Evansville, Indiana

Evansville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Indiana and the largest city in Southern Indiana. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 117,429. It is the county seat of Vanderburgh County and the regional hub for both Southwestern Indiana and the Illinois-Indiana-Kentucky Tri-State Area. In 2008 a population estimate put the Evansville Metropolitan Statistical Area at 350,261.

Settled in 1812, the city is situated on a gentle horseshoe bend on the Ohio River and often referred to as "River City." One of the most popular attractions in the region is Casino Aztar, the first riverboat casino in the state of Indiana. Evansville is also home to both the University of Evansville and the University of Southern Indiana.

The broad economic base of the region has helped to build an economy which is known for its stability, diversity, and vitality. In 2004 Evansville was named an "All-America City" by the National Civic League. In 2008 it was voted the best city in the country in which "to live, work, and play" by the readers of Kiplinger, and in 2009 the 11th best.

History
Settled by immigrants some 200 years ago, the city of Evansville is situated on a gentle horseshoe bend on the Ohio River. As testament to the Ohio's grandeur, the early French explorers named it La Belle Riviere ("The Beautiful River"). On March 27, 1812, Hugh McGary, Junior, bought land for the settlement which he called McGary's Landing. In 1814, to attract more people, McGary renamed his village "Evansville" in honor of Colonel Bob Evans (1783–1844), an officer under then General William Henry Harrison in the War of 1812. McGary, Evans, and James W. Jones revised the 1814 town plan of lots and streets in 1817. Vanderburgh County was created in 1818, and Evansville was made the county seat.

Evansville soon became a thriving commercial town, with an extensive river trade. It was incorporated in 1819 and received a city charter in 1847. The building of the Wabash and Erie Canal, which connected the Great Lakes to the Ohio River, greatly accelerated the city's growth. The canal was finally completed in 1853, the same year that Evansville's first railroad, Evansville & Crawfordsville Railroad, was opened to Terre Haute. The founder of the E&CR built the Hotel del Coronado on the peninsula guarding the harbor to San Diego, California. He would take hosts of friends on his private rail cars and celebrate Twelfth Night and then return to Evansville, the new hotel would remain unoccupied for the remainder of the year until the next Twelfth Night. By the U.S. census of 1890 Evansville ranked as the 56th largest urban area in the United States, a rank it gradually fell from in the early 1900s.

The first highway bridge to cross the Ohio River and connect Evansville with Henderson, Kentucky was built in 1932. After the devastating Ohio River flood of 1937, the city established the Evansville-Vanderburgh Levee Authority District. It built a system of earth levees, concrete walls, and pumping stations designed to protect the city.



During World War II, Evansville was the largest inland producer of LSTs (Tank Landing Ships). Evansville also produced a specific version of the P-47 Thunderbolt known as the P-47Ds, which were assembled at a former Whirlpool applicance factory. These planes were also produced in Farmingdale on Long Island, New York. The Evansville craft were given the suffix "-Ra" while the Farmingdale planes were given the suffix "-Re". Evansville produced a total 6,242 P-47s,almost half of the P47s made during the war, and 167 LSTs during the war.

In the early 1950s, industrial production in the city expanded at a rapid pace. Culturally, Evansville evolved in the 1950s with the construction of subdivisions on the outer reaches of the community. This shift in population led to other developments as shopping started to shift from the downtown area into suburban shopping centers. In 1963, Washington Square Mall became the first enclosed mall in the state of Indiana.

During the final third of the 20th century, Evansville became the commercial, medical, and service hub for the tri-state region. A 1990s economic spurt was fueled by the growth of the University of Southern Indiana, which now has 10,000 students. The arrival of giant Toyota and AK Steel plants, as well as Casino Aztar, Indiana's first gaming boat, also contributed to the growth of jobs.

On November 6, 2005, an F3 tornado struck the Evansville area and killed 25 people. The tornado began in Kentucky and crossed the Ohio River. It struck Ellis Park Racecourse, East Brook Mobile Home Park, and then Newburgh, leaving a of path of destruction for more than 40 mi. Nearly $85 million in damage was done. Following the Evansville Tornado of November 2005, the coordinating officer for the Federal Emergency Management Agency noted, "I don't think I've ever seen a community of people come out so quickly to help each other. All communities come together after a disaster, but this one is exceptional."

