For other places named Evansville see Evansville (disambiguation).
Evansville is a city located in Vanderburgh County, Indiana. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 121,582, and a metropolitan population of 342,815. It is the third largest city in the state of Indiana. The city is the county seat of Vanderburgh County. In 2004 Evansville was named an "All-America City" by the National Civic League.
The city is situated on a gentle horseshoe bend on the Ohio River and often referred to as "River City." It was commonly referred to as "Stop Light City" before the city's Interstate 164 bypass was constructed. It serves as a regional hub for the Indiana, Kentucky, and Illinois tri-state area.
Evansville is located at 37°58'38" North, 87°33'2" West (37.977166, -87.550566).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 105.6 km2 (40.8 mi2). 105.4 km2 (40.7 mi2) of it is land and 0.2 km2 (0.1 mi2) of it is water. The total area is 0.15% water. The city faces the Ohio River along its southern boundary.
According to the census of 2000, there are 121,582 people and 30,527 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,153.4/km2 (2,987.0/mi2). There are 57,065 housing units at an average density of 541.3/km2 (1,402.0/mi2). The racial makeup of the Evansville is 86.24% White, 10.92% African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.72% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.49% from other races, and 1.37% from two or more races. 1.14% of the population is Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 52,273 households out of which 26.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.8% are married couples living together, 13.7% have a female householder with no husband present, and 41.6% are non-families. 35.1% of all households are made up of individuals and 13.5% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.24 and the average family size is 2.90.
In the city the population is spread out, with 22.7% under the age of 18, 11.5% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 36 years. For every 100 females there are 88.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 85.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $31,963, and the median income for a family is $41,091. Males have a median income of $30,922 compared to $21,776 for females. The per capita income for the city is $18,388. 13.7% of the population and 10.1% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 19.0% of those under the age of 18 and 8.4% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Like the rest of Indiana, Evansville has long been noted for its hospitality and generosity. Following the Evansville Tornado of November 2005 the coordinating officer for the Federal Emergency Management Agency noted, "I don't think I've ever seen a community of people come out so quickly to help each other. All communities come together after a disaster, but this one is exceptional."
Settled by pioneer immigrants some 200 years ago, the city of Evansville is situated on a gentle horseshoe bend on the Ohio River. The first cabin built in Evansville was built in 1809, home of George Miller. As testament to the Ohio's grandeur, the early French explorers named it La Belle Riviere ("The Beautiful River"). Before the pioneers, Evansville was home first to an ancient community of Native Americans called the Mississippians. Evansville was laid out in 1817, and was named in honor of Robert Morgan Evans (1783-1844), one of its founders, who was an officer under then General William Henry Harrison in the War of 1812.
It soon became a thriving commercial town, with an extensive river trade, was incorporated in 1819, and received a city charter in 1847. The completion of the Wabash and Erie Canal, which connected the Great Lakes to the Ohio River, greatly accelerated the city's growth. Evansville's first railroad company, Evansville & Crawfordsville Railroad, was built in 1850.
The first bridge to cross the Ohio River and connect Evansville with Henderson, Kentucky was built in 1932. After the devastating Ohio River Flood of 1937, the city established the Evansville-Vanderburgh Levee Authority District which built a system of earth levees, concrete walls, and pumping stations designed to protect the city.
During World War II, Evansville was the largest inland producer of LSTs (Tank Landing Ships). Evansville also produced a specific line of the P-47 thunderbolt known as the P-47Ds. The type of plane was also produced in Farmingdale on Long Island, New York. The Evansville craft were given the suffix "-Ra" while the Farmingdale were given the suffix "-Re". Evansville produced a total 110 P-47s and 167 LSTs. Roughly 19,500 people worked on the building of LSTs in Evansville during the war.
In the earlier 1950s, industrial production in the city expanded at a rapid pace. Culturally, Evansville also evolved in the 1950s with the construction of subdivisions on the outer reaches of the community. This shift in population led to other developments as shopping started to shift from the downtown area into suburban shopping centers.
During the final third of the 20th century, the transition was made to a commercial, medical, and service hub for the entire tri-state region. A 1990s economic spurt was fueled by the growth of the University of Southern Indiana, which now has 10,000 students, and the arrival of giant Toyota and AK Steel plants as well as Casino Aztar, Indiana's first gaming boat.
On November 6, 2005, the Evansville Tornado of November 2005 caused 24 deaths in Evansville.
Source:
EvansvilleIndiana.com
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