Seymour

Small Town Breakdown

Small Town Breakdown: Seymour, Indiana

More than just the halfway point between Indianapolis and Louisville on I-65, Seymour is the hometown of two famous music artists and Indiana’s only Miss America winner. Beyond the fame, the “Crossroads of Southern Indiana” has German-rich heritage, history and more on its side.

Fast Facts

📍LOCATION: South central Indiana

• Located on the west side of I-65

• Sits in the northeast portion of Jackson County

• 1 hour south of Indianapolis

• 55 minutes north of Louisville

👥 POPULATION & RANKING

• 21,666 residents (as of 2023)

• Ranks as Indiana’s 48th largest city

• Largest of seven cities in Jackson County but Brownstown serves as the county seat

📏 LAND AREA

• 11.43 square miles

📅 FOUNDED

• Jackson County was founded in 1816 and named after General Andrew Jackson, who later became the seventh U.S. president from 1829-37

• Seymour became incorporated in 1852 and was founded by Meedy Shields, who convinced civil engineer Hezekiah Cook Seymour to route the east-west bound Ohio and Mississippi Railroad through Shields’ property

• Shields named the town Seymour in Hezekiah’s honor

🏥 MAIN INDUSTRIES: Manufacturing and Retail Trade

• Walmart has both a distribution center and supercenter within city limits

• Cummins Seymour Engine Plant, part of global power leader Cummins, Inc., designs, manufactures, distributes and services engines

• Aisin U.S.A. Manufacturing, Inc. opened in 1987 and today has nearly 1,900 employees that create high-quality components for the automobile industry including touch sensors, door frames, side door rails, seat recliners and more

• Rose Acre Farms was founded just outside of Seymour in the 1930s and today is the second-largest egg producer in the United States with 17 facilities located across seven states

JACKSON COUNTY AND SEYMOUR HISTORY

Seymour is known as the “Crossroads of Southern Indiana” because of its location at two major intersecting north-south and east-west railroads. The north-south Jefferson, Madison and Indianapolis Railroad connecting Indianapolis to the Ohio River at Jeffersonville was eventually intersected by the east-west Ohio and Mississippi Railroad connecting St. Louis and Cincinnati in the 1850s. Jackson County was founded in 1816, nearly four decades before Seymour became incorporated in 1852. 🛤

I WAS BORN IN A SMALL TOWN

With a population of 21,666, you might argue that Seymour isn’t exactly a small town… until you realize singer-songwriter John Mellencamp, who was born in Seymour in 1951, literally released one of the greatest songs of all time on his eighth album in 1985 (sold 5 million copies worldwide) called “Small Town.” The lyrics “I was born in a small town” are included as part of a Mellencamp mural in town, and Seymour (and Bloomington where Mellencamp later lived) are referenced in the music video. 🎤

MISS AMERICA WINNER

There have been 97 editions of the Miss America pageant, and there has been just one Miss Indiana to take home Miss America honors. Katie Stam, a graduate of Seymour High School and the University of Indianapolis, was crowned Miss Indiana in 2008 before becoming the first and only Indiana woman to be crowned Miss America in 2009. 👑

OKTOBERFEST

Visit Seymour during the first weekend of October and enjoy its annual Oktoberfest celebrating Seymour’s rich German heritage. Attendees can enjoy live music, carnival rides, a beer garden, parade, flea market, 5K and more. The 52nd annual Oktoberfest this year is scheduled for Oct. 2-4. 🇩🇪

EAT MOUR

Start your day at Larrison’s Diner, which has been serving locals for over 50 years. Enjoy a hearty breakfast or go with the burger and fries for lunch. The signature waffles are a must at The Sunshine Cafe, too.

Schwatzer’s German Restaurant is another hot spot in town, where you can devour German staples like Jagerschnitzel and bratwurst. If you don’t know the German language, you can study up for free on Schwatzer’s website, too.

Last but not least is Lola’s Modern Kitchen. For starters, go with the fried cheese drizzled with smoked honey, fresh chives and its house-made dipping sauce. After the main course of tacos or burritos, top your meal off with an order of cheesecake chimichangas — New York style cheesecake wrapped in a flour tortilla, deep fried, tossed in cinnamon sugar and drizzled with caramel. No wonder it has a near perfect 5.0 star rating on Google.

MOUR ABOUT SEYMOUR

• Rising country music artist Stephen Wilson Jr. is also from Seymour and will play at Jackson County’s Watermelon Festival in nearby Brownstown on Saturday, Aug. 2. 🎸

• Seymour is featured on Expedition Unknown season 14 episode 4 because of the Reno Gang train robberies. The first train robbery in history took place on Oct. 6, 1866, as the train was moving in Seymour. The group of outlaws made off with over $16,000 in cash, but you need to watch the episode to learn the full story. 🚂💰

• Rails Craft Brew & Eatery is a popular spot for drinks and dinner and has over 1,000 Google reviews to back it up.

• Seymour High School is home to the second-largest high school gym in the entire country. The school has also claimed three state championships, the first coming in baseball in 1988 followed by a girls golf title in 1990 and boys golf championship in 1991. ⚾️⛳️🏆

The next time you’re smack dab between Indianapolis and Louisville on I-65, swing through Seymour where you can seymour, do mour and explore mour.

Check out Nate’s breakdown of Seymour ⬇️