Fortville, Indiana

Fortville is a small town in the Vernon Township area. Its district is Hancock County, Indiana, United States. The population was 4,784 at the 2020 census.

Fortville, Indiana
Town
View of Main St at Pearl St
Location of Fortville in Hancock County, Indiana.
Coordinates: 39°56′5″N 85°50′50″W
Country	United States
State	Indiana
County	Hancock
Township	Vernon
Area
• Total	3.46 sq mi (8.96 km2)
• Land	3.45 sq mi (8.94 km2)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.02 km2)
Elevation	856 ft (261 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	4,784
• Density	1,386.67/sq mi (535.39/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	46040
Area code	317
FIPS code	18-24286
GNIS feature ID	0434692
Website	fortvilleindiana.org

Fortville downtown

Fortville Indiana

Water tower in Fortville Indiana

Geography

Fortville is in the northwest corner of Hancock County, Indiana aligned to the neighboring Hamilton County, which forms the northwest boundary and Madison County, which borders to the north. It's estimated 25 miles northeast of Indianapolis and is a part of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Area.

The 2010 census says, Fortville has a total area of 2.91 sq mi, of which 2.9 sq mi is land and .01 sq mi is water.

Even with rare droughts throughout central Indiana, Fortville has a stable and trustworthy supply of water because it is situated over a natural aquifer.

History

In 1849, Fortville was originally called Walpole. It was named for Cephas Fort, the original owner of the town's grounds. Fortville was incorporated as a town and renamed in in 1865.

The most historic piece is the Browne-Rafert House on Merrill Street was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2015.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1870	387		—
1880	634		63.8%
1890	685		8.0%
1900	1,006		46.9%
1910	1,174		16.7%
1920	1,213		3.3%
1930	1,289		6.3%
1940	1,463		13.5%
1950	1,786		22.1%
1960	2,209		23.7%
1970	2,460		11.4%
1980	2,787		13.3%
1990	2,690		−3.5%
2000	3,444		28.0%
2010	3,929		14.1%
2020	4,784		21.8%
U.S. Decennial Census

2020 census

As of the census of 2020, there were 4,784 people, 1,970 households, and 1,302 families living in the town. The population was 1,506.8 inhabitants per square mile (581.8/km²). There were 2,057 housing units at an average housing density of 647.9 per square mile (250.2/km²). The race percentages of the town was 89.2% White, 1.8% Black, 0.3% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 1.7% from other races, and 6.0% from two or more races.

There were 1,970 households, 34.6% had children under 18 living with them, 45.0% were married couples living together, 28.2% had a female house keeper with no husband present, 18.7% had a male house keeper with no wife present, and 33.9% were non-families. 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years or older. The average household size was 2.43 people.

The median age in the town was 35.3 years. 25.7% of residents were under 18, 8.2% were between 18 and 24, 28.7% were from 25 to 44, 23.9% were from 45 to 64; and 13.6% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48.5% male and 51.5% female.

Parks

Landmark Park is located at Staat St and Veteran's Court, just East of Main Street.

The entrance to Memorial Park is located just west of Church and McCarty streets.

Education

The town house schools for the Mt. Vernon Comm Schools Coorp. The district houses three elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school. The schools usually receive an A+ score from the State of Indiana.

The town has a library, the Fortville-Vernon Township Public Library.

Economy

Fortvilles historic downtown is home to local retailers, restaurants, and service providers. The downtown is also an attraction for arts and culture.

Other websites

• Town website
• Fortville/McCordsville Chamber of Commerce Archived 2023-05-14 at the Wayback Machine
• City Data