Peru, Indiana
Peru is a city of 10,901 people in Miami County, Indiana, founded in 1834.
Why visit Peru
Townapedia lists 12 museums and landmarks, 8 parks and trails, 35 places to eat, 1 place to stay and 4 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Roxy 5 Theater, Peru Circus Center Arena, Brownell Block/Senger Dry Goods Company Building and Francis Godfroy Cemetery.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 85°F; January lows average 18°F.
Weather in Peru
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Peru
Peru is a city in, and the county seat of, Miami County, Indiana, United States. It is 73 miles (117 km) north of Indianapolis. The population was 11,073 at the 2020 census, making it the most populous community in Miami County. Peru is located along the Wabash River and is part of the Kokomo-Peru Combined Statistical Area.
From the Wikipedia article Peru, Indiana (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do4
Museums and landmarks12
Brownell Block/Senger Dry Goods Company Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Commercial building in Indiana, United States of America
Francis Godfroy Cemetery
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.0 mi
Cemetery in Indiana, USA
International Circus Hall of Fame
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.6 mi
Circus winter quarters and museum in Peru, Indiana, United States
James Omar Cole House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Historic house in Indiana, United States
Miami County Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Courthouse in Indiana, United States
Peru High School Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Historic district in Indiana, United States
Shirk-Edwards House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Peru, Indiana, listed on the NRHP in Miami County, Indiana
Circus City Festival Museum
Museum
3076 East Circus Lane
Jun 1-Aug 31 Tu,Th,Sa 10:00-16:00; open "By appointment"
Westleigh Farms
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.7 mi
Parks, trails and playgrounds8
Miami's Fort
Playground · 0.8 mi
Wood playground built by the community for children of all ages.
sunrise-sunset open "+2 additional hours; 1 hour before sunrise to...
Restaurants and cafes35
Beef 'O' Brady's
Diner · American · 1.7 mi
911 West Main Street
Mo-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr 11:00-23:00; Sa 11:00-22:00
Cloud 9 Family Entertainment Center
Restaurant · Pizza
11 Broadway Plaza
Fr-Sa 12:00-22:00; Su 12:00-17:00
Harvey Hinklemeyers
Restaurant · Pizza, American, Italian
14 East 8th Street
Mo-Th 10:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 10:00-24:00; Su 11:00-21:00
My Pizza My Way
Restaurant · Pizza · 1.2 mi
647 East Main Street
Tu-Sa 11:00-14:00,16:00-20:00; Su 11:00-14:00
Pizza Hut
Restaurant · Pizza · 1.6 mi
908 West Main Street, Peru
Mo-Th,Su 11:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:30
Southside B•K Rootbeer
Restaurant · American, Hot Dog · 0.7 mi
256 South Broadway
Mar 3-Oct 1 Mo-Su 10:30-20:00
Wings Etc. Peru
Restaurant · American, Chicken, Wings · 1.6 mi
888 West Main Street
Mo-Th 11:00-23:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-24:00; Su 11:00-22:00
Jing Jing Garden
Restaurant · Chinese · 0.4 mi
24 Broadway Plaza
Tu-Th 10:30-21:30; Fr-Sa 10:30-22:00; Su 10:30-21:00
Los Tres Caminos II
Restaurant · Mexican · 1.7 mi
913 West Main Street
Mo-Su 11:00-21:00
Gabriel's Pancake House
Restaurant · American, International, Pancake
Mo-Su 06:00-15:00
23 more on the map.
History
On August 18, 1827, Joseph Holman bought land near the confluence of the Mississinewa and Wabash rivers from Jean Baptiste "Pechewa" (Wildcat) Drouet de Richardville, the chief of the Miami people. The sale was approved on March 3, 1828, by President John Quincy Adams. On March 12, 1829, Holman had the land surveyed and laid out the town of Miamisport.
Peru was founded in 1834 by William N. Hood, who had bought 210 acres (85 hectares) of land from Miamisport's founder Joseph Holman five years earlier. By 1835, court was being held in Peru rather than Miamisport, and the name "Miamisport" quietly disappeared as Peru became the dominant community in the area. Frances Slocum was reunited with members of her family near Peru in 1837, after nearly sixty years of living among Native Americans.