Geography
Evansville is located at 37°58'38" North, 87°33'2" West (37.977166, -87.550566). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 105.6 kilometers² (40.8 sq mi). 105.4 kilometers² (40.7 sq mi) of it is land and 0.2 kilometers² (0.1 sq mi) of it is water. The total area is 0.15% water.

The city faces the Ohio River along its southern boundary. Most of the city lies in a shallow valley surrounded by low rolling hills. The west side of the city is built on these rolling hills and is home to Burdette Park, Mesker Amphitheatre, and Mesker Park Zoo. The eastern portion of the city developed in the valley with the Pigeon Creek flowing from downtown and is protected by a series of levees that closely follow the path of Interstate 164. Notable landmarks on the east side are the 240 acre Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve and the Angel Mounds State Historic Site, located just southeast of Evansville, between Evansville and Newburgh. Angel Mounds is a burial site, believed to be abandoned a few hundred years ago.

The Evansville Metropolitan Area, the 142nd largest in the United States, includes four Indiana counties (Gibson, Posey, Vanderburgh, and Warrick) and two Kentucky counties (Henderson, and Webster). The metropolitan area does not include Owensboro, Kentucky, which is an adjacent metropolitan area about 30 mi southeast of Evansville. This area is sometimes referred to as "Kentuckiana", although "Tri-State Area" or "Tri-State" are more commonly used by the local media.

Possibilities for expansion and combination
There is a possibility that another Kentucky county, Union, and two Illinois counties, White and Wabash, may be added on in the 2010 census as a significant amount of all three counties' populations commute to jobs in Vanderburgh County or any of the other five counties. Another Indiana County, Spencer, may find itself in either the Evansville or Owensboro areas. There is also a chance that the Owensboro and Evansville Metros could become the Evansville-Owensboro, IL-IN-KY Combined Statistical Area in 2010 as travel time decreases and interaction increases with improved infrastructre between the two areas and many of the micropolitan areas to the north and south like Interstate 69, the expansion of the 6-lane Lloyd Expressway to the west and east as well as the new U.S. 231 Corridor.

Climate
Evansville lies within the transition region between the humid subtropical (Köppen Cfa) and humid continental climate zones (Köppen Dfa). Summers are hot and humid, winters are cool to cold. Average temperatures range from 31.0 °F in January to 78.6 °F in July. Annual rainfall averages 42 in and annual snowfall averages 13 in. Evansville is one of the few major cities in the Midwest where it has been known for an entire winter to pass without any measurable snowfall (this occurred, for example, in 1983).

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 121,582 people, 52,273 households, and 30,527 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,987.0 per sq mi (1,153.4/kilometer²). There were 57,065 housing units at an average density of 1,402.0 per sq mi (541.3 per kilometer²). The racial makeup of the city was 86.24% White, 10.92% African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.72% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.49% from other races, and 1.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.1% of the population.

There were 52,273 households out of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.8% were married couples living together, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.6% were non-families. 35.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the city the population was spread out with 22.7% under the age of 18, 11.5% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 88.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $31,963, and the median income for a family was $41,091. Males had a median income of $30,922 compared to $21,776 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,388. About 10.1% of families and 13.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.0% of those under the age of 18 and 8.4% of those 65 and older.

Performing arts
The Victory Theatre is a vintage 1,950-seat venue that is home to the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra. Each year, the orchestra presents a seven-concert classics series, four double pops performances, and special event concerts, as well as numerous educational and outreach performances. The theater also hosts local ballet and modern dance companies, theater companies, and touring productions.

A wide variety of concerts, plays, and other special events are held at the 2,500-seat auditorium at The Centre downtown. Outdoor concerts and special events are held at the 8,500-seat Mesker Amphitheatre on the city's west side. Larger concerts, sporting events, and special events are held at the 12,500-seat Roberts Stadium, where the University of Evansville Division I basketball team has played since Robert's opening on the city's east side.

