BlockGreenfield, Indiana
12 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1952 and the latest in 1986. It stands in Center Township. It lies in ZIP code area 46140. The Survey maps it on the Greenfield quadrangle. 23,488 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 883 feet above sea level.
Research this city
On record in Greenfield
Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.
On the National Register 6 records
Charles Barr Houselisted 2008
Greenfield Courthouse Square Historic Districtlisted 1985
Greenfield Residential Historic Districtlisted 2011
Lilly Biological Laboratorieslisted 1977
Lincoln Park Schoollisted 2009
James Whitcomb Riley Houselisted 1977
Population over time
3 figuresGreenfield grew from 744 to 23,488 between 1860 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1860 | 744 | |
| 2010 | 20,602 | |
| 2020 | 23,488 | +2,886 (+14%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
5 surveys from 12 printed sheetsMatched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.
- 1952 USGS Greenfield quadrangle1:24000
- 1953 USGS Cincinnati quadrangle1:250000, 3 printings
- 1957 USGS Cincinnati quadrangle1:250000
- 1962 USGS Greenfield quadrangle1:24000, 5 printings
- 1986 USGS New Castle quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
In the county-history sources
28,936 words on this townshipHistory of Hancock County, Indiana, from Its Earliest Settlement by the "pale Face," in 1818, Down to 1882, published 1882 names this settlement in its chapter on Center Township. These are the passages that mention it, exactly as the scans read.
Greenfield Lodge, No. 135, I. O. O. F. was instituted July 26, 1853. The lodge was organized in the old courthouse ; afterwards removed to the third story of the Walker block ; from there to the county seminary, where, for several years, the lodge prospered ; but preferring a more central location, the trustees sold the seminary and took a lease on a new hall in Howard's block. In the course of time the increase of membership, added to the desire on the part of many to have a hall of their own, caused the lodge to instruct their trustees to contract with William C. Burdett for a third story on his new brick in which to hold its meetings. Since 1876 the lodge has occupied its own spacious hall, which is conveniently arranged, neatly furnished, and affords a pleasant retreat for its large membership.
Passage source: History of Hancock County, Indiana, from Its Earliest Settlement by the "pale Face," in 1818, Down to 1882, published 1882.
On the 15th day of August, 1827, a few individuals of the Baptist faith met to discuss the propriety of adopting a constitution and establishing a place of worship, which resulted in a decision to extend a cordial invitation to John Caldwell and brethren, of Blue-river township, and Abram Smock and brethren, of Bethel church, to " come over into Macedonia'' and lend a helping hand. Accordingly, on the 19th day of August there was a meeting at the house of Mr. Samuel Jackson, with the ministers and members aforesaid present ; and after preaching by Elders Smock and Caldwell, followed b}- an investigation of the faith of the prospective members, they were constituted into a church, to be named and known as Brandx'wine church. The following persons were received into membership, and given the right hand of fellowship, viz. : Samuel and Rachel Jackson, Benjamin and Jane Spillman, and James and Elizabeth Reeves. The church bore the name of Brandywine till the 2nd Saturday of Aucfust, 1838, at which time the members gave it the name of Mt. Gilead, by which it is known to this day.
Passage source: History of Hancock County, Indiana, from Its Earliest Settlement by the "pale Face," in 1818, Down to 1882, published 1882.
Mr. D. engaged in the stock trade at the age of eighteen with George Roberts. Their first speculation was in sheep, purchased north of Greenfield, of Harlan Reeves and others in that neighborhood, at lifty cents per head for the choice of the flock. His next trade was with Hugh Wooster, of Greenfield, of whom he purchased fifteen large, choice steers, at $15 each. When they were turned out of the large woods pasture, on the farm now owned by John T. Lineback, to drive to town, thev bounded ofl' through the woods and brush and over the logs at such a rate that Mr. D. got completelv lost, and came on to Greenfield to await results. In the course of an hour Mr. Wooster put in an appearance with the cattle, telling Dickerson that he was not worth a "continental copper" to drive stock, or he could get through the brusli fast enough to keep up with an old man like him. Mr. D. has been in the stock trade in Hancock county for thirtv-three 3'ears, and has probably bought and sold more stock than an}' other man in the county ; and we mav add, has always enjoyed the confidence and esteem of his customers and the public generally. He also filled the office of trustee of Center township for two consecutive terms, during which he took great interest in the schools, and encouraged both pupil and teacher bv frequent \isits.
Passage source: History of Hancock County, Indiana, from Its Earliest Settlement by the "pale Face," in 1818, Down to 1882, published 1882.
Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.
Read the whole chapter on Center Township - it names this place 28 more 28 times.
