Indiana Research

[HighwayCatGaming]

With Illinois released and Indiana right next door, I thought it would be beneficial to share some info on my home state of Indiana, the Hoosier State.

Indiana is best known for racecar driving, basketball, and agriculture such as corn and soybeans (we're the largest producer of popcorn, home to Orville Redenbacher), but there is a lot more to Indiana, including several notable industries such as steel milling, RV production, car assembly, glass manufacturing, and famous limestone quarries.

1. Indianapolis

Indianapolis, the capital and largest city in Indiana, is best known for being home to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the location of the famous Indy 500 Indycar race.
There is also the Indianapolis International Airport, which serves as a major logistics hub for Fedex.
Eli Lilly, the largest pharmaceutical company in the world, is headquartered on the south side of downtown near I-70.
Some notable landmarks in downtown Indianapolis include the Indiana Capitol Building, the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, the Indianapolis Artsgarden, and Lucas Oil Stadium.

There is also a Nestle Distribution Center in Anderson that has an iconic Nesquik Milk sign that is right next to I-69 and can be tagged as Indianapolis.

2. Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne is the second largest city in Indiana. One potential depot in Fort Wayne would include the Fort Wayne International Airport.
There is also Pepsi Beverages, which is located near a busy retail corridor on Coliseum Boulevard.
Near the I-69/I-469 junction is Vera Bradley, a fashion company that has a large distribution center.
There is also Michelin BF Goodrich, a tire manufacturer to the northeast of Fort Wayne on US 24.
Some notable landmarks in Fort Wayne include Science Central with its colorful smokestacks, the Historic Old Fort, and Parkview Field baseball stadium.

There is also a Walmart Distribution Center in Gas City that could be tagged as a depot for Fort Wayne.

3. Evansville

Evansville, the third largest city in Indiana, is a major hub near I-64 in southwest Indiana.
Potential industry in Evansville includes a Toyota Plant in Princeton, which is just north of I-64 and can be tagged as Evansville.
There is also Alcoa Warrick Operations, a major aluminum smelter that could provide aluminum for the Chrysler casting plant in Kokomo.
There are also surface coal pits in southwest Indiana that could be another depot for Evansville. They are located off I-64 in Lynnville and I-69 in Petersburg.
Some notable landmarks in Evansville include the Evansville Childrens Museum and the Angel Mounds.

4. Gary

Gary is located in northwest Indiana, and is part of the Chicago metro area.
Gary is famous for its steel mills, which process raw iron ore mined in Minnesota and Michigan into steel.
The largest steel mill in US Steel GaryWorks, but there is also the Cliffs Indiana Harbor steel mine just to the west.
There is also the Whiting BP Oil Refinery which can be tagged as Gary.
Gary is also famous for being the birthplace of popstar Michael Jackson.

Just to the east of Gary is Indiana Dunes National Park, home to towering sand dunes along Lake Michigan. This would make an excellent scenic viewpoint.

About 40 miles south of Gary is Fair Oaks Farms, which at 30,000 acres is the largest dairy farm in the Midwest.

5. Kokomo

Kokomo is a major automobile manufacturing city on US 31, about 50 miles north of Indianapolis.
Kokomo is home to Chrysler's Kokomo Transmission Plant, which at 3.1 million square feet is the largest manufacturer of automotive transmissions in the world. The transmission plant is also attached to Chrysler's Kokomo Casting Plant, which is the worlds largest die-casting facility. Deliveries of molten aluminum from Evansville can be made to the casting plant, which shares a common truck area with the transmission plant. The Chrysler plant would also tie in well with the game considering that there will be a Ram and Dodge car pack.
Kokomo is also home to Kokomo Opalescent Glass, which is the oldest art glass manufacturer in the world.

One potential agricultural depot for Kokomo would be Red Gold Tomatoes, which is located to Kokomo's southeast and can be tagged as Kokomo.

