Introduction
Indianapolis serves in the present day as the capital and largest city of the State of Indiana, located relatively centrally within the State. While Sheridan in Hamilton County is the community closest to the true geographic center of the State of Indiana, the community remains firmly connected to the Indianapolis area, even if the local culture is more exurban and occasionally even rurally coded.
History
Though Corydon in Southern Indiana was an earlier capital in modern-day Indiana, the State of Indiana had actually first been settled by Europeans with the French in Vincennes circa 1732. Located along the Wabash River, the community at Vincennes had been—and continues to be—located in the southwestern part of the State of Indiana, with Lawrenceville located across the river in nearby Illinois. Today, however, the City of Indianapolis is identified as the more central location and maintains a strong cultural heritage with effectively being located at a crossroads of influences. Even though Indiana has a smaller population than every neighboring state except Kentucky, the State of Indiana remains integrated into the Midwestern region, with relative proximity to the South as well. In the modern Interstate Highway System, Indianapolis is along Interstates 65, 69, 70, and 74, with I-465 being the beltway and I-865 being the former “dog leg” of I-465, detached from the loop area.
Crossroads
Today, Indianapolis is conveniently located south of Chicago and north of Louisville and Nashville along Interstate 65, south of Fort Wayne and Detroit and north of Evansville along Interstate 69, east of Saint Louis and west of Dayton and Columbus along Interstate 70, and east of Peoria and west of Cincinnati along Interstate 74. Though not necessarily the fastest route, US Route 421 serves the particular direction toward Lexington, Kentucky, to the south.
Counties
Indianapolis is the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, and is located in the central portion of the State. Suburban areas extend north into Hamilton County, perhaps the most affluent of all counties in the Hoosier State, as well as into the southwestern extreme of Madison County, western Hancock County, the extreme northwest of Shelby County, Johnson County, the extreme northeast of Morgan County, eastern Hendricks County, and southeastern Boone County. Each of the aforementioned counties shares a border with Marion County, with the sole exception of Madison County. The county seats for each of the respective outer counties, which may or may not correspond with the largest cities in each county, are the following:
- Hamilton County: Noblesville
- Madison County: Anderson
- Hancock County: Greenfield
- Shelby County: Shelbyville
- Johnson County: Franklin
- Morgan County: Martinsville
- Hendricks County: Danville
- Boone County: Lebanon
Apart from the county seats of the respective counties, additional settlements commonly associated with the Indianapolis area suburbs include Carmel, Westfield, Fishers, and Cicero in Hamilton County; Fortville in Hancock County; Greenwood, Whiteland, New Whiteland, and Bargersville in Johnson County; Mooresville in Morgan County; Plainfield, Avon, and Brownsburg in Hendricks County; and Zionsville and Whitestown in Boone County.
Roundabouts
Ironically, while the City of Indianapolis is centered around Monument Circle, roundabouts have largely been avoided by the inner city limits. However, Carmel, located immediately to the north, has become notable for a significant number of roundabouts, especially on a per capita basis. With the extensive roundabout network, including the Home Place area that has since inevitably been annexed into Carmel, the notable feature of the suburban area that stands out is the affluent walkability, a feature that cannot be matched by any similar locale in Warren or Delaware Counties in Ohio though they are similarly affluent.
Monument Circle
Monument Circle is a notable area in Downtown Indianapolis and the reference point for the quadrant system that often intends to serve visitors to the downtown area. Road signs downtown mention the quadrant system, which is also depicted on the Flag of Indianapolis. Though the quadrants are of minimal relevance to actual tourists, the relevance is lost to an even greater extent locally within the downtown area.
Attractions
In terms of tourist attractions, not much about Indianapolis ultimately stands out relative to surrounding cities, as is the case with the State of Indiana in general. Perhaps the most important part of the city for visitors is the basketball heritage of the city and the state, and the NCAA Hall of Champions is located firmly within the downtown area. If the attractions are not necessarily downtown, then the attractions are likely more dispersed throughout the area of the city, and the true nature of Indianapolis may be more sprawling as a result. Such sprawl within the city area and the first suburbs includes the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, home to the Indy 500 every year, as well as the fairgrounds on the northern side of the city located nearly due east of Butler University. Also of interest are Indiana University Indianapolis and Purdue University in Indianapolis, formerly merged as IUPUI (Indiana University-Purdue University in Indianapolis).
The Suburbs
Apart from the aforementioned Carmel of roundabouts, the Indianapolis area is also home to one of the largest athletic complexes in the Western Hemisphere, Grand Park, located in Westfield even further to the north. The Ruoff Music Center is an amphitheater located further east, along 146th Street in the general Noblesville area. However, as with the vast majority of suburban areas located elsewhere in the United States, and especially outside the Northeast Corridor, not much else exists outside the significant amenities that require larger space for the region.
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