.

4. 3. Location and Historical Notes
Putnam County is not a tobacco-producing county, according to the Strategic Development Group’s “Alternative Agricultural Strategy” (Bloomington, March 15, 2001) report, which is part of Governor Joseph E. Kernan’s “Recipient Final Reports for Office of the Commissioner of Agriculture Grant Programs” (

5. Don’t Know Your Block Group Number?
3. Putnam County Block Group Maps
Don’t Know Your Block Group Number?
You can find it easily at the American Factfinder Web Site (

6. Putnam County
Block Groups

7. Putnam County
Slide Putnam1
Block Groups

8. Putnam County
Slide Putnam2
Block Groups