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Why visit Wakarusa
Townapedia lists 1 museum or landmark, 2 parks and trails and 4 places to eat in and around town.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 83°F; January lows average 18°F, and about 45 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Wakarusa
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Wakarusa
Wakarusa is a town in Harrison and Olive townships in Elkhart County, Indiana, United States. As of the 2020 census, Wakarusa had a population of 1,998.
From the Wikipedia article Wakarusa, Indiana (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks1
Parks, trails and playgrounds2
Restaurants and cafes4
McDonald's
Fast food · Burger · 0.8 mi
1010 East Waterford Street, Wakarusa
Mo-Tu 04:00-23:00; We 04:00-22:00; Th-Su 04:00-23:00
Churches and places of worship4
History
In 1836, rural Olive Township was formed in western Elkhart County, and in 1849, as the population grew, a post office named Mt. Olive opened. After more population growth, a new village named Salem was established to prevent people from having to travel to either Goshen or Elkhart to conduct business. Since there is already a town named Salem in Indiana, the name was changed to Wakarusa in 1859. The Mt. Olive Post Office was renamed for Wakarusa a year later.
Railroad - In 1891 work began on the Wabash Railroad line through town, with the official opening of the line in the spring of 1893. The line, which connected Chicago with Montpelier, Ohio, became part of the Norfolk & Western Railway in 1964 and lasted until the 1980s. Today, the original Wabash depot along with two Norfolk & Western rail cars are featured along with many other displays at the Wakarusa Historical Museum.
The etymology of the name "Wakarusa" is not known. According to tradition, the name Wakarusa is from a Native American language, meaning "knee-deep in mud". A more recent source claims a settler named it after a location in Kansas.
From the History section of Wakarusa, Indiana on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Shopping2
Gas and EV charging3
Schools, colleges and libraries6
Healthcare1
Map of Wakarusa
23 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32°F | 18°F | 2.8 in | 13.8 in |
| Feb | 36°F | 20°F | 2.3 in | 11.4 in |
| Mar | 47°F | 29°F | 2.4 in | 5.4 in |
| Apr | 60°F | 39°F | 3.8 in | 1.2 in |
| May | 72°F | 50°F | 4.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 80°F | 60°F | 4.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 83°F | 63°F | 4.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 81°F | 61°F | 4.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 75°F | 54°F | 3.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 63°F | 43°F | 3.3 in | 0.1 in |
| Nov | 48°F | 33°F | 3.0 in | 3.4 in |
| Dec | 36°F | 24°F | 2.5 in | 9.9 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Goshen 3Sw Hcn (7 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Elkhart County has had 9 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for biologicals.
- 2026-01-24: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2020-04-03: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2018-05-04: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
- 2008-01-30: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2007-03-12: Snow (Snowstorm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Goshen Municipal Airport (GSH) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 11 miles away.
- Nappanee 6 mi south, about 10 min by car
- Dunlap 9 mi northeast, about 14 min by car
- Bremen 9 mi southwest, about 15 min by car
- Goshen 10 mi east, about 16 min by car
- Osceola 10 mi north, about 16 min by car
- New Paris 10 mi east, about 16 min by car
- Elkhart 12 mi north, about 19 min by car
- Milford 12 mi southeast, about 19 min by car
- Mishawaka 13 mi northwest, about 21 min by car
- South Bend 17 mi northwest, about 27 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Wakarusa-indiana-downtown, Unknown author, CC BY 2.0
- Downtown Elkhart, Indiana (14230707403), Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Downtown Elkhart, Indiana (14023911580), Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.