Southern Indiana is a region of the state of Indiana in the United States.
Counties
Cities
- 1 Bedford
- 2 Bloomington - the main campus of Indiana University and famous limestone quarries
- 3 Corydon
- 4 Clarksville
- 5 Georgetown
- 6 Jeffersonville
- 7 Lawrenceburg
- 8 Madison
- 9 New Albany
- 10 Seymour - Hometown of world famous rocker John Mellencamp
- 11 Columbus - A city known for its public art and architecture.
Other destinations
Understand
Get in
By car
I-64 heads east-west through southern Indiana connecting New Albany with Illinois.I-65 heads north from Louisville toward Indianapolis. I-265 connects both I-64 and I-65 near New Albany. IN-37 heads from Indianapolis down to I-64. Work is being carried out to extend I-69 from Indianapolis to Evansville, via Bloomington; the section from Bloomington to Indianapolis has already opened.
By bus
Miller Trailways/Hoosier Ride, serves a number of towns within the region, from its main hub in Indianapolis' Greyhound Bus Station. One can purchase tickets at the Miller Trailways website; alternatively, if one also travels by Greyhound, one can purchase a single through ticket at the Greyhound website, with one of the coupons covering the Miller Trailways segment of the trip (typically, from Indianapolis to wherever you go in southern Indiana).
Bloomington is also connected to Indianapolis by the Go Express airport shuttle and, during the school year, by the Campus Commute shuttle (IU Bloomington - IUPUI).
By plane
While there are no major airports within Southern Indiana, the area is surrounded by 3 international airports. Indianapolis (IND IATA), Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky (CVG IATA), and Louisville (SDF IATA) are all located within a short drive of the region.
The smaller 1 Evansville Regional Airport (EVV IATA) (within the region covered here as Southwestern Indiana) offers over 50 flights daily. Destinations include Chicago and Dallas on American Eagle, and Cincinnati, Atlanta, Memphis, and Detroit on Delta Connection.
By train
- Connersville station, 1012 Easter Ave., ☏ +1 800 USA-RAIL (872-7245). Amtrak trains occasionally cross the region on their way from Indianapolis to Cincinnati (part of the Chicago-Washington route).
Get around
See
Do
Festivals and Events
- late April Thunder Over Louisville Clarksville and Jeffersonville. [dead link] The opening ceremonies to Louisville, Kentucky's Kentucky Derby Festival. Thunder Over Louisville is the largest annual fireworks show in the country, and the best viewing is along the Indiana shore of the Ohio River. If you plan to get a good seat, prepare to come the day before and camp. In the afternoon, private and military aircraft provide a magnificent airshow. After sunset, the fireworks begin and last nearly half an hour.
- Mid-September Lanesville Heritage Weekend[dead link] Lanesville. A fall festival typical of many in southern Indiana. Is similar to a county fair, but later in the year. Local food and crafts are available, while rides and tractor and truck pulls provide entertainment.
- Early-mid October Harvest Homecoming Festival New Albany. The largest festival in southern Indiana brings participants from miles around. The festivities begin with a Saturday morning parade through the streets of New Albany. THe festival lasts for several weeks, and includes vendor booths downtown and carnival rides.
Trails
- Adventure Trail. A 24 mile trail that runs through the Harrison-Crawford State Forest and O'Bannon Woods State Park near Corydon.
- Knobstone Trail. Indiana's longest hiking trail runs 58 miles through lands owned by the Department of Natural Resources. The southern terminus is located at Deam Lake State Recreation Area and the northern terminus is located at Delaney Park near Salem. The trail passes through Clark State Forest, Elk Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area, and the Jackson-Washington State Forest.
- Tecumseh Trail. A 42 mile trail that the runs through the Morgan-Monroe and Yellowwood state forests near Nashville.
Ski Resorts
- 1 Paoli Peaks, 2798 W County Rd 25 S, Paoli, ☏ +1 812 723-4696. A rural downhill ski resort.