6. South Bend

South Bend is the fourth largest city in Indiana, located in the far north central part of the state.
The city is home to the University of Notre Dame, known for its iconic golden dome and its football stadium.
The city's next door twin, Elkhart, is home to many RV manufacturers, including Winnebago, Shasta, and Jayco.
Elkhart also has musical instrument manufacturers, including Conn-Selmer and Gemeinhardt

There is also Indiana Amish Country just to the east of South Bend and Elkhart, including charming towns such as Shipshewana.

7. Lafayette

Lafayette is a major city on I-65 between Indianapolis and Chicago. The city is best known for being the location of Purdue University, the second largest university in the state.
Some industries in Lafayette include a Subaru car plant. There is also Caterpillar engines for construction vehicles.
Lafayette also has Tate and Lyle wet-milling plants that process corn into food ingredients such as starches, sweeteners, thickeners, and gelling agents.
There is also the Fowler Ridge Wind Farm, a large wind farm located to the northwest of Lafayette.

8. Richmond

Richmond is located near the Ohio state line on I-70.
Richmond has major logistics and industries such as an Elevator Equipment manufacturer, Smith Wayne Dairy Cold Storage, Hills Pet Nutrition, and Belden Wire and Cable.

There is also Ardagh Glass, which is located off US 27 in Winchester, just north of Richmond. Ardagh and Kokomo Opalescent Glass could represent eastern Indiana's historic glass industry. Ardagh could be tagged as Richmond.

9. Terre Haute

Terre Haute is located on I-70 near the Illinois border.
The city has a major retail corridor along US 41 and is home to Indiana State University.
Terre Haute has several industries, including a Staples Distribution Center just south of the city on US 41, as well as Great Dane trailers and ADVICS brakes.

10. Bloomington

Bloomington is best known for being home to Indiana University, the largest university in Indiana.

Just south of Bloomington are the limestone quarries around Bedford, Indiana. These quarries provided the limestone that built several iconic buildings, including the Empire State Building, the Pentagon, Washington National Cathedral, and Yankee Stadium. The Indiana Limestone Company operates limestone quarries in Oolitic, between Bloomington and Bedford on IN 37.

11. Southeastern Indiana

Jeffersonville and New Albany are located on the Ohio River, directly across from Louisville, Kentucky. Some potential industries for these cities include Port of Indiana Jeffersonville, Samtec Electronics, and Pharmacord. There is also the Clifty Creek Power Plant in Madison that could be tagged as New Albany or Jeffersonville.

Columbus is located south of Indianapolis on I-65. The city is known for its architecture and is home to Cummins engines.

Greensburg is located on I-74 southeast on Indianapolis. Greensburg has a Honda manufacturing plant and other potential industries such as Greensburg Milling.

Lawrenceburg is located in the southeast corner of Indiana, close to Cincinnati. It has a potential industry including a grain barge site in nearby Aurora.

The area around Vevay in Switzerland County is a scenic area with a rich winemaking history.

12. Some Potential Scenic Towns/Areas

Santa Claus Indiana, a Christmas themed town near I-64 that’s home to Holiday World theme park and Lincoln's Boyhood Home
Valparaiso, a charming city on the outskirts of the Gary/Chicago region
Michigan City, where Indiana's only lighthouse on Lake Michigan is located
Angola, located in the northeast corner of Indiana, surrounded by lakes
Wolcott, a small charming rural town on US 24
Wabash, a nice medium sized town on US 24 there is a drive-in movie theater in Wabash that could make a nice easter egg
Berne, located on US 27, has a strong Swiss heritage and is home to a large clock tower
Muncie, home to Ball State University
Nashville and scenic Brown County, located between Bloomington and Columbus
Bedford/Lawrence County, known as limestone country and has a "home of astronauts" welcome sign
West Baden Springs, home to a hotel resort with a 200 foot tall dome
Paoli, a small town in the Hoosier National Forest which a central square roundabout
Madison, scenic town in southeast Indiana along the Ohio River
Marengo Cave billboards along I-64
Parke County, known for its covered bridges and scenic natural areas such as Turkey Run State Park.

13. Indiana Landscapes

Northern Indiana - Mostly flat, dotted with small lakes from glacial activity and occasional wetlands. There are some hills around Valparaiso and sand dunes along Lake Michigan.

