[2] It was created in 1826 from Wabash County portion of New Purchase and unorganized territory.

Tippecanoe County is part of the Lafayette, Indiana, Metropolitan Statistical Area.

The first European explorers arrived in the 1670s and the first permanent settlement was Fort Ouiatenon by the French established in 1717.

[8] Three different railroad lines intersect in Tippecanoe County, all running through the Lafayette area.

The county council and the board of commissioners share legislative authority.

They are responsible for setting salaries, the annual budget, and special spending.

The commissioners are charged with executing the acts legislated by the council, collecting revenue, and managing the day-to-day functions of the county government.

The judge on the court is elected to a term of four years and must be a member of the Indiana Bar Association.

Each of these elected officers serves a term of four years and oversees a different part of county government.

Due to the sizable support of Purdue University students, Tippecanoe County played a pivotal role in Barack Obama's upset win in Indiana (49.9%–49.0%; 1,367,264 votes to 1,341,101 votes) by supporting the Democratic ticket of Barack Obama and Joe Biden 55.1–43.5% over the Republican ticket of John McCain/Sarah Palin.

[a] As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 172,780 people, 65,532 households, and 37,003 families residing in the county.

Major employers include Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Wabash National, Caterpillar, Fairfield Manufacturing, Franciscan Health Lafayette, Alcoa, State Farm, and Indiana University Health Arnett Hospital.