Indianapolis, Indiana

  Indianapolis, Indiana

  Indianapolis (IPA: [ˌɪn.di.ɪn.ˈæp.o.lɪs]) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. According to the 2000 Census, its population is listed as 791,926, making it Indiana's most populous city and the 12th largest city in the U.S.. Indianapolis is the third largest city in the Midwest after Chicago and Detroit, respectively.

Greater Indianapolis consists of Marion County and several contiguous counties. By one broad definition the Combined Statistical Area (CSA) of Indianapolis had a population of about two million people in 2005, ranking 23rd in the United States. As a unified labor and media market, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) had a 2005 population of 1.64 million persons, ranking 34th in the United States. Indianapolis is the 8th largest MSA in the Midwest, following Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Columbus.

A fairly "American" city that has managed to escape its Rust Belt reputation, Indianapolis is well known as a city with a strong sports reputation, having hosted major events such as the 1987 Pan American Games and is perhaps most known for its annual race, the Indianapolis 500. Some nicknames for Indianapolis include "Naptown or The Nap", "Circle City", "Indy", and "The 317".

Indianapolis History

Indianapolis was founded as the state capital in 1821. Jeremiah Sullivan, a judge of the Indiana Supreme Court, invented the name Indianapolis by joining Indiana with polis, the Greek word for city. The city was founded on the White River under the incorrect assumption that the river would serve as a major transportation artery; however, the waterway was too sandy for trade. The state commissioned Alexander Ralston to design the new capital city. Ralston was an apprentice to the French architect Pierre L'Enfant, and he helped L'Enfant plan Washington, DC. Ralston's original plan for Indianapolis called for a city of only 1 square mile, and, at the center of the city, sat the Governor's Circle, a large circular commons, which was to be the site of the Governor's mansion. The Governor's mansion was finally demolished in 1857 and in its place stands a 284-foot-tall (86.5-meter-tall) neoclassical limestone and bronze monument, the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument.

The city lies on the original east-west National Road. The first railroad to service Indianapolis, the Madison & Indianapolis, began operation on October 1, 1847, and subsequent railroad connections made expansive growth possible. By the turn of the century, Indianapolis had become a heavy automobile manufacturer, rivaling the likes of Detroit. With roads leading out of the city at all directions, Indianapolis was on its way to becoming a major "hub" of regional transport connecting to Chicago, Louisville, Cincinnati, Columbus and St. Louis, as is befitting the capital of a state whose motto is "The Crossroads of America." Ironically, this same network of roads would allow quick and easy access to suburban areas in future years. Natural gas and oil deposits in the surrounding area in the late 19th century helped prosperize the economy of Indianapolis. City population grew rapidly throughout the first half of the 20th century. During this period, rapid suburbanization began to take place, and racial relations deteriorated throughout the 1960s, although, on the night that the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated, Indianapolis was the only major city in which rioting did not occur. Racial tensions heightened in 1970 with the passage of Unigov, which further isolated the middle class from Indianapolis' growing African American community.

In the 1970s and 1980s Indianapolis suffered at the hands of urban decay and white flight. Major revitalization of the city's blighted areas, such as Fall Creek Place, and especially the downtown, occurred in the 1990s and led to an accelaration of growth in and around the Indianapolis Metropolitan Area.

Indianapolis Geography and Climate

According to the United States Census Bureau, "the balance" (that part of Marion County not part of another municipality) has a total area of 368.2 square miles (953.5 km²)—361.5 square miles (936.2 km²) of it is land and 6.7 square miles (17.3 km²) of it is water. The total area is 1.81% water. These figures are slightly misleading because they do not represent the entire Consolidated City of Indianapolis (all of Marion County, except the four "excluded" communities). The total area of the Consolidated City of Indianapolis, which does not count the four "excluded" communities, covers approximately 373.1 square miles (966.3 km²).

At the center of Indianapolis is the One-Mile Square, bounded by four appropriately-named streets: East, West, North, and South Streets. Nearly all of the streets in the One-Mile Square are named after U.S. states. (The exceptions are Meridian Street, which numerically divides west from east; Market Street, which intersects Meridian Street at Monument Circle; Capitol and Senate Avenues, where many of the Indiana state government buildings are located; and Washington Street, which was named after President George Washington. The street-numbering system centers not on the Circle, but rather one block to the south, where Meridian Street intersects Washington Street — National Road.)

Indianapolis is situated in the Central Till Plains region of the United States. Two natural waterways dissect the city: the White River, and Fall Creek.

Physically, Indianapolis is like most Midwestern cities. A mixture of dense deciduous forests and prairie covered much of what is considered Indianapolis prior to the 19th century. Land within the city limits varies from flat to gently sloping; most of the changes in elevation are so gradual that they go unnoticed, and appear to be flat from close distances. The mean elevation for Indianapolis is 717 feet. The highest point in Indianapolis lies at the Marion/Boone County line, with an elevation of about 900 feet, and the lowest point in Indianapolis lies at the Marion County/Johnson County line, with an elevation of about 680 feet. The highest hill in Indianapolis is Mann Hill, a bluff located along the White River in Southwestway Park that rises about 150 feet above the surrounding land. Variations in elevation from 700-900 feet occur throughout the city limits. There are a few moderately-sized bluffs and valleys in the city, particularly along the shores of the White River, Fall Creek, Geist Reservoir, and Eagle Creek Reservoir, and especially on the city's Northeast and Northwest sides.

Indianapolis has a humid continental climate. Like most cities in the Midwest, it has four distinct seasons. Summers are hot and humid, with average high temperatures approaching 90 degrees. 100-degree temperature days are not unheard of. Spring and autumn are usually pleasant, with temperatures reaching around 18 °C / 65 °F. Winters can be long and cold, with daily highs barely inching above freezing. Temperatures can fall into negative digits. The rainiest months are in the summer, with average rainfalls of over four inches per month, but these averages fluctuate only slightly throughout the year.

The city's average snowfall is 27.5 inches.

The city's average annual precipitation is 102 cm / 40 inches.

The average July high is 86°F (30°C), with the low being 65 °F (16 °C). January highs average 34 °F (1 °C), and lows 18 °F (-8 °C). The record high for Indianapolis is 107.0 °F (40 °C), on July 25th, 1954. The record low is -27 °F (-33 °C), on January 19th, 1994. Snowfall varies from about 20 to 30 inches (500–760 mm) a year.