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Bloomington, Indiana
City
Downtown Bloomington
Indiana University
Buskirk-Chumley Theater
Eskenazi Museum of Art
Assembly Hall
Flag of Bloomington, Indiana
Flag
 Official seal of Bloomington, Indiana
Seal
Official logo of Bloomington, Indiana
Logo
Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 416: Malformed coordinates value.
Country  United States
State  Indiana
County Monroe
Townships Bloomington, Perry, Richland, Van Buren
Founded 1818
Incorporated 1827
Government
 • Type Mayor–council government
Area
 • City 23.43 sq mi (60.69 km2)
 • Land 23.25 sq mi (60.22 km2)
 • Water 0.18 sq mi (0.48 km2)
Elevation
804 ft (245 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • City 79,168
 • Density 3,405.08/sq mi (1,314.72/km2)
 • Metro
175,506
Time zone UTC−5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes
47401–47408
Area code 812 & 930
FIPS code 18-05860
GNIS ID 2394196

Bloomington is a city in Monroe County, Indiana, USA. It's the main city of the county. In 2020, about 79,168 people lived here. It's the seventh-largest city in Indiana.

Bloomington is famous for being home to Indiana University, a big school with over 45,000 students. It started way back in 1820! The city began in 1818. Settlers from other states thought the area was so beautiful, like a "haven of blooms," that they named it Bloomington.

It's the main city in the Bloomington area, which had over 161,000 people in 2020. Bloomington has been a "Tree City USA" since 1984, meaning it cares a lot about its trees. The city was also featured in the 1979 movie Breaking Away, which won an Oscar. The movie showed Indiana University's exciting Little 500 bicycle race.

Bloomington's Past: A Look at History

Long ago, Native American tribes like the Delaware, Potawatomi, and Miami lived in this area.

Bloomington was officially planned in 1818. It got a post office in 1825 and became an official town in 1827. The city's logo, adopted in 1986, features a peony and a trout lily. These flowers were inspired by old quilt patterns and the shape of the Downtown Square.

Historic Buildings and Places in Bloomington

Many important locations and buildings in Bloomington are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are special and protected for their history. Some of these include:

In the 1800s, many African Americans moved to Bloomington from southern states. The city also welcomed Scotch-Irish families from South Carolina.

Exploring Bloomington's Geography

Bloomington covers about 23 square miles. Most of this is land, with a small part being water.

The city is located in the rolling hills of south-central Indiana. It has unique limestone terrain with features like caves and underground streams. This makes it look different from the flatter parts of Indiana.

In the past, there were some environmental concerns in the area due to certain industrial activities. Special clean-up efforts were made at several locations, like Bennett's Dump and Lemon Lane Landfill. These clean-ups started in the 1980s and were finished by 2012, making the area safer.

Water Sources and Lakes

Griffy Lake - DSCF4382
Griffy Lake, once a main source of drinking water for the city

Bloomington is on high ground, so it doesn't have big rivers flowing through it. The main stream is Clear Creek, which has a part called the Campus River at Indiana University.

Since there aren't many natural lakes or rivers nearby, people built dams on creeks to create reservoirs for water. One early project was the Leonard Springs Dam. However, the limestone ground sometimes caused water to leak from these reservoirs.

To solve water problems, Griffy Lake was built north of the city in the 1920s. Later, in the 1950s, two even bigger lakes, Lake Lemon and Monroe Lake, were created. Monroe Lake helps control floods and provides drinking water for the city.

Today, Bloomington gets its drinking water from Monroe Lake. This water is cleaned at the Monroe Water Treatment Plant, which can process 30 million gallons daily. Wastewater is treated at special plants before being returned to local creeks.

Bloomington's Climate

Bloomington has a climate with warm summers and cold winters. It gets a lot of rain, almost 50 inches each year.

