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There are many things to do in Indianapolis and great attractions to see including Indianapolis Zoo Gardens, White River State Park/Canal Walk, NCAA Hall of Champions, Broad Ripple Village, Downtown Indianapolis/Lockerbie Square, and Children Museum of Indianapolis. Indianapolis is the capital of the ... more »
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American Cabaret Theatre Broad Ripple Village Children Museum of Indianapolis Christ Church Cathedral Circle Centre Mall Colonel Eli Lilly Civil War Museum Conner Prairie Crown Hill Cemetery Eagle Creek Park Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art Fort Harrison State Park Hilbert Circle Theatre Indiana Medical History Museum Indiana Pacers Indiana Repertory Theatre Indiana State Museum Indianapolis Art Center Indianapolis City Market Indianapolis Colts Indianapolis Motor Speedway Indianapolis Museum of Art Indianapolis Zoo & Gardens Morris-Butler House NCAA Hall of Champions President Benjamin Harrison Home Riley Museum Scottish Rite Cathedral Union Station White River State Park/Canal Walk
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Airports There are many things to do in Indianapolis and great attractions to see including Indianapolis Zoo & Gardens, White River State Park/Canal Walk, NCAA Hall of Champions, Broad Ripple Village, Downtown Indianapolis/Lockerbie Square, and Children Museum of Indianapolis.
Indianapolis is the capital of the state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County. According to the 2000 Census, its population is 791,926, making it Indiana's most populous city and the 12th largest city in the U.S. Indianapolis is the third largest city in the Midwest after Chicago and Detroit and is one of only three major cities in the midwest which had a growth rate above 5%.
At the center of Indianapolis is the One-Mile Square, bounded by East, West, North, and South Streets. Four diagonal streets pass through the corners of the Square but stop one to five blocks (depending on the street) before reaching the Circle. Nearly all of the streets in the One-Mile Square are named after U.S. states. (The exceptions are Meridian Street, which numerically divides west from east; Market Street, which intersects Meridian Street at Monument Circle; Capitol and Senate Avenues, where many of the Indiana state government buildings are located; and Washington Street, which was named after President George Washington. Washington State attained statehood in 1889, 68 years after Washington Street was so named on the "Plat of the town of Indianapolis" designed by Alexander Ralston in 1821. The street-numbering system centers not on the Circle, but rather one block to the south, where Meridian Street intersects Washington Street — National Road.)
Airports
Indianapolis International Airport serves Indianapolis and Marion County.
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Highways
Six Major Interstates serve the Indianapolis area including I-70, I-74, I-65, I-69, I-465 Beltway, and I-865 Connector.
Transit
Indianapolis's transit provider is the Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation, also known as IndyGo. The Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation was established in 1975 after the city of Indianapolis took over the city's transit system. Before 1997, IndyGo was called Metro.
In 1953, the last streetcars ran in Indianapolis. Trolleybuses made their last run in the city four years later in 1957. After 1957 (and continues today), Indianapolis has an all-bus transit system.
Central Indiana Commuter Services (CICS) funded by IndyGo to reduce pollution serves Indianapolis and surrounding counties.
People Mover
A monorail type People Mover connects the Indiana University School of Medicine and adjacent hospitals with Methodist Hospital and is available for public use. Other buildings under the Clarian Health / IUSM umbrella are currently being built along the route (6/2006). Plans are possible for a more expansive People Mover transportation system throughout downtown.
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Indianapolis was founded as the state capital in 1821 by an act of the Indiana General Assembly. Prior to its official founding, Indianapolis was a swampy area called the Fall Creek Settlement sparsely settled by fur traders. The first European American settler is generally believed to be George Pogue, who on March 2, 1819, settled in a double log cabin along the White River in what is now White River State Park in downtown Indianapolis.
The state commissioned Alexander Ralston to design the new capital city. Ralston was an apprentice to the French architect Pierre L'Enfant, and he helped L'Enfant plan Washington, DC. Ralston's original plan for Indianapolis called for a city of only 1 square mile. Under Ralston's plan, at the center of the city was placed the Governor's Circle, a large circular commons, which was to be the site of the Governor's mansion.
Privacy Please
It was used as a market commons for over six years. Although an expensive Governor's mansion was finally constructed in 1827, no Governor ever lived in the house at Governor's Circle, as the site in the city center lacked any privacy. The Governor's mansion was finally demolished in 1857. Later, Governor's Circle became Monument Circle after the impressive 284 feet (86.5 m)tall neoclassical limestone and bronze State Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, designed by German architect Bruno Schmitz, was completed on the site in 1901.
* Indianapolis experiences a continental climate typical of cities at this latitude which lie far from any significant body of water. It experiences hot summers, with high reaching into the 90s at times and lows in the 60s. Humidity varies, depending on the position of weather fronts and prevailing winds. Winters are rather long and cold, with significant snowstorms blowing in from the Great Lakes region. Wind chills can reach into the negative 20s, with no natural features like mountains to protect the area from the onslaught of arctic Canadian air. Spring and fall bring pleasant temperatures and the occurrence of many thunderstorms which, due to the lack of hills or mountains, often bring tornadoes.
Temperature - Yearly Average
The average July high is 86°F (30°C), with the low being 61°F (16°C). January highs average 34°F (1°C), and lows 18°F (-8°C). The record high for Indianapolis is 104.0°F (40°C), on July 14th, 1954. The record low is -27°F (-33°C), on January 19th, 1994. Snowfall varies from about 20 to 30 inches (500–760 mm) a year.
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* This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
It uses material from the Source wikipedia.
