Yorktown, Indiana facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Yorktown, Indiana
Town
Location of Yorktown in Delaware County, Indiana.
Country	United States
State	Indiana
County	Delaware
Township	Mount Pleasant
Area
• Total	32.17 sq mi (83.32 km2)
• Land	31.93 sq mi (82.70 km2)
• Water	0.24 sq mi (0.62 km2)
Elevation	902 ft (275 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	11,548
• Density	361.67/sq mi (139.64/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	47396
Area code(s)	765
FIPS code	18-86084
GNIS feature ID	0446404
Website	http://www.yorktownindiana.org/

Yorktown is a town in Mount Pleasant Township, Delaware County, Indiana, United States. The population was 11,548 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Muncie, IN Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Yorktown from the air, looking east.

Geography

According to the 2010 census, Yorktown has a total area of 8.863 square miles (22.96 km²), of which 8.78 square miles (22.74 km²) (or 99.06%) is land and 0.083 square miles (0.21 km²) (or 0.94%) is water.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the census of 2020, there were 11,548 people and 4,464 households living in the town. The population density was 1,315.26 inhabitants per square mile (507.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.9% White, 2.0% Asian, 1.3% African American, 0.3% Native Hawaiian or Alaska Native, and 0.6% were from two or more races.

6.4% of the population were under the age of 5, 22.6% were under the age of 18, 57.7% were between 18 and 64, and 19.7% were over the age of 65. 47.3% of the population were male and 52.3% were female. 5.7% of the population were veterans. The average household size was 2.47 people. 89.8% of households had a computer present with 85.6% having a broadband Internet connection. 93.7% of the population had a high school diploma or higher with 28.7% having a Bachelor's degree or higher. 8.7% of the population under the age of 65 had a disability with 7.6% of the same age group having no health insurance. The median household income in 2019 dollars was $65,395 with the per capita income from May 2019 to April 2020 being $32,692. The poverty rate was 8.4%.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 9,405 people, 3,648 households, and 2,726 families living in the town. The population density was 1,071.2 inhabitants per square mile (413.6/km²). There were 3,929 housing units at an average density of 447.5 per square mile (172.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.3% White, 1.6% African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.5% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 1.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.3% of the population.

There were 3,648 households, of which 34.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.9% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 25.3% were non-families. 21.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 2.95.

The median age in the town was 41.2 years. 25.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.9% were from 25 to 44; 27.7% were from 45 to 64; and 17% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 47.5% male and 52.5% female.

History

During the Woodland period Native Americans built an earthen enclosure just to the east of Yorktown, still visible on Google Earth at 40°10′50″N 85°28′10″W / 40.1805°N 85.4694°W / 40.1805; -85.4694. Yorktown lies at the junction of the White River and Buck Creek. According to local legend, the Miami Indians believed that the peculiar configuration of the junction made Yorktown immune from tornadoes.

Yorktown was platted in 1837 by Oliver H. Smith, who represented Indiana in the U.S. Senate from 1837 to 1843 and was a member of the Committee on Public Lands. Smith eventually became involved in the railroad business, and Yorktown was joined to Indianapolis by railroad in the early 1850s. Yorktown's main street bears Smith's name.

Yorktown benefited from the 1880s natural gas boom in the area, and was the site of several glass factories in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. (The gas gave names to nearby the towns of Gaston and Gas City and drew the Ball Brothers to Muncie.)

In 1892, a developer platted "West Muncie" on land immediately adjacent to Yorktown (but roughly ten miles from Muncie.) Buck Creek was dammed to form "Lake Delaware," which became the focus of a 73-room resort hotel opened in 1893. However, the dam ruptured within a few years and the entire West Muncie project was abandoned. Its most enduring legacy was perhaps that Yorktown was erroneously labeled "West Muncie" on some road maps into the 1960s and perhaps later, puzzling most local residents, who had neither seen nor heard the name in any other context.

The town has been served by the Big Four Railroad and its successors: the New York Central, Penn Central, Conrail and CSX. The town was also served by an electric interurban line, the Union Traction Company of Indiana and its successor Indiana Railroad, in the early twentieth century.

In the mid twentieth century, many residents found employment in automotive plants in nearby Muncie and Anderson, most associated with General Motors. General Motors in Muncie, closed down in 2003. Borg Warner in Yorktown closed in 2009. Yorktown also served as corporate headquarters of the Marsh Supermarkets chain from 1952 until 1991, a fact reflected in the chain's "Yorktown" store brand. Marsh Supermarkets and Village Pantry headquarters are now located in Indianapolis.

Notable Yorktownians

• James Armstrong, former President of the National Council of Churches, spent his infancy in Yorktown.
• Jacob Bartlett, writer/artist on the webcomic Terminal Crossing, grew up in Yorktown.
• Ted Haggard, prominent Evangelical Christian, grew up in Yorktown.
• Jack Parkinson, All-American (2nd Team) Basketball player at the University of Kentucky.
• Bruce Parkinson, Gold Medal (Pan-Am Games)-winning basketball player; All-Big Ten point guard, son of Jack.
• Jonathon Newby, founding member of music group Brazil grew up in Yorktown.
• Carl Storie, Lead singer of the band Faith Band
• Seth Cook singer and songwriter grew up in Yorktown
• Clifford Barker, 1948 Olympic Basketball player and Gold Medal Winner

Education

Elementary schools

• Pleasant View Elementary (Grade K-2)
• Yorktown Elementary School (Grades 3–5)

Middle schools

• Yorktown Middle School (Grades 6–8)

High schools

• Yorktown High School

Alternative Schools

• Youth Opportunity Center

See also

In Spanish: Yorktown para niños