City (pop., 2000: 121,582), southwestern Indiana, U.S. A port on the Ohio River , it was founded in 1812 and grew as the southern terminus of the Wabash and Erie Canal (1853), which connected Lake Erie with the Ohio River.
Coal deposits and oil fields as well as fertile farmlands surround the city, and its location as a transportation hub has made it the metropolis of southwestern Indiana and adjacent states. Diversified manufactures include pharmaceuticals and refrigeration and air conditioning equipment. It is the seat of the University of Evansville (1854). Angel Mounds State Memorial, a large prehistoric archaeological site, is nearby.