Early in the 20th century, Peru was home to a pioneering automobile maker, Model Automobile Company; like many other early automobile manufacturers, Model did not survive.
From the History section of Peru, Indiana on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay1
Churches and places of worship18
First Presbyterian Church
Church · Presbyterian · 0.5 mi
102 West Main Street, Peru
Wayman AME Church
Church · African Methodist Episcopal · 0.4 mi
201 East 3rd Street, Peru
Shopping10
Gas and EV charging10
Schools, colleges and libraries13
Healthcare4
American Health Network
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.2 mi
315 West Old Key Drive, Peru
Map of Peru
115 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34°F | 18°F | 2.4 in | 7.3 in |
| Feb | 38°F | 20°F | 2.2 in | 4.8 in |
| Mar | 49°F | 29°F | 2.6 in | 2.4 in |
| Apr | 62°F | 40°F | 3.5 in | 0.4 in |
| May | 73°F | 51°F | 4.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 82°F | 60°F | 4.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 85°F | 64°F | 4.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 83°F | 62°F | 4.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 78°F | 54°F | 3.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 66°F | 43°F | 3.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 51°F | 32°F | 2.9 in | 1.0 in |
| Dec | 38°F | 24°F | 2.3 in | 3.6 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Wabash (13 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
Miami County has had 10 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2026-08-15: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Flood)
- 2026-01-24: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2020-04-03: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2007-03-12: Snow (Snowstorm)
- 2005-09-10: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (Hurricane)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Grissom Air Reserve Base (GUS) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 9 miles away.
- Logansport 15 mi west, about 24 min by car
- Kokomo 21 mi south, about 33 min by car
- Marion 26 mi southeast, about 42 min by car
- Huntington 31 mi east, about 49 min by car
- Frankfort 41 mi southwest, about 1 h by car
- Bluffton 47 mi east, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Lafayette 48 mi southwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Anderson 50 mi southeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Muncie 52 mi southeast, about 1 h 30 min by car
- Fort Wayne 53 mi northeast, about 1 h 30 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
- Peru-indiana-downtown, Tysto, Public domain
- Peru IN 2022f, Antony-22, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Peru IN 2022g, Antony-22, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Peru IN 2022e, Antony-22, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Peru IN 2022d, Antony-22, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Peru IN 2022h, Antony-22, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Peru IN 2022a, Antony-22, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Peru IN 2022b, Antony-22, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Peru IN 2022c, Antony-22, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Lady Liberty of Peru, Blue Fork, CC BY 2.0
- Peru-indiana-courthouse, Unknown author, Public domain
- Old Peru High School, Nyttend, Public domain
- Rosewood Mansion in Peru, Nyttend, Public domain
- Shirk-Edwards House in Peru, Nyttend, Public domain
- Peru Wabash Steel Truss Bridge 2022, Antony-22, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wallace Circus Winter Headquarters, Nyttend, Public domain
- Miami Chief Francis Godfrey's grave at Chief Francis Godfroy Cemetery, Miami County, Indiana - Sarah Stierch A, Missvain, CC0
- Westleigh Farms barn, Nyttend, Public domain
- Brownell Block-Senger Dry Goods Company Building, Nyttend, Public domain
- James Omar Cole House 2022b, Antony-22, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Miami County Courthouse 2022, Antony-22, CC BY-SA 4.0
- James Omar Cole House 2022a, Antony-22, CC BY-SA 4.0
- James Omar Cole House, Nyttend, Public domain
- Flickr - Furryscaly - Deer Head, Matt Reinbold from Bismarck, ND, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Flickr - Furryscaly - He Can't See You If You Don't Move, Matt Reinbold from Bismarck, ND, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Flickr - Furryscaly - Picture 260 copy, Matt Reinbold from Bismarck, ND, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- He Can't See You If You Don't Move (3762895508), Matt Reinbold from USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Flickr - Furryscaly - Thomisidae, Matt Reinbold from Bismarck, ND, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Nickel Plate Trail Wabash River 2022a, Antony-22, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Nickel Plate Trail Wabash River 2022b, Antony-22, CC BY-SA 4.0
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