The New Harmony Theatre is a professional theatre created by the University of Evansville in the late '60s / early '70s in alliance with the area's commercial and arts communiity to spotlight the strong theatre tradition in southwestern Indiana. The University of Evansville managed NHT for two decades in the summer along with its other theatre productions on its main stage Shanklin Theatre on The University of Evansville campus during the Fall, Winter and Spring terms. Once the branch campus of Indiana State University at Evansville was chartered as an independent institution (University of Southern Indiana) the production was passed to the University of Southern Indiana and operates under an agreement with the Actors Equity Association. Well known actors such as Polly Holliday and Louis Zorich have appeared on the NHT stage, which presents a three play season every summer. The University of Southern Indiana also features a robust theatre program with a professional repertory season in the Fall.

Evansville Civic Theatre is Southern Indiana's longest running community theater, dating from the 1920s when the community theater movement swept across the country. From its humble beginnings at the old Central High School auditorium, Evansville Civic Theatre has had many homes – Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Coliseum, Bosse High School, the Rose Room of the McCurdy Hotel, the Elks Ballroom, and the Evansville Museum of Arts and Sciences. In 1974, Evansville Civic Theatre acquired the historic Columbia Movie Theater as its permanent home.

The University of Evansville maintains a prestigious theater program - one of the top rated programs in the nation, which features four mainstage and two studio productions a year. The University of Evansville has been honored more times at The Kennedy Center than any other theatre institution. The University is the only institution, along with Yale, which has been asked to perform at the Kennedy Center without first going through competition. It also leads the nation in the top awards for its students as awarded by The Broadway Theatre Wing and other governing bodies of serious theatre. A small independent music scene can also be found with local bands playing nightclubs such as Club 1123 and Boney Junes.

Annual festivals
The West Side Nut Club Fall Festival is a street fair held in the area west of downtown Evansville. It is held on the first full week of October and draws nearly 150,000 people. The main attraction of the festival is the food, with offerings of standards like elephant ears and corn dogs to the more unusual, such as chocolate-covered crickets, brain sandwiches, and alligator stew. Paul Harvey once remarked that only Mardi Gras in New Orleans is larger than the Fall Festival.

Each July the city plays host to the Evansville Freedom Festival. The United States Navy's Blue Angels have been an added attraction in recent years along with the Canadian Forces Snowbirds.

Evansville used to host Thunder on the Ohio. Thunder on the Ohio was a hydroplane boat race in the H1 Unlimited season. The race was typically held during the Freedom Festival on the Ohio River in downtown Evansville. Evansville hosted Thunder on the Ohio from 1979 to 2009. The winner of Thunder on the Ohio received the Four Freedoms Trophy, which was named after the nearby Four Freedoms Monument which rests along the Ohio River. The race had frequently been broadcasted on ESPN and the SPEED television network.

Each summer, Vanderburgh County is host to the Hoosier Nationals, a BMX National Series race sanctioned by the National Bicycle League. The Hoosier Nationals take place on the BMX course at Vanderburgh County's Burdette Park. The National Series races are the highest level of racing in the USA for BMX.

The Germania Männerchor Volksfest is a three day German heritage festival which takes place every August in the historic Germania Mannerchor building on the city's west side. The festival includes food, drink, dance and music. Many of the city's residents with German ancestry also wear historic German attire.

On the last weekend of August, the popular Frog Follies takes place, when over 4,000 street rods converge on the Vanderburgh County 4-H fairgrounds north of the city.

Museums
Angel Mounds State Historic Site is nationally recognized as one of the best preserved prehistoric Native American sites in the United States. From 1100 to 1450 A. D., a town near this site was home to people of the Middle Mississippian culture. Several thousand people lived in this town protected by a stockade made of wattle and daub. Because Angel Mounds was a chiefdom (the home of the chief), it was the regional center of a large community.

The Evansville Museum of Arts, History and Science is home to one of southern Indiana's most established and significant cultural centers. It holds the Koch Planetarium, the oldest in Indiana. Also on the campus is the Evansville Museum Transportation Center, which features transportation in southern Indiana from the latter part of the Nineteenth Century through the mid-Twentieth Century.

