Tell City

Small Town Breakdown

Tell City blends heritage, hospitality, and natural beauty to make it one of Indiana’s most charming towns. From Swiss culture to the riverwalk along the Ohio River, parks and local shops, Tell City is a place worth telling your family and friends about.

Fast Facts

📍LOCATION: Southern Indiana

• Tell City is located in the southwest portion of Perry County on the Ohio River

• State Road 66 and State Road 37 pass through Tell City

• 3 hours south of Indianapolis

• 1 hour and 10 minutes east of Evansville

• 1 hour and 15 minutes west of Louisville

👥 POPULATION & RANKING

• 7,485 residents (as of 2023)

• Ranks as Indiana’s 97th-largest city

• Largest of two incorporated towns/cities in Perry County ahead of Cannelton (1,494)

📏 LAND AREA

• 4.5 square miles

📅 FOUNDED

• Perry County was formed on Nov. 1, 1814, two years before Indiana was admitted to the Union.

• It was named for War of 1812 hero Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry.

• Troy was selected as the first county seat, then Rome and Cannelton, and finally Tell City where it was moved in 1994.

• Tell City was organized by Swiss-German immigrants who held a meeting in Cincinnati in November 1856 to organize a “Swiss Colonization Society” and purchase land that had a healthful climate, fertile soil, water, timber, and close in proximity to a river and railroad.

• The land purchase was made in July 1857.

• The city was initially named Helvetia but was renamed to Tell City for Swiss hero and liberator William Tell. Today, there is a bronze statue of Tell with his son Walter in the city hall plaza.

🏥 MAIN INDUSTRIES: Manufacturing, Healthcare

• ATTC Manufacturing specializes in manufacturing and supplying automotive parts like brake rotors and drums.

• Waupaca Foundry produces iron castings and employs approximately 1,000 people.

• Oakwood Health Campus is an assisted living facility and part of Trilogy Healthcare Services.

Tradition Since 1959

The annual Schweizer Fest has been an ongoing tradition in Tell City since 1959. During the festival the town is packed with polka, artisan and food vendors, carnival rides, a half pot drawing, talent show, pie eating contest, bed races, and sidewalk sales throughout downtown. This year’s Schweizer Fest is scheduled for Aug. 6-9.

Outdoor Living

Over 60,000 of the 204,000-acre Hoosier National Forest is in Perry County, leaving plenty of room to explore the great outdoors for hiking, biking, picnics and camping.

You can also hop on the scenic Tell City River Walk Trail for a 2-mile roundtrip stroll along the Ohio River or the 1.3-mile out-and-back Windy Creek Trail that runs near Windy Creek. Hagedorn (Hagee) Park is another popular spot for recreational activities, including the town’s swimming pool, an indoor batting cage, softball fields, a half-dozen tennis courts, two basketball courts, horseshoe pits, and a playground. The Tell City Sports Complex opened there this summer.

Hoops Legends

Ray Eddy coached at Tell City High School from 1934-39 and won three sectional titles. He eventually went to Purdue University where he was the head coach for 15 years. Eddy was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 1972 and the Purdue Athletics Hall of Fame in 2007.

Burke Scott played at Tell City High School before staying in-state at Indiana University from 1952-55, helping guide the Hoosiers to the 1953 NCAA title. Scott was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010.

Tommy Kron played at Tell City High School from 1958-62 and led the Marksmen to four sectional titles, three regional titles, and a semifinal appearance during his junior campaign. 

Kron then attended the University of Kentucky under Hall of Fame coach Adolph Rupp from 1963-66 and helped lead the Wildcats to the NCAA Championship Game his senior year against Texas Western College, today known as the University of Texas at El Paso. The Wildcats came up short in a 72-65 loss, but the game was notable because Texas Western started five Black players, making them the first team to do so in a championship game.

He was a third-round selection by the St. Louis Hawks in the 1966 NBA Draft and moved to the Seattle Supersonics in the 1967 NBA expansion draft. He spent two years there before joining the ABA’s Kentucky Colonels, where he was a fan favorite during the 1969 and 1970 seasons. Kron was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001.

Bob Lochmueller coached 15 seasons at Tell City High School from 1965-80 and guided the Marksmen to nine consecutive sectional championships and two regional titles. During his playing days, he was a three-year starter at the University of Louisville and helped lead the Cardinals to their first NCAA tournament appearance in 1951. Lochmueller was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 1990.

The Pour Haus

The Pour Haus Brewing Co. is the go-to spot to grab a drink, enjoy some delicious bar grub (we had the pretzel bites) and mingle with family or friends.

Tell You More

• Visit the Tell City Depot Visitor Center for local history, artisan items, and a farmer’s market. The Tell City Historical Society Museum and Tell City Chair Gallery & Museum are worth a visit, too.

• Julie’s Tell Street Cafe dishes out some of the best breakfast and lunch in town, and the Google reviews rave about the biscuits and gravy, Julie’s pies, and incredible service. They’ve got 4.6 stars among over 600 Google reviews.

The next time you find yourself cruising along the Ohio River and stumble upon Tell City, make a pit stop and enjoy some of that southern Indiana beauty.

Check out Nate’s breakdown of Tell City ⬇️