Noblesville, Indiana

Noblesville is the county seat of Hamilton County, Indiana, located just under an hour outside of Indianapolis. The city dates back to 1818 when the land was bought from local native tribes by William Conner and his Delaware Indian wife. Incorporated in 1854 when the Peru and Indianapolis Railroad Lines passed through the town, Noblesville has gone through several growth periods, the first instigated by the railroads. The second, starting around 1888, was spurred by the discovery of natural gas deposits which spurred the construction of many of the town's historic homes downtown. Noblesville has continued to expand and is currently one of the fastest growing towns in the Midwest, but it still retains a large collection of historical sites, capped by Courthouse Square which possesses several notable historical buildings dating to the close of the 19th century.

The current population of the city is around 42,000 people, up from the 28,000 recorded for the 2000 census. Noblesville features a surprising number of local attractions, from the Transport Museum to the History Park located near Courthouse Square. Noblesville features weekly Jazz concerts, Christmas activities, a farmer's market and several golf courses. There are four public parks as well as Morse Lake for outdoor activities.

Noblesville's close proximity to Indianapolis has increased the growth of the city as well as providing a close metropolitan area complete with convenient access to all that a city entails. Easy access into the city allows residents to avail themselves to the various museums, historical monuments and memorials as well as shopping, sports and music. However, the distance between the Noblesville and Indianapolis is enough to provide a quieter, safer area for raising children.

Residents of Noblesville have several main public school systems to choose from: Noblesville's own, the Hamilton Southeast schools and the Hamilton Heights systems. Noblesville's school was a charter member of the Indiana High School Athletics Association and received a perfect 10 out of 10 from the Great Schools rating service, one of the few Indiana public schools to do so. Hamilton's school systems feature 12 four-star or better ratings out of 18 total schools as rated by the Indiana Department of Education. Of the remainder, four schools are too new to have been rated. Several private schools are also situated in the city, eproviding a rare degree of educational options for a city of the size of Noblesville.

Real estate in Noblesville varies from neighborhood to neighborhood, with lakeside homes near Morse Overlook, urban homes near downtown or the historical districts and more rural options near Chapel Woods or the various parks and reserves near the town. Architecture tends towards large Victorian homes, with a mean house cost of $177,641 and a range from $120,000 to $800,000.

Noblesville is known for its combination of historical preservation and progressive tendencies, with a balance of urban access and rural security. The city is a blend of modern city planning and historical awareness to provide an ideal place that's just the right mixture of old and new, urban and rural.