Plainfield, Indiana

Plainfield is a town in Guilford, Liberty and Washington townships, Hendricks County, Indiana, United States. The population was 27,631 at the 2010 census.

Geography
Plainfield is located at °N, °W (39.697471, -86.384672).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 18.0 square miles (46.7 km²), of which, 18.0 square miles (46.6 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.28%) is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 18,396 people, 7,051 households, and 4,914 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,023.1 people per square mile (395.0/km²). There were 7,449 housing units at an average density of 414.3 per square mile (160.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.11% White, 2.23% African American, 0.32% Native American, 0.91% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.36% from other races, and 1.06% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.36% of the population.

There were 7,051 households out of which 34.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.2% were married couples living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.3% were non-families. 26.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.95.

In the town the population was spread out with 26.6% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 101.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $46,782, and the median income for a family was $57,790. Males had a median income of $39,148 versus $29,315 for females. The per capita income for the town was $21,083. About 3.6% of families and 5.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.6% of those under age 18 and 9.1% of those age 65 or over.

History
In 1822 a tract of land which included the area now known as Plainfield was obtained by Jeremiah Hadley of Preble County, Ohio. Ten years later he sold it to his son, Elias Hadley. Levi Jessup and Elias Hadley laid out the town in 1839. Plainfield became incorporated as a town in 1839. The town got its name from the early Friends (Quakers) who settled around the area and established several meetinghouses throughout the county, including the important Western Yearly Meeting of Friends in Plainfield. The Friends were "plain" people, and thus the name Plainfield. The high school continues to honor the Quakers, using the name for the school's mascot.

Plainfield has long been associated with the national road, U.S. Route 40, which goes through town as "Main Street." One incident which brought Plainfield national attention occurred in 1842 when President Martin Van Buren was spilled deliberately from his stage coach into the thick mud of the highway. The practical joke came as a result of Van Buren's vetoing a bill from Congress to improve the highway, a move which angered Western settlers. When Van Buren came through Plainfield on a swing to shore up his popularity for the 1844 election, a group of perpetrators set up the incident. The elm tree whose roots caused the president's carriage to topple became known as the Van Buren Elm. An elementary school near this site is named Van Buren Elementary School.

Government and infrastructure
The Plainfield Correctional Facility (formerly Indiana Youth Center) of the Indiana Department of Correction is in Plainfield.

Public school system
Plainfield's public education system is run by the Plainfield Community School Corporation. The schools under this body include:
 * Plainfield Kindergarten Center
 * Brentwood Elementary School
 * Central Elementary School
 * Van Buren Elementary School
 * Clark's Creek Elementary School
 * Plainfield Community Middle School
 * Plainfield High School (Indiana)

The Plainfield Community School Corporation is the only public school system in Indiana to have all of its schools receive a 4 star rating for two consecutive years. In 2009, a new High School was constructed. The former High School became the Middle School, and the former middle school building was converted into "Clark's Creek Elementary", an upper elementary school for grades 4-5.

Private school systems
Private schools in Plainfield include Plainfield Christian School, which is run by Calvary Bible Wesleyan Church of Plainfield, and Saint Susanna Catholic School, which is run by St. Susanna Catholic Church of Plainfield.

Other facts

 * Metropolis, an outdoor shopping mall, opened in Plainfield in October 2005 . It is the largest in the western portion of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Area. Continued expansions are planned for the future. Phase II, which will be roughly twice the size of the current mall, is on hold until money can be raised.
 * Plainfield is the headquarters of the Islamic Society of North America.
 * Plainfield is home to the Western Yearly Meeting House, built in 1857. This is the headquarters of the Western Yearly Meeting of Friends Church (Quaker).
 * Plainfield is the birthplace of actor Forest Tucker.