Westfield, Indiana Explained

Nickname:Crossroads of Indiana
Settlement Type:City
Mapsize:250px
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:United States
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Name1:Indiana
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name2:Hamilton
Leader Title:Mayor
Leader Name:Scott Willis (R)[1]
Established Title:Founded
Established Date:1834
Area Footnotes:[2]
Unit Pref:Imperial
Area Land Km2:82.57
Area Water Km2:0.57
Area Total Km2:83.14
Area Total Sq Mi:32.10
Area Land Sq Mi:31.88
Area Water Sq Mi:0.22
Elevation Ft:902
Coordinates:40.0322°N -86.1531°W
Population As Of:2020
Population Est:58,410[3]
Pop Est As Of:2023
Population Total:46605
Population Density Km2:562.08
Population Density Sq Mi:1455.77
Timezone:Eastern (EST)
Utc Offset:-5
Timezone Dst:EDT
Utc Offset Dst:-4
Postal Code Type:ZIP codes
Postal Code:46074, 46032 (part), 46033 (part), 46062 (part)
Area Code:317
Blank Name:FIPS code
Blank Info:18-82700[4]
Blank1 Name:GNIS feature ID
Blank1 Info:2397735

Westfield is a city in Hamilton County, Indiana, United States. As of the 2010 census the population was 30,068,[5] and in 2023 the population was 58,410.[6] Westfield is in the Indianapolis metropolitan area.

History

Westfield was founded on May 6, 1834, by North Carolina Quakers Asa Bales, Ambrose Osborne, and Simon Moon.[7] It is believed that the town was planned as a stop on the Underground Railroad with many families of the Religious Society of Friends and the Wesleyan Methodist Church supporting the cause. When the laws against aiding escaped slaves were made harsher, part of the Westfield Quaker Friends Meeting House split off into the Anti-Slavery Friends meeting.

Westfield was incorporated as a town in 1849.[8]

On January 1, 2008, Westfield was incorporated as a city, and Andy Cook was sworn in as mayor.[9] With recent annexations in southern Washington Township and rapid population growth in areas previously within the town limits, the city population in 2010 (30,068) was more than triple that of 2000 (9,293). Because of the growing size of the city, officials are planning a major revitalization of city's downtown. New additions to downtown Westfield are expected to include a new library and city hall.[10]

The Union High Academy Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.

In 2014, the city opened Grand Park Sports Complex which hosted the 2016 Big Ten Conference Men's Soccer Tournament.

Demographics

As of 2000 the median income for a household was $52,963; and for a family, $65,208. Males had a median income of $45,388; females, $26,864. The per capita income was $22,160. About 2.3% of families and 4.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.5% of those under 18 years and 3.7% 65 years or over. The American Community Survey estimated the median household income in Westfield from 2007 to 2011 at $86,054 and the median family income at $96,374.[11]

2010 census

As of the census of 2010,[12] there were 30,068 people, 10,490 households, and 8,146 families residing in the town. The population density was 1120.3PD/sqmi. There were 11,209 housing units at an average density of 417.6/sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 90.9% White, 2.2% African American, 0.2% Native American, 2.5% Asian, 2.6% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.8% of the population.

There were 10,490 households, of which 47.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.9% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 22.3% were non-families. 18.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.85 and the average family size was 3.27.

The median age in the town was 33.7 years. 31.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 31.6% were from 25 to 44; 23.7% were from 45 to 64; and 6.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48.9% male and 51.1% female.

Local media

Westfield is served by a local weekly newspaper, the Current in Westfield. The area is also served by the Times of Noblesville and the daily Hamilton County Reporter from the neighboring county seat of Noblesville.[13]

Grand Park

Grand Park is the largest youth sports campus in the United States, featuring 26 baseball and softball diamonds, 31 multipurpose fields for soccer, football, field hockey and lacrosse. An indoor events center opened in July 2016 that features three full-size multipurpose fields, and an indoor basketball/volleyball facility that features eight courts, with two of them being NBA-regulated, also opened and is named after the NBA's Indiana Pacers. Grand Park features an abundance of green space and more than 10miles of pedestrian/bicycle trails, including the largest trailhead on the Monon Corridor.

Since opening, the campus has hosted several major events including: Whale of a Sale Consignment Event, Little League Softball and Baseball Region Tournaments, USA Archery Finals, Big Ten Women's and Men's Soccer Tournaments, US Club Soccer NPL Finals and Nationals, Suburban Indy Consumer Shows, plus many more.