Fires near this place
1 since 2005Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 1 fire within 5 miles of Greenfield in 2005, burning under an acre in total. None started naturally. None was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Debris and open burning | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 April 2005 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Indiana State Fire Marshal's Office | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
3 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 3 workings within 5 miles of Greenfield: 2 past producers, 1 producer. 1 still produces. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leary's Gravel Co. | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Leary's Pit & Mill | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Strubbe Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer |
Storms near this place
60 of 67 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Greenfield in 67 storm reports between 1995 and 2026: 35 thunderstorm wind, 22 hail, 4 lightning, 4 flash flood. The reports record 1 injury. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 1998 | Tornado (F4) | Greenfield | 1 hurt, $1,100,000 | no account filed |
| September 2000 | Lightning | Greenfield | $300,000 | no account filed |
| July 2002 | Flash Flood | Greenfield | $150,000 | 4.23 inches of rain fell across Greenfield. Many streets were closed and traffic rerouted by Greenfield Police. A roof also collapsed on a building due to the heavy rainfall. |
| December 2013 | Flash Flood | Greenfield | $50,000 | There were an unknown number of home evacuations around State Route 9 and 4th Street due to high water. |
| March 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | $50,000 | no account filed |
| July 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | $35,000 | Trees were blown down onto roofs due to thunderstorm wind gusts. No other information describing the extent of the damage was given. |
| July 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | $20,000 | no account filed |
| May 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | $15,000 | A small barn, trees, and powerlines were knocked down due to damaging thunderstorm winds. |
| June 2007 | Lightning | Greenfield | $15,000 | Lightning struck the Greenfield Police Department and damaged computers, a recorder, and the 911 system. |
| June 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | $10,000 | A 70 mph thunderstorm wind gust was estimated at this location with a tree downed nearby. |
| October 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | $10,000 | An estimated thunderstorm wind gust of 80 mph was observed in Greenfield. Multiple transformers were reported to have blown up and street signs were reported down. |
| April 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | $10,000 | Significant roof damage to homes and a few garages blown down. |
| April 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | $10,000 | no account filed |
| June 2008 | Flash Flood | Greenfield | $5,000 | High water crossed numerous roads across the county due to heavy rain that caused flash flooding. |
| June 2007 | Lightning | Greenfield | $5,000 | Lightning struck the Greater Greenfield Chamber of Commerce building during a brief thunderstorm on the evening of June 27th. They experienced phone line problems along with other malfunctioning equipment. |
| April 2006 | Hail | Greenfield | $5,000 | A semi's windshield was broken by baseball hail near Greenfield. |
| June 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | $4,000 | Tree limbs were downed due to thunderstorm wind gusts near Greenfield Community High School. |
| October 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | $2,500 | Multiple road signs were reported down due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts at McKenzie Road and Franklin Street. |
| April 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | $2,000 | no account filed |
| February 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | $1,000 | Several medium to large tree limbs downed by thunderstorm wind gusts. |
| July 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | $1,000 | A six inch diameter tree branch was snapped by thunderstorm wind gusts near the intersection of State Road 9 and County Road 200S. |
| May 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | $1,000 | A tree was blown down in this location due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts. |
| May 2012 | Flood | Greenfield | $1,000 | Heavy flooding was reported along Highway 9 in Greenfield due to thunderstorm heavy rainfall. |
| May 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | $1,000 | A trained spotter reported that thunderstorm winds split several trees and knocked down utility lines. Damage cost is estimated. |
| April 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | $1,000 | Trees and power lines were down near 200 W and Furry Rd due to damaging thunderstorm winds. |
| July 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | - | A 65 mph thunderstorm wind gust was estimated at this location. |
| August 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | - | Eight to ten inch diameter trees or tree limbs were blown down by thunderstorm winds. |
| October 2020 | Hail | Greenfield | - | Several reports of hailstones up to an inch in and around the town of Greenfield with a concentration across the east side of town. |
| October 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | - | A thunderstorm wind gust was measured on North Broadway at 60 mph. |
| October 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | - | A thunderstorm wind gust, measured at 65 mph, was observed in this location. |
| June 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | - | A 60 mph thunderstorm wind gust was estimated in Greenfield. |
| October 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | - | A 77 mph thunderstorm wind gust was reported on the west side of Greenfield. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | - | Trees were reported down due to damaging thunderstorm winds. |
| August 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | - | Two trees were reported down due to damaging thunderstorm winds. |
| September 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | - | Trees and limbs were downed. |
| May 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | - | 2 Foot diameter tree down on power lines. |
| May 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | - | 2 1/2 Foot diameter tree down. |
| July 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | - | Numerous trees and power lines down |
| March 2026 | Hail | Greenfield | - | no account filed |
| February 2026 | Hail | Greenfield | - | no account filed |
| June 2021 | Hail | Greenfield | - | no account filed |
| April 2015 | Hail | Greenfield | - | no account filed |
| September 2012 | Hail | Greenfield | - | no account filed |
| April 2006 | Hail | Greenfield | - | no account filed |
| April 2006 | Hail | Greenfield | - | no account filed |
| April 2006 | Hail | Greenfield | - | no account filed |
| April 2006 | Hail | Greenfield | - | no account filed |
| June 2006 | Hail | Greenfield | - | no account filed |
| July 2006 | Hail | Greenfield | - | no account filed |
| July 2006 | Hail | Greenfield | - | no account filed |
| May 2006 | Hail | Greenfield | - | no account filed |
| May 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | - | no account filed |
| May 2003 | Hail | Greenfield | - | no account filed |
| May 2003 | Hail | Greenfield | - | no account filed |
| May 2003 | Flash Flood | Greenfield | - | no account filed |
| July 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | - | no account filed |
| July 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | - | no account filed |
| July 2003 | Hail | Greenfield | - | no account filed |
| July 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greenfield | - | no account filed |
| July 2003 | Hail | Greenfield | - | no account filed |
Nearest settlements
The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.
| Map | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowman Acres | 1.6 miles | 12 | |
| Riley | 2.1 miles | 8 | |
| Stringtown | 3.3 miles | 8 | |
| Philadelphia | 4.0 miles | 12 | |
| Spring Lake | 4.5 miles | 12 | |
| Westland | 4.9 miles | 8 | |
| Maxwell | 5.0 miles | 12 | |
| Mohawk | 5.5 miles | 12 |
Elsewhere
Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.
| Wikipedia article on Greenfield | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q616236 | The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0). |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 449837. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.