Riley, Indiana facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Riley, Indiana
Town
Location of Riley in Vigo County, Indiana.
Country	United States
State	Indiana
County	Vigo
Township	Riley
Area
• Total	0.09 sq mi (0.23 km2)
• Land	0.09 sq mi (0.23 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	564 ft (172 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	238
• Density	2,644.44/sq mi (1,025.32/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	47871
Area code(s)	812
FIPS code	18-64512
GNIS feature ID	442015

Riley, once known as Lockport, is a small town in Vigo County, Indiana. It is located in Riley Township. In 2020, about 238 people lived there. Riley is part of the larger Terre Haute area.

History of Riley

How Riley Got Its Name

The town we know as Riley was first called Lockport. It was officially started on November 23, 1836, by a person named Nathaniel Donham. The name Lockport came from its important role in building the Wabash and Erie Canal. This canal was built between 1847 and 1850.

Lockport became a busy place for trade because of the canal. Even after the canal closed in 1873, new railroads helped the town stay important for business. In the past, Lockport had different types of factories, like mills for grinding grain and sawmills for cutting wood. It also had places for making leather, called tanneries. Sadly, these buildings all burned down at different times. The town was also well-known for its grain market.

In 1911, the town changed its name to Riley. This new name came from the local post office. For many years, Riley was a center for coal mining. There was even a large strip mine just south of town. This mine was still working in 1936. Later in the 1900s, Riley grew into a small community with homes.

Geography of Riley

Where is Riley Located?

Riley is located in the state of Indiana. Its exact spot on a map is 39.389838 degrees north and -87.300420 degrees west.

Long ago, the Wabash and Erie Canal actually ran right through Riley. You can still find parts of the old canal and its locks in some areas today.

Size of the Town

According to information from 2010, the town of Riley covers a total area of about 0.09 square miles (0.23 square kilometers). All of this area is land.

Population of Riley

How Many People Live in Riley?

The number of people living in Riley has changed over the years. Here is a quick look at the population counts from different years:

Riley's Population in 2020

In 2020, the census showed that 238 people lived in Riley. There were 93 households, which are groups of people living together. Out of these, 57 were families.

The population density was about 2,644 people per square mile. This means a lot of people live in a small area. There were also 103 housing units, which are places where people can live.

Most of the people living in Riley in 2020 were White. There were no people who identified as African American or Native American. Also, no one identified as Hispanic or Latino.

Age and Households

In Riley, about 33.3% of households had children under 18 years old living with them. About 44.1% of households were married couples living together. Some households had a female head without a husband (14.0%), or a male head without a wife (3.2%). About 38.7% of households were not families.

About 35.5% of all households were made up of just one person. And about 13% of households had someone living alone who was 65 years old or older. The average household had 2.38 people, and the average family had 3.07 people.

The average age of people in Riley was 32.8 years. About 27.1% of residents were under 18. About 10.4% were between 18 and 24. And 14.9% were 65 years old or older. The population was almost evenly split between males (50.7%) and females (49.3%).

See also

In Spanish: Riley (Indiana) para niños