The Reitz Home Museum is Evansville's only Victorian House Museum. It is noted as one of the country's finest examples of Second French Empire architecture. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

In October 2005 the USS LST 325 moored in Evansville and was turned into a museum (USS LST Ship Memorial) in recognition of the city's war effort. During World War II, Evansville produced 167 LSTs (and 35 other craft), making it the largest inland producer of LSTs in the nation. The USS LST 325 is the last navigable tank landing ship in operation.

The new Children's Museum of Evansville opened its doors to the public in September 2006. The museum is the result of two years of planning and was constructed in the historic Central Library downtown. The Art Deco building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The museum offers visitors three floors of interactive exhibits and galleries.

Parks and zoos
The city oversees the operation of 65 parks and 21 special facilities encompassing more than 2300 acre of land in the City of Evansville and Vanderburgh County. Among these are three popular 18-hole public golf courses and one 9-hole golf course.

Located on nearly 200 acre of rolling hills in western Vanderburgh County well outside of the city limits, Burdette Park features an aquatic center with water slides, three pools, and a snack bar. It also offers a BMX racing track, batting cages, softball diamonds, miniature golf, tennis courts, and locations for fishing. It should be noted that Burdette Park is in no way associated with the Evansville Parks Department as it is run by Vanderburgh County.

Evansville's Mesker Park Zoo opened in 1928. Set on a spacious 50 acre park, the zoo features over 700 animals roaming freely in natural habitats surrounded by exotic plants, wildflowers, and trees. An estimated 3 million people visit the zoo between April and august every year.

Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve is a National Natural Landmark with nearly 200 acre of virgin bottomland hardwood forest. It is the largest tract of virgin forest located inside any city limits within the United States. The Nature Center features exhibits, events, wildlife observation areas, meeting rooms, library, and gift shop.

Sports

 * Also see: Sports in Evansville.

Although high school athletics are a constant source of local patronage, the University of Evansville and University of Southern Indiana (USI) regularly draw millions of spectators to NCAA Division I, and Division II sporting events, respectively. The University of Evansville's basketball program is well regarded nationally and has the distinction of having won five National NCAA titles in the late 1950s and the early 1960s. It was one of the first institutions to achieve this milestone in a six-year period. The University of Evansville's basketball team has regularly drawn over 10,000 spectators to its at-home games. This is one of the largest draws in the NCAA Division 1 based upon the size of the university's student body- it is the second-smallest university in the Division 1 category ( UE has approximately 2,500 students compared to USI's 10,000 students. USI is a Division II institution). The University of Evansville basketball currently plays at Roberts Stadium, but is set to move to a new downtown arena in 2011. USI plays on campus at the USI PAC.

The Evansville Otters minor league professional baseball team has played at historic Bosse Field in the Frontier League since 1995. Bosse Field opened in 1915 and is the third oldest baseball stadium still in use in the United States and was the principal filming location for the movie A League of Their Own.

The Evansville IceMen minor league professional ice hockey team has played at Swonder Ice Arena since 2008. They began play in the All American Hockey League and remained in that league for their first two seasons. They moved to the Central Hockey League in 2010 and play in the nine team Turner Conference. It is commonly misconceived that the Icemen in fact folded at the end of the 2009 season and were replaced by the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the International Hockey League (IHL). This, however, is not the case. The Lumberjacks actually moved down a league to the USHL and the Icemen moved up to the CHL. While there are several former Lumberjacks on the 2010-11 roster, the Muskegon team did not replace the Evansville franchise.

The Evansvile Enforcers semi-professional American football team has played at the Goebel Soccer Complex in the Great Midwest Football League since 2011. The Evansville Crush semi-professional soccer team has played at Metro Sports Center since 2010.

