Fortville

Small Town Breakdown

Fortville is the kind of place where a Friday night walk downtown might end with ice cream, live music, and a wave from someone you’ve known since elementary school. Even with recent developments moving the town forward, it’s maintained small-town vibes that residents have come to love.

Fast Facts

📍LOCATION: Central Indiana

• Fortville is located in the upper northwest corner of Hancock County

• U.S. Highway 36 runs on a southwest-to-northeast plane, and State Road 13 connects to it in town and runs north to Lapel

• 35 minutes northeast of Indianapolis

• 45 minutes southwest of Muncie

👥 POPULATION & RANKING

• 4,927 residents (as of 2024)

• Ranks as Indiana’s 136th-largest city

• Third-largest of six incorporated towns/cities in Hancock County behind the county seat of Greenfield (26,268) and Cumberland (7,211)

📏 LAND AREA

• 2.9 square miles

📅 FOUNDED

• Hancock County was founded in 1828 and named after John Hancock, best known for having the first signature on the Declaration of Independence.

• Hancock County was formed from a southern portion of Madison County.

• Fortville was originally platted in 1849 as Walpole, named in honor of Thomas Walpole, a prominent attorney and politician in Greenfield.

• It was renamed to Fortville shortly after in honor of Cephas Fort, one of the early settlers and town founders who anticipated the railroad’s arrival throughout the area.

• The “Bee Line” Railroad (later the New York Central) arrived in 1852, and others rolled through in the mid-19th century to help Fortville blossom. Natural gas then arrived in the 1890s, which accelerated that growth.

• Fortville became incorporated in 1865.

• Fortville is located within Vernon Township.

🏥 MAIN INDUSTRIES: Food Services (more on that below the map), Construction

Piney Acres

For outdoor family fun, Piney Acres Farm tops the list. Sitting on 73 acres just east of town, Piney Acres hosts seasonal events like an Easter egg hunt, corn mazes, the Piney Acres Scream Farm, and Christmas tree cutting. You can also find your favorite pumpkins at Piney Acres, plus a petting zoo, wagon rides, gem mining, bounce pads, and so much more.

Parks and Geist

There are a couple parks worth checking out. First up is Memorial Park & Trail, consisting of nearly 30 acres and home to three shelters, a skate park, dog park, multiple playgrounds, hill slides, a basketball court, tennis courts, and baseball and softball diamonds. The wooded trail is a ¼ mile loop.

Another park worth exploring is Flat Fork Creek Park, located just across the county line in Hamilton County and only a 5-minute drive from downtown Fortville. It is home to the biggest sledding hill in Hamilton County, has five miles of walking trails, mountain biking trails, a fishing pond, and maybe coolest of all – tree houses to explore.

One of the most popular destinations in close proximity to Fortville? Geist Reservoir. Sprawling across nearly 2,000 acres, the man-made reservoir was created in 1943 when Fall Creek was dammed. Thousands of visitors enjoy boating, kayaking, and lakeside dining at Geist all summer long.

Taste Test

Du Lit has been open for just over a year and has quickly become a go-to spot in Fortville. Why? Long story short, chef/owner and part-time artist Preston Zwolle wanted to live healthier and expand his culinary knowledge, so he gave up dairy and gluten and dropped 90 pounds. With the change in diet, he learned to cook food for his family with ingredients that fit his diet. Today, items like steak, burgers, and pizza are favorites, and the menu is broken into thirds – one-third lactose-free, one-third gluten-free, and one-third for those with no dietary restrictions. He’s doing something right — they’ve got a 100% recommendation rating on Facebook and 4.8 stars among nearly 200 Google reviews.

Denver’s Garage Pizza and Brews is the spot for pizza, flatbreads, and breadsticks, live music throughout the summer, and it’s all housed in a converted 1956 Phillips 66 service station. The average price of gas in 1956? 30 cents.

For dessert, Libby’s Ice Cream & Gifts has you covered with the best ice cream in Hancock County (there was a vote). While you’re enjoying your frozen treat, admire a quirky roadside attraction – a giant pink elephant wearing sunglasses and holding a martini glass.

We Are The Champions (x3)

The Mt. Vernon (Fortville) Marauders have won three state championships in school history.

The first came in 2000 when the softball team finished a 29-1 season with a 6-0 win over Evansville Memorial in the 2A championship game. The program also reached the state semifinals in 1991 and 1992 when softball was a single-class sport, along with a 2A semifinal appearance in 2002.

Girls basketball secured the school’s second state title in 2013 with a 61-47 win over Hamilton Heights in the 3A title game. The program also appeared in the second-ever IHSAA girls basketball state championship game in 1977 but came up short against East Chicago Roosevelt at Hinkle Fieldhouse.

The most recent came courtesy of football in 2021, when the Marauders knocked off Northridge 45-14 in the 4A championship game behind first-year head coach Vince Lidy. He is just one of six head football coaches in IHSAA history to win a state title in his first year as a head coach.

More Findings on Fortville

• It’s too late this year, but if you’re in Fortville in late July before school starts back up, head to Main Street for the town’s annual SummerFest. You can still enjoy WinterFest and Christmas tree lighting downtown during the winter months.

• The Gardens of Vernon Township is a volunteer organization that began in March 2020 and has since established pollinator beds, monarch way stations, bee hives, bat houses, and gardens in Fortville. The gardens also bring Mt. Vernon schools and veterans together for mulching, weeding, and planting projects.

• For the 21-and-older crowd, the tasting room at Moon Drops Distillery is open Thursday through Sunday and tours take place on Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. Taxman Fortville is known for its Belgian-style ales, wine, and cocktails, and the Belgian meatballs are money.

• For fine dining, head to FoxGardin Kitchen & Ale. They pair an elevated dining experience with craft cocktails, and the 4.7 Google rating is supported by reviews that rave about the bone marrow fries, beef manhattan and “The Best D*** Chicken Parm.”

The next time you’re in the Indianapolis metro, find your way to Fortville and explore another Indiana small town on the rise.

Check out Nate’s breakdown of Fortville ⬇️