Central Indiana - Almost completely flat, with fertile soil perfect for growing large amounts of corn and soybeans. There are some rolling hills on US 41 north of Terre Haute. The highest point in Indiana is located in this region, a gentle slope just north of Richmond. The flat landscape is broken up by rivers, especially near the Wabash along US 24.

Southern Indiana - Hilly terrain throughout the south central region of the state due to no recent glacial coverage. One notable hilly location in southern Indiana is in Brown County, just east of Bloomington. The are limestone outcroppings alongside the roads around Bloomington and Bedford, and the limestone causes there to be many caves in southern Indiana such as around Bedford, Marengo, and Corydon. It's much more forested in areas, especially near the Hoosier National Forest. The one exception to the hilly terrain of southern Indiana is the lowlands in the southwest corner of the state around the Wabash River.

*Time Zones*

The northwest corner of the state around Gary is in Central Time Zone, as is the southwest corner of the state around Evansville and Santa Claus. The rest of the state is in Eastern Time Zone.

[LBTrucker10]

Also Lafeyette is where Wabash trailers are manufactured at too, it's down the road Tate and Lyle.

Use to be Conagra Brands across from the Flying J in Lebanon too but this plant has since sold to McKinley Packaging.

If going down I-65 it's Central Time Zone from Gary until you get down to Remington then it goes to Eastern Time Zone.

[HighwayCatGaming]

Here's my illustration of what I believe would be the best version of an Indiana DLC map:

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[LBTrucker10]

That looks great to me!

[HighwayCatGaming]

Indianapolis, as the capital and largest city in Indiana, would be the main centerpiece of the DLC:

Indianapolis is best known for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, home to the annual Indy 500 race that takes place every Memorial Day weekend in May. The track is 2.5 miles long and features the iconic Pagoda and digital Scoring Pylon.
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The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is technically located in the city of Speedway, Indiana and can be accessed from the I-74/I-465 interchange via Crawfordsville Road. The southwest entrance, featuring the colored flags with the checkered flag in the middle, is visible from the roundabout with 16th Street.
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One depot for Indianapolis would be the Indianapolis International Airport. The large airport is located on the southwest side of Indy, near the intersection of I-70 and I-465. It also serves as a logistics hub for FedEx, with numerous FedEx planes being visible there.
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Indianapolis is also home to Eli Lilly, the largest producer of pharmaceuticals. Eli Lilly's headquarters can be seen from I-70 with its iconic red cursive name on the building. Deliveries to and from Eli Lilly could be made at either its Lilly Technology Center just south of downtown or to a facility near the Indianapolis Airport.
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There is also a large CVS pharmacy distribution center next to the eastern "spaghetti bowl" interchange between I-70 and I-465. https://www.google.com/maps/@39.8053095 ... FQAw%3D%3D

A slightly more distant depot for Indianapolis could be the Nestle plant in Anderson. Its located about 20 miles northeast of Indy off I-69 at Exit 222.
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For the highway network, I-65 and I-70 go through the city and meet downtown, while I-74 and I-69 go around the city on the I-465 bypass. There likely is not enough room for the full bypass but the sections with 74 and 69 might be possible. If space is really tight, as a last resort traffic on 74 and 69 could just connect over to I-70 and take that through the city to get to the other side instead.

US 31 is the main highway connecting Indianapolis to South Bend through the middle of the state. 31 could continue onto Meridian Street as one route downtown. Meridian Street and Washington/Maryland Street (Washington St is westbound one-way, Maryland St is eastbound one-way) are the main streets through downtown. Meridian St passes through Monument Circle, which goes around the Solders and Sailors Monument and is the meaning behind Indy's nickname "Circle City".[ external image ]

Just south of Monument Circle, Meridian St meets Washington St, which passes under the iconic Indianapolis Artsgarden at the next intersection. The artsgarden is a venue for art displays and musical performances. The glass dome is connected to Circle Centre Mall and sits directly above the intersection of Washington St and Illinois St. Note that the stoplights for the intersection and attached to the bottom of the artsgarden structure.
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Washington St also passes by the Indiana Statehouse, which houses the state government. [ external image ]

Washington St could be connected to I-70 by West St. The iconic JW Marriott building and the nearby red Cardinal Sculpture at located at the intersection between Washington St and West St and Lucas Oil Stadium, home to the Indianapolis Colts american football team, is located just to south close to I-70.
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[HighwayCatGaming]

Kokomo is a medium sized city located on US 31, about 50 mines north of Indianapolis and 90 miles south of South Bend. The automotive industry is big in Kokomo, with Chrysler plants producing transmissions and engines.

