Home › Indiana › Indianapolis

Indianapolis, Indiana

"The Crossroads of America"

Home to the greatest spectacle in racing and the crossroads where more interstate highways converge than any other American city — Indianapolis has been connecting the nation since before the automobile.

Founded 1821 | Population 887,642 | Peak 887,642 (2020) | County Marion County

Top 10 Most Important Events for Indianapolis, Indiana

1911 First Indianapolis 500: The inaugural running of the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway attracted 80,000 spectators and established what would become the most prestigious automobile race in the world.

1970 Unigov City-County Consolidation: Under Mayor Richard Lugar, Indianapolis merged with Marion County in a consolidation called 'Unigov,' nearly doubling the city's population and tax base. The move became a model for urban governance.

1821 Indianapolis Founded as State Capital: Indiana's legislature chose a central location along the White River to build a new state capital, naming it Indianapolis — a combination of Indiana and the Greek word for city.

1984 Baltimore Colts Relocate to Indianapolis: The Colts moved from Baltimore in the dead of night using Mayflower moving trucks, bringing an NFL franchise to Indianapolis and beginning the city's transformation into a sports capital.

1909 Indianapolis Motor Speedway Built: Carl Fisher and partners built the 2.5-mile rectangular track on the northwest side of the city, originally surfaced with 3.2 million bricks — earning it the nickname 'The Brickyard.'.

1968 Robert Kennedy's Speech After MLK Assassination: Robert F. Kennedy delivered an improvised speech to a crowd in Indianapolis announcing the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. The speech is credited with preventing riots in Indianapolis that night.

1847 Railroad Reaches Indianapolis: The Madison and Indianapolis Railroad connected the city to the outside world, validating the decision to locate the capital inland and launching Indianapolis's growth as a transportation hub.

2012 Super Bowl XLVI: Indianapolis hosted the Super Bowl to national acclaim, showcasing the city's modern downtown and sports infrastructure. The event was widely praised as one of the best-organized Super Bowls in history.

1907 Indianapolis Becomes Auto Manufacturing Hub: At its peak, Indianapolis was second only to Detroit in automobile manufacturing, producing dozens of car brands including Stutz, Duesenberg, and Marmon.

1963 Indiana Convention Center Opens: The opening of the convention center began Indianapolis's long-term strategy of building a convention and sports tourism economy that now generates billions annually.

🧠

How Well Do You Know Indianapolis?

10 questions • 2 minutes

Take the Quiz →

Population Over Time

Latest News in Indianapolis

Mar 19, 2026

Tragedy Strikes After Police Discover Toddler Dead In A Closet

A tragic case of alleged neglect in Indiana has left a 2-year-old girl dead

May 19, 2016

She was Tears Indiana Woman Upset After Trooper Accuses her Doing Meth

Indiana, IN – On a routine traffic stop that turned into a nightmare, an Indiana woman found herself in tears after a state troo…

May 9, 2016

Thousands Indiana Residents Lose Food Stamp Benefits

Indiana – On May 9, 2016, a wave of frustration swept through the state as thousands of Hoosiers suddenly found themselves cut o…

Mar 5, 2016

Trump Blasts Free Trade During Indiana Rally Video

Indiana, March 5, 2016 — Donald Trump didn’t hold back during a packed rally here, where he took aim at free trade agreeme…

Jun 8, 2015

Indiana Food Stamp Enrollment Down After State Enacts Work Welfare

Indianapolis, Indiana – Back in early 2015, Indiana’s decision to tie welfare benefits to work requirements started showin…

Complete Historical Timeline

1821 Government

Indianapolis founded as Indiana's planned state capital

1825 Government

State government officially moves to Indianapolis

1847 Transport

First railroad connects Indianapolis to the outside world

1861 Government

Camp Morton opens as major Civil War training camp

1888 Politics

Benjamin Harrison elected president from Indianapolis

1902 Industry

Indianapolis becomes major auto manufacturing center

1909 Architecture

Indianapolis Motor Speedway constructed

1911 Sports

First Indianapolis 500 race held

1916 Business

Eli Lilly and Company becomes major pharmaceutical manufacturer

1927 Crime

Indiana KKK scandal — grand dragon convicted of murder

1963 Business

Indiana Convention Center opens downtown

1967 Government

Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department created

1968 Politics

RFK delivers speech on MLK assassination in Indianapolis

1970 Government

Unigov merges Indianapolis with Marion County

1984 Sports

Baltimore Colts relocate to Indianapolis

1999 Sports

NCAA headquarters moves to Indianapolis

2007 Sports

Colts win Super Bowl XLI

2012 Sports

Indianapolis hosts Super Bowl XLVI

2020 Government

Indianapolis population approaches 900,000

Did You Know?

More interstate highways converge in Indianapolis than any other city in America — I-65, I-69, I-70, and I-74 all pass through, which is why Indiana's motto is 'The Crossroads of America'.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is so large that all of Vatican City, the Taj Mahal, the Roman Colosseum, the Statue of Liberty, the White House, and Churchill Downs could fit inside the oval simultaneously.

Indianapolis is home to the NCAA headquarters and hosts more sporting events per year than almost any American city — the sports tourism industry generates over $4 billion annually.