Indianapolis

Indianapolis is located in Indiana’s Nine-County Region, in the state’s geographic center; it is the state’s capitol and biggest city. Within city boundaries, the population is roughly 830,000, ranking it as the 13th biggest city in the United States; the metropolitan region has a population of approximately 2 million (23rd in the US). Efforts to beautify and modernize the city have catapulted Indianapolis into the twenty-first century as a world-class destination for everything from corporate meetings and trade shows to backpackers traversing the United States.

Indianapolis is dubbed the “Racing Capital of the World” owing to its closeness to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, home of the Indy 500 and Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, and the “Amateur Sports Capital of America” because to its hosting of the NCAA. Apart from sports, the city has museums, a big zoo, over a hundred ethnic restaurants, various arts and heritage areas, and a restored downtown. Although Indy has been derided as “India-noplace,” the city offers tourists a unique blend of a huge metropolitan metropolis and a modest Midwestern hamlet.

Indianapolis’ founders envisioned it as the “Great Inland Port,” but they overlooked the reality that the White River is impassable for the most of the year; unless in the spring, it is a jumble of sandbars and artificial islands. However, this port ambition resulted in the building of a lovely canal area, even if the canal itself is now utilized only for recreational paddleboats and kayaks.

Rather than that, Indianapolis is dubbed the “Crossroads of America” owing to its pivotal location on the Interstate Highway System in the United States. Summers in the city are hot, with typical highs in the mid-80s Fahrenheit (30°C) in June, July, and August. Indianapolis has a winter similar to that of the rest of the Midwest. The coldest month is January, with an average high of 34°F (1.1°C). Per few years, winter becomes severe with substantial snowfall, and about once every generation, an ice storm or other impassable winter weather disaster occurs. Indianapolis is located in a tornado belt yet has never been struck by a significant tornado. Travelers basically only need to be cautious of the odd harsh winter and sometimes very hot summer. Since 1980, the city has had two droughts, none of which proved devastating.

Traveling to and through Indianapolis is, on the whole, safe, clean, and rational. Visitors will never be bored in a huge metropolis. You may travel from a tranquil and beautiful cornfield to a bustling city in a matter of minutes.

VISITOR INFORMATION

• Indianapolis Visitor Center (Artsgarden), 1 N Illinois St (Downtown, off of the main east–west street). A visitor’s center situated in the city’s core, next to the Circle Centre retail mall. It’s worth noting that the Artsgarden is open later than the tourist center. The Artsgarden is open until 9:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and until 6:30 p.m. Sunday for musical events, art viewing, and dining. Free.
• Indianapolis Visitor Center (White River State Park), 801 W Washington St (Just west of downtown). A second visitor’s center is being constructed just outside of downtown, next to a collection of museums and zoos. While you’re there, browse the pleasant gift store.

Indianapolis is located in the humid continental climatic zone (Köppen: Dfa), which is defined by the 0°C (32°F) isotherm and has four distinct seasons. USDA hardiness zones 5b and 6a encompass the city.

Summers are often hot, humid, and damp. Winters are often very cold with little snowfall. The average daily temperature in July is 75.4 °F (24.1 °C). Each year, average high temperatures approach or surpass 90 °F (32 °C) on 18 days, and sometimes exceed 95 °F (35 °C). Spring and autumn are generally pleasant, albeit unexpected; midday temperature decreases of more than 30 °F or 17 °C are not uncommon in March and April, as are examples of very warm days (80 °F or 27 °C) followed by snowfall within 36 hours. Winters are very cold, with an average temperature of 28.1 °F (2.2 °C) in January. Temperatures drop below 0 degrees Fahrenheit (18 degrees Celsius) or lower on an average of 4.7 nights each year.

Spring and summer are the rainiest months, with somewhat higher averages in May, June, and July. May is often the wettest month, with an average rainfall of 5.05 inches (12.8 cm). The majority of rain falls as a result of thunderstorm activity; there is no clear dry season, however sporadic droughts do occur. Severe weather is relatively rare, especially during the spring and summer; the city averages 20 thunderstorm days per year.

The city receives an average of 42.4 inches (108 cm) of precipitation per year, with an average of 25.9 inches (66 cm) of snowfall every season. Official temperature extremes vary from 106 degrees Fahrenheit (41 degrees Celsius) on July 14, 1936, to 27 degrees Fahrenheit (33 degrees Celsius) on January 19, 1994.

Indianapolis is situated in Central Indiana, in the East North Central area of the Midwestern United States. Indianapolis (balance) has a total area of 368.2 square miles (954 km2), of which 361.5 square miles (936 km2) is land and 6.7 square miles (17 km2) is water, according to the United States Census Bureau. Except for the independent towns of Beech Grove, Lawrence, Southport, and Speedway, the consolidated city limits are coterminous with Marion County.