The Chrysler transmission plant would be an excellent automotive plant to include in the game. The plant is massive, at 3.1 million square feet, and is the largest manufacturer of automotive transmissions in the world. The plant also shares a building with a casting plant that happens to be the worlds largest die-casting facility. The two plants share one building and a common truck area on the west side of the building.
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There is a northern truck entrance off of Boulevard Street, which can be accessed from Exit 161 on US 31.
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One delivery that would be really nice to make would be the molten aluminum that goes to the casting plant. Near Evansville is Alcoa Warrick Operations, a large aluminum smelter that could provide molten aluminum for a delivery from Evansville to Kokomo. Here's a picture of one of the casting trucks near the Kokomo plant:
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Kokomo also has Kokomo Opalescent Glass, the oldest art glass manufacturer in the world. Kokomo, like many other cities in eastern Indiana, saw a major natural gas boom in the late 19th century and glassmaking became a part of the local industry. Today there are still some glass manufacturers around, including Kokomo Opalescent Glass.
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There's also a lot of agriculture around the Kokomo area. Besides corn and soybeans, the area just southeast of Kokomo on IN 28 near Tipton grows a lot of tomatoes. There are lots of trucks in the area hauling tomatoes, with some tomatoes often falling onto the county roads. Red Gold Tomatoes is located in this part of the state, growing tomatoes and producing ketchup.
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Here's an example of a tomato truck:
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[HighwayCatGaming]

One major agricultural location in Indiana is Fair Oaks Farms, located off Exit 220 on I-65, just 40 miles south of Gary. The orange building on the right is the cheese factory, which has a truck loading area in the back.
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Fair Oaks Farms is a major tourist attraction in northwest Indiana and is the largest dairy farm in the Midwest. The farm produces around 300,000 gallons of milk every day, which is shipped to grocery stores across the region.
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Tour buses like this can be seen going between the visitor center and the dairy barns. The main visitor center is right off IN 14 (Exit 220) and the actual dairy barns are located just up the road on County Line Rd.
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The site also has an iconic cowprint water tower, and there are multiple unique billboards advertising the Fair Oaks Farms between Gary and Lafayette.
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[HighwayCatGaming]

Bloomington is a major city in south central Indiana and is home to the flagship campus of Indiana University, the largest university in the state. The most iconic location in Bloomington is IU's Sample Gates, located along Indiana Ave.
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The main industry in the Bloomington area is located about 20 miles south near the city of Bedford. The Bedford area is known for its large deposits of limestone. Limestone quarries in the Bedford area provided limestone for several famous buildings, most notably the Empire State Building. The Indiana Limestone Company in Oolitic, just north of Bedford is a large limestone quarry in the area. https://www.google.com/maps/@38.9016951 ... FQAw%3D%3D

The quarry cuts large blocks of limetone for use in buildings.
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IN 37 connects Bloomington to Bedford and US 50. Along the way you pass the Lawrence County Welcome Sign. There are also large limestone outcroppings along the road.
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Pictures of limestone outcroppings along IN 37 around Bedford:
https://www.google.com/maps/@38.9063409 ... FQAw%3D%3D
https://www.google.com/maps/@38.8325881 ... FQAw%3D%3D

Here is a picture of downtown Bedford, Indiana.
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[HighwayCatGaming]

There are several smaller towns in Indiana that are really scenic and would be great places to just drive through. I would like to highlight 13 of them across the state, plus two other scenic roads in Indiana.

