Mitchell, Indiana
Mitchell is a city of 3,937 people in Lawrence County, Indiana, founded in 1864.
Why visit Mitchell
Townapedia lists 3 museums and landmarks, 6 parks and trails, 14 places to eat, 1 place to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Mitchell Opera House, Twin caves and Mitchell Downtown Historic District.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 85°F; January lows average 20°F.
Weather in Mitchell
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Mitchell
Mitchell is a city in Marion Township, Lawrence County, Indiana, United States. As of the 2020 census, Mitchell had a population of 3,933.
From the Wikipedia article Mitchell, Indiana (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Mitchell Opera House
Cinema and theater · National Register of Historic Places
Theater in Michtell, Indiana, United States
Twin caves
Monument and historic site · 3.6 mi
Cave entrances in Indiana
Museums and landmarks3
Mitchell Downtown Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic district in Indiana, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds6
Restaurants and cafes14
Chicago's Pizza
Restaurant · Pizza · 0.8 mi
3221 South State Road 37, Mitchell
Mo off; Tu-Th 11:00-20:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-21:00
Great Wall
Restaurant · Chinese · 0.9 mi
1503 Wilkins Way, Mitchell
Tu-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:00; Su 12:00-21:00
Dippy's
Restaurant · Burger, Ice Cream · 0.9 mi
1503 Wilkins Way, Mitchell
Mo 11:00-20:00; Tu off; We-Sa 11:00-20:00; Su 11:00-18:00
Bubble Tea Barn
Cafe · Bubble Tea · 0.8 mi
609 Teke Burton Drive, Mitchell
Mo-Sa 07:00-18:00; Su off
El Compadre
Restaurant · Mexican · 0.9 mi
1608 Wilkins Way, Mitchell
Su-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:00
Papa John's
Fast food · Pizza · 0.9 mi
2860 State Road 37, Mitchell
Mo-Th 09:45-22:00; Fr-Sa 09:45-23:00; Su 09:45-22:00
Taco Bell
Fast food · Tex-Mex · 0.9 mi
1504 Wilkins Way, Mitchell
Su-Tu 09:00-25:00; We-Sa 09:00-26:00
2 more on the map.
History
Mitchell was built as a railroad town in the mid-19th century. At this location in Lawrence County, the Chicago, Indianapolis and Louisville Railroad, better known by the shorter name of "the Monon", was built as a north–south line from New Albany to Chicago, passing through the area which became Mitchell in 1853. In 1857, the east–west Ohio and Mississippi Railway (later part of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad) was completed, as part of a link between Cincinnati and St. Louis.
At the intersection of the two rail lines, a new town was planned. As the O&M railroad was surveyed, the owners of the land arranged for one of the surveyors, Ormsby McKnight Mitchel (1810–1862), a West Point graduate and professor at the University of Cincinnati, to plat their new town in exchange for naming it for him. (The second "L" in Mitchell was added later.) A native of Kentucky, Ormsby Mitchel grew up in Lebanon, Ohio, and was also an attorney and notable astronomer. He later became a major general in the Union Army during the American Civil War (1861–1865), and is best known for ordering the raid that became famous as the Great Locomotive Chase. He was known as "Old Stars". General Mitchel died of yellow fever while serving in Beaufort, South Carolina. [1]
From the History section of Mitchell, Indiana on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay1
Churches and places of worship6
Shopping2
Gas and EV charging4
Schools, colleges and libraries8
Healthcare2
Map of Mitchell
48 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 38°F | 20°F | 3.4 in | 5.1 in |
| Feb | 42°F | 23°F | 2.8 in | 4.7 in |
| Mar | 53°F | 31°F | 3.9 in | 2.1 in |
| Apr | 64°F | 41°F | 5.1 in | 0.1 in |
| May | 74°F | 52°F | 5.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 82°F | 60°F | 5.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 85°F | 64°F | 4.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 84°F | 62°F | 3.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 79°F | 54°F | 3.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 67°F | 42°F | 3.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 54°F | 33°F | 3.8 in | 0.2 in |
| Dec | 42°F | 25°F | 3.5 in | 4.2 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Oolitic Purdue Ex Fm Hcn (11 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Lawrence County has had 14 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2026-01-24: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2025-07-22: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Flood)
- 2020-04-03: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2011-06-23: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And (Severe Storm)
- 2009-04-22: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Virgil I Grissom Municipal Airport (BFR) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 7 miles away.
- Bedford 9 mi north, about 14 min by car
- Oolitic 11 mi north, about 18 min by car
- French Lick 15 mi southwest, about 25 min by car
- Loogootee 24 mi west, about 39 min by car
- Brownstown 25 mi northeast, about 40 min by car
- Bloomington 30 mi north, about 48 min by car
- New Pekin 30 mi southeast, about 48 min by car
- Bloomfield 32 mi northwest, about 51 min by car
- Seymour 35 mi northeast, about 56 min by car
- Jasper 35 mi southwest, about 56 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Mitchell indiana, Walkerspace, CC BY 3.0
- Mitchell Opera House, Nyttend, Public domain
- Tanais Fossae, NASA/JPL/MSSS/The Murray Lab, Attribution
- Hollingsworth Heidelberg Materials, Trey Hollingsworth, CC BY 2.0
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.