Climate data for Bloomington, Indiana (Indiana University Bloomington) 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1895–present
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 78
(26)		 76
(24)		 86
(30)		 91
(33)		 97
(36)		 104
(40)		 110
(43)		 104
(40)		 103
(39)		 96
(36)		 84
(29)		 74
(23)		 110
(43)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 60.4
(15.8)		 65.4
(18.6)		 74.6
(23.7)		 81.2
(27.3)		 87.1
(30.6)		 92.1
(33.4)		 93.8
(34.3)		 93.5
(34.2)		 90.8
(32.7)		 82.4
(28.0)		 71.5
(21.9)		 62.1
(16.7)		 95.1
(35.1)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 37.0
(2.8)		 41.8
(5.4)		 52.4
(11.3)		 64.4
(18.0)		 73.8
(23.2)		 81.9
(27.7)		 85.1
(29.5)		 84.5
(29.2)		 78.5
(25.8)		 66.3
(19.1)		 52.7
(11.5)		 41.2
(5.1)		 63.3
(17.4)
Daily mean °F (°C) 28.8
(−1.8)		 32.5
(0.3)		 42.1
(5.6)		 53.4
(11.9)		 63.3
(17.4)		 71.8
(22.1)		 75.0
(23.9)		 74.0
(23.3)		 67.1
(19.5)		 55.3
(12.9)		 43.4
(6.3)		 33.5
(0.8)		 53.3
(11.8)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 20.6
(−6.3)		 23.3
(−4.8)		 31.7
(−0.2)		 42.3
(5.7)		 52.7
(11.5)		 61.7
(16.5)		 64.9
(18.3)		 63.5
(17.5)		 55.8
(13.2)		 44.4
(6.9)		 34.1
(1.2)		 25.8
(−3.4)		 43.4
(6.3)
Mean minimum °F (°C) 0.4
(−17.6)		 5.0
(−15.0)		 15.0
(−9.4)		 28.1
(−2.2)		 38.1
(3.4)		 49.4
(9.7)		 55.5
(13.1)		 54.4
(12.4)		 42.6
(5.9)		 31.9
(−0.1)		 20.3
(−6.5)		 8.3
(−13.2)		 −2.5
(−19.2)
Record low °F (°C) −21
(−29)		 −20
(−29)		 −2
(−19)		 17
(−8)		 21
(−6)		 36
(2)		 46
(8)		 41
(5)		 26
(−3)		 17
(−8)		 −2
(−19)		 −20
(−29)		 −21
(−29)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.78
(96)		 2.95
(75)		 3.66
(93)		 5.21
(132)		 5.36
(136)		 5.41
(137)		 4.58
(116)		 3.38
(86)		 3.81
(97)		 3.82
(97)		 3.93
(100)		 3.49
(89)		 49.38
(1,254)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 7.1
(18)		 4.2
(11)		 1.3
(3.3)		 0.1
(0.25)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.1
(0.25)		 0.2
(0.51)		 4.5
(11)		 17.5
(44)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 11.6 9.6 10.7 12.4 13.2 11.2 9.8 7.8 7.5 8.8 9.3 11.2 123.1
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 4.7 3.4 1.0 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.3 2.7 12.3
Source: NOAA

People of Bloomington: Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1850 1,305 —
1860 2,419 85.4%
1870 1,032 −57.3%
1880 2,756 167.1%
1890 4,018 45.8%
1900 6,460 60.8%
1910 8,838 36.8%
1920 11,595 31.2%
1930 18,227 57.2%
1940 20,870 14.5%
1950 28,163 34.9%
1960 31,357 11.3%
1970 43,262 38.0%
1980 52,044 20.3%
1990 60,633 16.5%
2000 69,291 14.3%
2010 80,405 16.0%
2020 79,168 −1.5%
Source: US Census Bureau

Bloomington's Metropolitan Area

Bloomington is the main city of a larger area called the Bloomington metropolitan area. This area includes Greene, Monroe, and Owen counties, with about 160,874 people living there in 2023.

Population in 2020

In 2020, Bloomington had 79,168 residents. The average age was about 25 years old. About 13% of people were under 18, and 11% were 65 or older. There were slightly more males than females.

The 2020 population count was a bit lower than in 2010. Some people think this might be because many university students were away from the city during the COVID-19 pandemic when the count happened. Almost everyone in Bloomington lives in urban areas.

There were over 33,000 homes in Bloomington. About 17% of these homes had children under 18. Many homes were single-person households, and some were families. There were over 36,000 housing units. A small number of these were empty.

Racial composition as of the 2020 census
Race Number Percent
White 60,573 76.5%
Black or African American 4,089 5.2%
American Indian and Alaska Native 210 0.3%
Asian 7,134 9.0%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 29 0.0%
Some other race 1,606 2.0%
Two or more races 5,527 7.0%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 4,570 5.8%

In 2023, the city's population was mostly White (77.8%), with other groups including Asian (10.5%), Black (4.8%), and people of two or more races (5.3%). About 5.6% of residents were Hispanic or Latino.

City Government

See also: List of mayors of Bloomington, Indiana

Bloomington is run by a mayor and a city council. The mayor is the main leader, and the council helps make decisions for the city.

