With my trusty Garmin hooked on the car dashboard, I have navigated through cities that used to seem a maze to me. What did I do before the GPS? Get lost a lot. Indianapolis, on the other hand, is a fairly straightforward place to get around—even for someone who admits to not being born with a natural compass. Once you understand the lay of the land, it is easy to figure out the city.
Founded on the banks of the shallow White River, Indianapolis has a network of wide boulevards ranging outward from the center. Architect Alexander Ralston, who had worked with Pierre L’Enfant in designing Washington, D.C., used an easy navigation system of a mile-square grid to lay out Indianapolis. With a circle (now Monument Circle) at its center, Ralston used four diagonal spoke-like streets. To make it even simpler, the four streets are named North, South, East, and West.
Monument Circle is bisected by Meridian Street, the city’s primary north-south street. A block south of the Circle, Washington Street is the primary east-west street. Four diagonal avenues lead out from the square and are named in honor of states—Massachusetts, Indiana, Virginia, and Kentucky. All east-west streets have names for 9 blocks north of the Circle. After that, they have numbers, starting with Ninth Street. One of the most well-traveled is 16th Street, home of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Known as the “Crossroads of America,” Indianapolis is intersected by: I-69, I-70, I-74, I-65, I-465, I-865, US 40, and State Roads 37, 67, 36, 136, 421, 135, 31, 431, and 52. Indianapolis International Airport is easily accessible from I-70 and I-465 on the city’s southwest side. The beltway, I-465, encloses the city and provides direct access to all main avenues and all parts of Indianapolis.
As a transportation hub, Indy had the nation’s first union rail depot at Union Station. With the development of the National Road, a steady stream of settlers poured into Indianapolis. Today the National Road is US 40, known in Indianapolis as Washington Street.
Indianapolis has several one-way streets, and during rush hour many left turns are prohibited. Speed limits generally run from 25 to 45 mph. If you’re looking for a place to park, downtown Indy has more than 70,000 parking spaces, including about 4,000 parking meters. Metered parking is 25 cents for 20 minutes. The meters are free after 6 p.m. on weekdays and all day Saturday, Sunday, and holidays (New Year’s Day, Dr. Martin Luther King Day, Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day). Metered parking is limited around special event areas, so plan your route ahead of time.
Indy has many parking lots and garages, as do most hotels and many attractions. Lots and garages charge from $1.50 for three hours to $18.00 per day. When the Colts are playing in town, those rates go up considerably. For example, the popular Circle Centre Mall in downtown Indy has three handy parking garages, accessible at Washington, Maryland, Georgia, and Illinois Streets. Regular fees are $1.50 for three hours, but during Colts game days or other big downtown events, the garage may charge a $20.00 event rate.
Indy could be called a 30-minute city since you can get just about anywhere within a half hour drive. The city is easily accessible from a wide variety of locations. Not only that, but half the nation’s population is within a day’s drive, which makes traveling to Indy by car an attractive option for many. If flying is more your speed, the new Indianapolis International Airport offers travel on 11 airlines and nonstop and direct flights to 43 destinations. And, it’s only a short 15-minute drive to the heart of downtown.
Of course, if you prefer, you can leave the driving to somebody else. Indianapolis has a number of transportation alternatives that are detailed in this chapter. No matter what mode of transportation you choose, if you happen to make a few wrong turns along the way, don’t worry. You might discover a real treasure that you didn’t expect to see. If you need assistance in finding your way, don’t hesitate to ask someone for help. Hoosiers are known for their friendliness and will be glad to give you directions and welcome you to our city.