Southwestern Indiana is an 11-county region of southern Indiana, United States located at the southernmost and westernmost part of the state. As of the 2010 census, the region's combined population is 474,251. Evansville, Indiana's third-largest city, is the primary hub for the region, as well as the primary regional hub for a tri-state area that includes Kentucky and Illinois. Other regional hubs include Jasper, Vincennes, and Washington. Although part of a Midwestern state, certain parts of the region, largely along the Ohio River, may reflect some similarities with the neighboring Upland South (such as Kentucky or Tennessee), rather than the rest of the Midwest; the area is Midwest with occasional Southern influence, rather than Southern with a Midwest influence.
Geography Southwestern Indiana's topography is considerably more varied and complex than most of Indiana, from large tracts of forest, marshes, rolling fields, large flat valleys in the west and south, to several chains of low mountains, high hills, and sharp valleys towards the north and east. Every county in Southwestern Indiana is bounded by a river at one point, whether it be the Wabash River along the west, the Ohio River along the south, the White River, dividing the six northern counties between its two forks, or other smaller rivers. More than 50% of the boundaries of Daviess, Knox, Perry, Posey, and Spencer Counties are dictated by a river or a creek. Just under 50% of Gibson and Pike counties are dictated by a river. About 80% Knox County's boundaries are dictated by either the Wabash or the White River and its West Fork, essentially making the county a river peninsula. Additionally, over half of the area is located within the Wabash Valley seismic zone along with neighboring Southeastern Illinois.
Southwestern Indiana has clusters of separate towns of varying sizes and layouts. Vincennes is laid out in the French quadrangular, while Jasper and Princeton are laid out in a standard grid. Evansville is laid out in both modes of survey, with its downtown being mapped out from the river and the rest of the city being laid out in the standard grid.
Southwestern Indiana, like most of Southern Indiana as a whole contains several of the oldest counties in Indiana, including Knox County, the states's oldest county. In addition, four other area counties; Gibson, Perry, Posey, and Warrick, predate Indiana's statehood and the area also contains Pike County, the first county created after statehood. The youngest county, Martin, was created in January, 1820, was the state's 30th county overall of the states's 92 counties.
Organizational definition In addition to various media definitions, Southwestern Indiana is also defined by most Indiana state agencies, as well as various commercial and economic regions, as an entire area. All of Southwestern Indiana's counties are in Indiana's 8th Congressional District . Most of Southwestern Indiana is in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Evansville except that Perry County, and Spencer County's Harrison Township – home to Saint Meinrad Archabbey – are in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. Southwestern Indiana makes up realtor region 12 in Indiana, while nine of the counties make up Economic Growth Region 11 with Daviess and Martin in Region 8.
In addition, the southern third of Southwestern Indiana exists within the Ohio River Valley American Viticultural Area, the second-largest wine appellation in the United States. The Ohio River Valley AVA occupies all of Perry, Posey, Spencer, Vanderburgh, and Warrick Counties, nearly 90% of Gibson County, and portions of Pike and Dubois Counties in Southwestern Indiana.