Indianapolis is located on flat to mildly sloping ground within the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Eastern Corn Belt Plains. The city is on average 717 feet (219 meters) above sea level. Indianapolis is located in the World Wildlife Fund’s Southern Great Lakes forests ecoregion. The city is bisected by two navigable in-law waterways: the White River and Fall Creek.

The Indianapolis metropolitan region is the 26th biggest economy in the United States and the 42nd largest economy in the world, with an annual gross domestic product (GDP) of $125.9 billion. Manufacturing, health care and social services, and retail commerce are the three main industrial sectors in terms of employment. In comparison to the state of Indiana, the Indianapolis metropolitan area has a lower percentage of manufacturing jobs and a higher concentration of jobs in wholesale trade; administrative, support, and waste management; professional, scientific, and technical services; and transportation and warehousing.

As of 2016, the city was home to three Fortune 500 companies: Anthem Inc. (33), Eli Lilly and Company (141), and Simon Property Group (488). Cummins (148), located in Columbus, Indiana, will establish its Global Distribution Headquarters in downtown Indianapolis in late 2016. Calumet Specialty Products Partners (571), CNO Financial Group (611), KAR Auction Services (808), hhgregg (937), and Allison Transmission Holdings are among the Fortune 1000 firms headquartered in the Indianapolis metropolitan region (979). Among the other significant Indianapolis-based firms include media conglomerate Emmis Communications, retailers Finish Line, Lids, and Marsh Supermarkets, airline carrier Republic Airways Holdings, and restaurant chains Noble Roman’s, Scotty’s Brewhouse, and Steak ‘n Shake.

As has been the case with many Midwestern communities, current trends in deindustrialization have had a substantial influence on Indianapolis’ economy. Indianapolis formerly challenged Detroit as a hub of vehicle manufacture in the early twentieth century, with 60 companies. Between 1990 and 2012, the city lost around 26,900 manufacturing jobs, owing to Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors plant closures. Carrier Corporation said in 2016 that it will close its Indianapolis facility, relocating 1,400 manufacturing jobs to Mexico. Rolls-Royce Holdings has been headquartered in Indianapolis since 1915. With a staff of 4,300 in aviation engine research and manufacture, it is the city’s third biggest manufacturing employer and thirteenth largest total employer.

Indianapolis’ economy is heavily reliant on biotechnology, life sciences, and health care. Apart from Eli Lilly, the city is home to the North American headquarters of Roche Diagnostics and Dow AgroSciences. According to a 2014 report by Battelle Memorial Institute and the Biotechnology Industry Organization, the Indianapolis–Carmel–Anderson MSA was the only metropolitan area in the United States to have specialized employment concentrations in each of the five bioscience sectors studied: agricultural feedstock and chemicals; bioscience-related distribution; drugs and pharmaceuticals; medical devices and equipment; and research, testing, and medical laboratories. Community Health Network, Franciscan St. Francis Health, Indiana University Health, and St. Vincent Health together employ 43,700 people.

Indianapolis is served by four Interstate Highways and two auxiliary roads. Additionally, the city serves as the core for Indiana’s 4,700-mile (7,600-kilometer) railroad system, the seventh largest in the United States. These contrasts have enabled the city to develop into a significant logistics hub, with 1,500 distribution companies employing 100,000 people. Celadon Group and United Parcel Service are two large corporations that operate distribution facilities for Amazon.com, Express Scripts, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Ozburn-Hessey Logistics, Target Corporation, and Walmart. Indy International Airport is home to the world’s second biggest FedEx Express hub, employing 6,600 people. The city serves as a vital transportation center for CSX Transportation, since it is home to the division’s headquarters, an intermodal terminal, and a classification yard (in the suburb of Avon). In 2011, the Indianapolis metropolitan region was rated ninth in terms of origin-destination freight tonnage in the United States.

Tourism is a growingly important component of the Indianapolis economy. According to Rockport Analytics, 27.4 million visits earned a record $4.5 billion in revenue in 2015. Indianapolis has long been a magnet for sports tourists, but has lately shifted its focus to conventions. The Indiana Convention Center (ICC) and Lucas Oil Stadium are considered mega convention centers, having a combined display size of 750,000 square feet (230,000 square meters). The ICC is linked to 12 hotels and has a total of 4,700 hotel rooms, the largest of any convention center in the United States. In 2008, the venue held 42 national conferences, with 317,815 attendees; in 2014, it hosted 106, drawing 635,701. Since 2003, Indianapolis has been home to Gen Con, North America’s biggest role-playing game conference. Indianapolis was rated the top convention city in 2014 by USA Today.

Indianapolis is the fourth fastest growing high-tech employment market in the United States, with 28,500 IT positions at firms such as Angie’s List, BrightPoint, Interactive Intelligence, and Salesforce Marketing Cloud.