Bluffton, Indiana

11 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1953 and the latest in 1986. It stands in Harrison Township. It lies in ZIP code area 46714. The Survey maps it on the Bluffton quadrangle. 10,308 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 827 feet above sea level.

Research this city

Bluffton within Wells County

On record in Bluffton

Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.

On the National Register 5 records

Bethel Methodist Episcopal Churchlisted 1984
Stewart-Studebaker Houselisted 1979
Villa North Historic Districtlisted 1985
Wells County Courthouselisted 1979
Bluffton Commercial Historic Districtlisted 2020

Population over time

2 figures

Bluffton grew from 9,897 to 10,308 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.

Year	People	Change
2010	9,897
2020	10,308	+411 (+4%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

4 surveys from 11 printed sheets

Matched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.

1953 USGS Muncie quadrangle1:250000, 5 printings
1956 USGS Muncie quadrangle1:250000
1962 USGS Bluffton quadrangle1:24000, 3 printings
1986 USGS Wabash quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings

Fires near this place

10 since 2002

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 10 fires within 5 miles of Bluffton between 2002 and 2004, burning about 21 acres in total. None started naturally. None was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause	Fires
Debris and open burning	4
Recreation and ceremony	2
Smoking	2
Equipment and vehicle use	1
Missing data/not specified/undetermined	1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

Date	Cause	Size	Reported by	Name on the report
3 July 2002	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	1.0 acres	Indiana State Fire Marshal's Office	not named
22 July 2002	Recreation and ceremony	1.0 acres	Indiana State Fire Marshal's Office	not named
5 June 2004	Debris and open burning	under an acre	Indiana State Fire Marshal's Office	not named
27 June 2004	Smoking	under an acre	Indiana State Fire Marshal's Office	not named
19 June 2004	Smoking	under an acre	Indiana State Fire Marshal's Office	not named
15 April 2003	Debris and open burning	1.0 acres	Indiana State Fire Marshal's Office	not named
15 April 2003	Debris and open burning	10 acres	Indiana State Fire Marshal's Office	not named
14 April 2003	Recreation and ceremony	3.0 acres	Indiana State Fire Marshal's Office	not named

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Wells County

Mines and quarries near this place

3 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 3 workings within 5 miles of Bluffton: 2 producers, 1 occurrence. 2 still produce. What was taken out: Zinc, Sulfur, Stone, Crushed/Broken, Stone. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Site	Commodity	Status	Recorded
Erie Stone Company-Bluffton	Stone, Crushed/Broken	Producer
Sphalerite Occurrence Z75	Zinc, Sulfur	Occurrence	Sphalerite
Wells Co. Hwy. Dept	Stone	Producer

Every working recorded in Wells County

Storms near this place

60 of 76 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Bluffton in 76 storm reports between 1994 and 2025: 41 thunderstorm wind, 26 hail, 6 flash flood, 3 lightning. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