Evansville is home to two Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) leagues: the Demolition City Roller Derby, and Rollergirls of Southern Indiana. In the WFTDA, member leagues create "travel" teams who play against each other in regional matches, although some leagues that are not WFTDA members have independently arranged their own travel teams and inter-league bouts. The Evansville travel teams for the Demolition City Roller Derby are the Dynamite Dolls and the Destruction Dames. The Evansville travel team for the Rollergirls of Southern Indiana is the Rollergirls of Southern Indiana.

Evansville used to play host to the top tier boat racing circuit of H1 Unlimited when it hosted Thunder on the Ohio along the Ohio River in downtown Evansville. Evansville hosted Thunder on the Ohio continuously from 1979 to 2009. Evansville had previously hosted Thunder on the Ohio from 1938 to 1940.

In the summer months, Vanderburgh County is host to the Hoosier Nationals, a BMX National Series race sanctioned by the National Bicycle League. The Hoosier Nationals take place on the BMX course at Vanderburgh County's Burdette Park. The National Series races are the highest level of racing in the USA for BMX.

Evansville offers modern sports facilities for both soccer and ice skating events. The Goebel Soccer Complex is a $3.4 million project that opened in the spring of 2004 on 70 acre of land and features nine Olympic-size irrigated Bermuda grass fields and one Olympic-size AstroPlay turf field. Additionally, EVSC Fields provide twin soccer fields and stadium seating for high school regular season and postseason matches. Swonder Ice Arena is a $12.5 million double-rink facility that opened in the fall of 2002 and features a fitness center, a skate park, and party rooms. The schools of the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation use Lloyd Pool for all of their swimming and diving meets in the Southern Indiana Athletic Conference.

Media
The only daily newspaper is the Evansville Courier & Press, which is owned by the E.W. Scripps Company. The newspaper also publishes the monthly Evansville Business Journal and eWoman Magazine and owns the paper in neighboring Henderson, Kentucky. Evansville Living and Evansville Business are bi-monthly city magazines published locally by Tucker Publishing Group that showcase the people, businesses, and community. Other publications include Maturity Journal, a free monthly newspaper aimed at senior citizens, and  News4U, a free monthly entertainment magazine

The city has 32 radio stations that include adult contemporary, big band, classical, inspirational, jazz, rock, country, oldies, pop, and easy listening formats. The University of Evansville's WUEV FM is a non-commercial station that plays a variety of alternative, classical, and jazz music. WUEV has been chosen repeatedly as one of the premier university and jazz stations in the nation over the past two decades. Other notable radio stations include alternative/hard rock station 103 GBF (also known as "the River City Rocker") and pop music station 106.1 Kiss FM.

Evansville is, as of the 2010-11 rankings, the 103rd-largest television market in the United States according to Nielsen Media Research. The designated market area consists of 30 counties in Southeastern Illinois, Southwestern Indiana, and Northwestern Kentucky. The 2007 population estimate of this 30-county region is nearly one million people.

The major local broadcast television stations are:
 * W23BV-D 3ABN Channel 23
 * WAZE CW Channel 19 (analog 17)
 * WEHT ABC Channel 25
 * WEVV CBS and Fox Channel 44
 * WFIE NBC Channel 14
 * WNIN PBS Channel 9
 * WTSN America One Channel 36
 * WTVW Channel 7 independent "Local 7"

The Public-access television cable TV channels are:
 * WOW
 * Insight

Counties in the Media Market
Indiana counties
 * Daviess
 * Dubois
 * Gibson
 * Knox
 * Martin
 * Perry
 * Pike
 * Posey
 * Spencer
 * Vanderburgh
 * Warrick

Illinois counties
 * Clay
 * Edwards
 * Gallatin
 * Hamilton
 * Lawrence
 * Richland
 * Saline
 * Wabash
 * Wayne
 * White

Kentucky counties
 * Daviess
 * Hancock
 * Henderson
 * Hopkins
 * McLean
 * Muhlenberg
 * Ohio
 * Union
 * Webster

Law and government
The Mayor of Evansville, Jonathan Weinzapfel, serves as the chief executive officer. A nine-member elected City Council is the legislative branch of city government. The City of Evansville is the county seat for Vanderburgh County. In recent years the Democrats have pushed for unifying the Evansville city and Vanderburgh County governments, as was done in the Indianapolis merger with Marion County in 1970. The current proposal calls for a mayor, who would appoint a deputy mayor, and a 15 member Metro Council composed of three at-large members and 12 members elected from individual districts.

