Terre Haute

Understand

The name "Terre Haute" is French for "high land" and refers to the area's history from the French colonization of the Americas as well as its geography next to the Wabash River. Though the city limits exclude some of Vigo County, the metropolitan area includes the nearby towns of West Terre Haute and Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.

Terre Haute's history reaches back to the early 1800s with the construction of Fort Harrison as a permanent settlement within the Indiana Territory. The city grew up primarily around industry and river traffic on the Wabash River. The growth of the railroads and a short-lived oil boom contributed to the city's prosperity, but the decline of both, along with the Depression, resulted in the city becoming a model of Midwestern urban decay up through 1980s. Since then, mayors have worked hard to reverse this image, and have begun making gains in turning the city back around.

Tourist information

• Terre Haute Convention & Visitors Bureau. 643 Wabash Avenue, Terre Haute. +1 812-234-5555 or +1-800-366-3043. 24-hour information line: +1 812 238-TALK.

Get in

By plane

Most people in Terre Haute and the surrounding regions use Indianapolis International Airport, which is a 1-1½ hour drive east of the city on Interstate 70. Rental car services to Terre Haute are available at the airport.

Terre Haute is served by Terre Haute Regional Airport, but there have not been any commercial flights from there since 1999.

By car

There are three main highways which run through the city: Interstate 70 running east to west through the south of the city (near Honey Creek Mall); U.S. 41 (known locally as Third Street) oriented north-south; and U.S. 40 (also known as Wabash Avenue) as the road which separates the north and south parts of the city. U.S. 40 splits near the central business district. The westbound traffic turns onto Cherry Street, and the eastbound traffic runs into Ohio Street. In the event of an accident on the interstate, traffic is often re-routed through U.S. 41 and 40.

By bus

Greyhound provides service to Terre Haute, with daily buses departing from Indianapolis and St. Louis.

Get around

Automobiles are generally the easiest ways of traveling in Terre Haute. Pedestrian travel is the best on the north portion of the city (including Wabash Avenue), but several of the cross-streets on Third Street have short traffic signals. While there is no "rush hour" like those seen in larger cities, during the afternoon and early evening, the south end of town on U.S. 41 can become hectic. Also, many people cannot manage to drive the speed limit. Bicycling is becoming increasingly popular due to the heightened gas prices, although cyclists should use caution when riding, as bike lanes and paths are still few and far between. Sidewalks are usually the preferred paths for bikes, but some of the sidewalks on secondary roads are in poor condition. This is being improved by the city.

By car

The general speed limit on the streets is 30 miles per hour (48 km/h). Wabash Avenue and Third Street have a slightly higher speed limit. Terre Haute has several train tracks which run through the city, so becoming "railroaded" is a common occurrence. Construction is ongoing around the central business district.

Rental companies

• Alamo: +1 812-234-1449
• Avis: +1 812-877-6969
• Budget: +1 812-238-9963
• Enterprise: +1 812-235-3142
• National: +1 812-234-1449

By public transit

Terre Haute is served by a public bus system, which runs Monday through Saturday from 6AM to 6PM. Routes run throughout the city, including several shopping centers. There are tenuous plans to have midnight routes which will serve the local bars and universities. Since 2025 the public transport in Terre Haute is free of charge. Although the bus system is growing, the quickest, simplest method of traversing Terre Haute is still by car.

By taxi

Breezy Cab +1 812-727-5306

Learn

Unlike other cities its size, Terre Haute boasts five institutes of higher education:

• Indiana State University. 200 N 7th St. . Founded in 1865, Indiana State University is a public university with around 10,000 students.
• Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. 5500 Wabash Ave. . Founded in 1874, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology is a private college with about 2,000 students. U.S. News & World Report consistently ranks it the #1 undergraduate engineering institution in the United States.
• Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, IN. . Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College is a liberal arts college for women. Founded in 1840 by Indiana's first Catholic saint (Saint Mother Theodore Guerin, who is entombed on the campus), it is the nation's oldest Catholic college for women.
• Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana.
• Harrison College.

Stay safe

• Terre Haute is generally a safe city, but the same precautions for any other city apply here. Don't go out alone at night, don't flash money around and avoid the sections of town without streetlights, as crime tends to be higher there.
• Although it is on the edge of Tornado Alley, Terre Haute does experience severe thunderstorms and the occasional tornado warning. Most of these occur in the spring and summer but there have been severe weather events in other months. There are sirens near Indiana State University, but they can only be heard within a mile of the campus. It is usually recommended to tune into local television or radio stations if there is a chance of severe weather.