60 Fun Facts About Indianapolis

Indianapolis is the capital and county seat of which county?

Indianapolis is the county seat of Marion County; a 1970 city-county consolidation merged most county government with the city's, making the two nearly coterminous.

In what year was Indianapolis established as a planned city for Indiana's state government?

Indianapolis was founded in 1821 on a central site chosen to house the state government, which did not move in from the old capital until 1825.

Who platted the original mile-square city with Elias Pym Fordham?

Alexander Ralston, who had assisted Pierre L'Enfant in surveying Washington, D.C., drew the Mile Square plat with four diagonal avenues radiating from a central circle.

Where was Indiana's state capital before it moved to Indianapolis in 1825?

Corydon served as Indiana's capital from statehood in 1816 until 1825, and its old limestone capitol survives as a state historic site.

Which Indianapolis nickname doubles as Indiana's official state motto?

Crossroads of America is both a nickname for Indianapolis and, since 1937, Indiana's official state motto, reflecting the city's role as a rail and interstate highway hub.

Indianapolis sits along the west fork of which waterway?

The West Fork of The White River winds north to south through Indianapolis, collecting Fall Creek and Eagle Creek within the city before continuing southwest.

The 'Circle City' nickname comes from what feature of the city's original plan?

A central roundabout, the circular street first called Governor's Circle, anchored the original Mile Square plat; it became Monument Circle and gave Indianapolis the 'Circle City' nickname.

What is the name of the 1970 city-county consolidation?

Unigov, effective 1 January 1970, merged the governments of Indianapolis and its surrounding county, expanding the city's area from about 82 to about 402 square miles.

The 1853 Indianapolis rail terminal shared by several railroads was the world's first what?

Indianapolis opened the world's first union station in 1853, a single terminal shared by competing railroads; a larger Romanesque Revival station replaced it on the same site in 1888.

The National Road, which reached the town in 1827, was notable as the first what?

The National Road, begun at Cumberland, Maryland, in 1811, was the first federally funded major highway in the United States; it crosses Indianapolis as Washington Street.

The Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument on the circle is roughly how tall?

The Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument rises 284 feet 6 inches above Monument Circle, an Indiana limestone obelisk topped by a bronze statue of Victory and only about 15 feet shorter than the Statue of Liberty.

Who designed the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, dedicated in 1902?

Bruno Schmitz, an architect from Germany, won the design competition for the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument; its cornerstone was laid in 1889 and it was dedicated on 15 May 1902.

The Indiana World War Memorial Plaza hosts the national headquarters of which veterans' organization?

The American Legion, chartered by Congress in 1919, has kept its national headquarters in Indianapolis since that year, in a building on the Indiana World War Memorial Plaza among the city's veterans' monuments.

The Indianapolis 500 is billed as the world's largest what?

The Indianapolis 500 is billed as the world's largest single-day sporting event; the Speedway's permanent grandstands alone seat more than 257,000 people, before infield crowds are counted.

Who won the first Indianapolis 500 in 1911?

Ray Harroun won the inaugural 1911 race in the Marmon Wasp, driving without a riding mechanic and instead fitting a rear-view mirror to watch the cars behind him.

What does the Indy 500 winner traditionally drink in victory lane?

Milk became the tradition after Louis Meyer, a habitual buttermilk drinker, was photographed swigging from a bottle in victory lane after his 1936 win, and a dairy executive promoted the image.

How many cars traditionally start the Indianapolis 500?

The traditional field is 33 cars in eleven rows of three, a size derived from an early AAA safety formula that allowed one car for every 400 feet of track.

How long is the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval?

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval measures 2.5 miles around, so drivers cover 200 laps to complete the 500-mile race.

Which of these drivers has NOT won the Indy 500 four times?

Mario Andretti won the Indianapolis 500 only once, in 1969; A. J. Foyt, Al Unser Sr., Rick Mears and Hélio Castroneves make up the four-win club.

The Borg-Warner Trophy, presented since 1936, is decorated with what?

The sterling-silver Borg-Warner Trophy carries sculpted faces of every winner in bas-relief, beginning with the 1911 victor; it stands about 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighs some 153 pounds.

Which team owner bought the Speedway and the IndyCar Series from the Hulman family in 2019?

Roger Penske's Penske Corporation agreed in November 2019 to buy the Speedway and the IndyCar Series from Hulman & Company; Tony Hulman had bought the track from Eddie Rickenbacker in 1945.

NASCAR's 400-mile race of 1994 was the first non-Indy 500 race at the Speedway since what year?

The inaugural Brickyard 400 in August 1994 was the first race other than the 500 held at the Speedway since the 1916 Harvest Classic; its crowd of more than 250,000 was then a NASCAR record.

