Lafayette

Indiana Wabash River college city paired with West Lafayette and dominated by Purdue University

Lafayette and its twin city West Lafayette sit on the Wabash River in central Indiana. West Lafayette is home to Purdue University, which dominates the local economy and gives the area a college-town energy — good restaurants, decent nightlife during the school year, and a young population funnelled through one of America's top engineering schools.

The most historically significant site is the Tippecanoe Battlefield north of town, where William Henry Harrison defeated Tecumseh's confederacy in 1811 — a battle that launched Harrison toward the presidency and broke organised Native American resistance in the Ohio Valley. Columbian Park along the Wabash River is the main green space, and the Moses Fowler House on 10th Street — now the Greater Lafayette Museum of Art — is the finest Victorian mansion in town.

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Eating Out

For the best barbecue in town, it's the South Street Smokehouse at 3305 South Street - on the south side of the street about a block west of Sagamore Parkway. They're open from lunch through dinner Mondays through Saturdays.

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Getting There

Lafayette is on Interstate 65, about 95 kilometres (60 miles) north of Indianapolis — roughly an hour's drive. Chicago is about 200 kilometres (125 miles) north on I-65. Amtrak's Cardinal and Hoosier State lines have historically served the city, though service has been intermittent; check current schedules before planning around it.

The nearest major airport is Indianapolis International (IND), about an hour south. No significant commercial air service operates into the local Purdue University Airport.

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Things to Do

The key draws in Lafayette are Purdue University across the river in West Lafayette, the Tippecanoe Battlefield north of town, and Columbian Park along the river. The Wabash River itself is pleasant for walks and the college campus is worth wandering for anyone interested in American engineering education.