Counties IN County name Establishment date (SW Indiana) (history) (statehood) County seat Time zone Population (2015) (rank) Area sq mi (km2) (Rank) Twps ZIP code Prefix(es) % of Boundary by water 14 Daviess February 2, 1818 (10) (29) (14) Washington Eastern 32,906 (6) (3) 10 475 55% 19 Dubois December 20, 1817 (7) (20) (4) Jasper Eastern 42,461 (3) (4) 12 475 24% 26 Gibson April 1, 1813 (2) (8) (T) Princeton Central 33,775 (5) (1) 10 475/476 59% 42 Knox June 6, 1790 (1) (1) (T) Vincennes Eastern 37,927 (4) (2) 10 475/478 84% 51 Martin January 7, 1820 (11) (33) (18) Shoals Eastern 10,226 (11) (10) 6 475 18% 62 Perry November 1, 1814 (4) (12) (T) Tell City Central 19,347 (9) (8) 7 474/475 52% 63 Pike December 21, 1816 (6) (16) (1) Petersburg Eastern 12,594 (10) (9) 9 475/476 35% 65 Posey November 11, 1814 (5) (13) (T) Mt. Vernon Central 25,512 (7) (5) 10 476 63% 74 Spencer January 10, 1818 (9) (24) (9) Rockport Central 20,715 (8) (7) 9 475/476 73% 82 Vanderburgh January 7, 1818 (8) (22) (7) Evansville Central 181,877 (1) (11) 8 476/477 26% 87 Warrick April 30, 1813 (3) (9) (T) Boonville Central 61,897 (2) (6) 10 475/476/477 19% (T) - Establishment Date - Indiana Territory County
Metropolitan and micropolitan areas
Metropolitan area Name Primary city or cities State or states County or counties Non-area county or counties influenced Area 2005 Population Evansville, IN-KY Metropolitan Statistical Area Evansville Henderson Princeton Indiana Kentucky IN: Gibson, Posey Vanderburgh, Warrick KY: Henderson, Webster Illinois: Wabash, White Indiana: Spencer Kentucky: Union 2,367 sq mi 6,130 km2 352,943
Micropolitan areas Name Primary city State or states County or counties Area 2005 Population Jasper, IN Micropolitan Statistical Area Jasper Indiana Dubois Pike 776 sq mi 2010 km2 53,211 Vincennes, IN-IL Micropolitan Statistical Area Lawrenceville Vincennes Illinois Indiana Knox Lawrence 898 sq mi 2,330 km2 54,332 Washington, IN Micropolitan Statistical Area Washington Indiana Daviess 437 sq mi 1,130 km2 32,200
Political status , all of Southwestern Indiana is in the 8th Congressional District.
County House District(s) Senate District(s) US House District 14 Daviess 45th 63rd 64th 39th 48th 8th 19 Dubois 63rd 73rd 74th 47th 48th 8th 26 Gibson 64th 74th 75th 48th 49th 8th 42 Knox 45th 64th 39th 48th 8th 51 Martin 62nd 63rd 48th 8th 62 Perry 73rd 74th 47th 8th 63 Pike 63rd 64th 48th 8th 65 Posey 76th 49th 8th 74 Spencer 74th 78th 47th 8th 82 Vanderburgh 75th 76th 77th 78th 49th 50th 8th 87 Warrick 75th 77th 78th 47th 50th 8th Southwestern Indiana 45th 62nd 63rd 64th 73rd 74th 75th 76th 77th 78th 39th 47th 48th 49th 50th 8th
Highways
Interstate highways
Interstate 64
The older interstate in the region, this stretch of I-64 has been the primary artery of east–west traffic since entering service around 1983. While relatively flat in Posey, Vanderburgh, and Gibson counties, its terrain becomes hillier as it passes through the stretch in Warrick County. By the time it approaches U.S. 231, the hills and valleys are sharper, transitioning into the low mountainous conditions found in Perry County as the highway leaves into Crawford County.
Interstate 69
The newer interstate in the region, this stretch of I-69 provides interstate access to Bloomington and Indianapolis. Like I-64, the terrain around Evansville is relatively flat, but becomes hillier in northeastern Gibson County, and becomes progressively hillier through Pike County. The stretch of I-69 in Daviess County between Washington and Elnora is actually flatter than the stretch in Vanderburgh County, while containing some hilly sections south of Washington, but becomes very hilly northeast of Elnora as the highway approaches Crane and leaves the area into Greene County.
U.S. highways
U.S. Route 41 US 41 extends from Miami, Florida to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. This four-lane highway serves the western half of the region. US 41 goes through the city of Evansville, becoming six lanes between the Lloyd Expressway and Diamond Avenue. It bypasses Princeton and Vincennes before continuing north towards Terre Haute.
