Decatur Township is one of the nine
township
A township is a form of human settlement or administrative subdivision. Its exact definition varies among countries.
Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, this tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Canad ...
s in
Marion County,
Indiana
Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...
, United States, and part of the consolidated city of Indianapolis. As of the
2020 census, it had a population of 36,951.
Located in the southwest corner of the county, the township is home to the
Indianapolis International Airport
Indianapolis International Airport is an international airport located southwest of Downtown Indianapolis in Marion County, Indiana, United States. It is owned and operated by the Indianapolis Airport Authority, and the airport serves over 5 ...
main terminal. It is one of the most rural sections of the county, but has seen many new residential and commercial developments. AmeriPlex, one of the largest industrial parks in Indiana, is in Decatur Township. Through the
White River, Decatur and Perry townships share the only water boundary among Marion County's townships.
History
The township was settled in the 1820s by mostly
Quaker
Quakers are people who belong to the Religious Society of Friends, a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations. Members refer to each other as Friends after in the Bible, and originally, others referred to them as Quakers ...
s from
South Carolina
South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...
. They settled along the banks of the
White River.
West Newton is a small Quaker-settled town inside the township. Many of today's residents can trace their lineages back to these early settlers.
Decatur Township was named for
Stephen Decatur
Commodore (United States), Commodore Stephen Decatur Jr. (; January 5, 1779 – March 22, 1820) was a United States Navy officer. He was born on the eastern shore of Maryland in Worcester County, Maryland, Worcester County. His father, Ste ...
.
Key information
The township is the home of the Decatur Township Civic Council and the Metropolitan School District of Decatur Township. The
Indianapolis Challenger Center calls Decatur Township home.
Camby (also sometimes called "West Union Station") is a
neighborhood
A neighbourhood (Commonwealth English) or neighborhood (American English) is a geographically localized community within a larger town, city, suburb or rural area, sometimes consisting of a single street and the buildings lining it. Neigh ...
in western Decatur Township that also extends into neighboring
Hendricks and
Morgan
Morgan may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Morgan – A Suitable Case for Treatment'', also called ''Morgan!'', a 1966 comedy film
* ''Morgan'' (2012 film), an American drama
* ''Morgan'' (2016 film), an American science fiction thriller
* ...
counties, centered along Camby Road near
State Road 67. Its elevation is above sea level, and it is located at (39.6625457, −86.3166582). Camby has a
post office
A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letter (message), letters and parcel (package), parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post o ...
with the
ZIP Code of 46113.
Zip Code Lookup
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Geography
Municipalities
* Indianapolis
Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...
(partial)
Communities
* Airport
An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial Aviation, air transport. They usually consist of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surf ...
(south half)
* Ameriplex
* Camby (northeast two thirds)
* Mars Hill (partial)
* Valley Mills
* West Newton
Demographics
Decatur Township was home to 24,726 residents in the 2000 census. As of the 2010 census, the population had increased to 32,388.
Township elected officials
*U.S. Congress, District 6: Jefferson Shreve
Jefferson Scott Shreve (born September 24, 1965) is an American politician who has served as the U.S. representative from Indiana's 6th congressional district since 2025. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served on the Indianapol ...
(R)
*Indiana House, District 91: Robert Behning (R)
*Indiana Senate, District 35: R. Michael Young (R)
*Mayor: Joe Hogsett
Joseph Hadden Hogsett (born November 2, 1956) is an American attorney, prosecutor, and politician who is the 49th mayor of Indianapolis, Indiana. Prior to being elected mayor, Hogsett served as the secretary of state of Indiana from 1989 to 1994 ...
(D)
*City-County Council, District 20: Josh Bain (R)
*Trustee: Jason Holliday (R)
*Small Claims Court Judge: Jonathan Sturgill (R)
*Constable: Luke Schmitt (R)
*Township Board: District 1, Jared Bond (R); District 2, Greg Hibler (R); District 3, Cindy Freund (R); District 4, Josh Masquelier (R); District 5, Anthony Parks (R)
*School Board: Judy Collins, Larry Taylor, Dale Henson, Chase Lyday, Estella Vandeventer
References
External links
Indiana Township Association
United Township Association of Indiana
Decatur Township Fire Department
Township website
{{authority control
Townships in Marion County, Indiana
Geography of Indianapolis
Townships in Indiana
Populated places established in the 1820s
1820s establishments in Indiana