Lafayette, Indiana
Lafayette, Indiana | |
|---|---|
City | |
Downtown Lafayette and the Riehle Plaza and CityBus depot | |
| Nickname: "Star City" | |
Interactive map of Lafayette, Indiana | |
Lafayette Lafayette | |
| Coordinates: 40°24′02″N 86°52′43″W / 40.40056°N 86.87861°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Indiana |
| County | Tippecanoe |
| Townships | Fairfield, Perry, Sheffield, Union, Wea |
| Platted | 1825 |
| Incorporated | 1853 |
| Founded by | William Digby |
| Named after | General Lafayette |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor–council |
| • Mayor | Tony Roswarski (D) |
| Area | |
• City | 29.50 sq mi (76.41 km2) |
| • Land | 29.38 sq mi (76.09 km2) |
| • Water | 0.13 sq mi (0.33 km2) |
| • Metro | 904.6 sq mi (2,343 km2) |
| Elevation | 663 ft (202 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• City | 70,783 |
| • Density | 2,409.4/sq mi (930.27/km2) |
| • Metro | 223,716 (205th) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Code | 47901, 47904, 47905, 47909 |
| Area code | 765 |
| Interstate Highways | I-65 |
| U.S. Highways | |
| Major state roads | |
| Waterways | Wabash River |
| Airports | Purdue University Airport (West Lafayette) |
| Public transit | CityBus |
| FIPS code | 18-40788 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2395583 |
| Website | www |
Lafayette (/ˌlɑːfiˈɛt, ˌlæf-/ LA(H)F-ee-ET) is a city in and the county seat of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States. The population was 70,783 at the 2020 census. It sits across the Wabash River from West Lafayette, home to Purdue University, which plays a major role in both communities. Together, Lafayette and West Lafayette make up the core of the Lafayette metropolitan area, home to 235,066 people in 2020.
Lafayette was founded in 1825 on the southeast bank of the Wabash River near where the river becomes impassable for riverboats upstream, though a French fort and trading post had existed since 1717 on the opposite bank and three miles downstream. It was named for the French general Marquis de Lafayette, a Revolutionary War hero. Lafayette is 63 miles (101 km) northwest of Indianapolis and 125 miles (201 km) southeast of Chicago.