Indiana (IN)

INDIANA STATE FLAG

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:

  1. Adams County, Indiana
  2. Allen County, Indiana
  3. Bartholomew County, Indiana
  4. Benton County, Indiana
  5. Blackford County, Indiana
  6. Boone County, Indiana
  7. Brown County, Indiana
  8. Carroll County, Indiana
  9. Cass County, Indiana
  10. Clark County, Indiana
  11. Clay County, Indiana
  12. Clinton County, Indiana
  13. Crawford County, Indiana
  14. Daviess County, Indiana
  15. Dearborn County, Indiana
  16. Decatur County, Indiana
  17. DeKalb County, Indiana
  18. Delaware County, Indiana
  19. Dubois County, Indiana
  20. Elkhart County, Indiana
  21. Fayette County, Indiana
  22. Floyd County, Indiana
  23. Fountain County, Indiana
  24. Franklin County, Indiana
  25. Fulton County, Indiana
  26. Gibson County, Indiana
  27. Grant County, Indiana
  28. Greene County, Indiana
  29. Hamilton County, Indiana
  30. Hancock County, Indiana
  31. Harrison County, Indiana
  32. Hendricks County, Indiana
  33. Henry County, Indiana
  34. Howard County, Indiana
  35. Huntington County, Indiana
  36. Jackson County, Indiana
  37. Jasper County, Indiana
  38. Jay County, Indiana
  39. Jefferson County, Indiana
  40. Jennings County, Indiana
  41. Johnson County, Indiana
  42. Knox County, Indiana
  43. Kosciusko County, Indiana
  44. LaGrange County, Indiana
  45. Lake County, Indiana
  46. LaPorte County, Indiana
  47. Lawrence County, Indiana
  48. Madison County, Indiana
  49. Marion County, Indiana
  50. Marshall County, Indiana
  51. Martin County, Indiana
  52. Miami County, Indiana
  53. Monroe County, Indiana
  54. Montgomery County, Indiana
  55. Morgan County, Indiana
  56. Newton County, Indiana
  57. Noble County, Indiana
  58. Ohio County, Indiana
  59. Orange County, Indiana
  60. Owen County, Indiana
  61. Parke County, Indiana
  62. Perry County, Indiana
  63. Pike County, Indiana
  64. Porter County, Indiana
  65. Posey County, Indiana
  66. Pulaski County, Indiana
  67. Putnam County, Indiana
  68. Randolph County, Indiana
  69. Ripley County, Indiana
  70. Rush County, Indiana
  71. Saint Joseph County, Indiana
  72. Scott County, Indiana
  73. Shelby County, Indiana
  74. Spencer County, Indiana
  75. Starke County, Indiana
  76. Steuben County, Indiana
  77. Sullivan County, Indiana
  78. Switzerland County, Indiana
  79. Tippecanoe County, Indiana
  80. Tipton County, Indiana
  81. Union County, Indiana
  82. Vanderburgh County, Indiana
  83. Vermillion County, Indiana
  84. Vigo County, Indiana
  85. Wabash County, Indiana
  86. Warren County, Indiana
  87. Warrick County, Indiana
  88. Washington County, Indiana
  89. Wayne County, Indiana
  90. Wells County, Indiana
  91. White County, Indiana
  92. Whitley County, Indiana

INDIANA STATE FLAG