Indianapolis ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. The 2000 Census counted the city's population (excluding included towns) at 781,870. It is Indiana's most populous city and is the 13th largest city in the U.S., the third largest city in the Midwest, and the second most populous Capital in the U.S., behind Phoenix, Arizona.

Although Indianapolis sits in the Rust Belt, like many larger Rust Belt cities it has diversified its economic base to not rely solely on manufacturing. A large part of this diversification also involves the hosting of events, especially sporting events. The labels of The Amateur Sports Capital of the World, and The Racing Capital of the World, have both been applied to Indianapolis. The city has hosted the 1987 Pan American Games, both Men's and Women's NCAA Basketball Tournaments, the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, the United States Grand Prix (2000-2007), and is perhaps most famous for the annual Indianapolis 500. The attendance at both the Indianapolis 500 and the Allstate 400 makes them the two largest single day sporting events in the world, with well over 250,000 fans in attendance at each. Indianapolis has the second most monuments inside city limits, behind only Washington D.C. . There have also been two United States Navy vessels named after Indianapolis, including the famous USS Indianapolis (CA-35) which suffered the worst single at-sea loss of life in the history of the U.S. Navy.

The Indianapolis metropolitan area has seen modest and steady growth among U.S. cities. , with growth centered in the surrounding counties of Hamilton, Hendricks, and Johnson. Hamilton and Hendricks Counties are currently the fastest growing counties in Indiana and in the Midwest, although the state as a whole is only showing modest growth. Currently, the Combined Statistical Area stands at 1,984,644, making it the 23rd largest in the U.S.