Lafayette
Sign in to savecity in and the county seat of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States
AI overview
Lafayette is a city in Indiana that serves as the county seat of Tippecanoe County, meaning it is the central location where county government functions are based. As the largest urban center in its county, Lafayette is an important administrative and economic hub for the surrounding region.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Key facts
- Country
- United States
- State
- Indiana
- County
- Tippecanoe
- Townships
- Fairfield , Perry , Sheffield , Union , Wea
- Founded by
- William Digby
- Named after
- General Lafayette
- Type
- Mayor–council
- Mayor
- Tony Roswarski ( D )
- City
- 29.50 sq mi (76.41 km )
- Land
- 29.38 sq mi (76.09 km )
- Water
- 0.13 sq mi (0.33 km )
- Metro
- 904.6 sq mi (2,343 km )
- Elevation
Article
Lafayette (/ˌlɑːfiˈɛt, ˌlæf-/ LA(H)F-ee-ET) is a city in and the county seat of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States. The population was 70,783 at the 2020 census. It sits across the Wabash River from West Lafayette, home to Purdue University, which plays a major role in both communities. Together, Lafayette and West Lafayette make up the core of the Lafayette metropolitan area, home to 235,066 people in 2020.
Lafayette was founded in 1825 on the southeast bank of the Wabash River near where the river becomes impassable for riverboats upstream, though a French fort and trading post had existed since 1717 on the opposite bank and three miles downstream. It was named for the French general Marquis de Lafayette, a Revolutionary War hero. Lafayette is 63 miles (101 km) northwest of Indianapolis and 125 miles (201 km) southeast of Chicago.