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Indianapolis is a city in the geographical center of Indiana and capital of the state. Also the seat of Marion County, with which it consolidated in 1970. Historically a leading center of manufacturing and commerce in the Midwest, Indianapolis also is an important transportation hub. Known as the Crossroads of America, four interstate freeways and four federal highways meet in Indianapolis, putting the city within a day's drive of one-half the nation's population.
Indianapolis is located on the Tipton Till Plain, an area of flat to gently rolling land shaped by the retreat of a glacier 18,000 years ago. The White River, which flows through the city from northeast to southwest, is too shallow to be used for shipping. In fact, Indianapolis is noted as being the largest United States city not on a natural body of navigable water. The city's climate is temperate, with no pronounced wet or dry seasons. Annual precipitation is about 1020 mm (about 40 in). In January the average high temperature is 1° C (34° F) and the average low is -8° C (17° F); in July the average high is 30° C (86° F) and the average low is 18° C (65° F).
The development of Indianapolis began in 1820 when a committee from the state's legislature chose the site for a new state capital because of its central location. The legislature named the city Indianapolis, which literally means the City of Indiana (from the Greek polis, or "city").
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