Indianapolis, Indiana

Demographics:

• The population of Indianapolis is estimated at 798,382
• There are 330,021 households within the city limits
• The average income per household is $44,325
• People who live in Indianapolis use the area codes 317 (Find a phone number in Indianapolis here)

Many famous people have lived in Indianapolis, including:
John Dillinger, John Muir, General Lewis Wallace, Dan Quayle, President Benjamin Harrison, David Letterman, Jane Pauley, Steve McQueen, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., Dan Wakefield, Dick Weber, Larry Bird, Peyton Manning

Historical Notes:
Indianapolis is noted for having more interstate highways connecting there than any other city in the U.S.

Elvis Presley performed his last show in Indianapolis at the Market Square Arena.

Much of the early growth of Indianapolis can be largely attributed to its vast network of railroads.

Indianapolis was built to be the capital of Indiana.

Indianapolis was once nothing more than a swampland, but in 1820 it was chosen to become the new capital city of Indiana. A man named Alexander Ralston was chosen to design the layout for the city, and he made plans to build up a one-square mile section of land with the Governor's Mansion directly in the idle. Although the mansion was beautifully built at a high price, no Governor would ever live in it because the location offered no privacy. In 1857 the mansion was torn down.

One of the reasons Indianapolis was chosen as the capital city was its proximity to the White River. Unfortunately the river was too shallow for large vessels, so it could not be used as expected. City planners overcame this problem by building the National Road (now Interstate 40), the Central Canal and a large railroad system. By 1847 the city's populate was finally starting to show significant growth.

In the early 1900's Indianapolis started to develop a reputation for holding intense car races. They took place at the Indianapolis Speedway, but the poor condition of the track caused several serious accidents. Carl G. Fisher financed a renovation plan, and the track was resurfaced with more than 3 million paving bricks. The first 500 mile race was held in May of 1911, and it would become one of the most widely recognized events in automotive sports history.