| Fortville, Indiana | |
| Official Name: | Town of Fortville |
| Settlement Type: | Town |
| Mapsize: | 250px |
| Coordinates: | 39.9347°N -85.8472°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | Indiana |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Hancock |
| Subdivision Type3: | Township |
| Subdivision Name3: | Vernon |
| Established Date: | 1865 |
| Leader Title1: | Town Council |
| Leader Name1: | Tonya Davis (R), President Ryan Rummell (R), Vice-President Fritz Fentz (I) Libby Wyatt (R) Vanessa Battaglia (R) |
| Leader Title2: | Town Manager |
| Leader Name2: | Joe Renner |
| Leader Title3: | Clerk-Treasurer |
| Leader Name3: | Melissa Glazier |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Area Footnotes: | [1] |
| Area Total Km2: | 8.96 |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 3.46 |
| Area Land Km2: | 8.94 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 3.45 |
| Area Water Km2: | 0.02 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 0.01 |
| Elevation Ft: | 853 |
| Population Total: | 4784 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Density Km2: | 535.39 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | 1386.67 |
| Timezone: | EST |
| Utc Offset: | -5 |
| Timezone Dst: | EDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -4 |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP code |
| Postal Code: | 46040 |
| Area Code: | 317 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 18-24286[2] |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 2396943 |
Fortville is a town in Vernon Township, Hancock County, Indiana, United States. The population was 4,784 at the 2020 census.
Fortville is located in the northwest corner of Hancock County, Indiana, immediately adjacent to neighboring Hamilton County, which forms the town's northwest boundary and Madison County, which borders to the north.[3] It is approximately 25miles northeast of Downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, and is a part of the Indianapolis metropolitan area.
According to the 2010 census, Fortville has a total area of 2.91sqmi, of which 2.9sqmi (or 99.67%) is land and 0.01sqmi (or 0.33%) is water.[4]
Fortville was originally called Walpole, and under the latter name was laid out and platted in 1849.[5] It was named for Cephas Fort, the original owner of the town site.[6] Fortville was incorporated as a town in 1865.[7]
The historic Browne-Rafert House on Merrill Street was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2015.[8]
As of the census[9] of 2010, there were 3,929 people, 1,553 households, and 1,060 families living in the town. The population density was 1318.5PD/sqmi. There were 1,705 housing units at an average density of 572.1/sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 96.2% White, 1.3% Black, 0.3% Native American, 0.1% Asian, 0.9% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.3% of the population.
There were 1,553 households, of which 37.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.6% were married couples living together, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 31.7% were non-families. 26.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.03.
The median age in the town was 35.7 years. 28.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28.4% were from 25 to 44; 24.1% were from 45 to 64; and 11.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48.6% male and 51.4% female.
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,444 people, 1,394 households, and 950 families living in the town. The population density was 2831.8sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 1,454 housing units at an average density of 1195.5sp=usNaNsp=us. The racial makeup of the town was 98.14% White, 0.06% African American, 0.06% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.73% from other races, and 0.84% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.74% of the population.
There were 1,394 households, out of which 36.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.4% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.8% were non-families. 27.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 27.8% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 33.0% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $42,642, and the median income for a family was $49,010. Males had a median income of $37,723 versus $25,951 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,745. About 4.3% of families and 6.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.8% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over.
Landmark Park is located at Staat Street and Veteran's Court, just east of Main Street.
The entrance to Memorial Park is located just west of Church and McCarty streets.
The town houses schools for the Mt. Vernon Community Schools Corporation. The district houses three elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school. The schools regularly receive an "A+" score from the State of Indiana.
The town has a lending library, the Vernon Township Public Library.[10]
Fortville's historic downtown is home to local retailers, restaurants, and service providers. The downtown is also an attraction for arts and culture.