Indiana, as the motto says, is “America’s crossroads.” It borders Lake Michigan and the state of Michigan to the north, Ohio to the east, Kentucky to the south, and Illinois to the west, making it an integral part of the American Midwest. With the exception of Hawaii, Indiana is the smallest state west of the Appalachians.
After the American Revolution, the lands of Indiana were open to American settlers. The influx of white immigrants brought more warfare with the Native American tribes. The conflicts continued until the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811, which was won by General and future President William Henry Harrison.
With a name widely believed to mean “land of the Indians,” Indiana was admitted on December 11, 1816, as the 19th state of the union. The capital has been at Indianapolis since 1825.
Geography
Indiana is located in the Midwest region of the United States. It is bordered by Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and Illinois. Indiana is the 38th largest state in the US and the 16th most populous with a population of over 6.7 million people. The state has a diverse geography, with lowlands in the north, rolling hills in the south, and flat plains in between. The northern part of Indiana is dominated by Lake Michigan and includes large cities such as Gary and Hammond. The central part of Indiana is mostly flat farmland with small towns scattered throughout. This area includes Indianapolis, which is the capital and largest city in the state. The southern part of Indiana consists of rolling hills and valleys that lead into Kentucky.
The state capital, Indianapolis, sits at an elevation of 800 feet above sea level near where White River meets Fall Creek in Marion County. Indianapolis is home to many cultural attractions including Monument Circle, White River State Park, Lucas Oil Stadium and Indianapolis Zoo. Other major cities include Fort Wayne, South Bend Evansville and Bloomington. All four cities are located along Interstate 69 which connects them to each other as well as other parts of Indiana.
Indiana has several distinct geographical regions including Northern Lakes Region, Central Plains Region and Southern Hills Region. The Northern Lakes Region includes Lake Michigan shorelines along with numerous inland lakes such as Lake Wawasee and Tippecanoe Lake which are popular for recreational activities like fishing and boating. Central Plains Region consist mostly of flat agricultural land that produces corn, soybeans and wheat while also providing habitat for wildlife such as deer, pheasants and wild turkey’s . The Southern Hills Region features rolling hills that offer scenic views from high points such as Hoosier Hill -the highest point in Indiana at 1120 feet above sea level-and Brown County Ridge which offers panoramic views from its highest point at 930 feet above sea level.
Indiana also features several national parks including George Rogers Clark National Historic Park, Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial, Hoosier National Forest, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, O’Bannon Woods State Park, Pokagon State Park, Chain O’Lakes State Park, Shades State Park among others. These parks provide visitors with opportunities to explore nature while also participating in recreational activities such as camping, hiking fishing hunting etc.
All together these geographical regions make up what we know today as “the Crossroads Of America” due to its strategic location between Chicago-Detroit-St Louis-Cincinnati making it a hub for transportation infrastructure development. From its lush green landscapes to its vibrant cities -Indiana offers something for everyone.
Cities in Indiana
Below are the top 15 cities by population in Indiana. For all cities and towns in the state, please see Indiana cities list.
| Rank | City | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Indianapolis | 889,634 |
| 2 | Fort Wayne | 262,676 |
| 3 | Evansville | 117,184 |
| 4 | South Bend | 102,786 |
| 5 | Carmel | 98,137 |
| 6 | Fishers | 97,154 |
| 7 | Bloomington | 80,064 |
| 8 | Hammond | 77,491 |
| 9 | Lafayette | 70,928 |
| 10 | Gary | 69,739 |
| 11 | Noblesville | 68,885 |
| 12 | Muncie | 65,571 |
| 13 | Greenwood | 62,914 |
| 14 | Kokomo | 59,263 |
| 15 | Terre Haute | 58,450 |
Counties in Indiana
The State of Indiana consists of 92 counties. They are:
- Adams County, Indiana
- Allen County, Indiana
- Bartholomew County, Indiana
- Benton County, Indiana
- Blackford County, Indiana
- Boone County, Indiana
- Brown County, Indiana
- Carroll County, Indiana
- Cass County, Indiana
- Clark County, Indiana
- Clay County, Indiana
- Clinton County, Indiana
- Crawford County, Indiana
- Daviess County, Indiana
- Dearborn County, Indiana
- Decatur County, Indiana
- DeKalb County, Indiana
- Delaware County, Indiana
- Dubois County, Indiana
- Elkhart County, Indiana
- Fayette County, Indiana
- Floyd County, Indiana
- Fountain County, Indiana
- Franklin County, Indiana
- Fulton County, Indiana
- Gibson County, Indiana
- Grant County, Indiana
- Greene County, Indiana
- Hamilton County, Indiana
- Hancock County, Indiana
- Harrison County, Indiana
- Hendricks County, Indiana
- Henry County, Indiana
- Howard County, Indiana
- Huntington County, Indiana
- Jackson County, Indiana
- Jasper County, Indiana
- Jay County, Indiana
- Jefferson County, Indiana
- Jennings County, Indiana
- Johnson County, Indiana
- Knox County, Indiana
- Kosciusko County, Indiana
- LaGrange County, Indiana
- Lake County, Indiana
- LaPorte County, Indiana
- Lawrence County, Indiana
- Madison County, Indiana
- Marion County, Indiana
- Marshall County, Indiana
- Martin County, Indiana
- Miami County, Indiana
- Monroe County, Indiana
- Montgomery County, Indiana
- Morgan County, Indiana
- Newton County, Indiana
- Noble County, Indiana
- Ohio County, Indiana
- Orange County, Indiana
- Owen County, Indiana
- Parke County, Indiana
- Perry County, Indiana
- Pike County, Indiana
- Porter County, Indiana
- Posey County, Indiana
- Pulaski County, Indiana
- Putnam County, Indiana
- Randolph County, Indiana
- Ripley County, Indiana
- Rush County, Indiana
- Saint Joseph County, Indiana
- Scott County, Indiana
- Shelby County, Indiana
- Spencer County, Indiana
- Starke County, Indiana
- Steuben County, Indiana
- Sullivan County, Indiana
- Switzerland County, Indiana
- Tippecanoe County, Indiana
- Tipton County, Indiana
- Union County, Indiana
- Vanderburgh County, Indiana
- Vermillion County, Indiana
- Vigo County, Indiana
- Wabash County, Indiana
- Warren County, Indiana
- Warrick County, Indiana
- Washington County, Indiana
- Wayne County, Indiana
- Wells County, Indiana
- White County, Indiana
- Whitley County, Indiana
