20 Facts About Indiana

State of Indiana was created on the 11th of December 1816 and became the 19th state of the United States of America. Indiana is a unique state, both in historical terms and economical terms. It is known for a lot of things that makes it stand out among the entire states of the United States. The things that make Indiana state stand out are what we would be discussing in this 20 facts about Indiana article.

As already stated, Indiana is one of the 50 states in the United States and it is located in the Midwestern region of the North American country. It is also a part of the Great Lakes region.

Whether you are from Indiana, or you live in Indiana, or you are just a fellow countryman/woman from other states or not even an American at all, there is a lot of fun facts about Indiana you would need to learn to know and appreciate the beautiful state of Indiana the more. These interesting facts about Indiana have been compiled in a manner to be easily digestible for everyone to read and learn from. Without any further ado let’d dive into the list of Indiana fun facts.

Fun Facts About Indiana

Why is it called the Hoosier State?

Indiana’s official nickname is the “Hoosier State” and this is because a contractor named Hoosier loved to hire unskilled workers from Indiana.

Indiana is the first state to have a chapel in its state capitol

Following the passing of former first lady of Indiana, Beth Bowen, a chapel was built to honor her memory and legacy in the state capitol.

The secrets behind Indiana’s flag

The Indiana state flag is unique as it features a gold torch, rays, and stars.

The gold torch is said to represent enlightenment and liberty while the rays from it are said to represent the far spread influence of the state. As for the stars, they are arranged with intent as the 13 stars in the outer circle represent the 13 original states while the 5 stars in the inner circle represent the 5 additional states added to the union. The largest star above the gold torch represents Indiana.

The meaning of Indiana

This should not be surprising, the word “Indiana” means “Land of the Indians”. However, there was a forceful removal of all the native indigenes from the state even though the name of the state acknowledges them.

The meaning of Indiana’s state motto

Indiana’s official state motto is “The Crossroads of America”. The reasoning behind this is that Indiana has the most miles of interstate highway per square mile of any state in the United States.

Its neighboring states

Indiana is bordered by four states which are Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, and Illinois, this makes the state an integral part of the American Midwest.

The state song

The Indiana state song is “On the Banks of the Wabash”, it was written by Paul Dresser and was officially established as the state song in 1913.

It has a Christmas-themed town

In Indiana, there is a Christmas-themed town called Santa Claus, and it receives thousands of letters every year from different people, and they all get a reply.

It has the first theme park in the world

Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari in Indiana is the first theme park in the world, was built. It started running close to a decade before Disneyland was opened in California.

It has the largest Christmas tree in the world

Talking about Christmas once again, I’m sure you can see how the state loves that period. Indiana hosts the largest Christmas tree in the world, it is called the Circle of Lights and is located in Indianapolis. The tree has 52 strands of garland and about 4,784 lights.

The capital of Indiana

The capital of Indiana is Indianapolis and it also happens to be the largest city in the whole state as about 12% of the state’s population reside in the city.

Its lowest temperature

The lowest temperature ever recorded in Indiana was on January 19, 1994 as New Whiteland got down to a temperature of -36°F.

Its highest temperature

The highest temperature ever recorded in Indiana was on July 14, 1936, as Collegeville reached a record temperature of 116°F.

It is 38th largest state

Indiana is averagely sized as it is the 38th largest state in the United States, with a total area of 36,419.55 square miles.

It’d be the same size as Taiwan

If Indiana were to be a country, it would be the same size as Taiwan, a country in East Asia.

It is the 19th state

Indiana is the 19th state of the United States as it was admitted to the union on December 11, 1816.

It is the 17th most populous state

As of 2020, Indiana had a population of about 6.7 million, making it the 17th most populous state in the US.

It hosts one of the biggest sports events every year

The Indy 500 is one of the world’s most popular car races and this event is hosted every year in Indiana at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the last week of May. It is also one of the oldest car races as it was initially held in 1911 which is over a century ago. There are over 300,000 seats available at the venue and it is always filled with lots of people.

Some movies filmed in Indiana

Indiana is not close to Hollywood but it has a fair share of popular movies filmed in the state. Some of the popular movies are Rudy, A League of Their Own, and Hoosiers.

It only has one Native American tribe

Despite its name meaning the Land of the Indians, there is only one federally recognized Native American tribe in the state, one of the lowests in the US.

It has one national park

Throughout the state of Indiana, there is only one national park and it is the Indiana Dunes National Park that preserves large sand dunes.

It has a lot of national historic landmarks

There are 43 national historic landmarks in the state of Indiana and they each represent the history of the state across different times. These landmarks show the heritage of Indiana as well as honor past heroes and also to educate people. Some of them are a car factory, a historic courthouse, a war memorial, a covered bridge, a racetrack, etc.

It has 24 state parks

Across the state of Indiana, there are about 24 states parks with a popular one being the Brown County State Park that is known for its autumn colors and outdoor activities.

Studebaker was invented in Indian

Studebaker, an iconic automobile brand, was founded in Indiana in February 1852. It produced a lot of good cars from the state before the company was hit hard by the Great Depression forcing it into bankruptcy. Today, there is a Studebaker National Museum in Indiana.

More than 200 brands of cars were made in the state

During the early 1900s, more than 200 different brands of cars were produced in Indiana. Some popular ones are Duesenbergs, Auburns, and Maxwells.

There are close to a thousand lakes in Indiana

In Indiana, there are more than 900 lakes spread across the state with the largest being Lake Michigan.

It was once heavily forested

More than 80% of the land area in Indiana was once covered by forests; today, only 17% of the state’s land area is forested.

