Indiana is an awesome place to call home – no matter where you’re from. Still, there’s no denying that there are some pretty distinct differences between the southern and northern parts of the state. Here are 7 of the most obvious differences that Hoosiers just can’t deny.
- Northern Indiana is flat; southern Indiana is hilly.
CircusMidgetsGoneWild/Flickr The stereotype that all of Indiana is completely flat is just plain wrong. Northern Indiana is quite flat, but southern Indiana is full of hills, canyons, and more textured terrain.
- One says pop; the other says coke.
CristinaMirLaf/Flickr Northern Indiana (especially northwestern Indiana) is near Chicago, so it’s pretty common to hear soda referred to as “pop.” Southern Indiana tends to call all soda “coke.” There’s some overlap, but that’s generally what you’ll find.
- Northern Hoosiers vacation in Michigan; southern Hoosiers go to Kentucky.
Gary Millar/Flickr It’s just a natural tendency for northerners to head further north and southerners to head further south.
- Southern Hoosiers have a bit of a southern twang; northerners don’t.
Noelle Otto/Pexels Southern Indiana definitely isn’t the south, but close connections to Kentucky would have you thinking otherwise. You’ll definitely notice a slower pace of dialogue and slight southern twang in the southern parts of the state.
- Northern Indiana loves Purdue; southern Indiana loves IU.
matt shobe/Flickr The Purdue vs. IU rivalry is deep-rooted in the state and while these basketball ties tend to blur depending on where you went to college, for the most part, it’s divided by location.
- Northern Hoosiers go to the beach; southern Hoosiers go to the river.
Tom Gill/Flickr This one is all about geography. You’ll find northern Hoosiers heading to the beaches of Lake Michigan in the summertime, while southern Hoosiers love boating and hanging out along the Ohio River and other local rivers.
- Northern Indiana has Indiana Beach; southern Indiana has Holiday World.
Robert Gerbig/Flickr Indiana Beach is a top amusement park and waterside attraction for northern Hoosiers, while the beloved Holiday World is still number one in southern Indiana.
No matter which part of the state you’re from, we bet you’ll agree that there’s no place better to live than Indiana!
CircusMidgetsGoneWild/Flickr
The stereotype that all of Indiana is completely flat is just plain wrong. Northern Indiana is quite flat, but southern Indiana is full of hills, canyons, and more textured terrain.
CristinaMirLaf/Flickr
Northern Indiana (especially northwestern Indiana) is near Chicago, so it’s pretty common to hear soda referred to as “pop.” Southern Indiana tends to call all soda “coke.” There’s some overlap, but that’s generally what you’ll find.
Gary Millar/Flickr
It’s just a natural tendency for northerners to head further north and southerners to head further south.
Noelle Otto/Pexels
Southern Indiana definitely isn’t the south, but close connections to Kentucky would have you thinking otherwise. You’ll definitely notice a slower pace of dialogue and slight southern twang in the southern parts of the state.
matt shobe/Flickr
The Purdue vs. IU rivalry is deep-rooted in the state and while these basketball ties tend to blur depending on where you went to college, for the most part, it’s divided by location.
Tom Gill/Flickr
This one is all about geography. You’ll find northern Hoosiers heading to the beaches of Lake Michigan in the summertime, while southern Hoosiers love boating and hanging out along the Ohio River and other local rivers.
Robert Gerbig/Flickr
Indiana Beach is a top amusement park and waterside attraction for northern Hoosiers, while the beloved Holiday World is still number one in southern Indiana.
Have you noticed any of these differences between northern and southern Indiana? What other major distinctions have you noticed? For more fun facts about Hoosiers, check out these habits Hoosiers never seem to break.
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