The Colts moved to Indianapolis in 1984 from which city?

The Colts left Baltimore on the snowy night of 28-29 March 1984, loading Mayflower moving vans and driving to Indianapolis before Maryland could seize the team by eminent domain.

Which coach and quarterback led the Colts to victory in Super Bowl XLI?

Tony Dungy and Peyton Manning led the Colts past the Chicago Bears 29-17 in Super Bowl XLI in February 2007; Manning was named MVP and Dungy became the first Black head coach to win the game.

Before Lucas Oil Stadium opened in 2008, the Colts played in which domed stadium?

The RCA Dome, opened in 1984 as the Hoosier Dome, was the Colts' home until 2008 and was then demolished to expand the Indiana Convention Center.

The Indiana Pacers began in 1967 in which league?

The Indiana Pacers were charter members of the ABA in 1967 and won three of its titles (1970, 1972 and 1973) before joining the NBA in the 1976 merger.

The Pacers' name refers to harness racing and what else?

The name Pacers was chosen in 1967 to evoke Indiana's harness-racing pacers and the Indy 500 pace cars that lead the field to the green flag.

Reggie Miller earned what nickname for his clutch shooting against one particular team?

Reggie Miller was dubbed the Knick Killer for feats like scoring eight points in 8.9 seconds against New York in the 1995 playoffs; drafted 11th overall in 1987, he spent all 18 seasons with Indiana.

The city's Children's Museum, founded in 1925, holds what world distinction?

The Children's Museum of Indianapolis is the largest of its kind in the world, with 472,900 square feet of exhibit space on five floors; it opened in 1925.

Which pharmaceutical giant was founded in Indianapolis in 1876?

Eli Lilly was founded in Indianapolis in 1876 by the pharmacist Eli Lilly; in 1923 it became the first company to mass-produce insulin, and it later made much of the Salk polio vaccine.

The founder of the city's 1876 pharmaceutical company had earlier served in which capacity?

The founder had been a Union Army colonel; he raised the 18th Indiana Battery in 1862 and fought at Chickamauga before turning to pharmaceuticals and opening his firm in 1876.

Which Indianapolis-born novelist wrote Cat's Cradle and Breakfast of Champions?

Kurt Vonnegut, born in Indianapolis in 1922, wrote Cat's Cradle (1963) and Breakfast of Champions (1973); the Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library opened in the city in 2011.

Vonnegut survived the bombing of Dresden by sheltering where?

Captured at the Battle of the Bulge, Vonnegut rode out the February 1945 firebombing in a slaughterhouse meat locker, the underground cold store of Schlachthof Fünf, which later gave his novel its name.

Madam C. J. Walker moved her hair-care company's headquarters to Indianapolis in what year?

Madam C. J. Walker moved her company to Indianapolis in 1910, building a factory, salon and training school there; Guinness later listed her as America's first female self-made millionaire.

Which US president practised law in Indianapolis and is buried at Crown Hill?

Benjamin Harrison, the 23rd president and grandson of the ninth, moved to Indianapolis in 1854 to practise law; he died there in 1901 and was buried at Crown Hill Cemetery.

Which notorious 1930s gangster is buried at Crown Hill Cemetery?

John Dillinger, shot dead by federal agents outside Chicago's Biograph Theater in July 1934, was buried at Crown Hill, which also holds a president and three vice presidents.

Crown Hill, at 555 acres, ranks where among US non-governmental cemeteries by size?

Crown Hill is the third-largest non-governmental cemetery in the United States; incorporated in 1863, it was laid out on the rise once called Strawberry Hill, the highest natural point in the city.

James Whitcomb Riley, whose home is a city landmark, was known by what nickname?

James Whitcomb Riley was known as the Hoosier Poet for dialect verse such as 'Little Orphant Annie' and 'The Raggedy Man'; his Lockerbie Street home in Indianapolis is a museum.

Which late-night host, born in Indianapolis in 1947, hosted 6,080 episodes of Late Night and Late Show?

David Letterman hosted 6,080 episodes of NBC's Late Night and CBS's Late Show between 1982 and 2015, surpassing Johnny Carson as the longest-serving late-night host.

Which of these food brands was launched in Indianapolis in 1921?

Wonder Bread was launched in Indianapolis in 1921 by the Taggart Baking Company; its balloon-spotted wrapper was inspired by a hot-air balloon race at the Speedway.

Sugar cream pie, Indiana's unofficial state pie, is also known as what?

Sugar cream pie is nicknamed Hoosier pie; its custard-like filling of sugar, cream and flour is thought to have come to east-central Indiana with Quaker settlers from North Carolina.

Which burger chain, founded in Normal, Illinois, in 1934, later made Indianapolis its headquarters?

