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The town of Plainfield, Indiana, got its name from the early Friends (Quakers) who settled around the area and established several meetinghouses throughout the county, including the important Western Yearly Meeting of Friends in Plainfield.  The Friends were “plain” people, and thus the name Plainfield was born. Schools in the Plainfield education system continue to honor the Quakers, using their name and stylized likeness as their mascot.

Video of R/C boats at Splash Island in Plainfield, Indiana

A suburb on the southwest side of Indianapolis, Plainfield, Indiana has long been associated with the National Road, U.S. 40, which goes through town as “Main Street” in downtown Plainfield. One incident which brought Plainfield national attention occurred in 1842 when President Martin Van Buren was spilled purposefully from his stage coach into the thick mud of the highway.

Plainfield Arts

The Plainfield arts community is not without its own resources. Plainfield is home to the Sketch Pad Art Studio, a gallery that features works of Plainfield artists in its halls. Sketch Pad also hosts classes, so Plainfield children and adults alike can learn how to paint, sculpt, and compose a beautiful work of art. Chateau Thomas Winery, the site of many music and art exhibitions, is also located in Plainfield.

Plainfield Attractions

Visitors come to Plainfield, Indiana for easy access to the attractions of neighboring metropolis Indianapolis, but there are also many hidden Plainfield attractions that history buffs and wine enthusiasts will appreciate. Chateau Thomas Winery hosts wine tasting and vineyard tours for the curious public; the Old National Road (or U.S. Route 40), one of the first major United States highways, passes through Plainfield; and Splash Island Family Water Park, complete with whirlpools, water slides, and a lazy river, is a top attraction for the area’s children.

Plainfield Bars

Plainfield bars are plentiful and almost as varied as Indianapolis bars, so you’re sure to find a drinking haven for anyone in this seemingly small town, from the most dedicated sports fanatic to the most relaxed slacker in your group. Places like Buffalo Wild Wings, Chili’s, and Applebee’s feature full-service bars along with their spacious menus, so these chains are good places to experience Plainfield nightlife. Other local watering holes in Plainfield include the Firehouse Bar & Grill, Bubbaz Bar & Grill, and Ole Pub LLC.

Plainfield Business

Plainfield business relies on the 25,000,000 acres of industrial zoning at the town’s heart. The Indiana  city is the site of many companies’ industrial and distribution centers, including Duke Energy, TKO Graphix, Puritan Benning, Espon, and the giant of Indianapolis business, Eli Lilly and Company. It is one of the largest and most concentrated centers for manufacturing and distribution in the United States, and the explosive growth Plainfield has experienced in the last fifteen years doesn’t look to be slowing.

Plainfield Children

The town of Plainfield, Indiana offers a wide range of activities and services for Plainfield children. Splash Island Family Water Park is sponsored by the Plainfield Parks and Recreation Department and features waterslides, whirlpools, a lazy river, and tons of exciting water-based activities. The Plainfield Youth Athletic Complex is scheduled to be fully operation in the near future, and will feature sports leagues and an open gym for area kids. The Plainfield-Guilford Township Public Library also runs educational programs and events for children, keeping them learning even after school is out.

Downtown Plainfield

Downtown Plainfield is beginning to show wear and tear. The area is over 150 years old, after all, and has seen a lot of use in that time. The Plainfield-Guilford Township Public Library is located in downtown Plainfield, as are several other stores and government buildings, but the area is not what it used to be. To rescue the rapidly deteriorating section of Plainfield, the city’s government has enacted the Historic Town Center Façade Improvement Program. The program will effectively revitalize downtown Plainfield by restoring the historic buildings to their former glory.

Plainfield Events

Plainfield events may not be as flashy and well known as Indianapolis events, but they provide a good deal of small town fun for Plainfield children and adults alike. Most of the events in Plainfield are sponsored by the Plainfield Chamber of Commerce, the nurturing force behind the recent explosion in Plainfield business. Perhaps the most famous Plainfield event is the Quaker Day Parade, which features motorcycles, marching bands, and a pumpkin decorating contest every fall.

Plainfield Health

There are two major medical care facilities in Plainfield: Hendricks Regional Health Plainfield and the St. Francis Plainfield Health Center. The Plainfield branch of Hendricks Regional Health offers a wide range of programs and treatment options, including immediate care for emergencies, specialized physicians, radiology, diagnostic services, and occupational therapy, while the St. Francis Plainfield Health Center offers mammograms, ultrasounds, general checkups, and more. There’s also a branch of Anytime Fitness and a Capitol Sports Wellness Center in Plainfield.

Plainfield Hotels

Since it is nearby the Indianapolis International Airport, Plainfield hotels are often full of visitors who want a quieter stay and cheaper rates than they’ll get in an Indianapolis hotel. Popular Plainfield hotels include Homewood Suites, Wingate by Wyndham, a branch of Super 8, Staybridge Suites Airport Centre, a Holiday Inn Express, and a Hampton Inn.

Plainfield Media

Though media enthusiasts in Plainfield can count on subscriptions to the Indianapolis Star, tune into WZPL 99.5, or change the channel to Channel 6 WRTV, Plainfield media has a couple of outlets of its own. A major source of local news in Plainfield is the Hendricks County Flyer. Covering local news like Plainfield events, Plainfield sports, and other items of local interest, the Hendricks County Flyer brings news Plainfield residents care about to their doorsteps. The town also has a radio station, WRDZ 98.3 Radio Disney.

