Carmel is a suburban city in Indiana immediately north of Indianapolis. With a population of 99,757,the city spans 49 square miles (130 km2) across Clay Township in Hamilton County, Indiana, and is bordered by the White River to the east; the Hamilton-Boone county line to the west; 96th Street to the south and 146th Street to the north. Though Carmel was home to one of the first electronic automated traffic signals in the state, the city has constructed 140 roundabouts (as of October 2021) since 1998, earning its moniker as the “Roundabout Capital of the U.S.”
It is cited as one of the Best Places to Live in America by Money magazine and other surveys such as Wallet Hub, Niche, and SafeWise. The city has also been honored for being one of the safest in America, and best place to launch a career and to raise a family.
History
Carmel was originally called “Bethlehem”. It was platted and recorded in 1837 by Daniel Warren, Alexander Mills, John Phelps, and Seth Green. The original settlers were predominantly Quakers. Today, the plot first established in Bethlehem, located at the intersection of Rangeline Road and Main Street, is marked by a clock tower, donated by the local Rotary Club in 2002. A post office was established as “Carmel” in 1846 because Indiana already had a post office called Bethlehem. The town of Bethlehem was renamed “Carmel” in 1874, due to the need of a post office, at which time it was incorporated.
In 1924, one of the first automatic traffic signals in the U.S. was installed at the intersection of Main Street and Rangeline Road. The signal was the invention of Leslie Haines and is currently in the old train station on the Monon Trail.
The Carmel Monon Depot, John Kinzer House, and Thornhurst Addition are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Geography
Carmel occupies the southwestern part of Hamilton County, adjacent to Indianapolis and, with the annexation of Home Place in 2018, is now entirely coextensive with Clay Township. It is bordered to the north by Westfield, to the northeast by Noblesville, to the east by Fishers, to the south by Indianapolis in Marion County, and to the west by Zionsville in Boone County. The center of Carmel is 15 miles (24 km) north of the center of Indianapolis.
According to the 2010 census, Carmel has a total area of 48.545 square miles, of which 47.46 square miles (122.92 km2) (or 97.76%) is land and 1.085 square miles (2.81 km2) (or 2.24%) is water.
Major east–west streets in Carmel generally end in a 6 and include 96th Street (the southern border), 106th, 116th, 126th, 131st, 136th, and 146th (which marks the northern border). The numbering system is aligned to that of Marion and Hamilton counties. Main Street (131st) runs east–west through Carmel’s Art & Design District; Carmel Drive runs generally east–west through the main shopping area, and City Center Drive runs east–west near Carmel’s City Center project.
North–south streets are not numbered and include (west to east) Michigan, Shelborne, Towne, Ditch, Spring Mill, Meridian, Guilford, Rangeline, Keystone, Carey, Gray, Hazel Dell, and River. Some of these roads are continuations of corresponding streets in Indianapolis. Towne Road replaces the name Township Line Road at 96th Street, while Westfield Boulevard becomes Rangeline north of 116th Street. Meridian Street (US 31) and Keystone Parkway (formerly Keystone Avenue/SR 431) are the major thoroughfares, extending from 96th Street in the south and merging just south of 146th Street. The City of Carmel is nationally noted for having well over 100 roundabouts within its borders, with even more presently under construction or planned.[16][17][18]
According to a 2017 estimate, the median household income in the city was $109,201.
The median home price between 2013 and 2017 was $320,400.
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 79,191 people, 28,997 households, and 21,855 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,668.6 inhabitants per square mile (644.3/km2). There were 30,738 housing units at an average density of 647.7 per square mile (250.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 85.4% White, 3.0% African American, 0.2% Native American, 8.9% Asian, 0.7% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 2.5% of the population.
There were 28,997 households, of which 41.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.6% were married couples living together, 6.3% had a female householder with no partner present, 2.4% had a male householder with no partner present, and 24.6% were non-families. 20.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.18.
The median age in the city was 39.2 years. 29.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.2% were from 25 to 44; 29.7% were from 45 to 64; and 10.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.7% male and 51.3% female.
Economy
The Meridian Corridor serves as a large concentration of corporate office space within the city. It is home to more than 40 corporate headquarters and many more regional offices. Several large companies reside in Carmel, and it serves as the national headquarters for Allegion, CNO Financial Group, MISO, KAR Global and Delta Faucet.
Click here for a list of parks in Carmel, Indiana.
Driving Directions for Carmel, Indiana to Indianapolis, Indiana
Driving Directions for Carmel, Indiana to Zionsville, Indiana
Driving Directions Carmel, Indiana to Westfield, Indiana
Driving Directions from Carmel, Indiana to Noblesville, Indiana