Vanderburgh County's delegation to the Indiana State House of Representatives comprises four representatives: Ron Bacon (District 75), Trent Van Haaften (District 76), Phil Hoy (District 77), and Suzanne Crouch (District 78). Evansville and Vanderburgh County are represented by two state senators. In general, the southern third of the county and Armstrong Township are part of District 49, currently held by Jim Tomes. The county's west side is also in District 49. Most of the county is in District 50, which extends to the east, a seat held by Vaneta Becker.

The region is located in the 8th District of Indiana (map) and served by U.S. Representative Larry Bucshon.

Consolidation with Vanderburgh County
In January, 2010 the Evansville League of Women Voters presented a petition to both the Evansville and Vanderburgh County Governments proposing a consolidation of Evansville and Vanderburgh County. By March, there have been several committees formed to study the matter and the goal is to have the issue on the 2010 ballot.

Education

 * Also see: Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation.
 * Also see: Roman Catholic Diocese of Evansville .

K-12
The city and county are divided into a nationally recognized public school system of 20 elementary schools, 11 middle schools, and five public high schools. In addition there are two parochial, two charter, and one private school. Signature School was listed as the 27th best public high school in the nation on Newsweek's Top 100 High School list in 2009 and listed as the 7th best public high school in 2010.

On November 4, 2008 voters approved a $149 million bond issue for the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation. A long list of projects includes a new $58.2 million high school for 2,000 students and an adjacent $27 million middle school for 1,000 students.

* The Southern Indiana Career & Technical Center draws students from nine school districts.

** Evansville Day School offers grades JPK-12. The school's enrollment including all grades is 325.


 * For More In-depth Information see Indiana Department of Education Profile on all PK-12 Vanderburgh County Public and Private Schools

Higher education
The Evansville metropolitan area is home to the University of Evansville, a private, United Methodist Church-related institution, and the University of Southern Indiana, a state comprehensive university that also houses the Indiana University School of Medicine’s Evansville Center for Medical Education and manages many of the historic and cultural sites in nearby New Harmony, Indiana Other campuses in the city include Ivy Tech Community College, ITT Technical Institute, Roger's Hair Academy, Harrison College, and Oakland City University's School of Adult and Extended Learning. The main campus of Oakland City University is located in Oakland City, Indiana.

Transportation
Immediate access to all major forms of transportation makes Evansville an important factor in Indiana's global economy. The city boasts an excellent road, rail, water, and air transportation system.

Air Service

 * The Evansville Regional Airport, housed in a 140000 sqft terminal, offers nearly 30 flights a day to destinations around the country. A complimentary shuttle service is offered from the airport to major hotels. The Metropolitan Evansville Transit System (METS) provides bus transportation to all sections of the city.

Interstate Highways

 * (8 miles north of Evansville, straddling the Gibson - Vanderburgh County Line) routes west to the St. Louis and runs east to Louisville.
 * provides a convenient link from I-64 to the city's thriving eastside retail district and a direct route to the downtown business district via the Veterans Memorial Parkway.
 * [[Image:Future plate blue.svg|20px]] is being extended from the I-64/I-164 interchange in Gibson County north to Indianapolis, creating a new international trade corridor from Canada to Mexico. Engineering design began in 1997 and construction began on July 16, 2008.

US Highways

 * connects the city with Henderson to the south and, to the north, the cities of Princeton, Vincennes, and Terre Haute.

Indiana State Roads (local references)

 * (Morgan Avenue / Lloyd Expressway)
 * (Lloyd Expressway / Diamond Avenue)
 * (Lloyd Expressway / Diamond Avenue)

Economy
Evansville is the regional center for a large trade area in Indiana, Kentucky, and Illinois. The broad economic base of the region has helped to build an economy which is known for its stability, diversity, and vitality. Major industries today include manufacturing, warehousing and distribution, retailing, health care, and finance and business services. In 2007 the metropolitan area was ranked 88th in the nation in terms of growth and economic impact.