U.S. Route 50 US 50 extends from Baltimore, Maryland, to Sacramento, California. It is a winding two-lane road in the eastern half of the region which becomes a four-lane road in the western half, near Washington, before joining US 41 in the bypass around Vincennes. It intersects with I-69 just east of Washington. It leaves Indiana on the Red Skelton Bridge.
U.S. Route 150 Coterminous with US 50 from Vincennnes to Shoals, it breaks off and heads eastward while US 50 continues northeast.
U.S. Route 231 This now mostly new four-lane road serves the eastern half of the region. The route is in a process of relocation, as a new four-lane road is under construction from Rockport to Greene County, where it will intersect with Interstate 69.
Culture
Annual festivals and celebrations April Perry County Dogwood Tour - Perry County, Indiana May Gastoff Spring Festival - Montgomery, Indiana Historic Newburgh Wine and Arts Festival - Newburgh, Indiana Spirit of Vincennes Rendezvous - Vincennes, Indiana June Spencer County Fair - Grandview, Indiana Haubstadt Somerfest - Haubstadt, Indiana Evansville Freedom Festival - Evansville, Indiana July Germania Männerchor Volksfest - Evansville, Indiana Thunder on the Ohio - Evansville, Indiana 4 July Festival - Otwell, Indiana Gibson County Fair - Princeton, Indiana Cedar Valley Bluegrass Festival - Derby, Indiana Owensville Watermelon Festival - Owensville, Indiana St. Wendel Bierstube - St. Wendel, Indiana August Strassenfest - Jasper, Indiana Oakland City Sweetcorn Festival - Oakland City, Indiana Buffalo Trace Festival - Petersburg, Indiana Tell City Schweizer Fest - Tell City, Indiana Knox County Watermelon Festival - Bicknell, Indiana Warrick County Fair - Boonville, Indiana Vanderburgh County Fair - Darmstadt, Indiana September Princeton Labor Day Celebration Princeton, Indiana Golden Heritage Days - Princeton, Indiana Dale Fall Festival - Dale, Indiana Spirit of Vincennes Civil War Days - Vincennes, Indiana Fort Branch Fall Days - Fort Branch, Indiana Bear Hollow Fall Fest & Dasholz - St. Croix, Indiana Gastoff Fall Festival - Montgomery, Indiana Kunstfest - New Harmony, Indiana Poseyville Autumnfest - Poseyville, Indiana October West Side Nut Club Fall Festival - Evansville, Indiana Troy Pioneer Days - Troy, Indiana Spencer County Fair Octoberfest - Grandview, Indiana Hoosier Heritage Fall Tour - Perry County, Indiana Cannelton Heritage Festival - Cannelton, Indiana Rome Courthouse Days - Rome, Indiana Historic Newburgh Ghost Walks - Newburgh, Indiana Old Courthouse Catacombs - Old Vanderburgh County Courthouse Golden Heritage Days - Princeton, Indiana November and December Muster on the Wabash (November) - Vincennes, Indiana (Fort Knox II) Santa Claus Christmas Celebration (December) - Santa Claus, Indiana Numerous Communities have Thanksgiving and Christmas Parades in November and December. There are also numerous Basketball Tournaments that occur in December, including the Gibson County Toyota Teamwork Classic.
Central Time vs. Eastern Time
From 1966 to 2006, the five southwesternmost counties—Gibson, Posey, Spencer, Vanderburgh, and Warrick—observed Central Daylight Time. The six northern and eastern counties—Daviess, Dubois, Knox, Martin, Perry, and Pike, since 1982—observed year-round Eastern Standard Time as did much of the rest of the state.
In 2006, Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels pushed through legislation for all Indiana counties to observe Daylight Timeon Eastern Time onto Eastern Daylight Time. This action threw both Southwestern and Northwestern Indiana into chaos as counties started to debate whether to return to the Central Time Zone or remain in the Eastern Time Zone and start observing daylight time. This resulted, on April 2, 2006, in all of Southwestern Indiana being in the Central Time Zone.