Parke County is home to Indiana’s largest festival, the Covered Bridge Festival, with 31 covered bridges. This rural area has an abundance of natural resources with Turkey Run State Park, Cecil M. Harden Lake or Raccoon State Recreation Area, Rockville Lake and neighboring Shades State Park. Our 450-square-mile county is a quality-of-life seeker’s dream. Bedrock aquifers lie beneath our county, so water is plentiful. Two U.S routes and five state highways pass through or into the county, creating easy access. Parke County is within 10 miles of a four-lane highway and only 25 miles to Interstates 70 and 74.
Explore Park County
Bridgeton Mill
The oldest continually operating grist mill in Indiana, Bridgeton Mill is family-owned and produces more than 40 products which are available in their store.
Turkey Run State Park
Turkey Run is ranked the No. 1 favorite state park in every poll with over a million visitors each year.
Wabash River Walking Bridge
Born out of a partnership with vision, this 1890’s era railroad bridge that traverses the Wabash River was restored in 2018 for recreational use.
Snapshot of Parke County
Seventy percent of our labor force is commuting out of the county to work. That’s a potential of 5,000 people that may want to work closer to home if equitable jobs existed.
7,233
Labor Force
16,407
Population
8%
Are Military Veterans
$55,900
Median Household Income
Doing Business In Parke County
Parke County is a small, business-friendly community, with nearly 98 percent of local businesses having fewer than 50 employees. It thrives on its 2 million visitors that come each year for the state parks, access to the Wabash River and the nationally known Covered Bridge Festival. Recreational and tourism retail are emerging business for the county.
Parke County is located 50 miles from the Indianapolis International Airport. Residents find the balance of rural living while not being far from urban amenities. The Parke County Trails Alliance and B&O Trail are actively working to create a connecting trail system for many to enjoy.
Talent Is Ready For The Workforce
Parke County is part of the Wabash River Career and Technical Education program for high school students, which offers a tremendous pool of talent ready to enter the workforce. The program offers more than 20 disciplines, ranging from automotive, precision agriculture, veterinary services, building trades, welding and more. More than 600 students are enrolled from the four-county region, and Disciplines Certifications and nearly complete Associate degrees can be earned within these programs – before graduating high school.
Higher Education Nearby
There are four colleges within 25 miles and 47 colleges within 100 miles, enrolling a total of 352,461 students.
Notable Employers In Parke County
Futurex Industries — Formflex and AGI are divisions of Futurex. Formflex is known for its creative poly products, and AGI focuses on plastic products for farm and garden.
Rockville Correctional Facility — A maximum-security adult female facility with a 1,200 inmate capacity. There is a significant focus on re-entry, with strong vocational programs in culinary arts, building trades, business technology and cosmetology.
Scott Pet Products — Manufacturer for brands including Pork Chomps, NutriChomps, Smart Life, Big Tine, Howl’s Kitchen, Big Sky, Grillerz & Fusionz, Sporting Dog and Wild Bird Seed.
Superior Hardwood — One the largest sawmills in Indiana. Their most notable equipment includes a 55-bay laser sorter along with 15 kilns.
Kirby Foods — Better known as the Rockville IGA, Kirby Foods is an employee-owned, full-service grocery store that has served the community for more than 40 years.
Cyndi was a leader in the creation of Partnership Parke County and has been the Director of the non-profit since its inception in 2015. She has received a Certificate of Completion for Indiana Economic Development Course, International Economic Development Certification and Community Development Course from Ball State University. Cyndi has facilitated more than $20 million in projects in Parke County. Many of these involve infrastructure improvements or expansions, Brownfield developments, connecting resources and other grant funded opportunities.
