Shelbyville, Indiana
Shelbyville is a city of 20,296 people in Shelby County, Indiana, founded in 1822.
Why visit Shelbyville
Townapedia lists 11 museums and landmarks, 7 parks and trails, 26 places to eat, 9 places to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Studio 10 Cinemas, John Hamilton House and Lora B. Pearson School.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 85°F; January lows average 20°F.
Weather in Shelbyville
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Shelbyville
Shelbyville is a city in Addison Township, Shelby County, in the U.S. state of Indiana and is the county seat. The population was 20,067 as of the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Shelbyville, Indiana (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
The Strand Theatre
Cinema and theater · 1.7 mi
215 South Harrison Street, Shelbyville
Museums and landmarks11
John Hamilton House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.5 mi
Building in Indiana, United States
Lora B. Pearson School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.0 mi
School building in Indiana, United States of America
Porter Pool Bathhouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.3 mi
Building in Indiana, United States
Shelby County Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.8 mi
County courthouse in Shelbyville, Indiana
Shelbyville Commercial Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.6 mi
National historic district located at Shelbyville, Shelby County, Indiana
Shelbyville High School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.2 mi
High school in Indiana, United States
West Side Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.5 mi
Listed on the NRHP in Shelby County
Grover Center: Museum and Historical Society
Museum · 1.6 mi
52 West Broadway Street, Shelbyville
Parks, trails and playgrounds7
Bear Chase Golf Club
Golf course · 1.3 mi
2660 N. Riley Highway, Shelbyville
Restaurants and cafes26
Porter Coffee
Cafe · Coffee Shop, Sandwich, Quality Espresso · 2.4 mi
1220 Miller Avenue, Shelbyville
Mo-Su 06:00-14:00
14 more on the map.
History
In 1818, the land that would become Shelbyville was ceded to the United States by the Miami tribe in the Treaty of St. Mary's. Also in 1818, the backwoodsman Jacob Whetzel and a party cut a trail through this "New Purchase" from the Whitewater River at Laurel due west to the White River at Waverly. This trail became known as Whetzel's Trace and was the first east–west road into the New Purchase of central Indiana. Whetzel's Trace was cut just four miles (6.4 km) north of the site of Shelbyville and proved important in the settlement of Shelby County.
Shelbyville was platted in 1822. Shelbyville was named in honor of Isaac Shelby, the first and fifth Governor of Kentucky and soldier in Lord Dunmore's War, the Revolutionary War, and the War of 1812. The town incorporated January 21, 1850.
The Shelbyville post office has been in operation since 1823.
The city charter received at that time was destroyed in the City Hall fire on January 1, 1928.
A railroad was built connecting Shelbyville to Indianapolis in the late 1830s, the first railroad in the state; it was later expanded to connect to Madison and Jeffersonville.
Allegheny Airlines Flight 853 crashed on September 9, 1969, near Fairland. Nearly 30 of the 83 people killed were never identified and were buried in a mass grave in Shelbyville.
From the History section of Shelbyville, Indiana on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay9
Churches and places of worship3
Shopping4
Gas and EV charging7
Schools, colleges and libraries14
Excel Center - Shelbyville
School · 1.4 mi
111 North Harrison Street, Shelbyville
Shelby County Public Library
Library · 1.7 mi
57 West Broadway Street, Shelbyville
Healthcare2
Map of Shelbyville
85 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°F | 20°F | 3.3 in | 5.3 in |
| Feb | 40°F | 22°F | 2.7 in | 3.8 in |
| Mar | 51°F | 31°F | 3.3 in | 1.8 in |
| Apr | 64°F | 41°F | 4.7 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 74°F | 53°F | 4.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 82°F | 61°F | 4.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 85°F | 64°F | 4.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 84°F | 62°F | 3.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 79°F | 55°F | 3.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 66°F | 43°F | 3.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 52°F | 33°F | 3.4 in | 0.1 in |
| Dec | 41°F | 25°F | 3.4 in | 3.6 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Shelbyville Sewage Plt (1 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
Shelby County has had 11 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)
- 2008-06-08: Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes (Severe Storm)
- 2005-09-10: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (Hurricane)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Pope Field (GFD) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 17 miles away.
- Morristown 10 mi north, about 17 min by car
- New Palestine 14 mi northwest, about 23 min by car
- Franklin 15 mi west, about 24 min by car
- Whiteland 15 mi west, about 25 min by car
- Greenfield 17 mi north, about 27 min by car
- Edinburgh 17 mi southwest, about 27 min by car
- New Whiteland 17 mi west, about 28 min by car
- Hope 17 mi south, about 28 min by car
- Greenwood 18 mi west, about 29 min by car
- Rushville 18 mi east, about 29 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
- Shelbyville-indiana-from-above, Unknown author, Public domain
- Shelbyville West Side Historic District, Nyttend, Public domain
- Shelbyville Commercial Historic District, Nyttend, Public domain
- John Hamilton House in Shelbyville, Nyttend, Public domain
- Shelby County Courthouse in Shelbyville, Nyttend, Public domain
- Shelbyville High School, Nyttend, Public domain
- GroverMuseum, Grover01museum, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Porter Pool Bathhouse, Nyttend, Public domain
- Memorial statue at the Shelby County Courthouse in Indiana, Nyttend, Public domain
- Shelby County Courthouse in Indiana, Nyttend, Public domain
- Lora B. Pearson School, Nyttend, Public domain
- Walmart Supercenter 884, deathpallie325, CC BY-SA 4.0
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.