Can we take a moment to put something to bed? Okay, cool: Indiana is Not boring. In fact, it’s one of the most beautiful states in the US, and it just does it Not got the love and admiration it should get, especially from people who never bothered to visit. Too often it’s accused of being a “transitional state” with little to offer, and that couldn’t be more wrong. We’ve compiled a dozen interesting and otherwise unusual facts about Indiana to help people see it from a whole different perspective. How many of these weird (but true) Indiana quiz pieces did you already know? What fun facts would you add to the list? Let us know!

…You know. Priorities. Interestingly, the land viper was considered for the nickname “State Mammal,” but nothing was ever made official. But at least we have a condition fossil.

Lake Michigan is just the beginning. There are hundreds – and hundreds – of lakes throughout the state of Indiana. The largest artificial lake in Indiana is Lake Monroe at 10,750 acres. Lake Wawasee is the largest natural lake in Indiana, with more than 3,500 beautiful acres. The deepest lake in Indiana is Lake Tippecanoe, which has water depths of up to 120 feet.


No seriously. The town of Santa Claus, Indiana is a delightfully fun little town where Christmas is all year round. It is literally someone’s job at Santa’s to answer letters sent to the man himself by children from across the nation. The North Pole is out, the Midwest is in. Oh, and did we mention Santa Claus has an awesome holiday-themed amusement park? whoop

Get this: Indiana is approximately 35,867 square miles. Taiwan is approximately 13,892 square miles. This makes Indiana 158% larger than all of Taiwan.

Everyone’s favorite lazy, lasagna-eating cat hails from nowhere but Fairmount, Indiana. Davis chose this general area as a sort of “all-American” type of place that most people could relate to in some way. Given the incredible success of his comic strip, we assume he was right!

Of course, there’s a lot more than just them — and the list only grows as you decide to include celebs, politicians, and others who weren’t born here, but spent a decent chunk of their lives here, like President Abraham Lincoln.

There are many theories. None of these are confirmed. We think it’s fun.


On October 6, 1866, in Jackson County, Indiana, brothers John and Simeon Reno planned and carried out the first railroad robbery in United States history. They walked away with $13,000, which is roughly $242,664.21 these days.

INDOT manages approximately 29,800 miles of highway in the state of Hoosier. I-65 used to be the longest freeway in Indiana (261.27 miles long) until it was surpassed by I-69 (294 miles long).

Which of these fun Indiana facts are your favorites? Let us know.
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