Noblesville, Indiana facts for kids

Quick facts for kids

Noblesville, Indiana

City

Downtown Noblesville

Flag	Seal
Logo

Motto(s):

The Heart of Hamilton County

Location of Noblesville in Hamilton County, Indiana.

Country

United States

State

Indiana

County

Hamilton

Founded

1823

Incorporated (town)

1851

Incorporated (city)

1887

Area

• Total

35.82 sq mi (92.77 km²)

• Land

34.40 sq mi (89.04 km²)

• Water

1.42 sq mi (3.69 km²)

Elevation

771 ft (235 m)

Population

(2020)

• Total

69,604

• Density

2,023.67/sq mi (781.34/km²)

Time zone

UTC−5 (EST)

• Summer (DST)

UTC−4 (EDT)

ZIP codes

46060, 46061, 46062

Area code(s)

317

FIPS code

18-54180

GNIS feature ID

2395240

Noblesville is a city in Indiana, United States. It is the main city, or county seat, of Hamilton County. Noblesville is located north of Indianapolis along the White River. In 2020, about 69,604 people lived there. This made it the 10th largest city in Indiana.

Noblesville is home to the Ruoff Music Center. This is a large outdoor music venue in the Indianapolis area. It opened in 1989 and can hold nearly 25,000 people. Many famous musicians perform here. It is often ranked as one of the top outdoor music venues in the world for ticket sales.

History of Noblesville
- Noblesville Mayors
- Noblesville City Council Members
Architecture and Historic Places
Geography of Noblesville
Population and People
Arts and Culture
Education in Noblesville
Sister Cities
Notable People from Noblesville
Images for kids
See also

History of Noblesville

Potter's Covered Bridge

Noblesville's story began in 1818. The government bought the land that is now Hamilton County from Native American tribes. William Conner was the only settler living there at the time. With his wife Mekinges Conner, a Lenape woman, he set up the first trading post in central Indiana in 1802. They lived in the area's first log cabin.

In 1823, William Conner and Josiah Polk planned out what is now downtown Noblesville. The area became the main city for Hamilton County in 1824. It officially became a town in 1851. William Conner's home from 1823 is now part of Conner Prairie Pioneer Settlement. This is a living history museum south of Noblesville.

Noblesville was likely named after James Noble. He was one of Indiana's first U.S. senators. Another story says it was named for Lavina Noble, who Josiah Polk was going to marry.

The Peru and Indianapolis Railroad was finished in 1851. This helped the town's economy grow and its population increase. In 1875, work started on a second railroad, the Anderson, Lebanon and St. Louis. This railroad later became known as the Midland.

The city grew a lot during the Indiana gas boom. This happened when natural gas was found in Noblesville in 1888. Many beautiful Victorian homes and most of the downtown shops were built during this time. The city has grown quickly again recently. Its population jumped from 28,590 in 2000 to 51,969 in 2010. This growth is because Noblesville is close to Indianapolis.

Noblesville was once known for its flour mills. The Noblesville Milling Company was very famous. It made flours called Diadem and Kismet. In 1925, the company's manager offered to buy uniforms for the local high school sports teams. In return, the school adopted the nickname "Millers." This nickname is still used today.

Other important businesses included the Union Sanitary Manufacturing Company and Firestone Industrial Products.

The town has faced some challenges over the years. These include the Great Flood of 1913 and a large fire in 1967.

The old Hamilton County Sheriff's Residence and Jail is now the Hamilton County Museum of History. In the 1920s, a group called the Ku Klux Klan was active in Noblesville. However, their power quickly faded after a major trial in 1925. In 1973, when Klan members tried to march in Noblesville, people protested against them. In 1995, old Klan records were found, which brought national attention to the city again.

Noblesville also gained national attention in 1965. The editor of the Noblesville Daily Ledger, James T. Neal, fought for freedom of the press. His case went all the way to the Indiana Supreme Court.

Noblesville Mayors

Term	Mayor
1851	David Moss
1887 – 1889	Edgar C. Wilson
1889 – 1890	John F. Neal
1891 – 1894	James W. Smith
1895 – 1899	Edgar C. Wilson
1900 – 1902	Albert R. Baker
1903 – 1903	George Snyder
1904 – 1906	John L. Dulin
1907 – 1909	Edgar C. Wilson
1910 – 1917	Dr. E. C. Loehr
1918 – 1921	D. B. "Jack" McCoun
1922 – 1925	H. G. "Pop" Brown
1926 – 1929	J. X. Joseph
1930 – 1934	William E. Gifford
1935 – 1938	H. G. "Pop" Brown
1939 – 1951	Emmett R. Fertig
1952 – 1958	Herman Lawson
1958	Gordon Olvey
1958 – 1959	John R. Neal
1960 – 1963	Dale Hanshew
1963	John R. Neal
1964 – 1971	Joe Butler
1972 – 1975	Max Robinson
1976 – 1979	Robert V. Wical
1980 – 1987	Patricia Logan
1988 – 1995	Mary Sue Rowland
1996 – 2003	Dennis R. Redick
2004 – 2019	John Ditslear
2020 – present	Chris Jensen

Noblesville City Council Members

The City Council has nine members. Three members are elected by the whole city (at large). Six members are elected from specific areas, or districts, within the city. This system started on January 1, 2016.