Michigan City is located along I-94 along Lake Michigan near the Michigan state line. The city is home to Indiana's only lighthouse.
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Between Michigan City and Gary is Indiana Dunes National Park, one of only a few national parks in the Midwest.
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Another scenic town in northwest Indiana is Valparaiso. Located on US 30 about 15 miles south of Indiana Dunes, Valparaiso was the hometown of famed popcorn businessman Orville Redenbacher.
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Another option for a scenic town in northwest Indiana is La Porte, located on US 35 just southeast of Michigan City. The flyover above the railroad tracks near downtown La Porte is an iconic landmark and is always fun to drive over.
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US 35 also passes Pine Lake towards the northern end of La Porte, which is a very scenic area and is a great example of northern Indiana's landscape.
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In northeast Indiana near the junction of I-80/90 and I-69 is the city of Angola. Angola is a scenic town best known for being surrounded by some of the kettle lakes that dot northern Indiana.
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There are two smaller towns on US 24 that would make great scenic towns. The first is Wolcott, a small charming town of just 950 people. The town is located just east of the junction between US 24 and I-65, right after US 24 crosses into Eastern Time Zone.
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There is also Wabash, a slightly larger town that was the first city to have electric lighting. US 24 runs through a small commercial district in Wabash and passes just south of the historic 13-24 drive-in movie theater.
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One scenic town on US 27 south of Fort Wayne is Berne, Indiana. Berne is named for the capital of Switzerland due to its large Swiss heritage. There is a unique landmark in Berne, a 160 foot tall Swiss clock tower.
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There is also the city of Muncie near I-69 between Fort Wayne and Indianapolis. Muncie was formally a major glass manufacturing city and was where Ball jars was founded. Muncie is best known for being home to Ball State University.
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There are also several scenic towns in hilly forested southern Indiana.
The city of Nashville is located in scenic Brown County, on IN 46 between Bloomington and Columbus. Brown County is a very rugged area that gets lots of tourists in the summer and fall.
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Nashville is also located next to Brown County State Park, one of the most popular recreation areas in Indiana.
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Bedford is a small town located in the heart of Indiana's Limestone Country at the junction of IN 37 and US 50. The area is home to many caves and parks, such as Bluesprings Caverns and Spring Mill State Park.
The area is also home to 3 astronauts, with Apollo 1 astronaut Gus Grissom having been born in the small town of Mitchell.
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Two of the best scenic towns in the Hoosier National Forest to have in the game would be West Baden Springs and Paoli. West Baden Springs is located at the western junction of IN 56 and US 150, along with its twin French Lick. The West Baden Springs Hotel is one of the most iconic places in southern Indiana and would be a great landmark to include.
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The historic hotel is known for its 200 foot dome, which was the largest free standing dome in the world when it was built.
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Paoli would make a great scenic town along US 150, which eventually meets I-64 in New Albany. Paoli is centered by the historic courthouse square and is surrounded by the Hoosier National Forest.
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Madison is a really scenic river town surrounded by the hills of southern Indiana and would be great to have as one the scenic towns in Indiana. Madison is where IN 62 meets US 421 in southeast Indiana. The bridge in this picture carries US 421 over the Ohio River.
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Downtown Madison also has a miniature statue of liberty next to it's courthouse.
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Finally, there is Santa Claus, Indiana. Santa Claus is a Christmas themed town in far southern Indiana, near the junction of I-64 and US 231 (Exit 57). Santa Claus has several Christmas themed landmarks and is home to the popular Holiday World theme park.
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Santa Claus is also next to Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial, where president Abraham Lincoln grew up in a log cabin.
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Also, there are billboards for Marengo Cave that can be seen all across I-64 in southern Indiana.
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And just north of Terre Haute, US 41 passes through a hilly area in Parke County, known for its red covered bridges and natural areas such as Turkey Run State Park.
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[flight50]

Lots of great info in here. Glad to see that you started the thread and that you are contributing quite a lot of sound info. Although research is under way, I hope there are some things in here that are quite useful to the research team to look into still. I think Indiana is still a year out so perhaps some things can still make it into discussions at SCS. The road network maps looks pretty good. I can definitely be proud to have that in the game. I always look at the road network heading into Indianapolis and can't get spider web out my head, lol. All roads literally led to I-465. No telling what we get. Either partial ring or merges is what I think could happen.