When	Event	Place named	Harm	What the report says
June 2008	Lightning	Bluffton	$250,000	Lightning struck the corner of the Farm Credit Services office in Bluffton. Employees reported a loud boom, but nothing was apparent immediately. An off duty Bluffton fire fighter in the area noticed smoke from the building and began evacuations of the building and call for personnel. The fire quickly got into the attic and the building was a total loss with damage estimates of at least $250,000.
July 1998	Flash Flood	Bluffton	$250,000	MANY ROADS AND BASEMENTS WERE FLOODED IN BLUFFTON AND WELLS AS 6 INCHES OF RAIN FELL IN LESS THEN 5 HOURS.
June 2023	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	$40,000	A large tree was down onto a mobile home.
June 2000	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	$40,000	A new house, which had undergone two months of construction, was destroyed.
May 2006	Lightning	Bluffton	$35,000	Several electronic controls and devices were damaged or destroyed as a result of a lightning strike to a communications tower connected to the county jail. A lightning protection system, which had been recently installed, showed that as many as 3 lightning strikes may have occurred. Damage amounts are estimated based off information in a newspaper article.
August 2007	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	$25,000	Numerous reports of trees and power lines down across the county.
June 2025	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	$20,000	Part of a roof blown off of a commercial building and many power lines down.
June 2006	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	$15,000	Numerous trees, tree limbs, and power lines down.
June 2005	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	$10,000	Power lines and several tree branches were reported down in the city of Bluffton.
December 1998	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	$10,000	MANY TREES AND POWER LINES WERE BLOWN DOWN.
June 2023	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	$5,000	A number of trees were downed along route 124.
June 2010	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	$5,000	A large tree limb was reported down on Marion Street, just north of Central Avenue. The limb fell onto a power line, knocking out power to the area.
August 2005	Lightning	Bluffton	$4,000	A generator at the county jail was struck by lightning, damaging it beyond repair. Cost to replace was around $4,000.
April 2023	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	$2,000	Public reported a few trees downed.
March 2024	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	$1,200	A power pole was damaged on state route 1 in Bluffton.
February 2023	Hail	Bluffton	$1,000	Nickle size hail reported.
April 2023	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	$1,000	Tree damage at the intersection of Hoosier Highway and E 200 S.
June 2023	Hail	Bluffton	$1,000	Up to nickel size hail reported in addition to various 1 to 3 inch diameter tree limbs blown down.
June 2023	Hail	Bluffton	$1,000	A broadcast media member reported penny size hail.
August 2021	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	$1,000	A tree with rot was downed.
March 2024	Hail	Bluffton	$1,000	no account filed
February 2023	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	$500	Spotter reports 1 to 3 inch diameter tree limbs down. Some rotted.
March 2023	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	-	Trained spotter reports and estimated wind gust of 60 mph.
June 2020	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	-	One tree down and several branches on the north side of Bluffton.
May 2019	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	-	A trained spotter measured a 70 mph wind gust.
May 2019	Flash Flood	Bluffton	-	A trained spotter reported roads were impassable near a hospital along State Route 1.
May 2019	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	-	A trained spotter estimated 70 mph winds with several trees being blown down.
March 2016	Hail	Bluffton	-	Picture received from a trained spotter of golf ball size hail in the Bluffton area.
November 2016	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	-	A trained spotter measured a 74 mph wind gust using a handheld anemometer.
June 2016	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	-	The public reported a barn was destroyed with trees also damaged on the south side of Bluffton.
July 2015	Flash Flood	Bluffton	-	Water over State Road 1 at State Road 116 and State Road 124.
July 2014	Hail	Bluffton	-	The public reported hail to the size of hen eggs.
June 2013	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	-	A trained spotter reported a large tree blown down on the west side of Bluffton.
November 2013	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	-	A trained spotter reported a 59 mph wind gust.
June 2012	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	-	A trained spotter estimated wind gusts to 58 mph with trees observed blown down in the area.
May 2010	Hail	Bluffton	-	Local law enforcement officials reported hail ranging from nickel to quarter size.
May 2010	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	-	In addition to the hail, law enforcement officials reported a tree was blown down in Bluffton.
June 2010	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	-	Widespread trees down and power outages across town.
October 2010	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	-	Law enforcement officials reported the roof of a barn being ripped off on County Road 100 West.
October 2010	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	-	A trained spotter reported an 18 inch tree limb being blown down onto the porch of a house.
June 2010	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	-	A local newspaper reported a tree was down and blocking the road on County Road 300 South, just east of Indiana 1.
June 2010	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	-	Tree down at intersection of 400 N and 100 E.
June 2008	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	-	Law enforcement officials reported several approximately 6-inch diameter tree limbs down. A 20-foot steel pipe flagpole was bent over to the ground as well.
June 2008	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	-	Trained spotters reported numerous tree limbs down in the city of Bluffton.
April 2006	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	-	Roof damage was reported to a residence, as well as one large tree and several large branches blown down.
March 2006	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	-	Several trees blown down.
June 2006	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	-	Trees snapped off and bent over in Liberty Center.
May 2006	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	-	Trees were reported down in and around Bluffton.
August 2003	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	-	Trees and power lines were blown down.
July 2003	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	-	Law enforcement reported trees down in Bluffton.
July 2003	Flash Flood	Bluffton	-	Emergency management reported water in streets over 1 foot deep with a car stranded on Main Street in Bluffton.
July 2003	Flash Flood	Bluffton	-	Law enforcement reported streets impassible due to flash flooding.
July 2003	Flash Flood	Bluffton	-	HAM radio operator reported waist high water in streets in Bluffton.
July 2003	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	-	Law enforcement reported trees down south of Bluffton.
June 2001	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	-	Tree down
June 2001	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	-	Power line down
September 2001	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	-	Trees blown down.
April 2025	Hail	Bluffton	-	no account filed
July 2017	Hail	Bluffton	-	no account filed
April 2012	Hail	Bluffton	-	no account filed

Every storm recorded in Wells County

Nearest settlements

The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.

Place	Distance	Sheets
Toll Gate Heights	1.3 miles	10
North Oaks	2.6 miles	10
Travisville	3.8 miles	11
Murray	4.0 miles	10
Craigville	5.1 miles	10
Riverside	5.4 miles	11
Vera Cruz	5.5 miles	11
Wellsburg	5.7 miles	11

Elsewhere

Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.

Wikipedia article on Bluffton	An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q748325	The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0).

Provenance

This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 431264. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.

Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.