District	Council member
1st	Mike Davis
2nd	Todd Thurston
3rd	Aaron Smith
4th	Mark Boice
5th	David Johnson
6th	Megan Wiles (Vice President)
At-Large	Pete Schwartz
At-Large	Darren Peterson (President)
At-Large	Evan Elliott

Architecture and Historic Places

Hamilton County Courthouse

The center of downtown Noblesville is the Courthouse Square. Here you will find the Hamilton County Courthouse, built in 1879. Also there is the Hamilton County Sheriff's Residence and Jail, built in 1876. Both buildings show off the beautiful Second Empire style of architecture. They have special mansard roofs.

Many places and buildings in Noblesville are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These include the Hamilton County Courthouse Square, the Catherine Street Historic District, and the Noblesville Commercial Historic District. Other notable places are the Cole-Evans House, Conner Street Historic District, and the Noblesville Milling Company Mill.

Geography of Noblesville

Noblesville is in the middle of Hamilton County. To the north is Cicero. To the south are Fishers and Carmel. To the west is Westfield. A small part of Noblesville reaches east to the Madison County line, next to Ingalls.

Noblesville is about 23 miles (37 km) north of downtown Indianapolis. Indiana State Road 37 is the main highway through the city. It runs east of downtown. This road goes south to Interstate 69 in Fishers and then to Indianapolis. It also goes northeast to Marion.

Conner Street is the main east-west road in the city center. It carries state routes 32 and 38. State Road 32 goes east to Anderson and west to Westfield. State Road 38 goes east to Pendleton and northwest to Sheridan. Indiana State Road 19 goes north from Noblesville to Tipton.

In 2010, Noblesville covered about 32.785 square miles (84.91 km2). Most of this area, about 31.37 square miles (81.25 km2), is land. The rest, about 1.415 square miles (3.66 km2), is water.

Population and People

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1850	664	—
1860	1,115	67.9%
1870	1,435	28.7%
1880	2,221	54.8%
1890	3,054	37.5%
1900	4,792	56.9%
1910	5,073	5.9%
1920	4,758	−6.2%
1930	4,811	1.1%
1940	5,575	15.9%
1950	6,567	17.8%
1960	7,664	16.7%
1970	7,548	−1.5%
1980	12,056	59.7%
1990	17,655	46.4%
2000	28,590	61.9%
2010	51,969	81.8%
2020	69,604	33.9%
Source: US Census Bureau

In 2010, Noblesville had 51,969 people living there. There were 19,080 households and 13,989 families. The city had about 1,656.6 people per square mile (640.0/km2). Most of the people, about 91.1%, were White. About 3.6% were African American, and 1.7% were Asian. About 4.3% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

The average age in Noblesville was 33 years old. About 30.2% of the people were under 18. About 8.7% were 65 or older. The city had slightly more females (51.6%) than males (48.4%).

Arts and Culture

Noblesville has many fun things to do. There are seven public and private golf courses. You can visit the Belfry Theater or explore the shops and historic sites in Downtown Noblesville. The city also has a large public park system, including Forest Park and Dr. James A. Dillon Park.

You can also visit the Hamilton County Artists' Association and its Birdie Gallery. The Hamilton Town Center offers shopping and entertainment. Morse Park and Beach is another great spot. And of course, there's the Ruoff Music Center for concerts. The White River Canoe Company offers river adventures.

Every year, Noblesville hosts two outdoor festivals downtown. These are the Indiana Peony Festival and the Front Porch Music Festival. Together, they attract over 40,000 visitors.

Education in Noblesville

Most of Noblesville is part of the Noblesville Schools district. A smaller part is in the Hamilton Southeastern Schools district. Noblesville High School is the main high school for the Noblesville Schools district. Parts of Noblesville in the Hamilton Southeastern Schools district are served by Fishers High School and Hamilton Southeastern High School. Noblesville is also home to St. Theodore Guerin High School.

The city has a public library called the Hamilton East Public Library.