Indiana is known for:
- Vast farmlands
- Agricultural production, especially corns and soybeans
- The Indy 500
- Steel mills
- Limestone industry
- University of Notre Dame
- High school basketball
Geography & Demographics
| State Abbreviation |
IN |
| State Capital |
Indianapolis |
| State Size |
Total (Land + Water): 36,418 sq miles; Land Only: 35,867 sq miles |
| Number of Counties |
92 |
| Time Zone |
Eastern Time Zone, Central Time Zone |
| Bordering States |
Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio |
| Highest Point | Hoosier Hill, 1,257 feet |
| Tallest Building | Salesforce Tower in Indianapolis, 701 feet |
| Largest Stadium | Notre Dame Stadium in Notre Dame, capacity 80,795 |
| National Parks | Indiana Dunes National Park |
| State Population (2020) | 6,785,528 |
| State Population Density | 189.2 people / square mile |
| Area Codes |
219, 260, 317, 463, 574, 765, 812 |
| Top 5 Cities (2020 population) |
Indianapolis (887,756)
Fort Wayne (272,398)
Evansville (118,407)
South Bend (101,868)
Carmel (101,643)
|
Government & Legislature
State Symbols
| State Bird |
Cardinal |
| State Flower |
Peony |
| State Motto |
The Crossroads of America |
| State Nickname |
Hoosier State |
| State Pie | Sugar cream pie |
| State River | Wabash river |
| State Stone | Salem limestone |
| State Tree |
Tulip tree |
Sports Teams
Popular Tourist Attractions
- Blue Chip Casino: Casino in Michigan City, Indiana.
- Brown County State Park: State park in Nashville, Indiana.
- Conner Prairie: History museum and park in Fishers, Indiana.
- Indiana Beach Boardwalk Resort: Amusement park in Monticello, Indiana.
- Indiana Dunes State Park: State park in Chesterton, Indiana.
- Indiana State Museum: Museum in Indianapolis, Indiana.
- Indianapolis Motor Speedway: Car race track that is the home of the Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard 400, located in Indianapolis, Indiana.
- Indianapolis Museum of Art: Art museum in Indianapolis, Indiana.
- Indianapolis Zoo: Zoo in Indianapolis, Indiana.
- Marengo Cave: Park in Marengo, Indiana.
- Oliver Winery: Winery in Bloomington, Indiana.
- Paoli Peaks: Ski resort in Paoli, Indiana.
- Perfect North Slopes: Ski area in Lawrenceburg, Indiana.
- Pokagon State Park: State park in Angola, Indiana.
- Potawatomi Zoo: Zoo in South Bend, Indiana.
- Turkey Run State Park: State park in Parke County, Indiana.
- White River State Park: State park in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Festivals and Events
Top festivals and events in Indiana. They are listed in approximate order of when they take place during the year.
| Festival / Event |
When |
Location |
| Indiana Wine Fair | April | Story Inn, Nashville |
| Indiana Comic Convention | April or May | Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis |
| Talbot Street Art Fair | June | Talbot Street, Indianapolis |
| Indiana Fiddlers' Gathering | June or July | Tippecanoe Battlefield Park, Battle Ground |
| Angola Balloons Aloft | July | Angola |
| Indiana State Fair | July to August | Indianapolis |
| Swiss Wine Festival | August | Vevay Riverfront, Vevay |
| Marshall County Blueberry Festival | Labor Day Weekend in September | Centennial Park, Plymouth |
| Jupiter Flights Balloon Festival | September | Fishers |
| Indy Jazz Fest | September | Indianapolis |
| Covered Bridge Festival | October | Park County |
| Feast of the Hunters' Moon | October | Fort Ouiatenon Historic Park, West Lafayette |
| Kiwanis Indiana Balloon Fest | October | Bloomington |
Popular Iconic Indiana Foods
Indiana is famous for the following foods:
- Breaded Pork Tenderloin
- Sugar Cream Pie
- Hoosier Chili
- Persimmon Pudding
- Roast Beef Manhattan
- Sweet Corn
- Biscuits and Gravy
- Zombie Dust
- Fried Brain Sandwich
Famous People Born In Indiana
Nobel Prize Winners
Pro Football Hall Of Fame Members
- Weeb Ewbank (Coach / General Manager. Inducted in 1978)
- Bob Griese (Quarterback. Inducted in 1990)
- Rod Woodson (Cornerback, Safety, Kick Returner. Inducted in 2009)
- Chris Doleman (Defensive End / Linebacker. Inducted in 2012)
- Alex Karras (Defensive Tackle. Inducted in 2020)
Baseball Hall Of Fame Players
- Mordecai Brown (Pitcher. Inducted in 1949)
- Max Carey (Center Fielder. Inducted in 1961)
- Edd Roush (Center Fielder. Inducted in 1962)
- Sam Rice (Right Fielder. Inducted in 1963)
- Sam Thompson (Right Fielder. Inducted in 1974)
- Billy Herman (Second Baseman. Inducted in 1975)
- Oscar Charleston (Center Fielder. Inducted in 1976)
- Amos Rusie (Pitcher. Inducted in 1977)
- Chuck Klein (Right Fielder. Inducted in 1980)
- Gil Hodges (First Baseman. Inducted in 2022)
- Scott Rolen (Third Baseman. Inducted in 2023)
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall Of Fame Players
- Branch McCracken (Forward. Inducted in 1960)
- Charles Murphy (Center. Inducted in 1960)
- John Wooden (Guard. Inducted in 1960)
- Fuzzy Vandivier (Guard. Inducted in 1975)
- Larry Bird (Forward. Inducted in 1998)
- Clyde Lovellette (Center-Forward. Inducted in 1988)
- Louie Dampier (Guard. Inducted in 2015)
- George McGinnis (Forward. Inducted in 2017)
- Del Harris (Contributor. Inducated in 2022)
- Gregg Popovich (Coach. Inducated in 2023)
Famous Actors And Actresses
- Embeth Davidtz
- Jenna Fischer
- Shelley Long
Famous Singers
- Janet Jackson
- Michael Jackson
- John Mellencamp
- Axl Rose
Indiana Fun Facts
- The state of Indiana was named after the Native Americans. Indiana means "Indian Land."
- The first long-distance auto race in the U. S. was held May 30, 1911, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
- Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with a permanent seating capacity of 235,000, is the highest-capacity sports venue in the world.
- The first professional baseball game was played in Fort Wayne on May 4, 1871. Fort Wayne Kekiongas beat Cleveland Forest Cities, 2-0.
- Indiana is the first state to have a chapel inside the state capitol, built in memory of former first lady Beth Bowen.
- Wabash, Indiana was the first electrically lighted city in the world.
- Santa Claus, Indiana, receives hundreds of thousands of letters addressed to the Christmas legend every year-each of which is responded to individually.
- In Indiana, it is illegal to catch a fish with dynamite, firearms, a crossbow or your bare hands.
- Crawfordsville is the home of the only known working rotary jail in the United States. This jail was built in 1882 and served as the Montgomery County jail until 1973. It is now a museum.
- In Fort Wayne, Syvanus F. Bower designed the world's first practical gasoline pump.
This page was last updated on October 14, 2023.
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