Owen County offers peaceful small town, country living with easy access to nearby cities like Bloomington and Terre Haute that provide educational, cultural, and entertainment options. But don’t be mistaken—Owen County boasts amenities of its own, including a bustling historic downtown Main Street in Gosport and an up-and-coming courthouse square in Spencer with coffee and gift shops, the county’s first microbrewery, and the restored 1920s Tivoli Theatre. Owen County is home to a robust medical device industry with Cook Medical and Boston Scientific as two of the largest employers, as well as a new multi-million-dollar Hoosier Energy operations facility.
Owen County was originally settled more than 200 years ago by farmers and fur trappers, attracted by the area’s abundant natural resources. Today, farming, limestone quarrying, and coal mining continue to connect residents to the land, while natural features like teeming wetlands, lazy streams, miles of hilly wooded trails, and Indiana’s largest waterfall, Cataract Falls, lure adventure seekers from near and far.
Photo: Cataract Falls
Population: 21,851
Towns: Gosport and Spencer
Key Industries: Advanced manufacturing, life sciences, and agriculture
Notable Facts: Indiana's first state park, McCormick's Creek, attracts an estimated 1 million visitors each year.
Sweet Owen Convention and Visitors Bureau
Owen County Government
Town of Spencer
Owen County Chamber of Commerce
Discover Southern Indiana
Cloverdale Community Schools
Spencer Owen Community Schools
Owen County Community Foundation
Spencer Evening World
The Owen News
Photo courtesy of Patriot Manufacturing.