Plainfield Music

Plainfield music is heavily reliant on contributions from its bigger neighbor, but that doesn’t mean the Plainfield music scene is completely limited to Indianapolis bands. As a matter of fact, music lovers in Plainfield have access to a few signature music locations of their own that attract musicians and fans from all over Central Indiana, including Claddagh Irish Pub, Bubbaz Bar & Grill, Chateau Thomas Winery, and the massive Metropolis Shopping Center. There are also several music stores in downtown Plainfield.

Plainfield Nightlife

If you want to get out of the house and party the night away, there are a few Plainfield things to do that can keep you dancing and having a good time until the wee hours of morning. Plainfield bars like Bubbaz and Claddagh Irish Pub are a big source of nightlife in this small satellite community, as is the Metropolis Shopping Center. If Plainfield nightlife isn’t enough, residents can simply make a short trip to Indianapolis for all of their nightlife needs.

Plainfield Parks

Plainfield has a comprehensive parks and trails network that nature enthusiasts will fall in love with. Rivaling the scale and majesty of Indianapolis parks, Plainfield parks span all of Hendricks County and include hiking trails, nature preserves, beautiful vistas, and other Plainfield attractions that visitors and residents alike delight in. Plainfield features five different hiking and walking trails that crisscross the countryside around this Indiana town: Vandalia Trail, White Lick Creek Trail, Sugar Grove Trail, Clarks Creek Trail, and the Ronald Reagan Parkway, named after the former United States president.

Plainfield People

There are only a few famous people from Plainfield. Delmer “Del” Harris was an NBA coach for the Milwaukee Bucks, the Houston Rockets, and the Los Angeles Lakes. The most famous resident of Plainfield, however, was Forrest Tucker. He was born in 1919 and played in over 100 action movies, several television shows (most notably F Troop) and a few theatrical performances in the United States.

Plainfield Real Estate

Click to view any of the listings or choose a different price range to view Plainfield homes for sale in that price range.

$1,000,000 up	$400,000-$449,999	$225,000-$249,999	$140,000-$149,999
$900,000-$999,999	$375,000-$399,999	$200,000-$224,999	$130,000-$139,999
$800,000-$899,999	$350,000-$374,999	$190,000-$199,999	$120,000-$129,999
$700,000-$799,999	$325,000-$349,999	$180,000-$189,999	$110,000-$119,999
$600,000-$699,999	$300,000-$324,999	$170,000-$179,999	$100,000-$109,999
$500,000-$599,999	$275,000-$299,999	$160,000-$169,999	under $100,000
$450,000-$499,999	$250,000-$274,999	$150,000-$159,999

 

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Plainfield Restaurants

Plainfield restaurants, like most of those in the small towns around them, are generally of the tried-and-true chain variety. There are those standouts, however, that constitute as Plainfield attractions and frequently draw visitors from out of town. Some Plainfield restaurants include the Claddagh Irish Pub, the Coachman Restaurant and Lounge, El Meson Restaurant and Cantina, Stone Creek Dining Company, and the Woodfire Grill.

Plainfield School

Plainfield, Indiana has the distinct honor of having one of the best school systems in Indiana. Plainfield Community School Corporation, the governing body of Plainfield education, is the only public school system in the Hoosier State to have every single one of its schools receive a four-star rating two years in a row. It’s clear that Plainfield education has a history of academic excellence. Recently, the town built a brand new high school to accommodate the growing needs of its students. The school, the crown jewel of Plainfield education, cost the community $103 million, but it should help to raise the next generation of leaders in Plainfield business, Plainfield arts, and other pursuits.

Plainfield Shopping

Plainfield is not really known as a major hub of shopping. The next door Indiana capital has enough Indianapolis businesses to last shopping enthusiasts a lifetime. For Plainfield shopping  fans, there are the standard big box stores outside of town along the historic National Road (otherwise known as U.S. 40 and Plainfield’s Main Street), mom and pop stores in downtown Plainfield, and the usual assortment of gas stations, Plainfield restaurants, and other Plainfield businesses dotting the rest of the town.

Plainfield Sports

Despite their proximity to major Indianapolis sports teams, residents of Plainfield are still proud of their resident Plainfield sports teams, the Plainfield High School Quakers. This center of Plainfield education  fields four athletic teams in addition to a marching band and a choir ensemble. Students at Plainfield High School can play football, run track, participate in swimming and diving, or take part in that old Hoosier classic, basketball. Athletes too old to go to high school can head to a Plainfield park. Almost every one of the seven Plainfield parks have some sort of sporting field, including volleyball pits, tennis courts, baseball and softball diamonds, or open fields in which to play sports.

Plainfield Things to Do

Though it may be a small town in Central Indiana, there are still a large number of things to do in Plainfield. The city is close to the excitement of Indianapolis, so residents can take in all the sights and sounds of the Circle City. If you want to remain in town, you can still visit the wealth of Plainfield parks, take a tour of Chateau Thomas Winery, soak in the sun at Splash Island Family Waterpark, or join in the festivities of the Quaker Day Parade. With all these options, you’ll never run out of things to do in Plainfield.