In 2017 Westfield signed a 10-year contract with the NFL's Indianapolis Colts for their annual training camp.[14]

The park has experienced about 750,000 visitors and 1,900,000 visits on average each year.[15]

Geography

Westfield is located in western Hamilton County.[16] It is bordered to the east by Noblesville and to the south by Carmel. To the west it is bordered by Zionsville in Boone County.

U.S. Route 31 is the main highway through the city, leading north to Kokomo and south 9miles to Interstate 465, the beltway around Indianapolis. Downtown Indianapolis is south of the center of Westfield. Indiana State Road 32 is Westfield's Main Street and leads east 6miles to Noblesville, the county seat, and west to Lebanon.

According to the 2010 census, Westfield has a total area of 27.081sqmi, of which 26.84sqmi (or 99.11%) is land and 0.241sqmi (or 0.89%) is water.[17]

Notable people

Education

Public

Private

Colleges and universities

Public library

The town has a lending library, the Westfield-Washington Public Library.[19]

Sports

Westfield hosts the Great Lakes Regional Tournament in the Little League World Series each year. The tournament is held at the Grand Park Sports Campus.

Westfield also has a contract with the NFL's Indianapolis Colts to host their yearly training Camp at the Grand Park Sports Campus. This began in 2018, and the contract is for 10 years. Grand Park is also a sponsor of Indy Eleven and hosts some of the team's training.[20]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Adams . Amy . 2023-11-14 . Meet the mayor: Scott Willis connects to Westfield’s past and its future . 2024-01-13 . Current in Westfield . en-us.
  2. Web site: 2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files. United States Census Bureau. March 16, 2022.
  3. Web site: Dorger . Samanda . 2023-05-24 . The Fastest Growing Cities in America . 2023-05-27 . TheStreet . en-us.
  4. Web site: U.S. Census website. United States Census Bureau. 2008-01-31.
  5. Web site: Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Westfield town, Indiana. U.S. Census Bureau. American Factfinder. June 15, 2017.
  6. Web site: Population and Housing Unit Estimates. May 21, 2020.
  7. Book: History of Hamilton County, Indiana: Her People, Industries and Institutions, Volume 1 . B.F. Bowen & Co. . Haines, John F. . 1915 . 235–237.
  8. Book: A History of the Formation, Settlement and Development of Hamilton County, Indiana: From the Year 1818 to the Close of the Civil War . Shirts, Augustus Finch . 1901 . 207. Shirts .
  9. Web site: DEAD LINK . Indianapolis Star . January 4, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150924051027/http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20080105%2FLOCAL%2F801050308%2F1114%2FLOCAL0103 . September 24, 2015 . dead . mdy-all .
  10. Web site: DEAD LINK . July 25, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160313124851/http://edencollaborative.com/pp21_westfield.pdf . March 13, 2016 . dead . mdy-all .
  11. Web site: American FactFinder Selected Economic Characteristics. https://archive.today/20200212211753/http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_11_5YR_DP03. dead. 2020-02-12. United States Census Bureau. 2013-12-15.
  12. Web site: U.S. Census website. United States Census Bureau. 2012-12-11.
  13. Web site: Main Home. Current Publishing.
  14. Web site: Colts to pay Grand Park $653K for 10 years but economic boost may be greater. Sikich. Chris. Indianapolis Star. 10 September 2017.
  15. Web site: Visits up at Grand Park in 2016. Indianapolis Business Journal (blog). Erdody. Lindsey. 22 December 2016.
  16. Web site: US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990. United States Census Bureau. 2011-04-23. 2011-02-12.
  17. Web site: G001 - Geographic Identifiers - 2010 Census Summary File 1 . 2015-07-29 . . https://archive.today/20200213090743/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US1882700 . February 13, 2020 . dead .
  18. Book: Abbott . Margery Post . Chijioke . Mary Ellen . Dandelion . Pink . Historical Dictionary of the Friends (Quakers) . 2012 . Scarecrow Press . 9780810868571 . 79 . en.
  19. Web site: Indiana public library directory . Indiana State Library . 7 March 2018 . February 18, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170218220414/http://in.gov/library/files/countyindex13.pdf . dead .
  20. Web site: Grand Park . 2023-05-07 . Indy Eleven . en-US.