Sinkhole risk in Whitley County, IN: Mostly deep or small

Mostly deep or small

Some soluble rock, mostly deeply buried or in a small share of the county.

On soluble rock: 81%
At or near the surface: 0%
Buried under cover: 81%

What this means before you buy

Sinkholes are uncommon here; watch for new depressions after heavy rain or leaking pipes.

That works out to roughly 271 of Whitley County's 336 square miles on soluble rock. With about 34,885 residents (104 per square mile), homes are spread across towns and farmland, and a mapped unit may or may not reach the developed parts. The figures come from 335 map points about 1.0 miles apart, so a pocket smaller than that can be missed or overstated.

Worth reading for this county: why the 81% under cover still counts, and how these percentages are measured.

Counties around Whitley County

The nearest county rated sinkhole country is Barry County, MI, about 100 miles north. 5 of the 6 closest counties land in the same band, so this is a regional pattern rather than a local quirk.

Noble County, IN 19 mi north · 0% at surface
Kosciusko County, IN 20 mi west · 0% at surface
Huntington County, IN 21 mi south · under 1% at surface
Allen County, IN 23 mi east · 0% at surface
Wabash County, IN 25 mi southwest · 0% at surface
Wells County, IN 32 mi southeast · under 1% at surface

Which formation it is

The largest mapped soluble unit here is the Muscatatuck Group (limestone), Devonian in age, covering about 70% of the county. Next is the Wabash Formation at 10%.

Against the rest of Indiana

Whitley County ranks 92 of 92 in Indiana for soluble rock at the surface, and sits above 0% of US counties on that measure.