Bloomington's Economy and Jobs

Kirkwood Avenue, West, 121-125, Old First National Bank Building, Bloomington Courthouse Square HD
Intersection of Kirkwood and College, Courthouse Square Historic District

Bloomington and Monroe County have many different types of jobs. These include education, health sciences, advanced manufacturing, and technology. The Bloomington Economic Development Corporation helps new businesses come to the area and supports existing ones.

Indiana University is a big part of Bloomington's economy. The city has many businesses in areas like medicine, technology, and the arts. Companies like Cook Group and Author Solutions are based here. Jobs in health sciences are especially common in Bloomington.

Historically, Bloomington was home to factories like Otis Elevator Company and RCA, which made color TVs. Today, some of these old factory sites have new uses, like being part of Indiana University or the City Hall.

Learning in Bloomington: Education

Bloomington High School North
Bloomington High School South

Schools for Kids and Teens

Kids in Bloomington go to schools run by the Monroe County Community School Corporation. This includes 14 elementary schools, three middle schools, and two high schools: Bloomington High School North and Bloomington High School South.

There are also private schools like Harmony School and Lighthouse Christian Academy.

Colleges and Universities

Indiana University Bloomington is a very large university here, with over 40,000 students. It's known for its high level of research. The city also has a campus of Ivy Tech Community College Bloomington, which is a community college.

Public Library

The Monroe County Public Library has two locations in Bloomington for everyone to enjoy books and learning.

Media and Communication

Local News and Magazines

  • The Herald-Times is a local newspaper.
  • Indiana Daily Student is the student newspaper for Indiana University.
  • Bloom Magazine is a local magazine.

Television Channels

  • WTIU is a PBS station owned by Indiana University.
  • WTTV is a TV station licensed to Bloomington but also serves Indianapolis.

The Monroe County Public Library hosts a public-access TV station called CATS. It started in 1973 and lets local people create their own shows. In 1995, a show from CATS called Rox was one of the first TV series ever shared on the internet!

Radio Stations

Bloomington has many radio stations playing different kinds of music and news:

  • W203BL 88.9 FM: Plays Christian music.
  • W241CD 96.1 FM (Rock 96.1 The Quarry): Plays rock music.
  • WBWB 96.7 FM (B97): Plays Top 40 hits.
  • WCLS 97.7 FM: Plays classic rock music.
  • WCYI 104.1 FM: A religious FM radio station.
  • WFHB 91.3 and 98.1 FM: The local community radio station.
  • WFIU 103.7 FM: The NPR station, owned by Indiana University.
  • WGCL AM 1370 and 98.7 FM: Local news talk radio.
  • WHCC 105.1 FM (Hoosier Country 105): Plays country music.
  • WIUX 99.1 FM: Indiana University's student radio station.
  • WMYJ 88.9 FM (MyJoy Radio): Plays Southern Gospel music.
  • WOMB 89.9 FM (With Our Mother Blessed): A Christian radio station.
  • WTTS 92.3 FM: Plays Adult Album Alternative music.
  • WVNI 95.1 and 107.7 FM (Spirit 95): Plays Christian contemporary music.

Getting Around Bloomington: Transportation

Bus station, Third and Walnut, Bloomington
Bloomington Transit Center

Airports Near Bloomington

  • Monroe County Airport: This airport does not have regular commercial flights.
  • Indianapolis International Airport: This is the closest airport for commercial flights, about 50 miles away.

Biking in the City

Bloomington is known as a great city for bicycles. It has a "gold-rated bicycle-friendly" status. There are several important bike trails, like the B-Line Trail, which goes through downtown. This trail connects to others like the Bloomington Rail Trail and the Clear Creek Trail.

Major Roads and Highways

  • I-69
  • SR 37
  • SR 45
  • SR 46
  • SR 48
  • SR 446

For many years, Bloomington was one of the largest cities without a major highway. However, in December 2015, Interstate 69 reached Bloomington, connecting it to other cities like Evansville and Indianapolis.

State Road 37 used to be the main highway through Bloomington. Now, it ends on the south side of the city where it meets I-69.

State Road 45 and State Road 46 run together through Bloomington on a road called the "bypass."

Public Transportation

Local bus service in Bloomington is provided by Bloomington Transit. For travel to Indianapolis, you can use Miller Transportation bus lines.

Famous People from Bloomington

Note: This list does not include students attending Indiana University except for locals. Please see List of Indiana University (Bloomington) people for famous alumni.

