POPULATION: 820,445 (city), 1,756,241 (metro) | TIME ZONE: Eastern | CLIMATE: Humid continental climate (rainy spring and summer; spring and autumn pleasant if unpredictable; cold winters)
The name Indianapolis was coined in the 1800s by Jeremiah Sullivan. A judge of the Indiana Supreme Court, he combined the name Indiana with the Greek word polis, meaning city. The city itself was designed by Alexander Ralston, who had apprenticed to French architect Pierre L'Enfant. Ralston helped him on the design of Washington, D.C. Indianapolis hosted the country's first common rail passenger terminal. By the turn of the 20th century, Indianapolis was a big enough manufacturing city for cars to rival Detroit. With roads leading out of Indianapolis in all directions, the city became a transport hub, which explains the nickname, "The Crossroads of America". The first Indianapolis 500 was on May 30,1911, making the city an important auto racing town. During the 1970s and 1980s, like so many urban centers, Indianapolis suffered from urban blight. Revitalization has reversed that trend. Indianapolis now ranks among the country’s best downtowns. The Unigov system of government combines the city and county systems. The cost of living is very low for a city of Indianapolis’ size and stature.
NICKNAME(S)
Indy The Circle City
Crossroads of America
Naptown
The Racing Capital of the World
Amateur Sports Capital of the World
MOTTO(S)
Raising The Game
RANDOM SONG ABOUT THE CITY
"Indianapolis," by TheBottle Rockets
PRO SPORTS TEAMS
Indianapolis Colts (NFL)
Indiana Pacers (NBA)
Indy Eleven (NASL)
Indianapolis Indians (AAA)
Indiana Fever (WNBA)
Indy Fuel (ECHL)
F.C. Indiana (WPSL Elite)
Indianapolis Impalas (USA Rugby)
ALSO KNOWN FOR...
The first long-distance auto race in the U.S.
The two largest single-day sporting events in the world (Indy 500 and Brickyard 400)
10,000 acres of municipal park
Unigov
Pork tenderloin sandwiches
One of the country’s few north-flowing rivers
John Dillinger, Kurt Vonnegut, David Letterman, David Lee Roth, Mike Epps, Vivica Fox, Michael Graves, Eli Lilly, Steve McQueen, John Wooden, Fred Hubbard, Larry Byrd
The NCAA Hall of Fame