Indiana is a high-manufacturing state

A huge chunk of the state’s income comes from manufacturing. Some things Indiana is known for manufacturing are medical devices, automobiles, pharmaceuticals, electrical equipment, factory machinery, chemical products, etc.

It is the Covered Bridge Capital of the World

Historic Parke County in Indiana is home to 32 covered bridges and this is the most of any county in the state or the US.

Hoosier Hill is the state’s highest point

The Hoosier Hill in the eastern region of Indiana is the highest peak in the state as it is a whopping 1257 feet.

It has more the one time zone

Over the years, the time zones in Indiana have fluctuated multiple times. Today, the state utilizes two time zones, Eastern Time and Central Time.

The first goldfish farm was in Indiana

The first goldfish farm to be made was in Martinsville, Indiana, and it was built in 1899.

It has the highest percentage of manufacturing industry workers

More than 17% of Indiana’s working population are employed by the manufacturing industry and this is the highest percentage of all 50 states.

It once had the world’s largest dome

Between 1902 and 1913, Indiana was home to the largest dome in the world as the West Baden Spring Hotel’s dome covering it’s atrium held the record.

It produces lots of American steel

More than 25% of American steel is made in the state of Indiana.

Baseball was invented in Indiana

Baseball is said to have originated in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and today, it is one of the most viewed sports in the United States. The first professional game of baseball took place on May 4, 1871, in the same town it originated.

Elvis Presley’s last concert was held in Indiana

Elvis Presley’s last concert was held in Market Square Arena, Indianapolis in 1977, about three months after his performance, he, unfortunately, died.

It is a major popcorn producer

Indiana is where about 90% of all popcorn used by Orville Redenbacher is produced. Also, about 20% of the United States’ popcorn supply is from Indiana.

Indiana played a significant role in runaway slaves’ freedom

During the dark times of slavery, Indiana help to accommodate and smuggle thousands of runaway slaves as life was terrible for them. They had to travel at night and hide during the day for their safety. Many Indianians help to shelter them in homes that are now historic. One popular home is that of Catharine and Levi Coffin, which housed and fed more than 2000 runaways for more than 2 decades.

It was once home to the world’s oldest person

In 2008, Edna Parker, the oldest person in the world, lived in Shelbyville, Indiana. She later passed the year at the age of 115 years

Indiana produces the most NBA players

If you’re a fan of the great game then do not sleep on Indiana as it is the state in the US that has produced the most NBA players per capita.

Some famous Indianians

Over the years, there have been lots of famous people born in Indiana. Some of them are Michael Jackson (and basically, the whole Jackson family), James Dean, Larry Bird, Anne Baxter, Babyface, Mike Epps, Adam Lambert, etc.

Mother of Vice Presidents

Indiana is also called “Mother of Vice Presidents” as six men from Indiana have all been elected as Vice Presidents of the United States.

Indiana is home to some wonderful inventions

Indiana is home to some of the most life-changing inventions that we see now in the world. Some of these are gasoline-powered vehicles, stainless steel, seat belts, and useful medicines like penicillin, polio vaccine, insulin, Cialis, and Prozac.

It is home to one of the best universities in the US

The University of Notre Dame, a private Catholic university in Notre Dame is recognized as one of the best universities in the whole of the United States.

Indiana has multiple Pulitzer Prize winners

Seeing the number of inventions that have taken place in Indiana, it should not be a surprise that the state has several Pulitzer Prize winners. Notable winners include Paul Samuelson for Economics, Harold Urey for Chemistry, Albert Beveridge for Biography, and Ernie Pyle for Foreign Correspondence.

Indiana hosts the 1st self made female millionaire

Madam C. J. Walker became the first self made female millionaire as she developed a conditioning treatment for straightening hair. Majority of her fortune were made in the state of Indiana.

Indiana has some funny laws

In Elkhart, Indiana, it is against the law for a barber to threaten to cut off a child’s ear when he is cutting his or her hair.

At a park in Beech Grove, it is against the law to eat watermelons there, and also, it is illegal to catch a fish using a crowbar in the whole state.

There is still an old law in South Bend that prohibits forcing a monkey to smoke a cigarette. Quite weird as I would love to find out what led to this law being created.

Indiana has one of the richest deposits of limestone

Indiana is home to one of the richest deposits of high-quality limestone in the world. It is located deep below the earth in southern Indiana and over the years, it has been used when making some historical buildings. Some of these buildings include the Pentagon, the Rockefeller Center, NYC’s Empire State Building, the US Treasury, and other official federal and state government buildings across the US.

The first train robbery happened in Indiana

On the 6th of October in 1886, the Reno Brothers, a notorious gang, decided to rob a train working around Jackson County in Indiana. And they were successful, making it the first ever train robbery. The gang was said to have gotten around $13,000 which was a huge sum of money then.

We have gotten to the end of 20 facts about Indiana, in the next section I would be answering some popular and frequently asked questions about the state of Indiana.

FAQs About Indiana Facts

What is Indiana famous for?

Indiana is famous for the Indiana weather, Hoosiers, producing basketball stars, the mono trail, the Indy 500, Mass-Ave, Indianapolis children museum and lot more.

Which state is directly east of Indiana?

The state that is directly east of Indiana is Ohio state.

What is Indiana’s state motto?

Indiana state’s motto is ‘Crossroads of America’ which is due to the unique location of the state of Indiana on the map.

What is Indiana known for?

Indiana is famous for the Indiana weather, Hoosiers, producing basketball stars, the mono trail, the Indy 500, Mass-Ave, Indianapolis children museum and lot more.