  • David Anspaugh, director of Hoosiers and Rudy
  • Kenny Aronoff, drummer
  • Brett Anderson, lead vocalist of rock band The Donnas
  • Jason Ayers, WWE referee
  • David Baker, symphonic jazz composer
  • Dee Bradley Baker, voice actor
  • Tony Baldwin, college softball coach
  • Arija Bareikis, actress
  • Paul Baribeau, folk punk singer and musician
  • Joshua Bell, violinist
  • Abraham Benrubi, actor
  • Kent Benson, basketball player
  • Diane Bish, organist, concert and recording artist, composer and conductor
  • Lil Bub, famous cat, internet sensation
  • Joseph O. Butcher, Major General in the Marine Corps
  • Meg Cabot, author
  • Hoagy Carmichael, singer-songwriter
  • Calbert Cheaney, basketball player, assistant coach for the College Park Skyhawks
  • Chris Clavin, singer-songwriter, Plan-It-X Records owner
  • Terri Conn, actress
  • William Cook, founder of Cook Inc.
  • James Counsilman, US Olympic swimming coach
  • John Merle Coulter, former president of Indiana University
  • Althea Crome, micro-knitter
  • Malcolm Dalglish, hammered dulcimer player, composer, and choral director
  • Grey Damon, actor
  • John Darnielle, singer-songwriter
  • Krista Detor, musician
  • Joe Dowell, singer-songwriter
  • Wilson V. Eagleson II, U.S. Army Air Force officer, decorated Tuskegee Airmen fighter pilot; raised in Bloomington. Son of IU's first African American woman graduate
  • Andy Fillmore, Canadian Member of Parliament for Halifax, Nova Scotia
  • Mick Foley, former professional wrestler and author
  • Karen Joy Fowler, author
  • Rex Grossman, former NFL quarterback
  • David F. Hamilton, Judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
  • Bobby Helms, singer, "Jingle Bell Rock", "My Special Angel", "Fraulein"
  • Douglas Hofstadter, cognitive scientist
  • Jordan Hulls, basketball player
  • Elaine Irwin Mellencamp, model
  • Jared Jeffries, basketball player, Retired
  • David Starr Jordan, former president of Indiana University and Stanford University
  • Kraig Kinser, an ARCA driver
  • Sheldon Kinser, Indy car driver
  • Steve Kinser, race car driver
  • Amelia Laskey, ornithologist
  • Brad Leftwich, musician
  • Ross Lockridge Jr., novelist, author of Raintree County
  • Austin Lucas, singer-songwriter
  • Sara Lund, musician
  • Cory Martin, shot putter
  • Sean May, former NBA basketball player
  • John Mellencamp, musician
  • Maurice Mierau, writer
  • Denny Miller, actor
  • Carrie Newcomer, musician
  • Thubten Jigme Norbu, brother of Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama
  • Shohaku Okumura, Zen Buddhist author and teacher
  • Elinor Ostrom, Nobel Prize–winner, political scientist
  • Jeff Overton, PGA Tour golfer
  • Angelo Pizzo, screenwriter and producer of Hoosiers and Rudy
  • Kevin Pritchard, NBA front office executive
  • Scott Rolen, former Major League Baseball player
  • David Lee Roth, lead singer of band Van Halen
  • Alfred Ryors, former president of Indiana University
  • Jeff Sagarin, statistician for sports, contributor to USA Today
  • Ronnie Schneider, ATP tennis player
  • Frithjof Schuon, philosopher and mystic
  • György Sebők, pianist
  • János Starker, cellist
  • John Strohm, singer, guitarist, and lawyer
  • Sarkes Tarzian, engineer, inventor, and broadcaster
  • Jill Bolte Taylor, neuroanatomist
  • Herman B Wells, former president and chancellor of Indiana University
  • Camilla Williams, opera singer
  • Collett E. Woolman, founder of Delta Air Lines
  • Andrew Wylie, first president of Indiana University
  • Max Zorn, mathematician

Fun Places to Visit in Bloomington

  • Constellation Stage and Screen – a local professional theater and film series.
  • Downtown historic district – a historic area in the city center.
  • Indiana University Bloomington – explore the beautiful campus.
  • Lake Lemon – a lake located about 10 miles northeast of Bloomington, great for outdoor activities.
  • Griffy Lake – another beautiful lake near the city.
  • Captain Janeway Birthplace Statue – a statue celebrating the fictional Captain Kathryn Janeway from the show Star Trek: Voyager.

Bloomington's Sister Cities

Bloomington has special connections with cities in other countries, called sister cities:

Since 2022, Bloomington also has a "Sibling City" relationship with Palo Alto, California.

See also

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