Corporate headquarters include Accuride, Atlas Van Lines, Berry Plastics, Mead Johnson, Old National Bank, Shoe Carnival, and Vectren. The city is also home to Springleaf Financial Services, formerly a division of AIG. Major manufacturing operations around the city include AK Steel in Rockport, Alcoa in Newburgh, SABIC in Mount Vernon, and Toyota in Princeton.

The city's economy was expanded by Casino Aztar's entertainment facility in 1995. The main complex consists of a 2,700 passenger riverboat casino, a 250-room hotel, a 1,660 vehicle parking garage, and pavilion housing pre-boarding facilities, retail shops, restaurants, and lounge area. An adjacent entertainment district features a 96-room boutique hotel and additional restaurants.

The economic downturn beginning in 2008 hurt Evansville with contractions by some of the area's largest employers. Toyota laid off all temporary workers and offered a buyout to its permanent employees. The company temporarily shut down its production lines as production of the Tundra pickup truck was transferred to Texas and the Highlander production was moved to Princeton. On August 28, 2009 Whirlpool Corporation announced they are moving operations from Evansville to Mexico, laying off 1,100 hourly employees. The city was able to retain 300 salaried positions for a production design center.

The City of Evansville offers a pro-business tax structure for companies locating inside the Evansville Urban Enterprise Zone. Established in 1984 as one of only five enterprise zones in the State of Indiana, the 2.1 sqmi Evansville Urban Enterprise Zone offers inventory tax credits and other tax credits to eligible businesses.

Film and television
Game scenes in the 1992 film A League of Their Own were filmed at Bosse Field. It is the third oldest baseball stadium still in use in the United States (behind Fenway Park in Boston and Wrigley Field in Chicago). The ballpark served as the homefield for the Racine Belles.

All exterior shots on the 1988-1997 sitcom Roseanne are still photographs taken in and around Evansville. The Connors' house is located at 619 South Runnymeade Avenue, and the Lobo Lounge is a pizzeria located at the corner of Edgar and Louisiana Streets. Matt Williams, one of the show's producers, is a native of Evansville and a graduate of The University of Evansville theatre program. He is a co-founder of Wind Dancer Productions and has been involved with numerous sitcoms such as 'Home Improvement', movies and dramatic plays for Broadway.

The Daily Show has featured Evansville in two episodes. The first featured a story about comedian Carrot Top's reopening the historic Victory Theatre. The second poked fun at former mayor Russel Lloyd Jr. for skipping out on a city meeting to attend Cher's Farewell Tour concert being performed on the same night at Roberts Stadium.

Evansville was also featured in Alton Brown's series Feasting on Asphalt. Alton and his crew visited the historic Greyhound Bus station for its vending machines, the YWCA tea room for lunch, and the Hilltop Inn for a brain sandwich and burgoo. Other shows have included Ghost Hunters which investigated Willard Library's "Gray Lady" ghost and Storm Stories on The Weather Channel documented the devastating tornado that struck the city in 2005.

The city was briefly featured on the Prison Break episode "Chicago" in which Sara Tancredi meets up with Michael Scofield and Lincoln Burrows in Evansville. The episode premiered on February 5, 2007.

Universal Records MusicianMichael Barber uses an image from Evansville on all of his album covers. His Motion Picture Mayhem series all feature back grounds from his childhood city.

On March 17, 2011, Evansville was ranked by a Gallup Survey as the most obese metro area (out of 188 surveyed) in the United States, with an overall obesity percentage of 37.8.

Literary Media
Evansville is one the locations featured in the science fiction novel, To Live Again by author Robert Silverberg, published in 1969. The city is also featured in a section of the 1962 novel and National Book Award winner, The Moviegoer, by Walker Percy.

Sister cities
Evansville has three sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International, Inc. (SCI):


 * 🇩🇪 Osnabrück, Germany
 * 🇲🇽 Tizimín, Mexico
 * 🇯🇵 Tochigi-Shi, Japan