Indianapolis

The name "Indianapolis" is derived from pairing the state's name, Indiana (meaning "Land of the Indians", or simply "Indian Land"), with the suffix -polis, the Greek word for "city". Jeremiah Sullivan, justice of the Indiana Supreme Court, is credited with coining the name. Other names considered were Concord, Delaware, Suwarrow, Tecumseh, Wayne, and Whetzel.

In 1816, the year Indiana gained statehood, U.S. Congress designated four sections of land in central Indiana as the future seat of state government, contingent on tribal removal. Under the Treaty of St. Mary's (1818), the Delaware and Miami nations relinquished title to these designated lands, with agreement to vacate by 1821. This tract of land, which was called the New Purchase, included the site selected for the new state capital in 1820. The indigenous people of the land prior to systematic removal are the Miami Nation of Indiana (Miami Nation of Oklahoma) and Indianapolis makes up part of Cession 99; the primary treaty between the indigenous population and the United States was the Treaty of St. Mary's in 1818. The availability of new federal lands for purchase in central Indiana attracted settlers, many of them descendants of families from northwestern Europe. …

Indianapolis is located in the East North Central region of the Midwestern United States, about fourteen miles (23 km) south-southeast of Indiana's geographic center. It is situated 98 miles (158 km) northwest of Cincinnati, Ohio; 107 miles (172 km) north of Louisville, Kentucky; 164 miles (264 km) southeast of Chicago, Illinois; 168 miles (270 km) west of Columbus, Ohio; and 243 miles (391 km) northeast of St. Louis, Missouri. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Indianapolis (balance) encompasses a total area of 367.9 square miles (953 km2), of which 361.6 square miles (937 km2) is land and 6.3 square miles (16 km2) is water. It is the 18th-most extensive city by land area in the U.S. As a consolidated city-county, Indianapolis's city limits are coterminous with Marion County, except the autonomous and semi-autonomous municipalities outlined in Unigov. …

With a permanent collection of 54,000 works, the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields is the city's primary art museum. It is among the largest and oldest art museums in the United States, tracing its roots back to the Art Association of Indianapolis, which was founded in 1883. The museum's 152-acre (62 ha) Newfields' campus includes Oldfields–Lilly House & Gardens and the Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park. Established in 1902, the Herron School of Art and Design's first core faculty included Impressionist painters belonging to the Hoosier Group. Eskenazi Hall at IU Indianapolis has been home to the school since 2005, hosting five public galleries and numerous programs throughout the year. Located in Broad Ripple, the Indy Art Center houses the Marilyn K. Glick School of Art, galleries, and a sculpture garden. …

Indianapolis anchors the 28th largest metropolitan economy in the United States, with a gross domestic product of US$199.2 billion in 2023. The city's major exports include pharmaceuticals, motor vehicle parts, medical equipment and supplies, engine and power equipment, and aircraft products and parts. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the largest industries by employment in the Indianapolis metropolitan area are trade, transportation, and utilities; education and health services; professional and business services; government; leisure and hospitality; and manufacturing, respectively. The area's unemployment rate was 3.7% in February 2024. Three Fortune 500 companies are based in the city: insurance company Elevance Health; pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly; and agrochemical company Corteva. …

The U.S. Census Bureau considers Indianapolis as two entities: the consolidated city and the city's remainder, or balance. The consolidated city is coterminous with Marion County, except the independent municipalities of Beech Grove, Lawrence, Southport, and Speedway. The city's balance excludes the populations of ten semi-autonomous municipalities that are included in totals for the consolidated city. These are Clermont, Crows Nest, Homecroft, Meridian Hills, North Crows Nest, Rocky Ripple, Spring Hill, Warren Park, Williams Creek, and Wynnedale. An eleventh town, Cumberland, is partially included. In 2015, Brookings characterized the Indianapolis metropolitan area as a minor-emerging immigrant gateway with a foreign-born population of 126,767, or 6.4% of the total population, a 131% increase from 2000. …