Indianapolis is in the Nine-County Region of Indiana, right at the center of the state. It is the state capital and largest city of Indiana, United States, and is in Marion County. The population within city limits is approximately 830,000 people, making it the 12th largest city in the US. The metropolitan area has about 2 million (23rd in the US). Indianapolis is also known as the “Racing Capital of the World” due to the proximity of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, home of the Indy 500 and Allstate 400 at the Brickyard (formerly known as the “Brickyard 400”).
The name Indianapolis is simply Indiana joined with polis, the Greek word for city. The founders of Indianapolis expected it to be the “Great Inland Port,” but they neglected to consider the fact that the White River is impossible to navigate most of the year; other than during the spring, it is a melange of sandbars and temporary islands. However, this port-desire left the city with a beautiful, if useless, canal district.
Indianapolis is called the “Crossroads of America”. The city is warm in the summer, with average highs in the mid-80s in June, July, and August. Indianapolis has a typical mid-western winter. January is the coldest month, with an average high of 34 degrees.
Indianapolis is known as the “Crossroads of America” for a good reason. Interstates 65, 69, 70, and 74 meet here. The city’s outer belt is I-465. Travel directly through the city on I-70 or I-65. Direct travel using I-74 or I-69 is not possible; I-74 is routed around the center of the city on I-465, and I-69 currently ends at its intersection with I-465 to the city’s north.
Indy Go is the public bus system. It travels throughout the city and suburbs. Single fares are $1.75, day passes are available for $4, and all buses are equipped with two bike-racks. The bus system is a very nice way to travel with the one exception of frequency—outside of rush hour routes, you can find yourself with a 30+ minute wait. Almost all routes travel from a locality in the outskirts of the city to the centrally-located bus stops downtown and back out; there are also a handful of smaller circulators and loops.
Perhaps the most useful route for visitors is #17 College , which runs between all of the city’s most popular dining and nightlife strips. It runs between Broad Ripple Ave and Downtown, where it travels along the popular Mass Ave strip, and loops around Capitol, Ohio, Delaware, and Maryland.