Steak 'n Shake was founded by Gus Belt in Normal, Illinois, in 1934; the Steakburger chain later moved its corporate headquarters to downtown Indianapolis.

Which Indianapolis steakhouse won a James Beard America's Classics award in 2012?

St. Elmo Steak House, open on South Illinois Street since 1902, received the James Beard America's Classics award in 2012 and is famous for its fiery horseradish shrimp cocktail.

In 1880 Indianapolis ranked third in the world in which industry, behind Chicago and Cincinnati?

Pork packing, led by the Kingan & Company plant, put Indianapolis third in the world in 1880 behind Chicago and Cincinnati; the city was also the second-largest railroad centre in the country.

Which jazz guitarist, famed for thumb-picking and octave solos, was born in Indianapolis?

Wes Montgomery, born in Indianapolis in 1923, plucked with his thumb instead of a pick and built solos on octaves, recording albums such as The Incredible Jazz Guitar (1960).

Indianapolis hosted which international multi-sport event in 1987?

The Pan American Games came to Indianapolis in August 1987, a centrepiece of the city's strategy to become America's amateur sports capital after it hosted the 1982 National Sports Festival.

The Indianapolis Zoo is located inside which downtown green space?

The Indianapolis Zoo moved in 1988 to White River State Park on the west edge of downtown, and since 2006 it has awarded the biennial Indianapolis Prize for animal conservation.

The university that owns Hinkle Fieldhouse, founded in 1855, was the third in the US to do what?

Founder Ovid Butler was an abolitionist attorney.

Which Indiana Supreme Court justice is credited with coining the name 'Indianapolis'?

Jeremiah Sullivan, a justice of the Indiana Supreme Court, proposed the name by joining 'Indiana' to 'polis', the Greek word for city, and the legislature adopted it for the new capital.

Who was the first mayor of Indianapolis after it became an incorporated city in 1847?

Samuel Henderson became the first mayor when Indianapolis incorporated as a city in 1847, leading a seven-member council that a new charter of 1853 expanded to fourteen members.

Which mayor's administration created the 1970 Indianapolis city-county consolidation?

Richard Lugar, mayor from 1968 to 1976, pushed the 1969 legislation that merged city and county government from 1970; he later served six terms in the US Senate.

Which 1962 high-rise was the first in Indianapolis to rise above the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument?

The 28-storey City-County Building, completed in 1962, was the first Indianapolis high-rise to overtop the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, after decades of height limits enacted to protect the monument's prominence.

Which Triple-A baseball club, founded in 1902, is among the oldest teams in the minor leagues?

The Indianapolis Indians, founded in 1902, are the second-oldest minor league franchise in the United States; the Triple-A club has been the Pittsburgh Pirates' affiliate since 2005.

Robert F. Kennedy's famous 1968 Indianapolis speech responded to whose assassination?

Speaking in Indianapolis on 4 April 1968, hours after Martin Luther King Jr. was shot in Memphis, Robert F. Kennedy broke the news to a largely Black crowd; the city stayed calm while others rioted.

Which three Fortune 500 companies were headquartered in Indianapolis in 2024?

Elevance Health, Eli Lilly and Corteva were the three Fortune 500 companies based in Indianapolis in 2024: Elevance (formerly Anthem) is a health insurer, Lilly a drugmaker and Corteva an agriscience firm.

Indianapolis is home to the largest US community of which refugee group?

Indianapolis has drawn the largest Burmese-Chin community in the United States, a mostly Christian ethnic minority from western Myanmar, numbering in the tens of thousands and concentrated on the city's south side.

The 2,500-seat Murat Theatre sits inside which venue, the city's oldest stagehouse?

The Murat Theatre is inside Old National Centre, the century-old Murat Shrine complex on Massachusetts Avenue that also holds the Egyptian Room and Corinthian Hall.

Which bestselling YA author set his 2012 novel The Fault in Our Stars in his home city of Indianapolis?

John Green, born in Indianapolis in 1977 and a longtime resident of the city, set The Fault in Our Stars (2012) there, with scenes at the Funky Bones sculpture in the 100 Acres art park.

Which travel magazine named Indianapolis the 'most underrated food city in the U.S.' in 2016?

Condé Nast Traveler gave Indianapolis the 'most underrated food city in the U.S.' label in 2016, having earlier placed the brunch spot Milktooth among the world's best new restaurants.

Which unfinished 1830s canal, begun under a failed state improvement scheme, is a downtown Indianapolis landmark?

The Central Canal was begun in 1836 under Indiana's Mammoth Internal Improvement Act; the state went bankrupt and only a few miles were dug, the downtown stretch surviving as a promenade.